Courtney Summers is the queen of teenage girl povs. A heartbreaking book about a girl named Sadie trying to find her sisters killer and get her own justice.

Sadie is a story about sisters who loved each other from the moment they were introduced. Sadie is older than Maddie by six years. When Maddie was born Claire placed her the arms of Sadie giving her life purpose. From that moment, Sadie protected and cared for her sister. Claire their mother was single, yet she had no qualms with bringing men into their home. She abandoned and neglected her children to feed her addictions.

This story was told in eight episodes during a podcast show on the radio by West McCray who explored the unsettling mystery into the death of Maddie and the disappearance of Sadie known as The Girls. The format served its purpose. However, if I had been a listener on this radio show I would have appreciated this format much better. As a reader, I was unable to create the voice of a radio host. But I liked that Sadie’s confessional was delivered in sequence to the episodes. Yet, at times I felt the podcast rehashed the same information already given by Sadie. To reiterate had I been a listener rather than a reader I would be hearing only the podcast not Sadie’s story.

Sadie was nineteen when she took it upon herself to find the man responsible for her sister’s death. There are many unanswered questions associated with Sadie’s search, yet that didn’t hinder my ability for closure. In fact, I expected some plot holes considering this was a cold case. West McCray did the best he could given the circumstances. Not to mention no one else made an effort to bring closure to these girls.

Knowing what I know about Sadie’s experience and journey has me going back to process the format in which it was delivered. First I must begin with the podcast which served it’s one and only purpose of sharing Sadie’s story to the public to radio listeners. Second I liked how Sadie had a voice along side the podcast even though they were months apart from each other. Thirdly using West McCray a well known radio producer to share his findings on his broadcast show gave voice and recognition to the untold lives of these girls who lived in a small poverty town. Finally, had it not been for Danny Gilchrist who already had listeners following his Always Out There show on WNRK New York this case may never have had the closure the family needed.
I would imagine that the podcast format will sound amazing in audiobook. A separate narrator for the voice of West will bring this part of the story to life. As a reader I was unable to make the connection that this was suppose to read as a voice on the radio. Its delivery was lost and not appreciated to its full potential.
Now that I finished reading and can reflect back on the story it’s easier to see and appreciate the format. However, while reading I grew bored at times. I also questioned Sadie’s tactics for retrieving information. It all seemed so simple.

Sadie takes on difficult topics in her journey to find the man who murdered her little sister. Told through Sadie's perspective as well as that of a podcast producer who is investigating her disappearance, we meet all of the people who have touched her life. It's a gritty, emotional, and dark discovery. The relationship between Sadie and Mattie isn't perfect, nor is their relationship with their mother, but you still get a sense of how much they all love one another. It's hard to imagine a satisfying ending to this story, however, and so we don't really get one.

This was so good, and so very different, from anything I can remember reading! The narrative switched from a “true crime reporter” to a “missing girl” at the start of each chapter. They complimented each other and really fleshed out what happened. It kept me on the edge of my seat.

Sadie is an amazing character. She will break your heart. She is strong, selfless, and funny (yes, believe it). The horrific life that she endures is made bearable by her love for her sister (which she is raising due to a negligent, then missing, drug addicted mother). The lifestyle, poverty level, and lack of education is so disheartening. I know it exists - I know it exists here in my town - huge opioid epidemic - I just don’t see it firsthand (or read about it). Maybe I should.

It strings you along skillfully, and keeps you wanting the happily ever after. Maybe we got it?? This one will stay with me for a while...

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and the author for a copy in exchange for a review. This did not influence my opinion. I will definitely go back and check out the works of this author, very excited to do so!

"In Mattie , Sadie found a sense of purpose, a place to put her love . But love is complicated, it’s messy. It can inspire selflessness, selfishness, our greatest accomplishments and our hardest mistakes. It brings us together and it can just as easily drive us apart.

It can drive us."

