Some girls seem to have been made to disappear. Sadie is heartbreakingly moving, and I cannot sing its praises enough, but it is one of those books that prove to be difficult to review. How do you talk about a book that is so deeply emotional and poignant? The dark side of a bildungsroman, Sadie is a girl whose journey into womanhood happened too early and never seemed to be about her. As the main caregiver for her younger sister, Mattie, Sadie's life was never her own. So, when Mattie, 13, is found dead, Sadie is a nineteen-year-old woman set on revenge, fully willing to shed the last remnants of herself to achieve her goal.

Alternating points-of-view take us between her vengeful road trip and her history, unfolding by way of West McCray, a podcast host playing detective following Sadie's disappearance. With West the narrative turns to a format that has been used before, but Summers manages to keep it fresh and balanced. Transcribed interviews become West's voice and provide the only relief from the dark and despairing narration Sadie gives.

Somehow, despite the omnipresent sadness, Summers steers the reader through the novel with a heightened tone of suspense and a main character I'd gladly let burrow further into my heart. You can't help but latch onto Sadie and allow her to pull you through this novel. A fantastic piece of literature.

I had no idea what to expect from Sadie, but I’d heard it described as dark and chilling so I thought it might be worth one of my occasional forays into YA. And I’m so glad I decided to give it a try. Sadie is an absolute tour de force of a thriller, told in alternating perspectives – one in which Sadie tells her own story of the vigilante road trip she goes on to track down her sister Mattie’s killer, and one from the host of a Serial-inspired radio show which is attempting to track down Sadie’s whereabouts.

This book doesn’t have much of a mystery – the whole thing is pretty much spelled out for you early on – but that doesn’t mean it isn’t worth the ride Courtney Summers takes you on. This book is absolutely harrowing. It deals with some dark themes (notably sexual abuse and pedophilia) as well as others which aren’t quite as viscerally painful to read about, but still important (drug addiction, class and poverty, being belittled for speaking with a stutter). It’s all dealt with thoroughly but none of it is preachy – it’s all navigated with a real authenticity and sensitivity.

And Sadie is a phenomenal protagonist. From the very beginning she’s intriguing and vulnerable, and the chapters from her point of view are consistently the highlight. But what was a pleasant surprise for me was just how brilliant all of the other characters ended up being. Summers would lull me into a sense of complacency where I felt like I had the full measure of a character early on, only for them to be so much more multifaceted than I’d anticipated. Probably the most noticeable case of this was with Claire, Sadie’s drug addict mother who abandoned her two daughters and left them to the care of a family friend. When we finally get Claire’s perspective, her actions are never pardoned, but the story is flavored with even more depth than what we began with.

My only critique – and it really is minor compared to how much I loved the rest of this book – is that Sadie occasionally felt too competent and adroit at social situations which didn’t ring true with the kind of isolated upbringing she’d had. It was made very clear that Sadie was forced to grow up to soon and consequently a lot of her resourcefulness did feel realistic, but when it came to navigating tricky social situations and gaining the upper hand with much older adults, it felt a bit like wish fulfillment that Sadie was so skilled (but I also think this is one of those YA commonalities where you just have to suspend your disbelief a bit – admittedly not my strong suit).

But all things considered, I loved this book. It is on the very mature side of YA, so I’d still highly recommend it to those who mostly read adult lit. Solidly 4.5 stars.

Sadie is the dark, gripping tale of a young woman named Sadie Hunter who disappears after her younger sister is found murdered in their off-the-beaten-path hometown. Told in back and forth narration between a podcast created by a reporter who is following her trail and her own narration, Sadie is hard to put down once you start it.

I was quickly drawn into the story and the mystery of Sadie and her younger sister Mattie, daughters of a drug-addicted mother who ultimately abandons them; the type of girls that are often forgotten by society - the type who seem to have tragedy always looming just out of sight. As Sadie undertakes her journey to track her sister's killer, we discover just how riddled with darkness her life has been and the lengths she will go to, to get justice for Mattie and to prevent others from experiencing the same tragedies that befell her and her younger sister.

With its suspense, tension, and haunting narrative, Sadie is a book that will keep you turning the pages all night and will haunt you once you reach its conclusion.

I was given an advanced reader's copy in exchange for an honest review.

This one was a slow burn but it has a wonderfully bad-assed teenaged protagonist who is so compelling you become will to put up with the pace in order to see if she get's what she came for. Solid realistic YA adults can enjoy.

Sadie is an incredible story that will grip you from the start and slowly break your heart.

It’s emotional, hard, tense and thrilling! You never know what will happen next but whatever it is, it requires mental preparation.

