Amazing book. Reads just like a podcast and interviews. The realization of what is happening in the book sucks the reader in until you can't put the book down, lest you miss something. The relationships between all the people and characters are so realistic, showing the perfect blend of compassion mixed with selfishness. A perfect book for everyone to read, as well as a book club choice. I feel like there is a real Sadie in every small town.

Sadie is well deserving of any and all accolades it’s receiving. Summers is the rare writer that knocks all her previous work out of the water with each new release.

This was a fast, very dark read. It took me a minute to get used to the podcast script, and I liked Sadie's POV chapters much more.

I hurt so much for Sadie and was rooting for her so hard. I really enjoyed seeing characters living in poverty because so often YA books are about middle class, if not upper middle class or wealthy, characters. I was little confused why her double wide was called cozy (some double wides are bigger than detached homes, and all of the double wides I stepped foot in as a kid were nicer than my house), but perhaps that was show to privilege of the guy doing the podcast as those comments were always in his chapters.

This is suited to more mature readers who are prepared for a lot of potentially triggering material, and it's definitely blurring the lines a little between YA and Adult, but it's a well-crafted novel sure to find an eager audience.

This was a really good book. It was suspenseful, exciting, and interesting. I loved how the book switched off and on between characters. It took me on a guy wrenching journey as Sadie attempts to find out who killed her sister. I was intrigued, disgusted at times, but overall a really good book.

The review goes live on ugust 26.

I went into this book not really knowing what to expect, and I think that's the best way to go into it!

What I Liked:

-The audiobook! I was lucky enough to experience this novel as an audiobook the first time I picked it up, which I highly recommend doing. Each chapter starts with a podcast, and Macmillan went through the trouble of making the listening experience as amazing as possible, because they make it sound like an actual podcast. It's amazing and really adds to the story overall. The storytelling was just amazing.
-The plot. The plot mainly follows Sadie and what happened to her. Her sister was murdered and Sadie's car was found abandoned, without her in sight. It just kept me hooked the whole time.
-The power of family. I loved reading a book about how strong family and sister bonds can be.
-The way the story is told. The mix of the podcast with Sadie's POV makes it so that the reader has to sort of piece everything together on their own which only adds to the fun.

What I disliked:
-seriously nothing!

If you're looking for a book, any book at all, and you don't know what to read, I'm telling you: you have to pick up Sadie! You will not be disappointed.

This book was amazing, incredible, and so so so important. I also loved the podcast that went along with it.

A fast paced, keep you guessing story about a girl running away. I loved Sadie almost instantly, her story was so heartbreaking and seeing what she had to go through was rough. Miss Summers' writing was immersive and the book's format made the story that much more entertaining. I was slightly disappointed by the ending however, I knew there probably wasn't going to be a happy ending for everyone but I wanted to see a bit more of what happened to everyone, where Sadie went etc.
Overall I rated it 3.5 stars
Recommendation: ages 16 & up
FTC DISCLAIMER: I received this book in exchange for an honest review

TW: child abuse, sexual assault, substance abuse/addiction, PTSD, violence, child abduction, murder

This book is a horrible story told incredibly well.

For anyone who loves Tiffany D. Jackson or true-crime serial podcasts, this is the book for you. As a personal lover of both, this story had me engaged from page one.

This is a book that follows a journalist who is investigating the story of a missing girl. It also follows that missing girl as she tracks down the person she believes responsible for her sister's murder. Two mysteries that are tightly entwined in a uniquely written format.

I don't know of any other book that is written in the format of a podcast. But I am now convinced that more books should. But, in particular, this book is actually written in a way that feels like a podcast transcription. The casual conversation, the edited clips of phone calls with producers. If you binge podcasts like I do, you will love the familiarity of this writing style.

Each character holds an important element in the story. From Sadie herself, the missing girl the book is named after, to her adopted grandmother and the journalist investigating her disappearance - they all have something that keeps you wanting to follow their part of the story.

All round, this book is an absolute must to check out and Courtney Summers is officially on my radar for future releases.

Courtney Summers' Sadie had me kicking myself for waiting so long to read this one!! What an intense, one-sitting ride.

