Sadie by Courtney Summers

"I'm going to carve my name into his soul."


Sadie by Courtney Summers
Dark Fiction
Released September 2018
Amazon | Goodreads | Better World Books 

Sadie hasn't had an easy life. Growing up on her own, she's been raising her sister Mattie in an isolated small town, trying her best to provide a normal life and keep their heads above water. 

But when Mattie is found dead, Sadie's entire world crumbles. After a somewhat botched police investigation, Sadie is determined to bring her sister's killer to justice and hits the road following a few meagre clues to find him.

When West McCray—a radio personality working on a segment about small, forgotten towns in America—overhears Sadie's story at a local gas station, he becomes obsessed with finding the missing girl. He starts his own podcast as he tracks Sadie's journey, trying to figure out what happened, hoping to find her before it's too late.

My Thoughts:

Sadie is only 19 but she has had a rough life. Her father is non-existent, her mother is a junkie. Sadie’s only bright light is her younger sister Mattie who she has basically raised as her own child. Their sister/mother figure relationship is complicated but Sadie loves Mattie more than anything in life. And then Mattie is murdered. This is not a spoiler. It is revealed in the very beginning. Sadie spends the book on an unwavering mission to track down Mattie’s killer and murder him.

“I’m going to carve my name into his soul.”

Ouch this book. It is raw and realistic and if you love a story full of grit and vengeance and despair, boy are you going to enjoy this one.

The way this story is told is unique, at least to me. It’s told from Sadie’s point of view but there’s also a podcast called “The Girls” that is attempting to provide insight into the story of Sadie and Mattie. I highly recommend listening to this book on audio because the podcast bits are exceptionally well done. The first few times “The Girls” podcast began I had to look down at my phone to make sure that I hadn’t hit my podcast app accidentally. If you’ve ever listened to a true crime podcast, these podcast segments sound just like one of them.

SADIE isn’t a typical YA book. In fact, I’d hesitate to throw it in that category at all. It is pitch black and stares down pedophilia, rape, abuse, and just some really rough stuff.

“His voice sounds like a knife that sharpens itself on other people.”

This is not a light and fluffy book no matter your age and it is likely going to break your heart. Sadie has a painful stutter but doesn’t let it slow her down. She’s brave, she’s smart and she is determined and you want her to win. I can’t tell you any more without ruining the entire thing for you. Just read it, if you want.

Comments

  1. I'm seeing this book on quite a few blogs at the moment. It certainly sounds dark, more towards my taste!

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    Replies
    1. It is very dark. I loved that it didn't flinch away from the dark corners.

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  2. I alternated between my arc and the audio for this one. My review is coming up soon but yeah...it was a difficult read.

    Karen @ For What It's Worth

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  3. I just won this one. I really love the idea of the podcast to supplement the story. Glad you enjoyed it!

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  4. Thanks for the rec to listen to the audio rather than reading. I've been eyeing this book for a while!

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    1. I hope you enjoy. Audio is the way to go with this one, for sure!

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  5. Thanks for the hint about listening to this one on audio!

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  6. This sounds kind of different with the podcast thing. I'm very curious now. I bet it does work real well as an audible.

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  7. This does sound like a powerful read. Seems like it would be great on audio too with the podcast elements. And from what I've read of Courtney Summers she doesn't pull any punches.

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    Replies
    1. It's an intense story. I need to read more by this author.

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  8. Does sound dark and deep. I do love dark and deep.
    sherry @ fundinmental

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