Customer Reviews

Edward Adrift

5 star:		(98)
4 star:		(17)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

In the follow up to 600 Hours of Edward, things are not going so well for 42-year old Mr. Stanton, who suffers from Asperger's syndrome. Much has changed for Edward in the years following his father's death. His friends have moved away, he has lost his job, his therapist has retired and now he has also been diagnosed with diabetes. In addition to this, his nightly scheduled viewing of the Dragnet TV series has been disrupted. When his friend and former neighbour Donna rings to say that her son and Edward's best friend 12-year-old Kyle has been expelled from school, he is keen to help which leads to a road trip to Boise. Will Edward manage to help Kyle and get his own life back in order?

I would recommend Edward Adrift to those who enjoyed 600 Hours of Edward and would recommend reading that book first if you have not already read it to fully understand the characters and their motivations. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this novel and look forward to reading the next instalment of Edward's life, which there must surely be.

For all of us who came to know, and love, Edward Stanton in 600 Hours of Edward it is great to get reaquainted with him again. However, it is fair to say that Edward's life is not in great shape when we meet him again - Dr Buckley, his long term therapist, has retired, he has lost his job, been diagnosed with diabetes and even his "Dragnet" tapes are broken. Plus, he is missing neighbour Donna, who has remarried and moved away. Then, Donna contacts him to say that her son Kyle is troubled and has been expelled from school and Edward sets out on a trip to see them.

During this book, Edward has to deal with difficult behaviour from Kyle, come to terms with his father's death and is even faced with the possibility of finding love. Edward is a fantastic character, a forty two year old who sees the world a little differently because of his Asperger's Syndrome, he is often very literal, but always a good friend. To be honest, I would not read this before reading the first book about Edward, as the relationships with his friends and family will make better sense if you know the history between them. These novels are a delight though and if you do consider reading them, you will not be disappointed.

Great story, it made me laugh at Edwards logic because basically he does have a point! The author gives a good insight to Asperger's and that suffers are not mad/stupid but actually very clever. Will but the other Edward novel now and will be recommending this to friends.

This is my first venture into Edward Stanton territory. I understand that this is the third outing into the life of the forty two year old man with Asperger's syndrome but I had no trouble ascertaining what had transpired in the previous books to bring Edward to this point in his life.

Edward is a lover of words and as such gives the reader multiple tours into the depths of his vast vocabulary. He also loves lists, and is obsessed with his routines and rituals. All of these have been suddenly disrupted by the loss of his job at the local newspaper, the retirement of Dr. Buckley, the therapist with whom he has developed a rapport and a certain level of trust, not to mention the relocation of his best friend Donna and her son Kyle to Idaho, and the death of his father (an event that has left him "filthy rich"). Edward is definitely adrift and completely "flummoxed" (another of his favorite words) by the turn his life has taken and is therefore open to the idea of leaving his safe haven in Billings Montana to journey to Idaho when Donna calls seeking his assistance.

The trip turns into an adventure of sorts that Edward has definitely not anticipated. Following his arrival in Boise, Edward finds that Kyle is not the sweet boy who left Billings and has become a mouthy, sullen teen. After failing in his efforts to intercede with Kyle, and troubled by recurring dreams featuring his father and a town called Cheyenne Wells, Colorado. Edward decides to return home via Colorado. That decision brings him face to face with an unconventional motel owner named Sheila Renfro an event that will forever alter Edward's buttoned down life.

This touching look into the mind of this uniquely intelligent character does not sink into sloppy sentimentality, and that is a good thing. While Edward's controlling mother is a bit of a drag, you find yourself a willing member of Edwards cheering section as he navigates the choppy waters of independence to find friendship and love.

Having worked with children with special needs for many years, and also known quite a few delightful adults, many undiagnosed as children, who have gone on to make very happy lives and relationships, I found this book interesting. It portrayed well Edwards difficulties and "specialness" as an adult with Asperger's, as well as presenting him very much as an individual capable of giving so much to others. A good, unusual read.

One of the best books I have read in a long time.This is the second of what I hope will be a series of volumes about the Asberger syndrome suffering Edward. Although I have not read the first [which I am about to put right], Edward Adrift is a fine stand alone read. Set in present day Montana; his father has died, his mother has moved to Texas, his best friends and psychiatrist have left town and to crown it all he looses his job. "Adrift" does not nearly cover such changes in his over precise, over regulated life.
He gets a call for help from said friends whose 12 year old son has gone off the rails and being a decent man he leaves the security of his home and drives to the rescue. There follows a hilarious road trip, documented in every detail, with young Kyle as Edward tries to rekindle their friendship and discover what went wrong in Kyle's young life. On their travels they meet the motel owning Shiela Renfro who is just a little bit unusual and a touching friendship develops which could lead to a permanent relationship until Edward's mother intervenes. To expose more in a review would be wrong, but be assured that there are a few twists and developments along the way to the conclusion.
This is a beautiful love story with never a dull moment.
There is humour, sometimes laugh out loud humour,on almost every page.The leading characters are so likeable that one wants the tale to turn out well. But will it?
The author,Craig Lancaster is a new discovery for me and I relish reading his previous and future work.
Anyone who likes a well crafted yarn peppered with realistic dialogue. believable characters and dollops of humour will love this book.

I loved Edward from the first book but he really seems to grow as a person in this one.

Inspiring, made me laugh out loud and I couldn't wait for my boyfriend to read bits so that we could talk about them.

Beautiful story too.

It was a very weird story! Well that's my thoughts anyway. I found it a very depressing book. Good luck if y read it.

What a great book! I loved Craig's story-telling. The book was thoroughly enjoyable from start to finish: I can't recommend it highly enough. I'm looking forward to reading Craig's other books.

After reading "600 hours of Edward" I pre-ordered this, and was not disappointed. Life has moved on since 600 hours, and is not going well for Edward. He has lost his job, his friends have moved and he feels like it is an absolutely awful year. Then his friends ask him for help and to visit, and he has a reason to pick himself up. This is a great sequel, and if you liked 600 hours, you will like this. I recommend you read 600 hours first though.