This extraordinarily written narrative by Courtney Summers, depicts the tribulations of the book's namesake, Sadie, as she chucks her life in Cold Creek, Colorado in pursuit of the man she believes killed her thirteen year old sister, Mattie.

Split point of views between West McCray, a podcast creator who ends up investigating Sadie's disappearance, and the first person narrative of Sadie herself, as she navigates murky clues throughout an array of distressing circumstances, allows the reader to be intricately involved in a story that unveils like criminal reportage. It hooks you, devastates you, and it doesn't let go, long after the last page has come and gone.

Sadie is a story that demands your attention and your heart, as you face what drives Sadie to vigilante justice on behalf of the broken. Heartbreaking, raw and gritty to the end, Summers has created a powerful narrative that compels the reader to experience a gamut of emotions, all of which challenge the system of the norm and definitely leaves an impression by the time it's all over.

It is dark and it is disturbing. It is not easy. None of what is found within the pages of this book, is. It is uncomfortable and it is exhausting and that's exactly what it takes to address what lies deep and terrible within the hearts of man, exorcising everything in its wake as the reader hankers for a redeeming end from the offset.

From beginning to the end, Sadie by Courtney Summers is a rare reading experience, with an unbelievable, incredible protagonist none of us will soon forget.

I know I won't. Not ever, I don't think. Something inside me is carrying a bit of the weight for Sadie, and for the rest of The Girls, and for anyone who has ever had to live the devastating weight of the words contained within this book.

I would like to thank St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

TW: pedophilia, sexual abuse, violence, substance abuse.

I really, really enjoyed my reading experience with this book. The places Sadie went and the things she did had such a realistic quality and all the side characters were rounded out. I do think that by not sharing a lot of “before” stories about Mattie, there was a little disconnect, but that’s in line with the podcast feel of the story. The ending wasn’t clean, and I want to be upset about it, but at times I can appreciated a messy ending because that’s how real life is, and this is a painfully real book. I also am really a fan of Sadie’s stutter because it takes away a bit of that inhuman quality that some revenge seekers get given in novels. I really do think that this book is definitely worth the read.

*I received this copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

If I know anything, it’s that Courtney Summers will leave me feeling like my world has been tipped upside down. Her stories always find a way to open my eyes. ‘Sadie’ is no different...it’s shaken me to the core. I’d like to go on record and say this deals with some heavy topics—such as sexual abuse, drug abuse, and pedophilia. It’s is a dark story about love and revenge in the name of justice. For most of the book, my heart was in my throat. I desperately wanted and needed to know what would happen.

The layout for the book was interesting because we had it told in the form of a podcast and of course, from Sadie’s POV. The podcast definitely gave me the feels of some of my actual favorite true crime podcasts such as Serial and Generation Why. West McCray is following the story of Sadie Hunter—a young woman whose disappearance after her younger sister Mattie is found brutally murdered. Girls of all ages go missing all the time but this one is different. Because there’s reason to believe that Sadie is after something...or someone.

Ever since Sadie was a child, she hasn’t lived the most glamorous life. She has a stutter that everyone makes fun of and she’s the unofficial caregiver of her little sister after their mother left them. Her life had no purpose until her sister was born. Now we follow Sadie on a terrifying journey as she strives to bring justice to one who no longer has a voice to speak up. There was so much wrong in what I read because this stuff happens every single day. Ignorance is bliss is not something we can ignore when it comes to children. So in that aspect, it was hard to read about everyday people who who hide in plain sight but are actual monsters.

Deep and at times chilling, Sadie is a story that you must read. She’s a character whose brave and strong beyond belief. While the story does end on a note that could leave some unsatisfied, I think it was the perfect one for it. I can’t recommend this book and author enough. Read it!

*Thank you to the publisher for providing a copy for an honest and unbiased review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This book was beautifully different from any book I've read before while holding many elements I love. Like Courtney Summers' other books, Sadie holds powerful characters in stories you've read before but never quite like that. While I appreciated the inclusion of Saide's stammer, it tended to make the speech jarring to read.

