Courtney Summers
Series: n/a
Age/Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Mystery
Publisher: Wednesday Books
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Goodreads
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.I always like to throw back to my days as a high school teacher, and do the "three adjectives you would use to describe" thing. For this book: Sad, dark, and grim. Despite the fact that this is WAY outside of my comfort zone, I could not stop flipping the pages. I needed to find out what happened to The Girls, and Summers did a magnificent job telling their story.
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.
- Pro: Summers masterfully crafted the character of Sadie. I didn't really like her, but I felt so much for her. Here was a young woman, who lost her childhood due to abuse and an absent parent, but she was still able to find love in her heart, and pretty much gave it all to her sister. She was layers upon layers of complicated, and it was amazing the way Summers slowly peeled them away.
- Pro: The format of this story was brilliant. It alternated between Sadie's first person narration and transcripts of The Girls podcast. It wasn't only the fact that the format was interesting, it was also used so well. We saw things first through Sadie's eyes, and then got a whole new perspective via the podcast, which sometimes added more clarity or more confusion about the events leading up to Sadie's disappearance.
- Pro: This book incorporated several topics, including addiction, sexual abuse, and poverty. Summers did not tiptoe around the topics, nor did not shy away from the ugly parts of it all. She painted a heartbreaking portrait, and I appreciated her approach, because it felt real and left me with a lot to think about.
- Con: Although I felt it fit the whole tone and feel of the book, I would have liked a little more from the ending.
- Pro: One character I did really enjoy was West McCray. I loved his voice and the humanity he showed as he searched for Sadie. There were a lot of shady people in this story, and having him around kept a little light in the story for me.
- Pro: The writing really stood out for me, as far as this book goes. In addition to well crafted characters and a fabulous format, Summers deftly created mood and tension. She had my emotions right where she wanted them at every point in this book.
- Pro: It was incredible how invested I was in this story. I wanted justice, I wanted revenge, I wanted Sadie to be found, and my emotions rose and fell with each victory and defeat along the way.
**The publisher created a podcast for the book, which I think is pretty amazing.
In the space between West's podcast episodes is Sadie's truth--and he has to find her so she can tell it. Did you catch part 4 of THE GIRLS today?— courtney summers (@courtney_s) August 23, 2018
That last line--I can't wait for next week.
Subscribe on your podcast platform of choice! More info here: https://t.co/XTw4LqGFB4 pic.twitter.com/8hBW9dMlcL
Sonya Sones
Series: n/a
Age/Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary
Publisher: HarperTeen
Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Goodreads
Poignant and chilling by turns, The Opposite of Innocent is award-winning author Sonya Sones’s most gripping novel in verse yet. It’s the story of a girl named Lily, who’s been crushing on a man named Luke, a friend of her parents, ever since she can remember.She thought the sun rose and set with Luke, and felt like she was living the dream, when Luke finally began to see her as a woman. However, Lily soon learned how Luke was a wolf in sheep's clothing.
Luke has been away for two endless years, but he’s finally returning today. Lily was only twelve when he left. But now, at fourteen, she feels transformed. She can’t wait to see how Luke will react when he sees the new her. And when her mother tells her that Luke will be staying with them for a while, in the bedroom right next to hers, her heart nearly stops.
Having Luke back is better than Lily could have ever dreamed. His lingering looks set Lily on fire. Is she just imagining them? But then, when they’re alone, he kisses her. Then he kisses her again. Lily’s friends think anyone his age who wants to be with a fourteen-year-old must be really messed up. Maybe even dangerous. But Luke would never do anything to hurt her...would he?
In this powerful tale of a terrifying leap into young adulthood, readers will accompany Lily on her harrowing journey from hopelessness to hope.
- Pro: It amazed me how Sones could write about something so ugly in such a beautiful way.
- Pro: This was a pretty emotional read. The story was told in such a way, that I felt my heart breaking piece by piece with each bit of innocence Luke stole from Lily.
- Pro: Lily broke my heart. She was a young teen with a crush on her dad's friend. She had these wide open eyes and a wide open heart, and Luke robbed her of that. He trapped her in a web of secrets and lies, leaving her with no options, or so she believed.
- Pro: I was a fan of the triatomics, Lily's group of friends. I liked how Sones used them as the norm to which Lily would compare her "relationship", and they were also just really supportive friends to Lily.
- Pro: I felt like Lily had this big "eureka" moment at the end of the book, and I was really proud of her.
- Con: BUT, I wish we had gotten more closure. I will never subscribe to the open ending, which allows me to draw my own conclusions thing. I always want definitive answers. Though I do understand, that if Sones met my requirements the endpoint would turn this into the Odyssey.
- Pro: Sones built a compelling case for how this happened to Lily, which added to the believability of the story.
