I've been pretty into dark, suspenseful, and mysterious books lately, and with a plane ride coming up I wanted something that would hold my interest and attention. Nothing is worse than being stuck on a flight trying to read a difficult or boring book.
It didn't take too long to get into the story. Although I didn't become overly invested in any of the characters, I did enjoy following Sadie's journey. And while the ending was frustrating, I think I actually liked it. Anything else would have been either disappointing or wrapped up just a little too perfectly. I found the podcast element interesting and done well, it felt necessary and like it really added to the story. I wouldn't read this book again, but I would recommend it to someone looking for an easy read that will still hold their interest.

You are hooked. And you have to keep reading. Summers establishes this dread in your stomach, this tension, that you feel you have to resolve. The book starts off captivating, but it utterly bewitches you around the halfway point when more and more events start happening. All these dominoes start falling down in rapid succession and you become mesmerized.

Sadie is such an empathetic character. She is driven by the love she has for her sister, but even that is not uncomplicated. There are many secrets, many cruel words we wish we never said, rifts we cannot fix. And that’s sisterhood. But no matter what, Sadie is devoted to her sister, even from beyond the grave. My concern, care, for Sadie only increased as you find out more about her – how resourceful she is – and you begin to truly care about her getting the justice she deserves. Is that even possible?

"Because I don't want another dead girl."

I LOVE DARK YA. This is at the top of my list for thriller/crime books I've read this year. It's that good...without trying to be too much, as so much other books do in both genres!! (YA/Thriller)

Nineteen year old Sadie lived in a trailer park with her thirteen year old sister, Mattie in a small US town. Their drug addicted mother Claire had been missing from their lives for quite a while and Sadie acted as Mattie's surrogate parent with the help of the elderly owner of the trailer park, May Beth. When Mattie is found brutally murdered and the police lose interest in finding the murderer, Sadie felt sure she knew who was responsible and set out to single mindedly track him down.

Sadie would have disappeared without trace, just another missing girl, if not for a podcast journalist West McCray, who decides to track Sadie's movements and find out what happened to her. Sadie's relentless drive to seek revenge for her sister is told by alternating McCary's podcast and investigations with Sadie's own account of her journey. It's not an easy story to read about - a drug addicted mother, missing fathers replaced by the mother's sadistic boyfriends, sexual abuse, deprivation and hardship - conditions that no child should ever have to grow up in. Although heartbreaking and painful, Sadie's inner strength and love for her sister is a force to be admired and her character one I won't easily forget.

What a refreshing read! I don't mean that this book is going to bring you inner peace or comfort, but when you feel like you have read the same stories over and over again, Sadie is the perfect story to remind you that there is a lot out there to read. There really is a story for everyone. 

I've known Courtney Summers as a fabulous Young Adult author. When the opportunity came to read and review Sadie, I jumped! What I didn't do, what read the blurb.

Sadie is a different, unique kind of book. It's written from Sadie's POV, but it's also essentially written from the POV of West McCray who is radio personality putting together a podcast for his quest to find Sadie. I'll be honest... at first, I didn't think I liked the podcast idea, but it GREW on me. It ended up being some of the best parts of the book.

While McCray is following the footsteps left behind by Sadie, we get to see what Sadie really was doing and how far ahead she was. Sadie is hands down one of the BEST characters I've ever seen written. She was driven. She was a vigilante for those who couldn't or wouldn't ask for help. She was broken. Sadie is on a mission to find the man who killed her sister, Mattie. The little girl that Sadie would give her own life for; who did all she could to protect Mattie from anything she could.

There were plenty of surprising elements in this story. I always love that YA has that "coming of age," or "discovering one's purpose" element. That part of Sadie's story is the most important. It's the reason Courtney Summers wrote this book. It's the one thing that distracted me just a little bit from the ending that I can't say I loved. But it's good to know there is still someone out there for "The Girls."

4.5 stars

Trigger Warning: Pedophilia & Rape

Wow! What a thrilling read!

I totally did not expect to love Sadie as much as I did, but now I can really see why all the hype exists!

Sadie is a thrilling, intense, and totally gripping thriller novel that will keep you hooked from start to finish.

Sadie is such a compelling main character because even though she's not perfect (she's about to kill a man), she's got a lot of complexities that make you want to discover what makes Sadie tick and why she's doing what she's doing.

Even the side characters--from Mattie, Sadie's little sister who is now dead, to Sadie's mom and grandmotherly figure--were all really well developed, and I enjoyed that about the novel.

But one of my favorite parts would have to be the alternating Sadie POV and podcast chapters! Normally adding something like a podcast just comes off as quirky and whatnot, but in Sadie, it actually really contributed to the mystery and in building the story up. I loved what the podcast did both in revealing hints and exposing some of the past, as well as keeping up on our toes with cliffhangers at each chapter.

I think all the podcasts were just really well done and I'm looking forward to listening to the real recorded podcasts that were made for this book! I like how they were structured in that they continued the story rather than interrupted what was happening.

Plus, the mystery was gripping! Even though I felt like it wasn't like a "whodunnit," but more like a "What happened?!," it was still interesting, which is more than what I can say for other books of this type.

I wanted to know what happened and kept flipping pages until the very end. I kind of guessed based on some of the clues, but the validation the book provided was what made it so good.

And Summers is really subtle about some things, like she mentions something and you're like, "Is that...?" and then later she confirms it, which was both gratifying to read and interesting to solve.

I think the content is definitely shocking (and potentially triggering, so keep an eye out!), but it was all so compelling and wrapped up in a way that was really enjoyable for me! I think Summers did a really great job executing this, and it really touches on that interesting small town atmosphere that I ended up enjoying a lot.

Both the podcast and what happened really helped set up that small town atmosphere and how oppressive it can be, and I really felt for the characters, even if they didn't make the best decisions at times.

Overall, I definitely really enjoyed reading Sadie and found it to be a very well-written thriller novel that kept me hooked and had a unique format that enhanced the narrative. Although I might not have been completely obsessed, this was a really great read and I'm glad I had the chance to read it early!

[Trigger Warnings: Pedophilia, Murder, Abuse, Grief (I like to include this because I could only imagine how I'd feel reading this book if I had just lost someone I love)]  
There's a lot of things I could say about this book, but the thing I'm left with as I finished it today was "this book f*cked me up." I honestly have no other ways to describe it. Like with any Courtney Summers book, I find myself in awe and wanting more and more pages. 

Sadie is an absolutely riveting novel. I love a good puzzle, and every book to me is like a puzzle. I like to try and figure out the end. I had no idea where Sadie was taking me. I could not predict a single thing about this book. Every new place Sadie went, I was completely in the car with her, feeling her pain, her grief. 

Summers has a way about her that always makes me feel proud to be a girl and also makes me feel so in-tune with my community of women. That's my favorite thing about a Courtney Summers novel. I every female reader can feel that community of how we all band together in the name of Sadie and so many others. 

It seems impossible that I could be continuously more and more blown away by Summers, and yet, here I am with another book that my brain can't comprehend how amazing it is. I feel like I'm writing the same things over and over again, but all my brain comes down to is that this book is incredible. 

I absolutely ADORED West and the entire The Girls podcast/radio series aspect of this novel. Having it start with the interview and end with the interview WRECKED me. It was so cleverly done. Every interview I kept thinking, "West, you're almost there. Find her." It was amazing how much his story kept me rooting for Sadie. You can actually listen to the podcast as well!

Sadie is a great character that I think a lot of people with speech impediments, like a stutter, will find a lot of solace in. I don't have a giant problem with stuttering, but definitely enough that I loved Summer's depiction of stuttering. I loved this quote :

"I can hear a lie a mile away. It's not some superhero perk from stuttering, being in tune to other people's emotional bullshit. It's just what happens after a lifetime of listening to liars."
I thought this quote said a lot about the stereotype of YA novelists including disabilities. They have used things like a stutter in the past to give a character a skill they otherwise wouldn't have. I loved that Summer's (and Sadie-- I have a feeling she wrote this book for Summers. She seems like kind of character). There were plenty of other quotes in the novel that were even better, but I like this one a lot because of these reasons (and it gives away a lot less than some others). 

I can't wait to read more Courtney Summers novels, and I am incredibly happy that I picked up (and got sent) Sadie. 

