Blog tour: Dear Edward by Ann Napolitano

 

February 2020, when what we worried about were named storms that caused flooding and disrupted our travel plans, I was invited to Penguin HQ in London to meet author Ann Napolitano, to launch her novel, Dear Edward, in the UK.  It was a grand day out, and meeting Ann was a delight.  Over afternoon tea, Ann told us how she came to write Dear Edward, answered our questions about the story and we were able to talk about our reactions to it, too

Now I've been invited to participate in the blog tour to mark Dear Edward's paperback release on 4th February, and it's lovely to look back on that day, before Covid lockdowns changed our lives so utterly.

Dear Edward was inspired by the true story of a boy who, against all the odds, was the sole survivor of an air crash.  Edward's family take a flight across America from New York, to start a new life on the West Coast.  Unfortunately the plane comes down on the way and miraculously Edward survives.

Although this sounds incredibly tragic, the book is actually very uplifting, as Edward and others who care for him learn to live despite their losses.  Growing up means negotiating the hopes and expectations of others as well as our own, and this is forced on Edward in the absence of the shelter of his birth family.  It is not a disaster novel, but a positive story of love and recovery.

As the publishers say, Dear Edward is:-

 "A transcendent coming-of-age story about the ways a broken heart learns to love again.

One summer morning, a flight takes off from New York to Los Angeles: there are 192 people aboard. When the plane suddenly crashes, twelve-year-old Edward Adler is the sole survivor.

In the aftermath, Edward struggles to make sense of his grief, sudden fame and find his place in a world without his family. But then Edward and his neighbour Shay make a startling discovery; hidden in his uncle's garage are letters from the relatives of other passengers - all addressed him.

Following the passengers' final hours and Edward's unique coming-of-age, Dear Edward asks one of life's most profound questions:

What does it mean not just to survive, but to truly live?"

I was engrossed by this book and enjoyed it very much.  It provides so much food for thought and is sensitively and thoughtfully written.  It vividly illustrates a skilfully told story of the passage from childhood to adulthood and the negotiation we all have to make of becoming our own person.  It would also provide interesting threads of discussion for book clubs.  I am very happy to recommend it and look forward to reading more from Ann Napolitano.

The Island by C.L. Taylor

 

The blurb:

Lost meets The Hunger Games in the thrilling new young adult novel from C.L. Taylor, the Sunday 

Times and million-copy bestselling author.

***

Welcome to The Island.

Where your worst fears are about to come true…

It was supposed to be the perfect holiday: a week-long trip for six teenage friends on a remote tropical island.

But when their guide dies of a stroke leaving them stranded, the trip of a lifetime turns into a nightmare.

Because someone on the island knows each of the group’s worst fears. And one by one, they’re becoming a reality.

Seven days in paradise. A deadly secret.

Who will make it off the island alive?

My thoughts:

Although this book is marketed for young adults, it could be enjoyed by a much wider audience.  This retired grandmother certainly found it very enthralling and enjoyable.

Take a group of six sets of parents who have known each other since ante-natal classes and developed the habit of taking an annual holiday together.  Transport them all to an exotic setting, Thailand, where one of the children is to celebrate a birthday with a trip to a remote and uninhabited island off the coast for a week of wilderness living together with their teenaged friends.  

When things go wrong and all six are forced to face their greatest fears, it is hard to know just what is happening and who is behind it.  Cally Taylor has written an engrossing, enthralling and enjoyable thriller which paints a vivid backdrop to challenges which will test the resilience of these young people to the full.  It is a brilliant read which I highly recommend.

Thanks to NetGalley and HQ for access to an advance readers copy in return for a fair and honest review.

Jane Corry's New Book: Cover Reveal

Exciting news: Jane Corry has a new book being published this summer, and I am privileged to be able to be part of the cover reveal today, so you'll know what to look out for in June! 

To read what I thought of her last book, read here.  And to find out more about Jane and her books (published by Penguin) follow this link.

 

"I Made A Mistake" by Jane Corry

They said: 

In Poppy Page's mind, there are two types of women in this world: those who are faithful to their husbands, and those who are not. Until now, Poppy has never questioned which she was.

But when handsome, charming Matthew Gordon walks back into her life after almost two decades, that changes. Poppy makes a single mistake - and that mistake will be far more dangerous than she could imagine.

Someone is going to pay for it with their life . .

What I thought: