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shreka's review
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Sexual violence, Gore, Murder, Addiction, Pedophilia, Vomit, Rape, Grief, Stalking, Child death, Medical trauma, Injury/Injury detail, Emotional abuse, Suicide, Death of parent, Toxic relationship, Alcoholism, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual content, Drug abuse, Drug use, and Alcohol
kelly_e's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Title: Sadie
Author: Courtney Summers
Genre: YA Mystery
Rating: 4.0
Pub Date: September 4 2018
T H R E E • W O R D S
Gritty • Fast-paced • Unique
📖 S Y N O P S I S
After the brutal murder of her sister and a botched investigation, Sadie disappears. She dead set on hunting down the man she feels destroyed her family. West McCray, a radio personality, becomes obsessed with finding Sadie. He starts his own podcast as he attempts to track her down, always a few steps behind and interviewing key players along the way, he hopes to find the missing girl before it's too late.
💭 T H O U G H T S
Sadie was recommended to me by a good friend, and I decided to go in completely blind. What can I say other than that this book hooked me from the very first page. The journey is complex, and the character development and pacing are both excellent. The structure is unlike anything else, alternating between Sadie's perspective and West's podcast transcripts. Don't get me wrong it is no easy read, filled with lots of sensitive subject matter, but the format helps break it up.
The true crime podcast aspect took this story to a whole different level, as did the audiobook! It's a full cast audio, and to say it is one of the most entertaining audiobooks I have listened to is an understatement. I decide to tandem read along with the audio, and it's definitely the way I recommend consuming it.
My one issue is the ending. It's not often an ambiguous ending is unsatisfying, but I'd have liked a more conclusive idea of Sadie's fate. Overall, a story filled with mystery and centering around revenge and how far we will go to protect our loved ones, Sadie is one that will stick with me for awhile. In my opinion, this book is geared towards a wider audience that just young adults.
📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• true crime lovers
• audiobook listeners
• readers who like sister stories
🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S
"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."
"We have more story than time to tell it -- but I suppose that's true for all of us."
Author: Courtney Summers
Genre: YA Mystery
Rating: 4.0
Pub Date: September 4 2018
T H R E E • W O R D S
Gritty • Fast-paced • Unique
📖 S Y N O P S I S
After the brutal murder of her sister and a botched investigation, Sadie disappears. She dead set on hunting down the man she feels destroyed her family. West McCray, a radio personality, becomes obsessed with finding Sadie. He starts his own podcast as he attempts to track her down, always a few steps behind and interviewing key players along the way, he hopes to find the missing girl before it's too late.
💭 T H O U G H T S
Sadie was recommended to me by a good friend, and I decided to go in completely blind. What can I say other than that this book hooked me from the very first page. The journey is complex, and the character development and pacing are both excellent. The structure is unlike anything else, alternating between Sadie's perspective and West's podcast transcripts. Don't get me wrong it is no easy read, filled with lots of sensitive subject matter, but the format helps break it up.
The true crime podcast aspect took this story to a whole different level, as did the audiobook! It's a full cast audio, and to say it is one of the most entertaining audiobooks I have listened to is an understatement. I decide to tandem read along with the audio, and it's definitely the way I recommend consuming it.
My one issue is the ending. It's not often an ambiguous ending is unsatisfying, but I'd have liked a more conclusive idea of Sadie's fate. Overall, a story filled with mystery and centering around revenge and how far we will go to protect our loved ones, Sadie is one that will stick with me for awhile. In my opinion, this book is geared towards a wider audience that just young adults.
📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• true crime lovers
• audiobook listeners
• readers who like sister stories
🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S
"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."
"We have more story than time to tell it -- but I suppose that's true for all of us."
Content Warnings
Graphic: Pedophilia, Child abuse, Sexual assault, Death, and Child death
Moderate: Grief, Blood, Drug use, Addiction, Drug abuse, Alcoholism, Violence, Murder, Cursing, and Rape
Minor: Medical trauma
sibling deathhopesmalley's review
challenging
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Pedophilia, Child abuse, Child death, and Murder
Moderate: Addiction, Blood, Drug abuse, Fire/Fire injury, and Medical trauma
jmadey's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Ableism, Addiction, Alcoholism, Blood, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Medical trauma, Murder, Rape, Sexual assault, and Suicidal thoughts
amandamagdic's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
This was another recommendation that definitely lived up to all the hype. I went into this one blind not even knowing what it was about just trusting the advice of those who sent it to me. I listened to it as audio book and was sent on an emotional roller coaster. The audio version is told with a full cast of characters and gives it a nice bit of depth.
The story itself is told in two timelines. The first following our main character Sadie on a mission to avenge her murdered younger sister Mattie. The second in the form of podcast documenting the murder and the disappearance of Sadie thereafter. I was appreciative of this style as it helped break up Sadie’s part of the story which was quite heavy and laden with sensitive issues such as abuse, pedophilia, and child sexual abuse. Sadie’s journey to find her sisters killer is heartbreaking and complex but keeps you so engaged. We get most of her story through her telling with the podcast filling in the gaps and behind the scenes details. And I love that Summers wrote Sadie with a stutter making her character even more endearing and show casing a difference in a positive light. This book is written in a way to make you feel uncomfortable, and it does. We are made to think about the monsters that exist in the world and the wake they leave in the aftermath of their actions. And to face our own ignorance. How the events that happen to us shape and mold our futures, and change the fabric of who we are.
But the highlight for me is the more prevalent overall theme of the unbreakable and unending bond and love between sisters. Which is what drives Sadie’s character to the lengths that she goes to. She wants to not only seek revenge for her sister but all those that came before and after her, including herself, and others like her. My only wish for this book was that it would have had a more conclusive ending. I became so invested in Sadie and would like to have known what her final fate was.
The story itself is told in two timelines. The first following our main character Sadie on a mission to avenge her murdered younger sister Mattie. The second in the form of podcast documenting the murder and the disappearance of Sadie thereafter. I was appreciative of this style as it helped break up Sadie’s part of the story which was quite heavy and laden with sensitive issues such as abuse, pedophilia, and child sexual abuse. Sadie’s journey to find her sisters killer is heartbreaking and complex but keeps you so engaged. We get most of her story through her telling with the podcast filling in the gaps and behind the scenes details. And I love that Summers wrote Sadie with a stutter making her character even more endearing and show casing a difference in a positive light. This book is written in a way to make you feel uncomfortable, and it does. We are made to think about the monsters that exist in the world and the wake they leave in the aftermath of their actions. And to face our own ignorance. How the events that happen to us shape and mold our futures, and change the fabric of who we are.
But the highlight for me is the more prevalent overall theme of the unbreakable and unending bond and love between sisters. Which is what drives Sadie’s character to the lengths that she goes to. She wants to not only seek revenge for her sister but all those that came before and after her, including herself, and others like her. My only wish for this book was that it would have had a more conclusive ending. I became so invested in Sadie and would like to have known what her final fate was.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Addiction, Blood, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Grief, Medical trauma, Murder, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, and Violence
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