Sadie is out in the world and here a link to where you can buy it:

Amazon

My favorite quote is always one that gives a lot of power to girls, so here is my favorite line from Sadie: 

"Every little thing about you can be a weapon, if you're clever enough."
Thank you again to Wednesday Books, Barnes and Noble, and Meghan Harrington for the pictures!

This book broke me apart. It is absolutely one of my most anticipated releases for the year and probably in my top 5 favourite reads this year. It was so compelling and beautiful, yet gut-wrenching. I read this more than two weeks ago and it's still lingering in my mind. I don't think I'll be letting this fade anytime soon. I honestly do not have the words to properly review this novel because it was just that devastating to my soul. I must have cried at least 4 times. I remember I was only 3% into it when I first got emotional...

Sadie is for all the lost girls seeking to make the world a better place. This is one of those novels that sinks into you, grips you by the feelings, and refuses to let go. It has really changed me as a person for many reasons. With the upbringing I had, I wasn't too far off being Sadie. Courtney Summers has written a book for the lost girls and the ones who feel they never quite fit, but still believe in good and love and loyalty.

I loved the way Sadie was written - part crime drama podcast, part Sadie's narration. It was unique to me and hearkened to all of the crime dramas I find myself so addicted to so often. It was interesting to get so many perspectives throughout the novel - and to realise that no matter your upbringing or socioeconomic status, little girls (and all children, really) are vulnerable, even if we do our best to keep them safe always. That's not to say we shouldn't let them have experiences and do things, but pay attention! It's important to make sure they know they have a voice. Go out there, friends, and be kind, but speak up when you need to do so. And hug your loved ones!

Well-written with a painfully relevant plot and a hard-driving protagonist, Sadie sets a story about a girl with a purpose that puts her needs, including her safety and security, second.

However, I failed to completely connect with her. I think it's the use of podcast speak in alternate chapters throughout the book. When I'd follow her via her perspective, the podcast would cut in and spoil my venture, as a reader, with Sadie, cutting my connection with her.

Still, I recommend this tale, even with the aforementioned issue. 3.5/5

I don't think I'll ever recover from reading this book. Sadie was hard to read and even harder to put down. Her past and present were difficult to stomach, and I'm positive her story will stay with me for the rest of my life. No child should have to endure or experience what she did, and I think that's why this story was so impactful -- it's something that happens every day. Children are neglected, taken advantage of, abused in unimaginable ways, and the perpetrators are not always caught.

I want to be able to tell you that Sadie's story has a happy ending, but I can't do that. Regardless of how her story plays out, she's lost something irreplaceable. There was nothing about Sadie's life worth celebrating, and the one thing she loved, her sister, was stolen from her in the middle of the night. She loved Mattie more than life itself, and was like a mother to her sister. It was a difficult relationship, but Sadie did everything in her power to make sure her sister had a better life than she did growing up.

I really enjoyed the layout for this book. The chapters alternate between Sadie's perspective and West McCray. West works for a radio station, and he was tasked with the story of Sadie's disappearance. We see his story unfold through podcast-like interviews and his own personal experiences over time. It was unique and really offered a different side to the overall story. It allowed characters Sadie interreacted with to have a second chance to share their perspectives, and it was usually one we didn't see when they were with Sadie herself.

If you start this book, be prepared to read it all the way through. It's almost impossible to put down. There's this need to know aspect about the story, and I felt like everything would be okay if I just kept going. I had to see Sadie's story through to the end. I had to make sure everything worked out the way it was supposed to. I had to know.

Courtney Summers has woven an incredibly complex and horrific story. I can't say that I enjoyed reading it, because the content was too disturbing and left a bitter taste in my mouth. I really thought things would get better if I kept reading, but how can they when you're only uncovering more lies and dirty secrets? Sadie is a hard read. It's dark and it's twisted, but the scariest aspect is how true it could be. There are people in this world living that life, and... and I really don't want to think about it anymore.

Going into this one, I assumed Sadie was going to be a murder mystery set in a small town, but it is so much more than that. Her story makes me want to cry and scream at the world we live in, and I cannot imagine the pain Sadie must have endured during her childhood and throughout this book. Courtney Summers has written a life-changing story that left me feeling angry, hollow, and irreparably broken.

Originally posted at Do You Dog-ear? on August 28, 2018.

