A review by rmnedder
Sadie by Courtney Summers

challenging dark tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

Sadie is a fast-paced split narrative novel that had me tuned in from the very start. It's tense and sharp, moving at break-neck speed, with an incredibly well-crafted atmosphere and a complex central character. It manages to handle incredibly challenging material with a surprising amount of grace; along with its themes of loss, it asks us about all the various forms of exploitation we're willing to stomach in our daily lives. The split narrative of Sadie and the podcast is inventive - I love a good chance to play with the form, and the use of the podcast transcript is clever, even if it did leave me longing for more than what's on the page. 

Stomach churning and deeply moving despite (or perhaps because of) its sharp edges, Sadie left me disturbed and uneasy, which is the highest praise I can offer for this kind of book. As always, read the content warnings. This one's a doozy.
Expand filter menu Content Warnings