Saturday, September 1, 2018

Sadie Review



Title:  Sadie
Author:  Courtney Summers
Publisher:  St. Martin's Press
Release Date:  Sept. 4, 2018
Purchase Link:  Amazon

My Rating:  5 Soul Searching Hearts

*Many thanks to St. Martin's Press for a copy of this book.





Synopsis:
A missing girl on a journey of revenge and a Serial-like podcast following the clues she's left behind.

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 meager 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.

Review:
This has been my year for discovering stunning, unique books that now occupy my 2018 Favorite's Shelf!  Once again, my gut instinct led me to a powerful story that totally encompassed me, invading my heart, mind, and soul and leaving me reeling.  I'll admit to having reservations about choosing Sadie to read because of the Young Adult label as it's a genre I can go either way with.  Let me say now that this story defies all genre labels and stands in a class of its own.  Do not let the genre deter you from reading this book!

Through nineteen year old Sadie's pov and a serial podcast called The Girls hosted by radio personality West McCray, this haunting, heartbreaking story plays out.  By alternating chapters, readers feel a real sense of urgency and desperation as it's soon clear time for intervening with fate is running out.  Driven by unbearable grief, guilt, and the need for revenge on the man who murdered her little sister, Sadie appears to be teetering on the edge of sanity with growing, blatant disregard for her own safety.  The story pacing and dark suspense build to an almost frantic level throughout and while I could sense a tragic catastrophe coming, I couldn't put the book down.  With my heart pounding and prayers on my lips, I read the final pages - and then sat there in a trance-like state feeling like all the air had been sucked out of the room.  It's been days now since I finished, and I still see the story playing out in my head.  It's a huge credit to the author that these characters, especially Sadie, haunt me as I hear their cries of despair, pain, and loss - begging for someone...anyone...to help stop the monsters stalking their nightmares before it's too late.

Needless to say, Sadie tackles some sensitive issues including child abuse and pedophilia.  While the individual acts are not graphically described, the devastation of lives is clearly defined by Sadie and her dark, chilling journey.  I applaud the author for lending a voice to children of abuse and encourage readers to give this book a chance.  Sadie is a raw, gritty suspense story that is brilliantly written and delivered in a powerful, unique manner.  A 2018 Favorite!  A Must Read!

My Rating:  5 Soul-Searching Hearts . . . And that's the truth!


Cross My Heart . . . xxx
Sandra

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