I've heard nothing but rave reviews from others and this book does not disappoint. This is a YA thriller perfect for the tail end of your summer read. The writing is great, allowing you to dive into the story as if it were your own, and the characters are phenomenal and relatable. This brings to YA a genre not often covered and Summers perfectly touched on the not-so-sunny-side of teens lives - a theme we don't often get to see.

Serial + The Girls, with a pinch of Vigilante = Sadie

** Trigger warning for violence against women and children, including rape. **

I’m going to kill a man.

I’m going to steal the light from his eyes. I want to watch it go out. You aren’t supposed to answer violence with more violence but sometimes I think violence is the only answer. It’s no less than he did to Mattie, so it’s no less than he deserves.

I don’t expect it to bring her back. It won’t bring her back.

It’s not about finding peace. There will never be peace.

I’m not under any illusions about how little of me will be left after I do this one thing. But imagine having to live every day knowing the person who killed your sister is breathing the air she can’t, filling his lungs with it, tasting its sweetness. Imagine him knowing the steady weight of the earth under his feet while her body is buried six feet below it.

This is the furthest I’ve been from anything that I know.

###

My eyes burn, and tears slip down my cheeks and I can’t even imagine how pathetic I look. Girl with a busted face, torn-up arm, begging for the opportunity to save other girls. Why do I have to beg for that?

###

Nineteen-year-old Sadie Hunter has had a pretty effed up life. Born to a young, single mom with multiple addictions (alcohol, cocaine, heroin) and a rotating roster of enabling boyfriends, Sadie grew up in a trailer park in the small, struggling town of Cold Creek, Colorado. (Population: eight hundred.) She developed a stutter at a young age, but her mother Claire never sought treatment; consequently, Sadie was bullied, isolated, and shamed for it, for most of her life.

Claire’s own mother, Irene, died of breast cancer when Claire was only nineteen herself; Sadie’s striking physical resemblance to Irene was just one of many reasons why Claire had trouble bonding with her daughter. Younger sister Mattie Southern (she got the matrilineal surname; Sadie did not – telling, that) arrived six years later, and Sadie tried her best to be Mattie’s mother and father. When Claire ran out on her and Mattie, Sadie dropped out of high school to support her family. She was only sixteen.

After two years of limping along, with no small support from May Beth Foster – manager of the trailer park and their deceased grandmother’s best friend – Mattie disappeared. Her body was found three days later in an apple orchard several miles outside of town. Nine months later, Sadie too goes missing; her car is found thousands of miles away, in a town called Farfield. When the local police write Sadie off as just another runaway, May Beth reaches out to West McCray, journalist and host of the podcast ALWAYS OUT THERE, for help.

Told in the alternating perspectives of Sadie (as she tracks down her sister’s killer) and West (in the form of his investigative podcast, THE GIRLS, as he retraces Sadie’s steps, now three months cold), we embark on a SERIAL-type mystery that’s also a biting interrogation of rape culture, class, and misogyny.

I mean, I guess you could shelve SADIE under “mystery,” but it’s so much more than that. In a way, it’s a mystery within a mystery: who killed Mattie, and what happened to Sadie? Sadie already knows the answer to the former, and it’s revealed probably halfway into the story. The bigger question is what became of Sadie when she reached the end of her journey – and this is a blank we readers are left to fill in ourselves. In this way, the ending is a tease, but also a blessing: realistically, Sadie’s fate was likely not a happy one. And yet, by leaving things as she does, Summers allows us to hope, to dream, to retain our faith in a flawed young woman who wanted nothing than to save other girls like herself.

SADIE is also stark and uncompromising look at rape culture, much in the vein of ALL THE RAGE. Summers’s writing is at once beautiful and cutting; she dissects all manner of sexist tropes and stereotypes, from the Manic Pixie Dream Girl to the idea that men are only truly capable of grasping women’s humanity when they have a daughter of their own to care about and fear for and worry over. (Claire’s confrontation with West? Pure cathartic bliss.)

Sadie, Mattie, Claire, May Beth, Marlee – Summers has populated Sadie with a cast of complex, nuanced women characters. Sadie rather reminds me of a more realistic version of Alex Craft, the protagonist in Mindy McGinnis’s THE FEMALE OF THE SPECIES. (Let’s face it, we can’t all be cold and calculating feminist serial killers.) Her relationships with Mattie, Claire, and May Beth are fascinating in their messiness. I love how Summers challenges our assumptions by allowing various characters to offer their own versions of oft-told stories at the 11th hour, long after our own impressions of them have begun to harden.

If you’ve never read a Courtney Summers book, you owe it to yourself to correct that ASAP. My first ALL THE RAGE (amazing!), and with SADIE she’s fast becoming a favorite author of mine. I wouldn’t quite call SADIE a rape revenge story, but it’s a pretty fine distinction, and if you “enjoy” that subgenre as much as I, SADIE is a good choice on this front too.

When I first read a sample of the book I loved it! I was so excited to be able to read the entire book! Courtney Summers has become one of my new favorite authors. I can't wait to read more books from her!

A tough read as it deals with the vulnerability of children and when adults abuse. Sadie is on a mission to revenge the death of her younger sister Mattie. Told in the perspective of Sadie and a podcast producer whose creating a show to discover what happens to Sadie during her journey. Great read but be warned it’ll break your heart a bit.

Sadie is a girl who loses her whole world violently. This story follows her, in search of the truth. And justice. Told in parts pod cast and Sadie, this book does hook you. Its probably one of the best I've read so far.

I liked this book, but wasn’t crazy about the whole podcast thing. It was confusing for me at times. And I would’ve really liked to know what ultimately happened to Sadie. Overall though it was a good book and I’d definitely read this author again.

