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nerdyreferencelibrarian89 's review for:
Sadie
by Courtney Summers
This was a thrilling book.
Sadie, as the main character, is both sympathetic, but also raw and angry. Her vulnerability is enshrouded in layers of rage and trauma, which easily could have created an unlikeable character, but Courtney Summers manages to create someone who is real, and sympathetic.
I frequently find myself picking apart depiction of disability in Young Adult lit, but Summers creates a believable experience in Sadie's stutter, it is not Sadie's sole character trait, nor is it explicitly a barrier to be overcome, instead, it is elegantly woven into the fabric of Sadie's being, merely an additional trait to the character, just like all her other traits.
The book manages to create revenge narrative, without the hyper-violence many similar stories would fall into. Instead, it is about the people Sadie meets along the way, the good and the bad, and the slow discovery of the horror she and others have experienced. I don't think you can call this story uplifting, but it feels real without being overly oppressive, which in itself is a feat.
I could continue to gush about this book, but the final thing I want to mention is the format. Splitting between a true-crime style podcast, telling Sadie and Mattie's stories, to then having chapters told through Sadie's own perspective, creates a riveting and fresh look at this genre. It uses the familiar feel of a podcast to create an immediately engaging and interesting take on storytelling, while still delivering the rich detail and subtle character development that written prose excels at.
If you like true crime, if you want to read something that is emotional and raw, or if you merely want to read an engaging and unique story, Sadie is the book for you!
Sadie, as the main character, is both sympathetic, but also raw and angry. Her vulnerability is enshrouded in layers of rage and trauma, which easily could have created an unlikeable character, but Courtney Summers manages to create someone who is real, and sympathetic.
I frequently find myself picking apart depiction of disability in Young Adult lit, but Summers creates a believable experience in Sadie's stutter, it is not Sadie's sole character trait, nor is it explicitly a barrier to be overcome, instead, it is elegantly woven into the fabric of Sadie's being, merely an additional trait to the character, just like all her other traits.
The book manages to create revenge narrative, without the hyper-violence many similar stories would fall into. Instead, it is about the people Sadie meets along the way, the good and the bad, and the slow discovery of the horror she and others have experienced. I don't think you can call this story uplifting, but it feels real without being overly oppressive, which in itself is a feat.
I could continue to gush about this book, but the final thing I want to mention is the format. Splitting between a true-crime style podcast, telling Sadie and Mattie's stories, to then having chapters told through Sadie's own perspective, creates a riveting and fresh look at this genre. It uses the familiar feel of a podcast to create an immediately engaging and interesting take on storytelling, while still delivering the rich detail and subtle character development that written prose excels at.
If you like true crime, if you want to read something that is emotional and raw, or if you merely want to read an engaging and unique story, Sadie is the book for you!