TW: child abuse, sexual assault, substance abuse/addiction, PTSD, violence, child abduction, murder

This book is a horrible story told incredibly well.

For anyone who loves Tiffany D. Jackson or true-crime serial podcasts, this is the book for you. As a personal lover of both, this story had me engaged from page one.

This is a book that follows a journalist who is investigating the story of a missing girl. It also follows that missing girl as she tracks down the person she believes responsible for her sister's murder. Two mysteries that are tightly entwined in a uniquely written format.

I don't know of any other book that is written in the format of a podcast. But I am now convinced that more books should. But, in particular, this book is actually written in a way that feels like a podcast transcription. The casual conversation, the edited clips of phone calls with producers. If you binge podcasts like I do, you will love the familiarity of this writing style.

Each character holds an important element in the story. From Sadie herself, the missing girl the book is named after, to her adopted grandmother and the journalist investigating her disappearance - they all have something that keeps you wanting to follow their part of the story.

All round, this book is an absolute must to check out and Courtney Summers is officially on my radar for future releases.

Courtney Summers' Sadie had me kicking myself for waiting so long to read this one!! What an intense, one-sitting ride.

Sadie was the most heartbreaking book that I read in 2018. Prepare for all kinds of emotions as you follow Sadie on her journey to catch her sister’s killer. I have never read a Courtney Summers novel before so I wasn’t prepared for all the feels. If you want to read a book that shows the dark side of humanity and the depths people will go to keep their secrets secret, I highly recommend picking up this novel. This is a very dark read about bad things that happen to children, while it keeps some details vague, it leaves no room for discussion about what actually happened.

The story of Sadie is told through alternating chapters of Sadie’s somewhat secretive narrative and a podcast that is searching for clues about why Sadie disappeared. Sadie’s sister Mattie was horrifically killed months ago. After months of no leads and the police not doing anything, Sadie disappears. Since Sadie is over 18, the cops won’t look into her disappearance so a woman who is concerned calls a podcaster for help. The podcaster follows Sadie’s trail and uncovers a truly horrifying story.

To look at Sadie, you would think she’s unassuming and harmless. When she speaks, it is with a strong stutter and most people are concerned for her. Sadie uses these to her advantage because Sadie is, in fact, ruthless. She’s got nothing left to lose. She has no father. Her mother ran off years ago and left her with Mattie. And now Mattie is dead, the only person Sadie ever cared about. Sadie is on a mission for justice that no one would know about if it wasn’t for the podcast.

Sadie is made all the better for everything it leaves in the dark. You can guess what is going on but when it is revealed, it just makes the story even more heartbreaking. Sadie ends up revealing more than she set out to do and so in a way does get justice but it may not be exactly what she intended. Sadie should never have had to go through what she goes through and it is sad.

I read an arc of Sadie so there were some technical issues that drove me crazy about the size of Colorado and how far each city was from each other. I would get it if it was winter but the book was set in June. Also, I don’t think two cities are thousands of miles apart since the state is only 380 miles long and 280 miles wide. Unless the author was overstating things like a teenager would (which I guess I could see that.) I’m really hoping those things were fixed in the final printing.

Honestly, this book had my full attention. I never wanted to put it down. I wanted to know how Sadie’s journey ended. The ending broke me. I won’t say much more but if you’ve read it then you know. I’m not a huge fan of contemporary’s but I’m glad that I read Sadie.

I didn't know what to expect when I started this book. It took me a little bit to get into, but I am happy I stuck with it. Once I got into it I couldn't put it down. I would have liked a little more closure but also understand what the author was doing in how she ended the book. I will be recommending this title!

Thank you for providing a copy of this book for review however I was unable to open the file for this document unfortunately! Apologies.

I was given a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

There is not often that I’m left speechless at the end of a book and this was one of them. This book is heart breaking; the plot is one that will rip your heart out of your chest and stomp on it. The unusual style of writing (as if it was a podcast) was perfect for how the story was told in flashbacks and helped move the plot along. All I can say is make sure you have a box of Kleenex next to you while reading it.

One of my new favorite books! This author has such a way with words the pages flew by in no time! I can’t wait to see the next work by this author! This was such a joy to read!

I will first mention the content warnings for Sadie: Pedophilia, drug abuse, alcoholism

Sadie is my first Courtney Sumner’s book and I’m kicking myself for not reading the others already. One thing that I know about Sumner’s novels us that they can deal with somewhat unlikable protagonists and also sexual abuse. Combine that with a possible murder and a girl hell bent on revenge, you have the makings of one dark book. That doesn’t even cover the rest of it though.