Akemi Dawn Bowman
Series: n/a
Age/Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Goodreads
Rumi Seto spends a lot of time worrying she doesn’t have the answers to everything. What to eat, where to go, whom to love. But there is one thing she is absolutely sure of—she wants to spend the rest of her life writing music with her younger sister, Lea.Rumi and her sister, Lea, dreamed of a life on the road, making music together. This dream was shattered in a heartbeat, when Lea's life was lost in a car accident. Though Rumi and her mother both survived, they had stopped living. Summer Bird Blue told the story of Rumi's summer of "goodbyes", and her trying to find a way to live without Lea.
Then Lea dies in a car accident, and her mother sends her away to live with her aunt in Hawaii while she deals with her own grief. Now thousands of miles from home, Rumi struggles to navigate the loss of her sister, being abandoned by her mother, and the absence of music in her life. With the help of the “boys next door”—a teenage surfer named Kai, who smiles too much and doesn’t take anything seriously, and an eighty-year-old named George Watanabe, who succumbed to his own grief years ago—Rumi attempts to find her way back to her music, to write the song she and Lea never had the chance to finish.
- Pro: The emotional impact of this book was unreal. I am sort of crying a little right now as I write this review, because Rumi's loss hit me really hard. Bowman expertly depicted her pain, suffering, and guilt, and my heart ached for Rumi.
- Pro: Bowman shared Rumi's memories of Lea with us in each chapter, and the love between them was obvious. The dynamic between Rumi and Lea was wonderful, but complicated and real. I thought the memories were also well placed in the story, and helped me understand Rumi's pain better.
- Pro: I was so touched by the relationship Rumi shared with Mr. Watanabe. He was a special source of support for Rumi, because he related to her pain and loss. I looked forward to the time they shared together, and was grateful he was able to open himself up to her.
- Pro: Can we talk about Kai! Even with all his own problems weighing him down, he was able to be a great friend to Rumi. He was charming and fun and a really important part of Rumi's healing and self discovery.
- Pro: This is the first book I have read with a questioning asexual character. I knew early on, that Rumi was leaning that way, but really found the exploration of her sexuality informative.
- Pro: I got to go to Hawaii, and Bowman really showed us the sights, the smells, the tastes, and the little of the culture too.
Overall: A beautifully written and extremely moving book about love, loss, grief, forgiveness, and saying goodbye.
Have you read any of these books?
Let us know in the comments!
I've heard really good things about Sadie but I don't think it would be for me. It sounds like an intense and tough read!
ReplyDeleteI liked Summer Bird Blue a lot! I loved all the relationships in that book. Bowman is a favorite author now!
The relationships and the emotions she evoked won me over. I hope to read Bowman's debut soon
DeleteSounds like some good reads all around. I'm most excited about Sadie. It sounds great!
ReplyDelete-Lauren
www.shootingstarsmag.net
It was a really good and emotional batch for me. If you like gritty with a true crime feel, Sadie could work for you
DeleteSo many people are reading Sadie right now. I had no idea what it was about. I’m glad you liked it. Summer Blue Bird sounds good, too.
ReplyDeleteAj @ Read All The Things!
Summers is known for her dark and emotional books, and Sadie was really hard hitting. Yes, it made me uncomfortable, but not in a bad way. Summer Blue Bird was excellent, and Bowman is definitely one I will read more from.
DeleteI have Sadie coming up and everyone is commenting on how intense it is. I've loved Summers books so far.
ReplyDeleteKaren @ For What It's Worth
Yes, super intense. Sadie's life had so little joy, but the story was so compelling.
DeleteSadie sounds like such a dark and grim read. I’m intrigued but always not sure I really want to go there, you know? I’m a little thrown by the synopsis when it mentions West becomes obsessed with finding the missing girl. Who is missing? They know the sister is dead so she’s not missing, right? Does Sadie go missing on her search? That part is a little confusing.
ReplyDeleteBtw, I mean the synopsis is a little confusing... not your review. :)
DeleteSadie's sister is murdered, and Sadie goes searching for her killer. During her search, Sadie goes missing. The story flips back and forth between the podcasts, which are made after Sadie disappears, and Sadie's narrative, which is during the time she is searching for the murderer.
DeleteOkay, makes more sense now. Thanks. :)
DeleteI’ve only read one Courtney Summers book and would definitely describe it as sad, depressing and hopeless. Looks like she has a style. Was the ending that disappointed you hopeless? Cause that’s what drove me nuts about the book I read. I need at least a dash of hope.
ReplyDeleteThe ending didn't leave me thinking there was a light at the end of the tunnel, which is probably why I would have preferred a definitive ending. I can usually do ok with a darker book, if it ends with some hope, but this, is a tough read. However, the story was told so well, and I was fully invested.
DeleteI am looking forward to reading Sadie soon. Courtney Summers tends to be a powerful writer. I just wish that the endings in the first two books you reviewed were better. I struggle with lackluster/ open endings.
