Sadie-Book Review
Sadie by Courtney Summers
Goodreads Summary:
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.
Personal Review: 5 coffee cups
"Because I can't take another dead girl"
Shew, where do I start? This book packs a punch, so be prepared.
The first aspect that really drew me in was the unique way the story was told, with the book alternating between Sadie's POV and the "Girls" podcast about Saddie and Mattie. In the chapters where West McCray is trying to piece together the story of Sadie and Mattie, the reader is already privy to most of the information from Sadie's chapters. However, as the novel winds down, the podcast chapters and Sadie's chapters slowly converge, keeping the reader vigilant and trying to put the final pieces of the puzzle together.
Now let's discuss the gritty part of the story, Sadie's quest to find Mattie's killer. At the beginning of the story, readers learn that Sadie's younger sister, Mattie, has been found dead. Growing up, Sadie and Mattie's mom was absent. She was always drunk, on drugs, or bringing men home, so Sadie was forced into that parent role for Mattie at an early age. Starved for attention, Sadie was eager to fill that role. She now had someone to share life with, someone that was present. When Mattie is found dead, Sadie's world is upended.
As Sadie begins her quest for revenge, she knows the journey could very likely end with death, Mattie's killer and her own life. But that doesn't deter her. Here lies one of the most heart-breaking pieces of this story. Sadie knows her end. She knows that killing Mattie's murderer will not bring Mattie back, nor will it bring her peace of mind. Accepting that doesn't change her mind.
"Sometimes, I feel made of Mattie's absence, this complete emptiness inside me and the only thing that makes it bearable, that quiets it, is moving, is putting distance between her murder and pushing myself closer to the promise of taking ___ life."
That quote rattles you. Anyone that has lost a close loved one knows that their death carves out a piece of you that cannot be replaced. You feel this restless energy that can't quite be quelled. There is a raw, human need to find a way to expel that restlessness, even when there's no outlet available. And it's heartbreaking to realize this is Sadie's outlet, seeking out Mattie's killer. She was forced into a parental role far before she should have been and the one person that tethered her to this world has been ripped away. How do you cope with something like that?
Ultimately, this story makes you think of all the Sadies and Matties in the world...the girls that should have been protected by their loved ones and weren't...the girls that went missing and no one cared enough to try and find them. It sheds light on a sad reality that happens far too often.
***There are themes related to sexual abuse and pedophilia
