At the start of Ann Napolitano's Dear Edward, Edward Adler, the namesake of the book, his parents, and his brother Jordan board a flight from Newark to Los Angeles. The flight is long, but they are moving for a purpose: his mom's writing career. But there is an unexpected problem on the flight and everyone, but Edward dies. Edward's aunt and uncle, named Lacey and John, quickly take Edward in after he spends some time in the hospital recovering from his physical injuries.
Quickly after moving in with Lacey and John, Edward becomes acquainted with his neighbors, Besa and Shay. Edward is immediately drawn to Shay and he quickly spends much of his time with her. Edward—who had been plagued with nightmares and flashbacks since the crash—is finally able to sleep when he spends the night on the floor of Shay's bedroom.
Meanwhile, Edward becomes a celebrity because of his status as the lone survivor of the crash. He is swarmed by fellow students and other members of the media when he goes back to school. Few understand what he is going through and most want to capitalize on the sensationalism of the story. Even fewer truly care about Edward, who is very clearly in pain. Edward thinks he is the only one hurting—until he meets the boyfriend of one of the crash victims. After talking with the boyfriend who lost his girlfriend, Edward realizes how much the crash has affected the rest of the world.
To learn more about the crash, Edward travels to Washington D.C., where the NTSB (the governmental agency that investigates crashes) is located. He can't face the details of the crash and is overwhelmed with fear and grief and anxiety. Eventually, Besa tells Edward that he can't sleep on Shay's floor anymore, something that devastates him.
One day, Edward discovers letters addressed to him from the family of the survivors of the crash. He reads each letter and overcomes sadness and anxiety over his loss and the loss of other people. He learns more about each of the victims of the crash and even adopts some of their habits and hobbies, something which allows him to connect with his experiences. And finally, Edward and Shay travel together to the flight's memorial so that Edward can get much-needed closure—closure which he receives. After receiving that closure, Edward starts a relationship and a family with Shay, the love of his life.