I’m in pieces over Sadie, a TBR title by Courtney Summers. It’s the tale of two sisters too young to bare the burdens life hands them and the remarkable strength of the human spirit to fight fiercely in the name of love & justice. Summer’s writing is authentic, raw, and very real. The investigative format is unique and successfully executed to builds suspense and keeps readers engaged throughout.

Check back at this address https://books4jessica.wordpress.com/
on September 3rd for full review.

I will say for now I really enjoyed this book & the writing style. I did have a few issues with it, but overall it was pretty good and I would recommend everyone reading it. Like I say in my review reading Sadie is an "experience." One that I think everyone should live at least once.

This book here is why I keep reading YA.

Because there are authors out there who give voice to such broken characters you feel the need to look for them, to find them, to mend them. To take all their broken pieces and put them back together, to mingle them with your own happiness and dreams and hopes, and make them whole again.

Because there are characters who make your heart ache so much you want to reverse their past, to reshape their present, to invent a future for.

Oh, Sadie, how I want to find you, to hold you in my arms and take all that pain away. Oh, Sadie...

4.5/5 stars

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of Sadie, in exchange for my honest and unbiased review of the book.

This is the first book I read by Courtney Summers and I'm going to need to read more of her books. This book was fantastic and really grabbed at my emotions.

Sadie has, for the most part, raised her sister Mattie. Their mother had abandoned the girls. So for the most part, they have been on their own. The manager of the trailer park that they live in, keeps an eye on the girls.

But then the unthinkable happens and Mattie tragically died. Then Sadie disappears.

The story of the sisters captures the attention of radio personality West McCray and he begins looking further into it.
As with most novels lately, this is told from both West's perspectives and Sadie's perspective.
It's marketed as a YA read, but I don't think it is just a YA read. I almost think you could just put this in a fictional catagory

*I was provided a copy of this book for honest review from the publisher via net galley*

Trigger warnings for: child abuse, rape, and drug addictions.

Holy moly. So, immediately upon finishing this book, I thought of "The Female of the Species" by Mindy McGinnis. The stories are similar in tone, and have the theme of--sister goes missing and it's up to the remaining girl to do something about it. I find this story trope fascinating for multiple reasons, and while I really enjoyed "The Female of the Species," I just thought that there was a little more depth to this one.

We follow Sadie as she tries to hunt down her sister's killer with a vengeance. We also follow the podcast entitled "the Girls" which is set after the events told in Sadie's perspective because Sadie's adoptive grandmother is trying to find some kind of closure, and well, the murder of Sadie's sister just really shook her up.

That's all I can say without spoilers, but honestly, this book was fantastic. I was worried because I'd been in a bit of a slump but once this book takes off--it takes off. I read this in an entire day and I have a feeling that this is going to be the best book I read this year, I don't know what can top it. It's dark and gritty and just incredibly real. I fell in love with the way this story played out, and podcasts are something I rarely see in books so it was entirely refreshing. This is my first Courtney Summers book but it definitely won't be my last. I'm so incredibly grateful for the publisher in providing me with a digital review copy of this book because I will be telling people to read it for the foreseeable future. These are the kind of hard-hitting books I live for. Do me a favor and read this when it comes out. I'm buying myself a physical copy because I loved it that much.

Although a dark and disturbing plot line, you cannot look away. Sadie and Mattie are young girls of an addict. Mom brought Keith into their lives, a sober, good looking guy, who actually preys on the girls. That is the pivotal imputus that propels Sadie to take revenge after her beloved Matttie is murdered. She knows it was Keith, she just knows it, but where to find him. Told in the short form of a podcast, readers are introduced to characters that shed new light onto Sadie, Claire ( Sadie's mom) and May Beth, the local trailer park owner who took the girls in as mom was too stoned. Without Mattie, Sadie is adrift, and her singular motivation to avenge her death, and find Keith is the entire arc of the book. It is a book that I could not put down, well drawn and compelling, and sadly almost all too real. Not for the faint of heart, recommended grades 10 and up.