This wasn't an easy book, it's not light at all, it was so depressing I had to stop reading sometimes to clear my mind and then go back again.This was so realistic and sad I cried while I was reading it. This book deals with some very heavy topics , prepare for a dark story.I would say to go blind but have in mind you need to be in mood for a story like this.Sadie is a sharp, intelligent, edgy character.

"If I've heard anything about Sadie Hunter, it was that she was almost a secondary player in her own life. She lived for Mattie, lived to love, care for and protect her little sister, with every breath."

Sadie is most definitely not a happy book. But it is a good one.

It has been up to Sadie to take care of her sister, Mattie, since her mother is a drug addict and has abandoned her daughters.

Mattie is found brutally murdered, well, I guess it was brutally because we don't get those details. Sadie's only support is her neighbor, May Beth, who has been a surrogate grandmother doing the best she can to help the girls.

The case of Mattie's murder goes cold, and Sadie decides to take matters into her own hands to hunt down the murderer. After months, Sadie's car has been found, but nothing else.

Wes McCray hosts a podcast about small, forgotten towns and overhears Sadie's story. He reluctantly begins to investigate and can't help but be drawn in.

Sadie is told from Sadie's perspective as she searches for the man she knows killed Mattie alternating with McCray's podcasts as he follows Sadie's trail.

The way the story is told is unique and interesting. We slowly get the details of Sadie's and Mattie's past lives and what led up to the horrible ending. I found it difficult to put down and would think about it while I wasn't reading. And don't expect a happy ending. It is very realistic.

Sadie has been given four starred reviews with good reason. As far as teen contemporaries go, this one is edgy and compelling. There would be much to discuss if Sadie were used as a classroom read (although there is some language that might prevent this in some schools.) Don't let your teens miss out on Sadie.

It's story about family, about sisters, and the untold lives lived in small town America. It's about the lengths we go to protect the ones we love... and the high price we pay when we can't. And it begins, as so many stories do, with a dead girl.

Dear friends,

I just finished reading an arc sent to me by Netgalley and St Martin Press (thank you so much, I am beyond grateful), this beautifully dark story that captured my heart from the beginning. It is great story, story of little girl, Sadie, who hasn't had an easy life, the girl who had to grow up to quickly, the girl who lost her little sister by hand of a man, the girl who wants to kill him, the girl who is missing.

And that's more than enough to get me to read it. I have been a bit sceptical to be honest, since I am not that big of thriller reader, but this book was much more than that. It was mostly story about love between sisters, broken family and lost childhoods. Definitely more dark than I expected (it definitely didn't read as YA to me), this story gripped my emotions from the start. It was just so powerful and important, the kind of story I didn't even know I needed.

This little girl is my hero. She devoted her life to being the mother to her sister, not hesitating any second. She exchanged her childhood, her freedom for this little bundle of her joy, doing anything it takes to be the light is her sisters life. I can't imagine how hard it was for her, but she never complained and continued being badass girl and woman. And maybe the story started as revenge for her sister, but it transformed into battle for all kids who unfortunately had to face the same demons in their young lives. (trigger warning for sexual child abuse!), which was hard but also beautiful to see.

The story is told to us from two different points of view in two different formats, one from Sadie's prospective in present form and one from journalist's who is trying to uncover what really happened to her, through series of interviews and podcast episodes. It is such an unique concept and a breath of fresh air in today's fiction. What is even better is that there are official podcast called "The Girls" inspired by this book, that I am definitely going to listen soon.

We are finally at that stage in fiction where sexuality doesn't define the plot, which was such an relief to be honest. It is nice to see that the character is accepted for what she is, without questioning and fearing if she is "normal" and if what she feels is what she is suppose to feel.

The part of story that hit the home to me the most, since I have little sister, is the incredible love that Sadie had for her sister. That love that makes you do anything for that person, give anything up for their happiness, anything. It is so powerful, I can physically feel it. It was that little spark that made this story so impactful, so important.

