This is a fascinating mystery, I loved reading it, but I also will recommend the audiobook. The full cast really adds to the story.

I don't really have words for everything this made me feel. It was heartwrenching and sad and powerful and deeply fucked up and well written and awful. It was many, many things all at once. It's a good book to read and then discuss, for both girls and boys about how terrible the world can be and how important it is to be aware.

Ever since their junkie mom took off, 19-year-old Sadie Hunter has looked after her 13-year-old sister, Mattie. Their existence is a tough one, but with the help of May Beth Foster, their landlord and pseudo grandmother, the girls manage to get along okay. Until Mattie is discovered dead from a blunt force trauma wound to the head. Overcome with grief and anger, Sadie's fury builds to a raging inferno as the police fail to solve her sister's murder. Armed with only a switchblade and a few meager clues, Sadie finally sneaks off, determined to find Mattie's killer on her own—and make him pay.

When 68-year-old May Beth discovers that Sadie is missing, she grows frantic. Her heart can't take the thought of another missing girl, especially one under her care. Desperate, she begs radio personality Wes McCrae for help. Sensing a juicy story, Wes creates a podcast to tell Sadie's story and to enlist his listeners in the search for the missing young woman. The more deeply involved he becomes, the more he worries for obsessive, reckless Sadie.

In the meantime, Sadie's courting trouble by asking jeopardous questions of dangerous people. Can Wes and Mary Beth stop her perilous quest before it's too late? Or will Sadie's obsession with revenge lead to her own violent end?

For a YA novel, Sadie by Courtney Summers is decidedly dark, disturbing, and depressing. It tells a gritty, unsettling story that I certainly would not want my teens reading. That being said, it's a compelling book that tackles hefty issues (poverty, drug abuse, child abandonment, etc.) through the eyes of some very interesting characters. Summers writes well, there's no doubt about that, but I had a hard time really enjoying Sadie. It's a little too raw for my tastes and the ending, while satisfying on some levels, bugged on others. Overall, then, I didn't love this one or even like it all that much. I know I'm in the minority here because the novel is definitely affecting, it just wasn't my favorite.

(Readalikes: Hm, I can't think of anything. You?)

Grade: B-

If this were a movie, it would be rated: R for strong language, violence, sexual content, references to/depictions of illegal drug use, and disturbing subject matter

To the FTC, with love: I received an e-ARC of Sadie from the generous folks at St. Martin's Press via those at Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!

Sadie alternates between the perspective of the titular character set in the past and a reporter investigating her story for a podcast in the present, Sadie's little sister, Mattie, was killed under mysterious circumstances. She blames her stepfather, who has a sick past with Sadie, and pursues him for justice. West McCray, the reporter, picks up the story several months later, interviewing people as he tries to find out what happened.

A heartwrenching look at the difficult life of a girl who tried to do her best and, in her eyes, came up short. The story unfolds with breath-stealing suspense, leaving readers gripped until the last page.

Summers' novel explores the death of a young girl and the disappearance of her sister through the guise of a podcast, leading the reader to ask questions of how women's lives are valued and the way violence rolls through generations. Compelling and moving.

Loved this book! What a great story of suspense. The character of Sadie is complicated yet she has very likeable qualities. i really really enjoyed reading this book and I know you will too!

I really enjoyed this. It's very dark and incredibly emotional but a worthwhile read. The characters are well developed and relateable.

A heartbreaking mystery!
Thanks to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for the opportunity to read and review Sadie by Courtney Summers!
Sadie seems lost. She’s searching for her stepfather to exact revenge for her younger sister’s murder. As the story is told, Sadie’s background unfolds. She’s had a life of abuse and neglect along with several “stepdads”. Sadie raised her younger sister Mattie since their mother was usually high or nonexistent in their lives. Sadie is a difficult book to review because I don’t want to give anything away. The intensity and pain broke my heart but the unconditional love that Sadie has for Mattie warmed my heart back up again. Sadie’s stutter made it difficult for her to make friends and her tragic life made it impossible for her to even keep or have friends. She lives in painful loneliness and only has the idea of vengeance to keep her going. A difficult to put down mystery, Sadie pulled 100% of my attention until I finished reading the book, 5 heartbreaking stars!

This was a heart wrenching story. Sadie had so much that she could have lived for and instead gave up all of that to take care of her sister. A sister that like any other really didn't appreciate everything her sister did after their mother ran off.

After Mattie is found dead something snaps in Sadie. There is only one thing that matters anymore, finding the person who killed her sister.

Through small clues and reluctant witnesses, Sadie takes a journey to find the person responsible for her sister's death. Meanwhile, she is being followed by a radio personality looking for the truth behind the sad life she's lead thus far. He also hopes to find out what happened to her sister along the way.

A touching story of sisterly love and the lengths one will go for family.

Sadie is a unique story focusing on a young woman who, once finding out that her sister has not only been taken from her but murdered, has her mind set on revenge. Out for blood, Sadie will stop at nothing to get her hands on Mattie's murderer.