There are times when I’m writing a review that I have to look into the hidden parts of myself to accurately capture how much of an impact the novel had on me. Where words such as great and insanely good don’t suffice for the masterpiece of the book. Sadie by Courtney Summers is one of those novels.
Sadie was released last September of 2018. Scrolling through my bookstagram and Twitter I saw that it was catching readers very quickly and developing into a flurry of highly rated posts and reviews. Some of my favorite authors were raving about how fabulous it was and to read it immediately. So I bought it and then stupidly let it sit on my shelf for months. Until recently that is. I put the audiobook version on hold at the library a couple months ago and it was finally released into my awaiting hands.

Let me just be clear. I listen to a LOT of audiobooks. Half of my Goodreads reading challenge is audiobooks. Now saying that I have never listened to an audiobook as well done as Sadie. A FULL CAST FOR GOD SAKES THANK YOU.

Sadie is told in two point of views. The first point of view is from our very own teenage girl named Sadie. Sadie has had a hard time growing up and has taken care of her younger sister named Mattie her whole life. Sadie sacrifices more than she lets show for her sister. When Mattie is found dead, Sadie finds that she is broken beyond repair. She refuses to let her sister’s killer not be brought to justice and leaves town on the hunt for Mattie’s killer with minimal clues to go off of.

The second point of view is from a man named West McCray who is a radio personality working on a segment about forgotten towns in America. He overhears about a missing girl named Sadie while visiting her hometown for his segment. He pitches the story to his boss who then gives him the go ahead to delve deeper into this missing girl story and get to the bottom of what happened to Sadie. West starts a podcast labelled “The Girls” and we as readers get to listen to each episode of his podcast. Each chapter in this book is referred to as an “episode” when we read from West’s point of view.

I knew going into Sadie that it was highly rated and hard hitting. I never expected however to feel so strongly for this novel. Sadie took a part of me with it, yet left something inside of me as well. Summers captures grief immaculately and makes your heart ache for this teenager who has to figure out how to deal with her sister’s death. All of the decisions in her life have been for the benefit of her now deceased sister. This novel had me on the edge of my seat from the first to the last page. I recommend this book to anyone who loves a mystery story as well as an unthinkably astounding audiobook.

Sadie was the most heartbreaking book that I read in 2018. Prepare for all kinds of emotions as you follow Sadie on her journey to catch her sister’s killer. I have never read a Courtney Summers novel before so I wasn’t prepared for all the feels. If you want to read a book that shows the dark side of humanity and the depths people will go to keep their secrets secret, I highly recommend picking up this novel. This is a very dark read about bad things that happen to children, while it keeps some details vague, it leaves no room for discussion about what actually happened.

The story of Sadie is told through alternating chapters of Sadie’s somewhat secretive narrative and a podcast that is searching for clues about why Sadie disappeared. Sadie’s sister Mattie was horrifically killed months ago. After months of no leads and the police not doing anything, Sadie disappears. Since Sadie is over 18, the cops won’t look into her disappearance so a woman who is concerned calls a podcaster for help. The podcaster follows Sadie’s trail and uncovers a truly horrifying story.

To look at Sadie, you would think she’s unassuming and harmless. When she speaks, it is with a strong stutter and most people are concerned for her. Sadie uses these to her advantage because Sadie is, in fact, ruthless. She’s got nothing left to lose. She has no father. Her mother ran off years ago and left her with Mattie. And now Mattie is dead, the only person Sadie ever cared about. Sadie is on a mission for justice that no one would know about if it wasn’t for the podcast.

Sadie is made all the better for everything it leaves in the dark. You can guess what is going on but when it is revealed, it just makes the story even more heartbreaking. Sadie ends up revealing more than she set out to do and so in a way does get justice but it may not be exactly what she intended. Sadie should never have had to go through what she goes through and it is sad.

I read an arc of Sadie so there were some technical issues that drove me crazy about the size of Colorado and how far each city was from each other. I would get it if it was winter but the book was set in June. Also, I don’t think two cities are thousands of miles apart since the state is only 380 miles long and 280 miles wide. Unless the author was overstating things like a teenager would (which I guess I could see that.) I’m really hoping those things were fixed in the final printing.

Honestly, this book had my full attention. I never wanted to put it down. I wanted to know how Sadie’s journey ended. The ending broke me. I won’t say much more but if you’ve read it then you know. I’m not a huge fan of contemporary’s but I’m glad that I read Sadie.

I didn't know what to expect when I started this book. It took me a little bit to get into, but I am happy I stuck with it. Once I got into it I couldn't put it down. I would have liked a little more closure but also understand what the author was doing in how she ended the book. I will be recommending this title!

