Sadie by Courtney Summers

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.

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 meager 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.

Sadie was an interesting read. It took me a while to ease into the dual timelines: Sadie’s actions, and then West finding her footprints weeks later. Still, it was an engrossing read, and a gritty one at that. The story is layered and nuanced, and it kept me on the edge of my seat. The characters were sharp and unflinching, and realistically flawed. Sadie’s journey to find the murderer never felt rushed, and the resolution feels realistic. West’s podcast shows the story from a different angle, and helps fill in the holes.
The story keeps you engaged and reveals things one at a time, lulling you into a false sense of security before dropping a bombshell.
Characters come in and out of the story, exactly as one should expect from a girl on the run. Still, none of them really stick with you except the villain. Fitting, as the murderer is the driving force of the story.
Frighteningly enough, the story feels like something you’d see on the news, yet it remains far from predictable. Doesn’t hurt that its got an absolutely stunning cover.