So all in all, this was one of my favorite reads of this year! So gripping, so beautiful, so important. I truly recommend it to any reader, anyone looking for book that will keep you at the edge of your seat, but also make you feel, feel all of the emotions, even the ones you didn't think are possible. So great! 5🌟

love,
Masa ❤️

My bookshelves are full of thrillers, both adult and YA, and this one is fully deserving of a spot on those shelves. Sadie by Courtney Summers is a YA thriller about one dead girl and another missing one. This story completely sucked me in from the beginning, and I flew through it in a few short hours. It is told in two perspectives, the first being a radio podcast detailing the story of the girls, and the other from Sadie herself, the girl who has gone missing. I loved the podcast aspect, and found this to be a unique and thorough way to tell perspectives other than Sadie's and provide additional details.

I really admired Sadie as a strong, motivated character who would stop at nothing to follow through with her mission. Her love for her sister spoke volumes, and she constantly put Mattie above herself, growing up way too early to ensure that her little sister was provided for (even when that sister acted spoiled and ungrateful). I also appreciated that she had a stutter, since this is a disability that many people have yet is underrepresented in literature. I would have loved to have seen more of Mattie, but that just wasn't the nature of this book.

The writing in this story was so descriptive and enveloping, I felt transported right into the scenes, watching Sadie pull her knife or question someone. This book was raw and gritty and real, both disturbing and beautiful all at once.

I do want to put a trigger warning on this book for child molestation and child pornography. This was dealt with in a tasteful manner, and it is important to bring these issues to light. Far too many children experience what the characters in this book go through every day.

Overall I enjoyed every minute I spent with this book, as twisted as it was, and it will be one that sticks with me for quite a while.

Overall Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars

A huge thanks to Wednesday Books and St. Martin's Press for a digital advanced copy of this read!

this is a must-read for fans of serial, s-town, criminal and all the other million true crime podcasts that have cropped up recently. i'm a total wimp, so i will admit that i have no personal experience listening to these podcasts, but that doesn't mean i wouldn't like them. i am easily spooked and affected by true crime, in a way that i am not by fictional horror stories, though let's be honest, i still get spooked.

sadie is told from two perspectives. a fictional true crime podcast, the girls, and sadie's own point-of-view. it all begins when mattie southern is discovered dead. sadie, her older sister, sets off on a journey to find her murderer and avenge her past, her younger sister's life, all the terrible things that have happened to her. west mccray, the podcast producer is compelled to take her story on because something about sadie speaks to him.

the truth about what happened the night mattie died is slowly untangled. and the web of abuse and lies and neglect is terrible and horrifying. one of the things that you can't stop yourself from thinking as you read is that this might be fiction, but it feels pretty real.

i can't say that this is an enjoyable book to read, per se. it's complicated. sadie is a compelling narrative. the format is almost conversational so that you aren't weighted down by lofty prose as you read these terrible things. but the subject matter is heavy, and if you are easily triggered then this might not be the right book for you. it's a story worth reading though, i'm glad i did.

**sadie will publish on september 4, 2018. i received a digital advance reader copy from netgalley/st. martin's press (wednesday books) and a print advance reader copy at the buzzbooks panel at book expo america.

I absolutely loved this stunner of a book. The voice of the podcast narrator was spot on, and the voice of Sadie on her journey was incredible. I felt like I was part of the podcast, along for the ride, trying to figure out desperately what happened, and I was completely immersed in the story, at times forgetting that it was fiction.

This one tugged at my heart, and it was hard waiting through the chapters that were not with Sadie to see what actually was happening with her.
I have read this author before and love how she writes the teens and their feelings, and she keeps it interesting.

“Sometimes I don’t know what I miss more; everything I’ve lost or everything I never had.”

When Sadie’s 13-year-old sister Mattie is murdered and left in an apple orchard, Sadie is determined to take on the responsibility of her death just as she took on the responsibility of keeping her alive. Their mother, Claire, was a drug addict and never cared for the girls the way they should have been and for years now, Sadie has been the one to care for Mattie and to make sure that life didn’t end up being nearly as bad as it could have been. And then one day Claire disappeared. She sent a postcard 3 months later from Los Angeles, addressed only to Mattie, and from that point on Mattie was convinced that the girls had to find their mother but Sadie knew that was impossible for so many reasons. And then one day Mattie got into a truck headed to California and she was next found in an apple orchard.

“Mattie never would’ve done something like that if she’d never got that postcard. I know it haunted Sadie and I know … I know if Sadie’s out there right now, it’s still haunting her.”