My emotions right now are just so conflicted, except for the fact that I think this is a five star book. I am so angry and sad and a little relieved even. It’s so hard to put my thoughts about Sadie. Sadie was great for so many reasons.

Writing Style:

I love the set up for the novel, it’s partly being told as a podcast series called The Girls created by MacMillan Publishers (a little shout out there, I suppose) as well as Sadie’s point of view. The Girls is created by West McKray as he tries to find out what happened to Sadie. I always love stories that involve a different kind of writing style. It helped get a glimpse into how other people saw Sadie. It’s really such a gorgeous, tragic book.

Family Dysfunction:

This is on the extreme side. I felt so bad for Sadie and how she grew up. She never had the chance to be a child. It was so heartbreaking to see how she didn’t feel she had a purpose until her sister, Mattie was born. From then on Sadie took a somewhat mother role for Mattie. I wish I could have seen their relationship before Mattie was murdered. It was painful seeing how little regard Sadie’s mother, Claire had for her. I just wanted to make her care for her own daughter so much. Claire was always more loving, if it can even be called that, towards Mattie. When Claire takes off, it put the whole book in place, essentially. It launched Mattie’s depression and cut the thread between Sadie and Mattie’s relationship with each other.

Socio-Economic Class:

I always love when authors delve into different social classes other than middle class. It was a interesting reading about the struggles Sadie and her sister went through.

Side Characters:

Besides Mary Beth, who I loved reading about, I loved seeing who Sadie met along her journey. My favorites were Javi and Cat. I feel like they helped Sadie the best get through what she was dealing with. They kind of helped her separate for a little bit from her mission. Sadie did anything to anyone to get where she needed to go next.

Sadie:

An unexpected thing that I really enjoyed was having a main character with a speech impediment. I have one as well and I know how it can make people portray you. Sadie didn’t hold back with her inner thoughts on her stuttering issues.

Sadie herself is such a strong, intelligent, driven character. Summers does an amazing job describing everything, particularly Sadie’s grief. My heart broke over and over with what she went through. From her childhood, she has never had an easy time in her life. When Mattie dies, it takes everything out of Sadie. She is so broken and lost.

When she decides to get some revenge on the person who murdered Mattie, you can just tell she’s not going to stop until she gets it. I felt her rage so much. I wanted her to get her revenge. She deserved at least that, even if it didn’t bring her sister back. I loved seeing the risks she took for her sister, it was so powerful to see.

Sadie is a tragic, realistic, haunting book that you don’t want to miss. If you love dark contemporaries, this is the book for you.

I wasn’t a huge fan, but I think the audio format would fit this book better. The switching from the podcast to the story didn’t grab my attention very well.

This is a really emotional raw story that pulls you in and never lets you go. It is told through alternating views of Sadie who is on the hunt for her sister’s killer and a podcast who is searching for Sadie. The break up between the narrative of Sadie and the podcast help with some of the intensity but it never diminishes the exhilarating pursuit for justice.
It is always hard to review a gripping intense book that you loved because the events and circumstances are nothing to be happy and in love with, so it just feels weird. The nature and themes in this book were handled very well and the way that the book ends just keeps that rw and realness that so many people actually experience.

I loved the way this book was written-- as if you are listening to a podcast about a missing girl. In fact, I listened to the audio version of this book and I would highly recommend it!

This particular book I have had for a while on my to-read list as the idea of a missing girl and a murder mystery intrigued me, and this book itself has had lots of publicity surrounding it. Good strong marketing to capture the reader’s attention. The book starts with Sadie's younger sister it looks like going off and then eventually being murdered. Sadie having no-one else in her world and her corner, decides to head off to find the truth, and that truth starts with whom she thinks is her father. The book is told in podcast format which did in parts make it hard for me to read, and I found it a slower pace with this particular format and at times a tad confusing. The story then takes a weird angle with Sadie killing along her way and doing absolutely anything and everything she can to get answers as it feels like without her sister - she has no sense of identity. This particular book is a hard one I am finding to review as so many strange things occur, but the storyline is a lot of the time disjointed and plain weird. On a personal note, if you are curious about this book - then I would say read it, but it's definitely what I would consider a hit or miss book and not what I had initially expected.

This was a really creative, compelling books. It was disturbing at times, tackling a difficult subject matter. I highly recommend it.

This title was purchased for the library's teen collection. A thrilling read for the modern, technology loving teen. Quite a thrill ride and a cautionary tale.

I've read my fair share of Courtney Summers books, but this is probably my absolute favourite. Not only is the narrative so well written, but the emotions that this story provokes are epic. I listened to the audiobook version of this and think with the full cast of narrators that it brought even more to the story. If you haven't listened to it, you totally should try it.