tw: sexual abuse, pedophilia, drug addiction, general abuse.

wow. i’m a little speechless right now and i really don’t know how to go about writing this review with any semblance of coherence when i’m really??? i’m really shocked?? sadie was tragic and phenomenal and intense and crazy good.

this book follows a series of podcast-like episodes about two sisters, sadie and mattie, and what became of them after mattie’s body is found and sadie has gone missing. sadie has left a barely discernible trail of clues behind her disappearance, and west mccrey—a radio personality who’s approached with sadie’s story—has made it his mission to find out what really happened to the girls.

told in detailed transcriptions of the podcast episodes, as well as traditionally written chapters in sadie’s point of view, the story slowly unravels to the reader as it would to the listener of the podcast. it reveals little by little how sadie’s unconditional love for her sister mattie lead her to seek mattie’s murderer, and every single person sadie encounters on her journey becomes intrinsic to the eventual investigation of the case.

this book was... intense. i can’t find another word to describe it. sadie is as fierce as she is vulnerable. as a female character she shows a strength that i think is rarely seen in YA lit nowadays, which goes deeper than words and physical actions. she’s disabled and she’s been a victim of abuse but she’s a fighter. she’s heartless but she’s also fragile and soft. she’s complex beyond any character i’ve read in a long, loooooong time. the love she has for mattie is also something that i found a very personal connection with. if you have a sister, you’ll do anything to protect her. to the death. that’s not only relatable but also something that kinda puts things into perspective, or at least it did for me.

the writing was impeccable. the pacing was perfect. the characterization was flawless. there is nothing about this book that i didn’t absolutely and immediately admire. it’s without a doubt a book that will stay with me for a really long time.

this is my first courtney summers but it’s definitely not my last!! i can’t wait to pick up whatever she releases next.

Holy hell, this book hit me hard.

I've been reading Summers' books for seven years now and she is both consistently good and continually getting better. I remember thinking that Some Girls Are was one of the most powerful and vicious books I'd ever read back in 2011. Then All the Rage came along and destroyed me some more.

Whether Summers is writing a contemporary high school novel, a mystery, or a zombie apocalypse, she crawls right inside the deepest, darkest parts of teen girl minds. She explores their grief, their love, their hopes, fears and passions, and she does it in such a way that her characters become unforgettable, feeling at once completely unique AND universal.

And this book? This book made me cry. I felt so deeply for Sadie as she goes in search of the man who hurt her sister. Her sister, Mattie, who was her whole world. And yeah, yeah, we've read the "doing it for my sister/brother" a million times in YA but here it's so different. Sadie played the role of mother to Mattie when their own mother disappeared. Their relationship is special; complicated.

Sadie goes on a journey from place to place, fighting against her severe stutter along the way, all to find one man. And West McCray’s investigation leads him along the same trail, the before and after racing each other to the end.

I think the framing of this story was PERFECT. The author splits the narrative between a radio presenter, West McCray, as he investigates Sadie’s disappearance, and the first person perspective of Sadie herself, as she hunts down her sister’s killer.

The juxtaposition of McCray’s detached radio voice with the passion and determination in Sadie’s account works really well. You can just imagine it - Sadie’s story becoming the latest True Crime special - and it honestly hurts to read. You want McCray to just move faster, work harder, care more about this poor girl from a disadvantaged background.

Please save her was running through my mind the whole time. I felt a little panicked while reading, especially as Sadie becomes ever more reckless. It’s heartbreaking to see this girl who believes she has lost everything important in her world.

It could be likened to any book with a badass female character on a mission, from The Female of the Species to True Grit, but really, it stands on its own. In the end, it feels like a book about all the ways Sadie is let down by the people who should have helped and protected her; all the ways poor young girls are let down by the people who should have helped and protected them.

