“And it begins, as so many stories do, with a dead girl.”
It’s been a while since I was as mesmerized with a book as I was with Sadie. At one point in time, everyone had this on their TBR or they were reading it and everyone was talking about it. So I immediately wanted to pick it up. And I subscribe to Scribd and I saw that there was an audiobook of it on Scribd and I figured it’s now or never. And here’s the thing – I hate audiobooks. And I can confidently say that Sadie is the best audiobook to ever exist because I was obsessed with it. It made the reading experience a million times better and I cannot recommend it enough.
Sadie follows Sadie (a shocker, I know) whose sister Mattie was found dead recently and after that, Sadie goes missing. We learn about her story both from her perspective, but also from the podcast called The Girls, whose host is trying to find Sadie.
The concept of this book is amazing. I love true crime podcasts, and I really love what setting up a podcast added to this story. Moreover, if you listen to this in audiobook format, you’ll actually get the podcast experience and it adds so many layers to the story. It’s clever and while Sadie’s perspective is really subjective and internal, the podcast offers a different, more distanced perspective and I really enjoyed what that added to the narrative. Courtney Summers contrasts the things Sadie says about some people and then gives us interviews with those people on the podcast which is just such a new and fresh way to tell a story, which I really appreciated.
I loved Sadie a lot. Her character had so much depth and it was heartbreaking to read from her perspective. The way Courtney Summers wrote her is really raw and powerful, and I really loved her. I loved the exploration of reclaiming your own narrative and agency in this novel. Sadie decides to fight back and I always love a dark female character. Sadie was that – and more. There were a lot of layers to her personality and again, it was so interesting to see that contrast of how Sadie perceives herself versus how other people perceive her.
I have mentioned previously how weak I am for sister stories. I loved the way Sadie talked about Mattie. It was heartbreaking to read and I had a very visceral reaction to some points of this novel. Sadie defines herself through her relationship with her sister and it was devastating to read about her loss. Courtney Summers is an amazing writer and there were so many gut-wrenching sentences that I had to pause and step away from the book. It’s been a while since I was as affected by a book as I was by this one and a lot of that is due to the way Sadie talks about Mattie, and I loved how well-written that was.
This book is really addictive. I never wanted to stop reading it. I could not look away. This isn’t a long audiobook (it’s about 8 hours) but usually, that would take me a month to finish. I abandoned all of my obligations so I could read this and I was obsessed with it. It’s a really fast-paced and compelling read that manages to completely and entirely capture your attention. It’s a surprising and really gripping story.
I could not recommend this enough. I have read 83 books so far this year and this is only my third five star read. I really, highly suggest you pick this one up, and if you can, be sure to read it as an audiobook because it’s a full cast experience.
Final verdict: 5 stars
Gut-Wrenching, Compelling and Powerful
Let me know your thoughts about Sadie – do you have it on your TBR, did you read it, what were your thoughts? All the good stuff!
xxx
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Yay I’m so glad you loved this!!! What were your first two 5 star reads of the year?
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It was super great! The first one was Emma Mills’ Foolish Hearts (that’s a YA Contemporary) and the other was Us Against You (the sequel to Beartown). Hopefully the rest of the year provides some 5 star reads, because this is just sad 😂
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I’m having such a lackluster reading year as well! I’m more liberal with my 5 stars than you, lol, but I don’t think I’ve read ten books that are necessarily worthy of being included in a top 10 of the year post…. these last few months better pick up, reading-wise!!
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It’s the same for me, I have no idea what’s gonna be on my top 10, because right now, I can’t even decide a top 5. Oh and I just remembered I gave American Gods a 5, so a grand total of four 5 star reads 😅
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Only one to go for a top 5!!! lol good luck!!!!
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The idea of a podcast tied into the missing person story is really interesting! As a true crime podcast lover that piqued my interest!
Ps I’m also having a less than stellar reading year, especially with new releases, what’s going on this year?!
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It’s such a compelling idea! I actually think they launched the podcast as a separate thing which you can listen to on any podcast platform 😊 I HAVE NO IDEA. It’s such a bummer year, reading-wise
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ooh good to know about the podcast!
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I can’t remember where I saw that you were reading this one but I was so hoping you’d love it as it’s one I really wanted to read. I’m so glad to see it lived up to the hype and made your 5 star list!
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I REALLY want to see what you make of it and how you like it. If you can, get the audiobook, it’s on a whole other level. And I hope you love it as I did!
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I’ll check my library, see if it’s available as an audio!
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I also read this and I really enjoyed it. I loved the podcast chapters. Added such a different experience to the book. I basically saw myself in Sadie, with the way she was so dedicated to her sister. That got me.
Great review!
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Definitely – the podcast just adds like a whole different dimension. And that’s the part of the story that really got to me too! Thank you so much!
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Sounds wonderful and i can see how this would be a cool experience on audio. I’m usually not a fan of those either but will probably try it for this one.
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I tell you, I hate audiobooks and have tried numerous times to get into them without success. But this one was amazing, with a full cast, so it really felt like I was listening to a podcast and hearing Sadie tell her story. I highly recommend you try the audio version!
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THIS REVIEW IS SO BEAUTIFUL,,I’M SO READY FOR THIS BOOK. A dark female lead! And the audiobook that gives us the //real podcast experience??// so cool. I hate audiobooks too, bc I suck at learning/retaining info by listening. If someone gives me verbal directions I’m for sure lost,,,I always need to write things down XD ++ I’m also v weak for sibling relationships!!!!!!!!! I WILL NOT SURVIVE THIS BOOK. I’M SO NERVOUS.
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THANK YOU, you are too nice to me as always!! It’s soooo good. If the audiobook isn’t working out, the podcast episodes are available anywhere you can listen to podcasts, so you can read and listen, which is so cool??? SIBLING RELATIONSHIPS WILL BE THE DEATH OF ME 😭
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I can’t wait to finally read this! I’ve been counting down to its release date, and now all I have to do is find time to go to the bookshop to get it!!
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Oh yay! I hope you love it as much as I did!
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It was also one of the rarest 5-stars reads of the year for me! ❤
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Glad someone understands! 😊
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