This book follows a girl named Sadie who is on a journey to find the man who hurt her sister Mattie. She scatters lead after lead to find him. She knows who he is, what he is. And she will not stop until she finds him. Mattie was Sadie’s whole world, she was like a mother to her after her own failed them, but after she was murdered, nothing was left for Sadie, other than making justice with her own hands.

Along with that, we also see West McCray’s investigation for a series called The Girls. He follows every step Sadie made and that leads him to know what happened. We get to see his investigations step-by-step in the present, while at the same time we see Sadie’s steps when they were happening.

It’s quite a different and unique approach that made it even more intense. It touches topics like abuse, alcoholism, drugs, pregnancy at a young age, … in a powerful and hard-hitting way.

As for our MC, I would say she is quite strong-minded, mature for her age and determined, but she is also utterly broken. She is a closed person, who has nothing to lose, doesn’t trust people easily and was devoid of maternal love with the adjacent part of having to deal with her mom’s addiction when she was present, and whoever she brought home. On top of that, she has to deal with her stutter, which is something that makes her look more vulnerable and also less approachable. Her life was just so difficult and tragic and it’s difficult not to hurt! But…

“Sadie turned out good in spite of them, not because of them”
And I truly believe she was an extremely good and lovable person, and I just want to hug her and make everything better and… It’s just SO HARD! My heart hurts after reading this book…

Another thing that hit me hard in this book was this phrase:

“You’d think, as her mother, I would’ve known”
But can we ever? It’s not black and white and more often than not, it’s extremely well hidden, so no. The fact of “being the mother”, doesn’t change that we are still human, and we often don’t see what’s happening because we don’t even think that’s possible! It’s just not the first thing that comes to mind when we think we know a person, right? This part just really broke me and made me cry. We should protect our children and try our best to make them happy and save in this world – but we can’t see everything and that’s why we should, more than anything, teach them to speak up, to trust their parents, to see what’s right and wrong. I believe that would make a difference in many cases, although unfortunately not all… Like I said, it’s just not black and white…

I just don’t even know what to think anymore… There’s just so much to this book. So much to talk about, so much to be noted. So much that shouldn’t be possible, shouldn’t happen! It’s hard to believe things like what we see in this book can happen, but they can and they do. How many young girls and boys are abused? How many children are devoid of family love? How many have to grow up before their time? It’s sad, it’s heartbreaking, but it’s real… It’s told in an extremely realistic way, not sugar coating anything, but also giving hope in a dire and unique way, that will undoubtedly touch your heart!

This is an INCREDIBLE, POWERFUL and EXTREMELY SAD and HARD-HITTING book. It’s not easy to read, but it should be read by everyone! Because more than anything, this book is about love and hope and where that “drives” us.

Wow. Just wow.

Courtney Summers is an incredible author. When you pick up one of her novels, you know you’re in for a treat; a deliciously dark treat because Summers doesn’t shy away from the seedy underbelly that this world has to offer.

Sadie is the perfect novel for fans of true crime podcasts; especially those who love serialized true crime. Sadie’s chapters alternate between Sadie’s point of view and episodes of a podcast dedicated to her disappearance.

Sadie’s chapters are heartbreaking. Everything about this book is heartbreaking, but her perspective is so raw, emotional, and driven that it’s hard to continue reading at some points, but Summers’ writing is so captivating that I couldn’t put the book down.
The podcast chapters are incredible. They read exactly like a serialized podcast. It’s written so authentically that I could actually hear the podcast as I read.

Sadie’s journey is a tough one. It’s a journey that hit me hard even though I have no personal connection to the story being told. I was a blubbering mess by the end. Sadie is an incredible character that you cannot help but feel sad and frustrated for her while also feeling proud. She’s one of those people you’d want in your corner while also expressing sympathy that she’s had to become the person she is.

Overall, Sadie is an incredible novel that hits it out of the park in every aspect of the novel.

As mentioned previously, Summers’ doesn’t shy away from darker topics so various trigger warnings for sexual abuse, addiction, and pedophilia.

Courtney Summers delivers another young adult nail-biter. Sadie is a searing and timely thriller that will keep you guessing and break your heart.

This is going to take a minute. God, I can't stop crying.

First: the writing and characterization are impeccable. This is real. The fluid depictions of Sadie's experiences are eerily familiar, and I thought, each time Sadie drifted in and out of traumatic memory, Thank you, thank you for not stepping outside of time, thank you for not warning the reader, thank you for showing exactly what it is like. Trauma isn't convenient. It breaks the narrative. It isn't easy to understand. But Sadie's story is so compelling that regardless of whether the reader has trauma of their own or not, they'll work to understand it. Five stars on sheer craft.