This is the first Courney Summers' book I've read and I have to say that Summers knows what she is doing. By taking surprisingly bold risks, she tackles heavy issues in a way that leaves you not only thinking about the story or it's contents but also the words she has written. Honestly, it was a bit overwhelming to be reading such a emotional, hard-hitting, story. It makes you feel so many emotions and demands your utmost attention. It will move you in a way that not many authors are able to accomplish.

Sadie was well-written, emotional, dark, gripping, disturbing. It was a tough book to go through but one that, I can not stress enough, has to be read. The pace was rather slow in the beginning but ended up building momentum as the story progressed. I enjoyed the whole podcast format, which has become increasingly popular with authors and readers alike. Alternating between the podcast episodes and Sadie's voice worked well in this context, it helped build up the tension and create an atmosphere that leaves readers sitting on the edge of there seat. Macmillan has released a podcast that follows the novel every Wednesday, if you want to check that out I will be leaving the link to the podcast above.

Sadie was beyond-a-doubt my favourite character to read. Though she may have a dark past and intrusively dark thoughts, she is able to show how good of character she truly is. Having gone through what she has, Sadie grows up faster than she should. I felt the most for her and Mattie throughout the story and couldn't help but wish their story could have gone differently. By ending the story the way she did, Summers made Sadie's story feel that much more real.

This was truly an amazingly moving, and disturbing, book to read about the strong bonds of sisterhood, the responsibilities that are placed on children way too young, facing loss, revenge, and hope. Overall, Sadie is a book that simply must be read. Seriously, pick it up. With that being said, sensitive readers should take into account the trigger warnings mentioned below and know their limitations.

This book made me cry!!!
This book had so many sensitive topic told in a way of a podcast. It was new way of reading this story for me. And I definitely enjoyed it. The most foucsed issue is of missing girl and what happens to them and the story just made me feel so sad for the characters, I could feel their pain to.
The story was good. It had a sort of mystery. The ending was ,I don't know what to say. It just got me.

Dark book but nicely written. Told through the eyes of Sadie. Book was very well written and a excellent read. I found myself rushing through things to get back to this book. I kept thinking this would make a good movie as I was reading. Thanks to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for the ARC of this book. Although I received the book in this manner, it did not affect my opinion of this book nor my review.

One of the best books I read this year.
I loved the podcast style, it was so fun and original. I literally couldn't put it down once I started. I loved Sadie as a character with all my heart and I was so amazed that author made her so sympathetic and so badass at the same time. Other characters were also great and even if they appeared for a bit they felt fleshed out.
This book broke my heart into pieces and made me sob so hard I needed to take a little break before finishing it.
I usually hate open endings but this one completely fit the story and me love it even more (if that's even possible).

Incredibly timely, this book was amazing start to finish. The set-up of the first chapter alone got me hooked. I loved the podcast aspect and will be checking out the audio-version of this book in the near future.

I finished Sadie in two sittings and the only reason there was a break in between was because I had to stop for service.

Sadie tells the story of a girl who goes hunting for justice after the death of her sister. But the thing is, this story is told through Sadie’s point of view and via a podcast about her life (with no ads woohoo)

I found that to be a surprisingly effective narrative style – Sadie gives you what is happening in the moment. The podcast gives you the background on what is happening and how others perceive the situation. One balances out the other to create a story that has depth and is pretty fast-paced. Plus, I could totally hear the podcast in my head – it mimics the true crime podcasts very well.

If there’s one person who never really comes to life in this book, it’s West McCray, the narrator and creator of the podcast. But I think that’s appropriate, because ultimately, this story is about Sadie and the people around her. About her and her love for her sister.

Sadie, on the other hand, was fantastic. I got a good sense of her from the start, and I admire how she does her best to do what’s right for her sister, despite her limitations. I can only wish her a happy ending.

Speaking of the ending, it’s one of those that manage to be open but have a sense of ending about them. I can’t really say more because that would be a spoiler, but while one big question remained, I also felt like the story had run its course.

If you’re a fan of podcasts and great YA, you definitely have to pick it up. There are some themes that may not be appropriate for younger readers, so maybe don’t give this to lower secondary and under unless you’re sure they can handle it.

Disclaimer: I got a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for a free and honest review.

Summers does a fantastic job of bringing the evil side of humanity to light in a way that is real and authentic in this book. The story is told in the format of half-podcast and half-novel, which I actually really enjoyed, and delves into far darker subject matter than I was expecting. Although the book is classified as YA, it doesn’t seem juvenile in any way. I loved the characters. Sadie was one that I could really connect with and I look for that in a great story. I did have a hard time with the subject matter though. I tend to shy away from books that are too dark and I wasn’t really prepared for where this book was going. The other thing I didn’t really like was how open ended the ending was. I like a concrete ending, not one where I can imagine things. Other than that it’s a great read and I would recommend checking it out if it sounds interesting to you!

I was really excited to score this book during my Yallwest experience and was doubly excited because this book because one of the most buzzed about book for this fall. I was also highly anticipating it because I’m a huge fan of Courtney Summers and have enjoyed her previous novels. In terms of the thriller aspect, this book did not disappoint!

