3 stars
I loved Sadie’s character probably because I could relate to certain parts of her character and personality. Her drive to achieve her purpose was just iconic.
I usually like my thrillers to have more of a who-submit-vibe so knowing early on into the story that Sadie is after Keith, and that he was the murderer amongst other things kind of dampened my expectations for the book. I listened to the audiobook and the podcast intro and music was always so atmospheric and nice to listen to. I did think the reporter’s pov didn’t really add anything to the story and pretty quickly you know that each character Sadie interacts with will have to be left behind in order for West to catch up and interview them later. I did enjoy the journey of journeys Sadie seemed to be on though, meeting a bunch of different characters and finding new ways to find her next clue, even if it amid grim circumstances.
When the podcast just ends I was so annoyed but it made so much sense, most true crime podcasts end with something still unknown, but at that point I was thinking if I wanted unanswered questions I would have just listened to a podcast. A delusional part of me believe Sadie survived but either way she won because did what she set out to do.
In hindsight now it makes so much sense that we don’t get a full on conclusion and confrontation or a full explanation on what exactly happened to Maddy. Because the book is about Sadie (the title agrees) and needs to remain the focus of the story.
I wished we had flashback scenes of Maddy and Sadie together, to really build their dynamic, because I knew that Sadie was an amazing older sister and I believed it because of all the secondary accounts of how she mothered her sister but I didn’t feel it because there were not enough scenes between them, of them just hanging out, in between all the pivotal events of their lives. The epilogue was bleak but I’m not surprised. Women and girls being abused and used in life by people and their stories by Hollywood in death.