Reviewed by Leigha on
Sadie is what I expected Gone Girl to be – a masterpiece mystery thriller. It kept me on the edge of my seat in anticipation and dread. Told from two different perspectives and timelines, it follows the journey of nineteen-year-old Sadie as she struggles to find her sister’s killer. Sadie is not your typical heroine. She’s a deeply unhappy person barely able to deal with the guilt, grief, and anger she feels at the death of her sister. Her drive to uncover her sister’s killer is heartbreaking. She is fearless and yet fearful; afraid and yet brave.
Usually competing timelines drive me crazy, but this book did a phenomenal job balancing all the pieces together through the use of the podcast format. The format also worked well to construct unreliable narrators. We get to see the same version of events told from different perspectives as West McCray follows Sadie’s trail. The audio book nailed the podcast. It felt like I was listening to real podcast about a real missing girl. The voice actor for Sadie was marvelous too.
While some say this book has an open-ending, I would disagree. The book has an appropriate ending. It was like a jigsaw puzzle missing a few pieces. It was also not an easy book to read. This was so visceral, so real, and so raw. It grips you from the moment you start it till the moment you finish.
tl;dr A phenomenal listening experience with an engaging mystery and complex characters.
Reading updates
- Started reading
- 15 February, 2019: Finished reading
- 15 February, 2019: Reviewed