Sadie

Genre: YA Fiction

This is the story of Sadie Hunter, 19 years-old and missing. Sadie has recently lost her sister, Mattie, to a brutal murder and she can't seem to overcome the anguish and heartache of that loss. So she does what she has done her whole life; she fixes things for Mattie and will now chase after her killer. This story is told alternately from Sadie's determined and focused perspective (and fragile heart) and from West McCray's podcast, The Girls. Mary Beth, a neighbor and the woman who has loved and cared for Sadie and Mattie, contacts McCray, a reporter, to ask for his help in finding Sadie. McCray is determined to help solve the mystery of what happened to Sadie Hunter. This story is about the strong bonds of family and what can happen when that family isn't there to support us.

I am happy to report that yet again, a good story is a good story, YA or not. I'm not sure, however, that I would describe this as a mystery because you are fed the story bit by bit. I definitely wanted to know what happens to Sadie but never doubted the narrators in this story so there was no real mystery. There are many characters in this story and Summers gives you just enough information about them as the story unfolds. I also like that there's a little ambivalence to the ending. You're left with enough information to know what happens, but also, aren't given all the details so that you are left with the opportunity to guess the rest. I listened to the audio version of this story and while the main characters's narrations were successful, the marginal characters's performances often felt amateurish. Overall, I would recommend this one as it's a quick and enjoyable read.