I picked this book up on a whim from net galley and what an incredible read it was! Families are incredibly cryptic creatures to understand and trying to delve into the reasons we do the things we do as parents and children is yet another depth to families. This book covers difficult situations from so many dynamics, written as if you were in the middle of podcast with alternating chapters from the point of our main character, Sadie. I was hooked from the first page and found it impossible to put this book down. This is one talented writer here! There is a depth to this story that I wasn't prepared for and it will leave you hanging on the edge of your seat until the very last page. Don't miss this one! Thank you #netgalley!

What an incredible story. So powerful and emotional. This is the first book I read from this author, no one recommended and I didn't know about this book till I started seeing it everywhere on Facebook and Instagram. Lots of people got print ARCs (totally jealous btw) and I just needed to know what it was about. I was lucky to find it on NetGalley (eARC) and to be approved. I read what it was about and had to read it right away. I loved the way it was written, we get to hear the story from the radio station guy (West) who is trying to find Sadie and we also see Sadie's side. Sadie's side is months behind and when we read West's side we are in the present ( I believe) which is why it was a bit scary because you just wanted to know what happened. This story is sometimes difficult and might make the reader cry. Will definitely make you think and make you sad as well. This is not a happy, will make you laugh story, but it is actually filled with love. The love of a sister desperate to make things right and the love of a neighbor, a grandmotherly figure, who is desperate to find Sadie.
That ending was difficult, I even went back in the story to read again because I wanted to make sure I knew what happened to Sadie.
This one will stay with me for a while. Really great and will definitely recommend.
There are quite a bit of difficult topics in the story so be warned.

Books that are partly written in the form of a podcast are my new favorite thing (granted, I have only read two books that fit the bill, Sadie and Are You Sleeping by Kathleen Barber). If you’re not a fan of podcasts, the writing style may not be for you, but I love podcasts so, to have that format intertwined with normal narrative is refreshing. The podcast element allows you to see events unfold and watch pieces fall together through different perspectives but it is much different than books that simply alternate between multiple narrators.

Sadie has lived a rough life, to say the least, and now she’s on a mission to avenge her sister’s death. We venture through Colorado with Sadie in the present tense as she hunts the murderer. The chapters narrated by Sadie typically end abruptly, leaving you hanging and thirsty for more, as the book shifts to the podcast format. Then, we are taken on a separate adventure as journalist West McCray searches for Sadie in the past tense. The pace at which events unfold and secrets are uncovered is exceptional--nothing happens too late or too early--and that is largely because the writing is well balanced between the podcast by West McCray and Sadie’s own narration.

I give huge thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me an ARC in exchange for my honest, unbiased review.

Oh man, this was such a strong, emotional, heartbreaking story. It wasn’t my favorite but I really felt for Sadie who was on a quest to avenge her sister’s murder. My favorite part was actually the podcast that was made to find Sadie and the whereabouts of her. I could definitely see that on a show like Investigation Discovery.

Trigger Warnings: pedophilia and sexual abuse

Well, this kinda fell flat for me. Based on the premise, I was rather interested in reading this book, but there were several things about it that hindered the impact it could have had if executed differently.

I thought Sadie’s character was done rather well, especially the consistency of her stutter and how that impacted her. Her emotions regarding her sister, Keith, and her speech impediment were described in a way that effectively showed how those things influenced her decisions or behaviors. This, however, was the only strong aspect of the novel for me.

On the other hand, the alternating POVs between Sadie and the podcast seemed a bit unnecessary for the majority of the book since the podcast summed up what was already described in Sadie’s chapters. There were moments when the interviews of different people enhanced the story, but for the the most part, the repetition of certain events within the podcast added nothing to the plot. When I heard that part of this book was told in podcast format, I was even more excited to read this, but I would have preferred if Summers had written it in one the two POVs.

The transitions within Sadie's chapters were also confusing, hindering the flow of the story. Memories often came up without warning, making me think they were currently happening even though they actually weren't.

Also, Sadie is a definitely a mystery, but the lack of surprising events or reveals made everything that happened seem kinda... meh. I don’t know. When I read a mystery, I expect to be shocked by something or on the edge of my seat to read the next chapter, but unfortunately, I didn’t experience that when reading this book.

Overall, Sadie is definitely unique, as it explores subjects like sexual abuse, pedophilia, and poverty, but the other factors mentioned above kept me from rating it higher.

SADIE has become one of my favorite reads thus far this year. I was hooked from the first page. This book stole my soul and I don’t know if I’ll ever get it back.

The chapters flash back and forth between Sadie hunting down this man she believes murdered her sister and an interview of Sadie’s loved one and reporter searching for her.

This story is haunting yet gripping. If you are a fan of The Female of the Species then this book is for you. Everyone read this!!!

first of all, what a beautiful cover! I loved the story and the characters were so engaging throughout the story.

What an amazing book. I've always loved crime/murder mysteries so this book was right up my alley. I have read two of Summer's previous books: Cracked Up To Be and Some Girls Are. Those were two of my favorite books back when I read them, some 7 or so years ago. Sadie is now one of my favorite books. Sadie is about a girl named Sadie who has set out to find the man that murdered her younger sister, Mattie. Sadie is unique in the way that the story is told, through the eyes of Sadie and through the script of a podcast. In a lot of the books I've been reading recently I just didn't like the main character. That was not the case for Sadie. I was rooting for her the whole time. I loved how real she felt. The story felt very real. It was very captivating and emotional. There were moments throughout the novel where I felt tears in my eyes. I couldn't wait to find out what happened. I loved that the story didn't feel rushed or dragged out. It had the right amount of things happening to move the story forward at a good steady pace.

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.