Review of Dear Edward by Ann Napolitano

This story was so much more than I expected. Napolitano created an irresistible and true-feeling character in Edward.

I loved this book. I kept thinking about it while I was doing other things, and I just wanted to get back to Edward to find out how things were going.

This story was so much more than I expected, but thankfully Napolitano didn’t rely solely on her book’s promising premise. She wrote the hell out of this and created an irresistible and true-feeling character in Edward.

The messy zigzags Edward takes toward growing and changing and understanding himself and what life should be are made richer and more hard-won by the moments when he realistically freezes, when he questions everything, when he searches desperately for meaning, and by his sometimes clumsy attempts but ultimately beautiful success at connecting with others.

Nothing is too easy here, nor is it ever melodramatic in Napolitano’a hands. Edward tries on the mantle of taking responsibility for every life lost; he wallows in the despair of others and their hopes that he will pursue their loved ones’ lost dreams and right their wrongs; then he messily works out how to create his own lucky, unshackled, truest life.

I was given an advance reader’s copy of this book by Random House Publishing Group and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Any Bossy thoughts about this book?

My book club wasn't unanimous in feeling pure love for this book, and this was one of those instances when I was blissfully unwilling to hear anything critical whatsoever about the protagonist or his plight or about anything to do with this story! (Why is this blog named what it is, again?)

This book is part of the Greedy Reading List Six Book Club Books I Loved Last Year.