Second: please check for content. Summers does not hold back. That's a good thing. That's a real thing. What I took from this book, the thing that comforted me, was that Sadie isn't just doing this for her sister. She's doing this for every person who's been through the same hell she has. There are far-reaching consequences of a story like this. Good ones, I think, that could help a lot of people. I hope it does. It helped me.

Thank you for writing this, Ms. Summers. Sadie will speak for a lot of people who couldn't--or can't--speak for themselves.

Sadie was all alone until her sister Mattie was born. Their mother, an addict, loved Mattie and not Sadie. Sadie lived for Mattie. When Mattie was 13 she was murdered. Sadie knew who did it and set out to find him to even the score. This story is told in serial radio episodes. It is hard to read because of the subject matter and impossible to put down. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to be an early reader in exchange for my fair and honest review.

I had no idea what to expect from a podcast-format book, but I was floored . The dual points of view do a great job of framing the story and bringing in some really intense emotion. In short, one POV is a podcast host investigating the disappearance of Sadie Hunter, who may or may not have gone missing intentionally following the death of her little sister Mattie. The other POV is Sadie herself, as she goes on a journey towards vengeance.

I am so happy I got an ARC of this, and read it in a day. Quick, gripping, and heartbreaking. The ending was the perfect way to wrap up what felt like a real-life story, because real-life never really wraps up in a nice bow, does it?

I found Sadie very difficult to read. There is a story in there, but the formatting, at times like a play or script, made for a very stilted reading experience. I like stories that flow so I can get lost in the narration. Because of the stilted, jerky telling of Sadie, I never experienced that feeling.

[“St-Stacey was my favorite, but I always w-w-wanted to dress like C-Claudia.”
“I hate Stacey.”
Tough crowd.]

here i was thinking this book was about The Girls podcast but turns out it was the The Baby-Sitters Club Club podcast all along!!!

(a book that's almost entirely podcast transcripts? inspired! really any book that mentions podcasts is gonna Get Me ya know? it's like oh podcast ref, insert good rating now)

This was my first Courtney Summers novel. The unusual writing style I didn’t enjoy but that’s just me, those in YA will like the format. It was an intriguing and gripping story that will leave you wondering more about where is Sadie even after the last page.

Wow... This book was really, really intense. I found myself really having to pace my reading and could only do a few chapters a day. This book deals with a lot of heavy topics like sexual abuse, drug/alcohol use, child pronography, and mental health issues. I really loved the way the story was told: both through Sadie's point of view and West McCray's podcast. It was such an original concept and really added a new thriller/mystery layer to the story. The serious issues this book explores are something we don't talk about, despite the fact that they are very real and prevalent in society.

I really loved the book. The storyline, the way the characters were written and developed, the writing style, and the way it made my heart and my head hurt. I usually devour books in a day or two, but I couldn't bring myself to read more than a few chapters a day because the content is so heavy. It isn't a bad thing about the book; quite the opposite, really. I loved that the subject matter is real and something people shy away from- we need more of that so people like Sadie can get the help they need.

Read this book, you won't regret it.

This is the first book by Courtney Summers that I have ever read. Calling this book entertaining feels wrong and overall I didn't really enjoy it...this book deals strongly with child sexual abuse and if I had known that I wouldn't not have wanted to read it (nothing in the blurb mentioned the abuse part). Overall I found the book extremely dark and depressing with a sad ending. However I give it 3 stars as the style of writing is hard to fault and you can definitely see why Courtney has so many fans as she definitely has talent. If you don't mind dark topics then I recommend this book to read.

Thank you to the publishers for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Loved the podcast format interspersed with Sadie's story throughout the book. Reminded me of Serial and S-town and drew me in immediately. Well-written and well-paced story with realistic characters that reminded me of people I grew up around in my small hometown. Received this arc from #NetGalley.

Rating: 5 stars

Jesus, my heart just doesn't stop aching?? This book punched me right in my freaking soul and I'm seriously doubting if I'll ever recover.

Sadie is just so goddamn real, it fucking hurts. It really does. The tale of Sadie Hunter was so raw, it touches subjects that are not part of your daily talk. But maybe we should talk more about the fact that there are so many children suffering because they're not being protected the way they need to be protected. The way Courtney Summers presents the horrifying events in this book, as I said, it fucking hurts because she nails conveying the hurt, the grief and the desperation our MC goes through. It fucking hurts, because even though you know what the MC is planning on doing is in no way okay, you get it and you feel angry on her behalf, that there was no one preventing any of these things that's happened to her.

