This was definitely a case where listening to the audiobook paid off. Pair a full cast with a narrative structure that alternates between an investigative podcast and a first person account, and you get a really well done, highly engaging audiobook.
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That being said, this was a difficult read (CW: pedophilia, sexual abuse, drug abuse, murder). It focuses on Sadie, a runaway, who is searching for her sister’s murderer - a man who, years before, sexually abused her. Understandably, there are no real moments of happiness in this book.
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The book opens with West McCray’s podcast, The Girls. He tracks Sadie’s movements and pieces together where she went after she ran off. We learn pieces of her experiences through his investigation, as well as information about people Sadie came into contact with. Between segments of the podcast, there are first person accounts from Sadie.
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While this was tough due to content, I did enjoy listening to this. I found myself playing the audiobook as often as possible, because I wanted to know how everything ended.