This was also an extremely easy to read novel since half of the book was written in this screenwrite-like style aka it felt like a play with mostly dialogues. So because of that, I literally flew through this book and managed to finish it within a few hours.

I also especially enjoyed the characters specifically Sadie herself because there were just so much emotion involved with her love for her sister, Mattie, and her desperation to bring the killer to justice. And even though there were times when I, as the reader, was confused as to why she was going about it in a certain way, it only added to the anticipation and the thriller aspect of the book.

I think the author did a fantastic job in keeping the reader on the edge of their seats in anticipation to what comes next. This was especially true during the alternating POVs between Sadie and the radio host, West McCray because Sadie was set in the past whereas West’s side was set in the present. So as West continued with the search, things start to become slowly revealed to us as well. It was just done really, really well.

For me, the most disappointing aspect was the ending because it was just so open-ended. For those who know me and have read my previous reviews, I always prefer endings with a more definite tone to it. Unfortunately, this was very much left in the air and it’s up to the readers to interpret what really happened. So for me, there is always that “maybe” going on.

Overall, if you enjoy thrillers then definitely check this out because in terms of that particular aspect, this book was done extremely well. I can definitely see why this book is so buzzed about.

Holy crap, this book. This was a definite difficult read, but it was so amazing as well. I loved the writing style of this book. It was written half in podcast form with the voice of West McCray, who has his own serial true crime podcast. And then the other half was told in Sadie’s narrative. I really loved how this book captured the story that was being told. It was amazing and it was heartbreaking.

I really loved the fact that this story was basically a mystery within a mystery. And it was just so different from so many YA books that I’m craving more books written like this. It really fascinates me when books are told in mixed media. And it honestly made me love the book even more.

I do have to mention that there are some tough subjects within this book that can be very triggering. It’s a sad story, I’m not going to lie. But it’s a story that is so worth reading. If you can handle the triggering subject matter, I highly recommend that you read this book!

***
"Sadie" is a book that will, and should, prompt a lot of reflective writing. On the face of it, the book is a pop culture-influenced YA book with a more modern Katniss-esque heroine; the presentation is through the trendy lens of a true crime podcast alongside point of view chapters from the characters. But the real takeaway from the book is about something much bigger. "Sadie" is about violence against women and our refusal to give women their identity. Sadie's story starts with a familiar story: A mother with addiction issues, abandonment, a girl too young put into the role of surrogate mother for her sister. When Sadie's little sister is murdered, however, Sadie goes out to find justice on her behalf. As Sadie gets closer to final chapters, we, through the podcast detailing her case, move closer to finding out her resolution, too. While Sadie is driven by her sister and clearly sublimates her own needs to her sister's, the book pushes her character to the fore (even to the point of giving the book her name, not her sister's).

What's good: Without a doubt, Sadie herself. Her love for her sister, her angst at her own choices, feels very real. This young woman, in pain but still trying to help the world, is a hero we've all seen in the world around us.

What's iffier: The book is a bit choppy at the start. It took me a bit before suddenly I felt the momentum of the book take over, and then the pages started flipping themselves. In addition, some will have issues with the ending, which may not be wholly satisfactory to some readers. (For others, like me, it will beg for discussion.)

Note for those in need of cautions: This book does include child sexual abuse in addition to murder.

Wow. Wow. Wow. If Courtney Summers hadn't cemented her place as one of my favorite authors before, she has now. I don't care what she writes: she's freaking amazing. This one was kind of a departure from her other works because it's more of a mystery but it is no less spectacular.

Sadie has had a hard life. Her mother is a drug addict and the one bright spot was her younger sister Mattie. Mattie is killed when she is thirteen years old and naturally, Sadie is devastated. Sadie was more than a sister to Mattie. She was a surrogate mother. She lived for Mattie and for taking care of her. Not long after Mattie is killed, Sadie sets off to hunt for her sister's killer. Then Sadie's car and belongings are found by the side of the road and she disappeared without a trace. Sadie and Mattie's kind of sort of surrogate grandmother, Mary Kay, enlists the help of West McCray, a radio personality, to help track Sadie down.

This book was a roller coaster of emotions and suspense. The book goes back and forth between Sadie's POV and her feelings about Mattie and tracking down her killer to West McCray and his podcast about Sadie and Mattie. McCray's chapters involve a lot of interviews and talking to the audience and I wasn't sure about the format at first but I grew into it. And even though the format for his chapters was a bit distant from Sadie's narrative, I still felt all the emotion of a guy who followed a story he didn't want to begin with. Through his interviews, I was able to get a sense of who Sadie was before Mattie's death and some of the events that Sadie was too distant to tell anyone about. It seemed like McCray was right on Sadie's trail and I wanted him to find her SO BADLY. I don't want to give away what happens, but I just didn't feel right about where the story was headed. This story was just so tragic and heartbreaking. Yes, I cried at the end. It was just so sad. This is a heavy book, I won't lie. It will stay with you long after you finish it. Only Courtney Summers can get into a teenage girl's head so thoroughly. I just loved this book.