It's basically a podcast where there is a search for a missing girl, Sadie, so the full cast is amazing in this format. So many characters and the fact that they are all given individual voices in the audiobook format was what I think sets it apart from other books.

The story itself is dark and gritty. You can't help wanting more details on the lives of Sadie and her sister, Mattie. I think going into the story slightly blind actually helped add to the mystery of the story. I picked it up because it's COURTNEY SUMMERS!

I think another thing that adds to the mystery is the fact that the story flips back and forth between the podcast interviews of searching for Sadie and a first person narrative from Sadie herself which see her searching for a man named "Darren", who holds answers that she so desperately needs.

The story touches on so many things from the strong love of a sister and being raised poor to abuse and the aftereffects. It's amazing how strong Sadie is in the face of adversity - she has a very strong stutter that causes people to look the other way and limited access to money, but she is determined to find out what truly happened to her sister. Sadie would do anything for her sister - she even pretty much raised her the last few years so that they wouldn't get separated.

This is a great revenge plot story as well. And the ending will leave you with all the feels. Don't take just my word for it...

Honestly, read everything Courtney Summers! But definitely read this one if you need somewhere to start. I am looking forward to her next book that she is currently writing.

Sadie is a gutwrenching read. It'll be eaten up by readers, not just because of the marketing (although listening to the podcasts that were designed to go along with the book is engrossing in and of itself), and not just because podcasts are hot right now, but because it's strong realistic fiction for new adults and adults alike.

Building on the popularity of true crime podcasts, Summers creates a compelling and heartbreaking story of a girl who slipped through the cracks. And that girl's just one of many. Allowing the reader to piece together as complete a picture of who Sadie was, and what happened to her, this book doesn't let readers off the hook. We're all to blame in some way, for averting our gazes, letting our eyes slide over the ugliness that exists in small towns. This book will break your heart and disturb your sleep. Recommended for older teen readers of realistic fiction, thrillers, and true crime.

I have heard so many wonderful things about SADIE. It has been on my radar for awhile, and I was not disappointed when I finished it.

The format of this book was fantastic. Having the podcast in combination with Sadie's perspective made this book fresh and great to read.

This book was heavy, but Courtney Summers wrote it in a great way. Difficult topics are covered, such as substance abuse, murder, violence, and pedophilia. Summer's narration style felt very authentic. The story was raw and felt so real. It truly brought me into the pages and wrenched my heart.

*I received a review copy of this book via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own!*

I really, really enjoyed this one. I haven’t read a text formatted as a podcast before; it was a fantastically creative way to tell the story.

What made me pick this book up:
I had seen this book everywhere last year, even for months before it was released. So of course I had to read what it was about.

What did I like about the cover:
I love the minimalist look of it. I love the bright red color pop. I love how mysterious she looks.

What made me read this book:
After reading what it was about and all the amazing reviews I knew i had to read it.

What did I like the most:
The first thing I noticed that I really loved was the fact it was a full cast. That really made it feel real. And then the interviews and the podcast, I could have sworn I was listening to a real documentary about what happened. It was fantastic and made it so much better.

The story is really interesting, I love murder mysteries and even though Sadie knows who did it, it's still a good mystery. It is sad and heartbreaking and makes you mad once you find out who did it.

Actually once you find out everything that Sadie has been through and Mattie has been through... It's so much, and you feel so bad for them.

The characters are well written and great, I love how they made Sadie have a stutter, and how well the narrator did the stutter.

Sadie was well written in a way that you felt every emotion, every heartbreak, every pain, everything they feel.

I feel like this is a book I will have to own.

What didn't I like:
I hate what happened to them in this book, sadly the things that happen are things that really happen in real life. It makes me angry. And sad.

I also hated the end. It wasn't enough.

*spoiler*
You never find out what happened to Sadie. She disappeared and we never know what happens after she finds and kills the guy who killed Mattie.
*End spoiler*

Would I read the rest of the series/more from this author?
I've already read one book by her (Didn't realize it was the same author!) and I would definitely read more. I'm really interested in reading these ones.

So good! I have to admit that I'm biased. I utterly fell in love with Courtney Summers' writing when I first read her Young Adult novel This is not a Test. 
Sadie did not disappoint in that regard. She manages to absolutely hit the perfect tone to create the atmospheres and put an emphasis on the 'message' of a chapter or a paragraph. To use the new(-ish; I'm as usual late to the party) medium of podcasts in novel-form is great. I was slightly worried if I'd get along with it since I'm - as stated - new to listening to podcasts. The worries were for naught.