A review by fystiefett
Sadie by Courtney Summers

4.0

The plot is deep, emotional, and informative; if you need a novel that can explain to you how addiction tears families apart and how it affects those other than the user, look no further than Sadie. The novel will grab you and throw you into the story, so much that you feel like you're living it yourself.
Summers' writing style, for the most part, is as smooth as it is desired; I didn't struggle to read this book whatsoever, and she adds tiny details, such as gay characters, in such a casual fashion that I know she's not doing it to monetarily appeal to the LGBTQ crowds. Summers is refreshing and quenched a thirst I didn't realize I had.
Plot-wise, I was on the edge of my seat for the latter 75% of the book. Sadie (who, by the way, is unique in her own right as she is a main character with a stuttuer) faces so many challenges during her travel that I find myself concerned for her very often... In a good way. Very dynamic and mysterious, as well as witty and quick-thinking. Additionally, the conversations among characters are almost fully realistic. Frankly, my only major complaint is how Summers wrote the stutter; the majority of her stutters are only the first letter or two of words, whereas (as someone without one, mind you) I believe stuttering is more about repeating partial words ("I stut-stutter") or just repeating words as a whole ("Stutter-stuttering is a... Is a chall-challenge.")
The climaxes and plot twists (prepare yourself) within the book fit like puzzle pieces, without seeming forced simply for shock value. There is a lot to be found within the 308 pages, all of them interesting and deep in their own right.
Overall, I give this book 4/5 stars. I deducted a star for the stutter, but also because I was left wanting more from the ending than I had received. I wish there was just a little more detail as to how everything ended for Sadie, but on the other hand I respect how Summers chose to end the journey and the book in general. I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a unique Mystery/Thriller novel, or someone just starting to read the genre (such as myself.)