Courtney Summers writes some of the most gritty and uncompromising stories that manage to get under your skin with their unrelenting realism. Sadie was such a difficult yet mesmerizing read that completely captured my attention until the final page. This story is a brilliant combination of a coming of age/gritty crime mystery and podcasts which have become so incredibly popular in this day and age. Despite the audio aspects of podcasts, this book worked just as brilliantly in print. Sadie’s chapters are told in first-person narration as she leaves her small town of Cold Creek, Colorado in search of the man she believes is responsible for the death of her sister. Sadie’s thoughts are imbued with a single-minded determination to avenge her sister despite her own harrowing backstory. Her story is full of retrospection on everything that transpired and how it led up to the moment she finds herself in. She never berates herself for things that occurred, knowing that doing so won’t change anything, but only continue walking the dark path of revenge she’s set herself on.

Mixed into Sadie’s story, are transcripts from the (fictional) podcast The Girls hosted by radio reporter West McCray who is investigating Sadie’s disappearance. McCray’s investigation manages to fill in the blanks of Sadie’s story as he follows the evidence she left in her wake. These transcripts also served to make Sadie and Mattie’s stories feel both personal and factual in a way that was almost unsettling. It reads much like any true crime podcast where McCray discusses his investigation, the evidence he uncovers, and the interviews he conducts. There are six episodes in total and they can be listened to before or after the book’s release, but only the book will include Sadie’s first-person accounting. Either way, it’s definitely worth a listen. Whoever came up with the concept to actually produce the podcast in correlation with the book’s release is a genius. You can listen to the first episode embedded in this post below with the other episodes available on Apple Podcasts and Stitcher.

Sadie is a haunting yet must-read thriller for readers of all ages that tells the empowering story of a ‘victim’ who refuses to conform to the label.

I received this book free from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Sadie feels like a kick to the gut. That is, if you also found that kick to be achingly beautiful and repeatable. It’s a bleak book, following almost exclusively miserable characters. And it’s so good.

For all that Sadie’s world (and family) has crumbled around her, the book explores family and community a lot. What do we know about each other? What are the stories we tell to hide what we know? How far will we go for the people we love?

The podcast element is brilliant and well-executed. As a fan of “Serial” and many WNYC podcasts, I could easily hear West’s episodes playing in my head as I read them. It’s a fascinating effect to see in a book.

In Sadie, we follow Sadie as she hits the road in search of her sister’s killer. However, most of the narrative follows West McCray as he investigates Sadie’s departure and tries to find her – alive, he hopes. He starts a podcast in which he interviews everyone that could have been in contact with her, from family members to complete strangers in distant towns.

Let me start off by saying I flew through this book. It must have taken me just about six hours or so to get through it, it’s very addicting. One of the things that makes this a compulsive and addicting read is the format. As I previously mentioned, parts of the book are told from Sadie’s perspective, but the others are a script of the different episodes in West’s podcast. Therefore, I think this book will work perfectly as an audiobook, considering the podcast element. I think it would also work really well as a movie (or even a mini-series) and I hope it is adapted some day.

There is stuttering rep in this book, which I have yet to come across in any novel so far. Props to the author for that! I’m sure a lot of readers out there will appreciate that.

Sadie is such a pure soul, but she’s been through so much, has suffered so much that she just shuts down everything around her and pretends that she doesn’t care, that she is dangerous. It’s heartbreaking. And there are constant depictions of poverty and degrading scenarios, such as drug addiction. This book is just filled with pain and suffering, my heart ached for these characters the whole time 💔

One of my favorite parts of this book was the eerie atmosphere. I was so creeped out by the stuff I was reading, and it gave me a feeling that made it seem like it was autumn already – it definitely helped that it was chilly and raining as I was reading Sadie, it complemented the book perfectly 👌🏼

My only issue with Sadie (and the reason I won’t give it 5 stars) is the ending. I do not enjoy open endings, especially abrupt ones, and I felt as though that’s what we get in Sadie. I would have liked to actually find out what happened and not be left to guess it… Still, it’s an amazing read that I enjoyed even more than I expected! 🙌🏼

Overall, SADIE is a gripping, heart-wrenching and pain-filled read that you won’t be able to put down. Finally a good YA mystery novel!