jlurch's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Content Warnings
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Sexual violence, Drug abuse, and Abandonment
buffy87's review against another edition
4.0
Oh, Sadie.
Well, I can say it did live up to my expectations. I saw this book on a few lists and haphazardly read the summary. I was curious, and thought I can finally read a YA mystery book.
This book had me engaged from the first page. It reminded me a little of Veronica Mars meets Criminal Minds meets Betty from Riverdale. It's raw, emotional, and speaks to a truth we all need to learn.
As I was reading this book, I felt that the author was an architect. Courtney Summers built this mesmerizing world, crafted a strong ending, and made you want to look in the nooks and crannies of her narrative. Summers carefully added in different layers of knowing, little hints here and there, which left me constantly wanting to know more. I haven’t read a lot of books that use a podcast format so to see it done was fresh (to me). As a student reader, I can see how these would be a nice break between the Sadie chapters. The alternating chapters and perspective played well off of each other and really built the tension.
I can say she successfully had me hooked until the end. I just wanted to get to the end and see what happened. Phew, what an ending. Some will love it, some will absolutely hate it. Don’t say I didn’t warn you. Me? After I took a day to digest I realized it was a perfect ending.
Recommend it for: mature middle schoolers, high schoolers
Trigger Warning:, addiction, murder
Well, I can say it did live up to my expectations. I saw this book on a few lists and haphazardly read the summary. I was curious, and thought I can finally read a YA mystery book.
This book had me engaged from the first page. It reminded me a little of Veronica Mars meets Criminal Minds meets Betty from Riverdale. It's raw, emotional, and speaks to a truth we all need to learn.
As I was reading this book, I felt that the author was an architect. Courtney Summers built this mesmerizing world, crafted a strong ending, and made you want to look in the nooks and crannies of her narrative. Summers carefully added in different layers of knowing, little hints here and there, which left me constantly wanting to know more. I haven’t read a lot of books that use a podcast format so to see it done was fresh (to me). As a student reader, I can see how these would be a nice break between the Sadie chapters. The alternating chapters and perspective played well off of each other and really built the tension.
I can say she successfully had me hooked until the end. I just wanted to get to the end and see what happened. Phew, what an ending. Some will love it, some will absolutely hate it. Don’t say I didn’t warn you. Me? After I took a day to digest I realized it was a perfect ending.
Recommend it for: mature middle schoolers, high schoolers
Trigger Warning:
Spoiler
child sexual abusefrancesca_o's review against another edition
5.0
Clever structure, compelling main character. It got me in the gut.
jacobthebookworm's review against another edition
5.0
It was a terrible thing, sure, but we live in a world that has no shortage of terrible things. You can't stop for all of them.
Sadie was a book that I did not know a lot about before diving into it. I saw several people rave about it on YouTube and Instagram, so I decided to take a chance on it. I'm typically not a fan of books that have multiple points of view, but I really liked the way this one was presented.
How do you forgive the people who are supposed to protect you?
Mattie is the last good thing Sadie had at home, but that soon changes as Mattie is gruesomely murdered. This causes Sadie's world to crumble around her. She soon sets out on a journey that will take her places she isn't entirely sure she wants to go but knows she needs to. She is going to bring her sister's killer to justice.
West McCray is a radio personality who sets out on a new task. He overhears Sadie's story and soon tries his hand at finding her. He soon sets out to try to fill in the missing pieces of Sadie's story and to uncover new truths of his own.
The story is told from two points of view. One of them is Sadie's and the other is McCray's podcast. Though this was a bit confusing for me at first, I grew to love it. It ties both stories together so well, and they fill in the missing pieces in each other's story.
Sadie was a book that I did not know a lot about before diving into it. I saw several people rave about it on YouTube and Instagram, so I decided to take a chance on it. I'm typically not a fan of books that have multiple points of view, but I really liked the way this one was presented.
How do you forgive the people who are supposed to protect you?
Mattie is the last good thing Sadie had at home, but that soon changes as Mattie is gruesomely murdered. This causes Sadie's world to crumble around her. She soon sets out on a journey that will take her places she isn't entirely sure she wants to go but knows she needs to. She is going to bring her sister's killer to justice.
West McCray is a radio personality who sets out on a new task. He overhears Sadie's story and soon tries his hand at finding her. He soon sets out to try to fill in the missing pieces of Sadie's story and to uncover new truths of his own.
The story is told from two points of view. One of them is Sadie's and the other is McCray's podcast. Though this was a bit confusing for me at first, I grew to love it. It ties both stories together so well, and they fill in the missing pieces in each other's story.
granolagina's review against another edition
2.0
What the hell? Totally lame ending, ruined the whole book.
marryallthepeople's review against another edition
3.0
True crime podcasts, tough girls, awful criminal acts, accessible writing.
amandapate's review against another edition
5.0
This book doesn’t hold your hand. It implies more than it tells, and by God, it’s masterful. It’s heartbreaking, it’s ugly, it’s honest. Read this because it’s needed.
jbarlow's review against another edition
5.0
I listened to the audiobook version and I can’t imagine having the same experience reading the book. The full cast production was fantastic.
bessie's review against another edition
5.0
Starting 2019 off strong. I devoured this book, more specifically this audiobook. I feel the need to make the distinction because rarely do I come across a book that so took so much advantage of the medium of the audiobook. I've read some where i felt like the narrator did a better job that I personally would have done, and made me like the book more for it. But this book just felt like it always should have been an audiobook.
Half podcast, half POV, this audiobook had an entire cast of narrators to make this ~an experience~. The Podcast part FELT like a podcast. They had crickets chirping during outside discussions, their voices slightly removed as if the microphone was between them on a table outdoors. I wasn't expecting to be so completely sucked into the podcast element but there were times I forgot I was even listening to a book.
For the book itself, I for once feel the need to give TW. This book is heavy, just the plot keys you in that it will be, but it went further into that. This wasn't just about a missing girl, but also a sexually abused girl. It never got graphic or blatant, but it always left you with the sense of heaviness. Sometimes these kind of books lose you in their heaviness, this one absorbed me.
I can't stop thinking about this book.
Half podcast, half POV, this audiobook had an entire cast of narrators to make this ~an experience~. The Podcast part FELT like a podcast. They had crickets chirping during outside discussions, their voices slightly removed as if the microphone was between them on a table outdoors. I wasn't expecting to be so completely sucked into the podcast element but there were times I forgot I was even listening to a book.
For the book itself, I for once feel the need to give TW. This book is heavy, just the plot keys you in that it will be, but it went further into that. This wasn't just about a missing girl, but also a sexually abused girl. It never got graphic or blatant, but it always left you with the sense of heaviness. Sometimes these kind of books lose you in their heaviness, this one absorbed me.
I can't stop thinking about this book.