And still, despite it all, this is a Courtney Summers book, so even at her lowest, weakest moments, Sadie still has claws. The sad thing is that she ever had to use them.

I'm not normally a huge thriller person, but the gritty small-town setting and podcast element got me interested in SADIE, and I'm so glad it did. This story is unrelentingly bleak, but Sadie is a fantastic protagonist--single-minded but fascinating, and almost unthinkably strong. I'm still thinking about her. If you're interested in trauma and vengeance, true crime podcasts, and desperate one-woman road trips, and you're okay with quite a bit of darkness, don't miss this one.

Sadie is an incredible moving, raw and unrelenting tale of a young woman seeking answers and justice. The integration of the podcasting voice and well recognised true crime format allowed duel timelines to highlight different perspectives to the core narrative. I was deeply impressed.

This is a dark book. I kind of knew that, but I hadn't realized how dark it would get. Heads up: it deals with pedophilia. That's not really a spoiler, because it's hinted at pretty strongly within the first few chapters.

It's about a nineteen-year-old girl named Sadie whose younger sister Mattie is killed. Sadie knows who the killers is, and she sets off on his trail. Then Sadie herself vanishes. In the meantime, a year or so later, a podcast is being aired about one radio host who is trying to find Sadie. The novel is told in dual perspectives, sort of: chapters alternate between the podcast and Sadie's POV.

This book isn't really a nail-biting thriller where you're on the edge of your seat dying to figure out what happened. You pretty much already know what happened, because it's the same old story of poor, vulnerable girls falling prey to predators. The "mystery" isn't the point at all. Despite this, it's an extremely compelling book, though I will say it took me until I was about 35% of the way in to really become invested.

Sadie is a dark character; she's a girl who has had a harrowing life devoid of love and affection. She's a girl who has been hurt and abused. She's also a girl who feels like she has nothing left to lose, and so when she sets off on the trail of her sister's killer, she is determined to kill him to. Throughout her journey to find him she keeps convincing herself of this; she keeps convincing herself that she will be able to muster the will and the strength to kill him when she gets the chance. It is so obvious that this is a young woman who is so utterly broken that there's no putting her back together.

There's something so unabashedly bleak about this book. Even the main setting - a derelict small town in Colorado - feels like it has given up. Everything about it is pretty much sad and hopeless and even the ending is...well, it's ambiguous, unfortunately, and it just feels so very "life sucks and then you die" which is a reality for a lot of people so I didn't hate it or anything, but it was just...a lot.

Overall, powerful, harrowing, gripping, and you will fall in love with Sadie.

Sadie by Courtney Summers is a brilliant YA novel that absolutely stole my heart and is EVERYTHING! Courtney knocked my socks off with this novel and I am so impressed with how touching and beautiful her writing is.

I was left haunted by this novel and will always remember this story... truly inspiring and so so brilliant!

Let's meet Sadie... her little sister Mattie who is Sadie's world has been taken from her in the worst possible way of being murdered. Bets off ladies and gentleman..... Sadie is out for blood for blood. She is going to find Mattie's murderer and nothing will STAND in her way.

I LOVE Sadie! Characterization is on point to the TEE. I was so addicted to every single character in this book and did not want this book to end. I cried a little at the end.. because it was over. NOW THAT truly means this was a fantastic book.

After finishing the final page to this book... Courtney you truly have left my soul with an imprint on my heart. Readers... be prepared for her words to bring out the deepest parts of you. You will feel in so many ways you never thought possible.

I cannot recommend this book enough.

"Sometimes I don't know what I miss more; everything I've lost or everything I never had."

Let me leave you with this...

"But love is complicated, it's messy. It can inspire selflessness, selfishness, our greatest accomplishments and our hardest mistakes. It brings us together and it can just as easily drive us apart. It can drive us."

5 brilliant stars!

Thank you so much to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this in exchange for my honest review.

Publication date: 9/4/18
Published to GR: 6/18/18