What I really loved about Sadie is how you follow not only Sadie herself, but also West McCray. You slowly start finding out what's happened to Sadie, why and how, and at the same time you also find out how everything's impacted those around her. Honestly, I was expecting to not like West's parts, because I just needed to know what was happening to Sadie but boy was I wrong. Reading West's radio reports.. I think they were just as heartbreaking as Sadie's story itself. I found myself silently begging and screaming for him to hurry up and be on time before Sadie got herself in trouble she wouldn't be getting out of. It was torturous.

This book is so important, I really can't describe it in any words because I won't do Sadie justice. Honestly, I just basically need everyone to read this.

TW: childhood sexual abuse and molestation

Summers, Courtney. Sadie. Wednesday Books, 2018.

Sadie has disappeared. After raising herself and her sister in spite of her mother's drug and alcohol addictions, Sadie hits her breaking point when her mother disappears and her sister is murdered. Sadie is convinced she knows who did it, and she's on her way to find that person and get her revenge.

This book is told in the form of eight episodes of a podcast a la Serial and will likely be fantastic as an audiobook. I will agree with other reviewers that the conclusion was quite obvious to me from the beginning, but that did not diminish my enjoyment of the story itself. Sadie and I have quite a lot in common - older sisters born to single parents, abused by a man who took advantage of our mothers and threatened to abuse our sisters if we told, etc. The infrequent flashbacks that Sadie experiences were not triggering to me but may be to other survivors. I enjoyed this book the way I often enjoy episodes of Criminal Minds: we may already know what the conclusion is, but it's the journey and the explanation of the motivation behind the actions, which made up the bulk of the story, that was so fascinating. This one will definitely be popular with teen patrons.

Recommended for: teens, fans of thrillers or procedural crime shows
Red Flags: drug abuse, alcohol abuse, language, sexual abuse/molestation, murder
Overall Rating: 5/5 stars

Read-Alikes: I Am Still Alive by Kate Alice Marshall, Mind Games by Kiersten White, The Night She Disappeared by April Henry

I received a complimentary copy of this book through Netgalley for the purpose of review.

4.5 Stars

A big thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an early copy of this book to review!

I knew I wanted to read this book immediately when I saw Jay Kristoff raving about his excitement on Instagram for receiving an arc of the novel. Immediately intrigued by the cover I headed to Goodreads to search it up and the minute I read the synopsis I knew I needed this book in my life.

Two reasons I knew I would enjoy this book.
1. It is in the vein of Contemporary fiction
2. Podcasts.

A big part of this story is that it is split into two narratives that are interwoven. The first is a true crime podcast called 'The Girls' that is following the story of missing 19 year old Sadie and her dead sister Mattie. The second is of Sadie's own story as she runs away from home to serve justice for the death of her young sister, whom she acted like a mother for.

I was immersed in this novel from the beginning to the point where I would tune out my surroundings and when I would look back up into the real world for a few seconds I would have to remember where I was. I absolutely loved the nuanced discussion around hard topics such as our perception of individuals, our ability to play the bystander role too often as well as how we tend to blame the victim by being unable to reconcile that what we knew about someone 'close' to us might not have been the reality.

The writing was beautiful and it truly captured that small town atmosphere. I almost wish this was set in an Australian small town. That dynamic would be so interesting to see. The characters were all well-developed and as fleshed out as they needed to be. The pacing was good though I felt that it didn't have the traditional structure when it comes to the build to the climax as well as the climax itself.

I only dock one star because I felt unsatisfied at the ending. I read through other reviews and I know that it was intentional in the way that it wrapped up but I felt that Sadie's viewpoint could have wrapped up a bit differently. Additionally, I feel that we set out to answer a bunch of questions but got answers for questions that we didn't realise we needed to ask. Thereby not getting answers to the questions we set out to find.

That inability to reconcile the truth of an event and/or person hit home deeply.

Trigger warnings for pedophilia and sexual abuse.

"I turn the switchblade one more time in my sweaty palm, feeling the weight of it's neat black handle and the unforgiving blade tucked inside.
It was his a long time ago.
It's mine now.
I'm going to carve my name into his soul."

Sadie is going to crawl around in my consciousness for a long time. I don't know if I'll ever be able shake the profound grief it has left in it's wake. I felt like I was drowning the entire read, sinking lower and lower, flailing and gasping for air that's not there, air that will never be there. It's taken me longer to write this review than it took me to read the book because I am at a loss for words. There are no words to explain how this book affected me. For an author to be able to conjur up such emotion with words alone is a true gift.

I can't recommend this book enough. It will join the select few on my list of favorite books of all time

I was provided an ARC of this book by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.