ReplyDeleteSadie was frustrating, because the stakes were really high, and then, I don't get any answers, and I really needed some answers. I sort of understand why Sones ended the story, where she ended it. If she even went a little bit further, I know I would have wanted more after than, and like I said, we would have the Odyssey Part 2. The Opposite of Innocent didn't bother me as much, because it was clear, where it was going. I think I just wanted to see justice explicitly served.
DeleteThe Opposite of Innocent sounds like a very emotional read.
ReplyDeleteIt was really sad, because the situation is so real, and seeing grown ups take advantage of children is just awful. I think I read Sadie and The Opposite of Innocent in a row. That was a lot of abuse for me to read about.
DeleteI already wanted to read Sadie but now I think I do even more- which kind of surprises me given the subject matter. I think it's just based on Courtney Summers' previous stuff, or at least what I've read of it. And that podcast is super cool- I may be going over to give a listen. :)
ReplyDeleteNice review, thanks!
I think the concept and the execution of Sadie was incredible. I struggle a little with darker reads, and probably would have rated this higher had there been a little hope, but I think people, who read darker books, will love this one.
DeleteSummer Bird Blue sounds so emotional! I like that Rumi is able to find some people to help her through her grief, especially since it seems like her mother is really unavailable.
ReplyDeleteI was not even eased into the pain, it started right in chapter 1. The sadness and grief oozed off the page. A big part of the at book is how Rumi felt like she lost both her sister and her mother. Her father had left many years before and never looked back, and then her mother is so far in her grief, that her teenaged daughter is left to fend for herself. Thank goodness for the aunt, who never gave up on any of them. There are a million amazing things about that book.
DeleteWOAH!! The Opposite of Innocent sounds INTENSE!! I mean, wow-- that's a hard subject. I've never heard of it before and now I'm slightly interested, slightly scared of it!!
ReplyDeleteI was so angry while I read that book, but happy with the way the character (slowly) came to the realization, that the situation was not right. I feel like I should have given it 4 stars, because I know I knocked it down the half star for the ending, and while I understand why it ended there, I wanted justice served.
DeleteI judged Sadie by its cover which was a shame because dark and grim are right up my alley!
ReplyDeleteAgreed - the cover doesn't not elude to a dark and gritty story, but it does have a little bit of mystery there.
DeleteIt's so interesting that you didn't really like Sadie as a character but could still love her story, the writing and be so invested! I have it on my TBR and am so excited to be able to read that one now. I don't think the opposite of Innocence is going to be one for me, but Summer Blue sounds like it's really a kick in the emotions. I better be prepared!!
ReplyDeleteI felt empathy for her, but I think her life experiences left her a shell of who she was, and all that was really left behind was darkness and rage
DeleteI just started reading Summer Bird Blue tonight and so far am really enjoying it. Sadie is one of my most anticipated reads so I'm glad to see it earned high marks from you as well. I'm even more excited for that one than I already was after reading your review. It sounds even more intense than I was expecting it to be.
ReplyDeleteSummer Bird Blue was excellent. I wanted a few things to play out a little differently, and there were things that seemed forced into the story, but still an excellent story.
DeleteWhoa the podcast is real!? That is brilliant! I need to check this out (you know, on the off chance that they give me a real ending one of these days haha). I felt pretty much exactly the same as you did about Sadie, I thinK! Summer Bird Blue is definitely on my must-read list too, so I am very glad you liked it! The Opposite of Innocent sounds really interesting, but I don't know about the open ending- I'm already salty enough about Sadie hahah. Great reviews!
ReplyDeleteIf Sadie's story hadn't been as interesting as it was, I would have been really bitter.
DeleteYAS! I have been waiting for Sadie for ages and I am thrilled you rated it so high! I have been holding off listening to the podcast until I can get the book!!
ReplyDeleteI probably would have gone higher on Sadie had the ending given me a little more closure
DeleteThe ending of Sadie matched the rest of the book, but like you... I wanted more. I can understand and respect the author's decision, though. I take comfort knowing she prevented a lot of other children from experiencing the pain that she did. It just felt too open-ended, and there's really no way to pretend something good will come out of that.
ReplyDeleteI haven't heard of the other two books, but I just added them to my TBR!
Lindsi @ Do You Dog-ear?
I was way too invested in Sadie to be satisfied with that ending
DeleteI'm so excited for Summer Bird Blue and Sadie!! Sadie especially I'll have to read this fall, because it sounds the perfect rainy day read. Before getting to SBB I need to tackle Starfish - I've heard amazing things, and I've owned a copy of it for a looong time, so I feel so bad for not having read it yet. Anyhow, great reviews as always! :)
ReplyDeleteVeronika @ The Regal Critiques
Sadie is a tough read, but wow! So good, and written so well. When my review books start to slow down in the last quarter, I am going to read Starfish. I also have heard only raves about it.
Delete