Thank you for providing a copy of this book for review however I was unable to open the file for this document unfortunately! Apologies.

I was given a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

There is not often that I’m left speechless at the end of a book and this was one of them. This book is heart breaking; the plot is one that will rip your heart out of your chest and stomp on it. The unusual style of writing (as if it was a podcast) was perfect for how the story was told in flashbacks and helped move the plot along. All I can say is make sure you have a box of Kleenex next to you while reading it.

One of my new favorite books! This author has such a way with words the pages flew by in no time! I can’t wait to see the next work by this author! This was such a joy to read!

I will first mention the content warnings for Sadie: Pedophilia, drug abuse, alcoholism

Sadie is my first Courtney Sumner’s book and I’m kicking myself for not reading the others already. One thing that I know about Sumner’s novels us that they can deal with somewhat unlikable protagonists and also sexual abuse. Combine that with a possible murder and a girl hell bent on revenge, you have the makings of one dark book. That doesn’t even cover the rest of it though.

My emotions right now are just so conflicted, except for the fact that I think this is a five star book. I am so angry and sad and a little relieved even. It’s so hard to put my thoughts about Sadie. Sadie was great for so many reasons.

Writing Style:

I love the set up for the novel, it’s partly being told as a podcast series called The Girls created by MacMillan Publishers (a little shout out there, I suppose) as well as Sadie’s point of view. The Girls is created by West McKray as he tries to find out what happened to Sadie. I always love stories that involve a different kind of writing style. It helped get a glimpse into how other people saw Sadie. It’s really such a gorgeous, tragic book.

Family Dysfunction:

This is on the extreme side. I felt so bad for Sadie and how she grew up. She never had the chance to be a child. It was so heartbreaking to see how she didn’t feel she had a purpose until her sister, Mattie was born. From then on Sadie took a somewhat mother role for Mattie. I wish I could have seen their relationship before Mattie was murdered. It was painful seeing how little regard Sadie’s mother, Claire had for her. I just wanted to make her care for her own daughter so much. Claire was always more loving, if it can even be called that, towards Mattie. When Claire takes off, it put the whole book in place, essentially. It launched Mattie’s depression and cut the thread between Sadie and Mattie’s relationship with each other.

Socio-Economic Class:

I always love when authors delve into different social classes other than middle class. It was a interesting reading about the struggles Sadie and her sister went through.

Side Characters:

Besides Mary Beth, who I loved reading about, I loved seeing who Sadie met along her journey. My favorites were Javi and Cat. I feel like they helped Sadie the best get through what she was dealing with. They kind of helped her separate for a little bit from her mission. Sadie did anything to anyone to get where she needed to go next.

Sadie:

An unexpected thing that I really enjoyed was having a main character with a speech impediment. I have one as well and I know how it can make people portray you. Sadie didn’t hold back with her inner thoughts on her stuttering issues.

Sadie herself is such a strong, intelligent, driven character. Summers does an amazing job describing everything, particularly Sadie’s grief. My heart broke over and over with what she went through. From her childhood, she has never had an easy time in her life. When Mattie dies, it takes everything out of Sadie. She is so broken and lost.

When she decides to get some revenge on the person who murdered Mattie, you can just tell she’s not going to stop until she gets it. I felt her rage so much. I wanted her to get her revenge. She deserved at least that, even if it didn’t bring her sister back. I loved seeing the risks she took for her sister, it was so powerful to see.

Sadie is a tragic, realistic, haunting book that you don’t want to miss. If you love dark contemporaries, this is the book for you.

I wasn’t a huge fan, but I think the audio format would fit this book better. The switching from the podcast to the story didn’t grab my attention very well.

This was an awesome book! I loved how it was written and the character development was amazing! I loved the whole atmosphere of this book and how it shows us the effects of trauma and abuse and how terrifying it is.

This is a really emotional raw story that pulls you in and never lets you go. It is told through alternating views of Sadie who is on the hunt for her sister’s killer and a podcast who is searching for Sadie. The break up between the narrative of Sadie and the podcast help with some of the intensity but it never diminishes the exhilarating pursuit for justice.
It is always hard to review a gripping intense book that you loved because the events and circumstances are nothing to be happy and in love with, so it just feels weird. The nature and themes in this book were handled very well and the way that the book ends just keeps that rw and realness that so many people actually experience.

I loved the way this book was written-- as if you are listening to a podcast about a missing girl. In fact, I listened to the audio version of this book and I would highly recommend it!