Teen Book Club for high-school aged patrons begins this month at the Lewistown Public Library. Our first pick is a fitting story for this spooky, Halloween season: “Sadie” by Courtney Summers.
When radio personality West McCray travels to the small town of Cold Creek, Colorado to investigate the disappearance of 19-year-old Sadie Hunter, he is quick to dismiss the situation as “just another missing-girl story”. But after a desperate phone call, a swath of shocking revelations, and the discovery of the brutal murder of her sister, Maddie, West finds out that this is not just any missing-person’s story, and launches a podcast titled “The Girls” that follows his journey to uncover the truth.
Chapters alternate between transcripts of “The Girls” and Sadie’s own retelling of what happened. In her unflinching, self-deprecating voice, Sadie takes the reader on an harrowing journey across the country where she encounters danger and mystery at every turn. Sadie is not your typical heroic main character. She is wrought with flaws, a traumatic upbringing, and a penchant for desperate, rash decisions, but her nuanced reality is what makes her such a compelling character and makes this book such a gut-wrenching read. Sadie doesn’t have time to linger on her difficult past or think beyond mere survival — she is determined to avenge her sister’s death at all costs.
“Sadie” is not for the faint of heart. It’s devastating, gritty, and rife with cold-blooded villains, but Sadie’s determination and fierce, unyielding love for her sister keeps the reader rooting for her from cover to cover. The twists, turns, and high-stakes drama will leave you guessing until the last page, and haunt you long after. This is a perfect book for fans of Karen McManus and Holly Jackson or podcasts like “Serial”.
Copies of “Sadie” by Courtney Summers are available to pick up at the Youth Area desk. We will meet on Wednesday, October 26 at 3:30PM to discuss the book. Middles and teens will alternate book clubs throughout the fall — our November pick for Middles is “Amari and the Night Brothers” by B.B. Alston and will be available in early November. If you have any questions, please contact Brittney.
