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Killing Sadie
For the first printing only! This hardcover features sprayed edges while the special edition supply lasts.
Perfect for fans of How to Survive Your Murder and Dead Girls Can't Tell Secrets, this young adult thriller unspools the truth behind a tragic murder through multiple unreliable narrators who all have secrets to keep.
Here's what we do there was another infamous barn party at the McClain family farm last night, and things went horribly wrong. By the end of the night, there were two dead bodies in the old seventeen-year-old Sadie Cooper and her killer, Mason Vreeland. The murder was heartbreakingly witnessed by Sadie's twin sister, Jayne, and Sadie died in her arms. Mason was killed by Sadie's boyfriend, Ben, in an attempt to save Sadie.
Aside from figuring out Mason's motive, it should be an open and shut case.
But it's not.
The story unfolds just after the murders, and Jayne, Ben, and Sadie's best friend, Liz, are telling the cops what transpired at the party and the events leading up to it. But little details don't match. And those little details start to add up to big discrepancies. But who's lying, and why?
The shocking truth is revealed in the third act, when the POV shifts to victim Sadie herself, in the days leading up to the party. Witness exactly what happened--and see if you can piece it all together. Because poor Sadie totally missed what was right in front of her.
Perfect for fans of How to Survive Your Murder and Dead Girls Can't Tell Secrets, this young adult thriller unspools the truth behind a tragic murder through multiple unreliable narrators who all have secrets to keep.
Here's what we do there was another infamous barn party at the McClain family farm last night, and things went horribly wrong. By the end of the night, there were two dead bodies in the old seventeen-year-old Sadie Cooper and her killer, Mason Vreeland. The murder was heartbreakingly witnessed by Sadie's twin sister, Jayne, and Sadie died in her arms. Mason was killed by Sadie's boyfriend, Ben, in an attempt to save Sadie.
Aside from figuring out Mason's motive, it should be an open and shut case.
But it's not.
The story unfolds just after the murders, and Jayne, Ben, and Sadie's best friend, Liz, are telling the cops what transpired at the party and the events leading up to it. But little details don't match. And those little details start to add up to big discrepancies. But who's lying, and why?
The shocking truth is revealed in the third act, when the POV shifts to victim Sadie herself, in the days leading up to the party. Witness exactly what happened--and see if you can piece it all together. Because poor Sadie totally missed what was right in front of her.
1 pages, Audio CD
First published August 4, 2026
About the author
Rachel Peterson
1 book53 followersRachel Peterson graduated from Miami University of Ohio with a degree in English and creative writing. Born and raised in Ohio, she started her career in advertising before spending nearly a decade in New York City as a marketing executive for technology companies. An avid traveler, Rachel now splits her time between Manhattan and the Midwest, where she lives with her husband Ken, their dog Olive, and horse Hope.
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April 30, 2026✨ 𝖆𝖗𝖈 𝖆𝖓𝖓𝖔𝖚𝖓𝖈𝖊𝖒𝖊𝖓𝖙 ✨
GUESS WHAT
GUESS WHAT
June 29, 2026
I’m trying to figure out a motive and just cannot for the life of me figure it out. Also a full star reduction for a Harry Potter reference in 2026 like please.
August 2, 2026
Killing Sadie is exactly the kind of YA thriller that keeps the pages flying. Rachel Peterson wastes absolutely no time pulling readers into the mystery, creating a fast paced story that feels like a popcorn thriller, impossible to put down and packed with constant momentum.
One of my favorite elements was the multiple points of view. From the very beginning, you know that someone isn’t telling the whole truth, which turns every chapter into a puzzle piece. I love stories built around unreliable narrators, and this one had me constantly questioning everyone’s motives and trying to figure out who was lying.
While I did correctly guess the major reveal before it happened, it honestly didn’t lessen my enjoyment. The journey was just as entertaining as the destination, and Peterson still managed to include a few surprises in the final act that kept the ending satisfying. The mystery is well constructed, the writing is snappy, and the pacing rarely lets up.
Although this is firmly a young adult novel, it never felt overly juvenile to me. It reminded me of the addictive vibe of Pretty Little Liars—a series I happily devoured well into adulthood. That said, this is definitely on the darker side for YA, so I’d recommend it more for older teens and adult readers who enjoy YA mysteries.
My only real complaint is that I wanted just a little more after the ending. One additional chapter tying up a few lingering questions would have made the conclusion feel even stronger. Even so, this was a thoroughly entertaining read with a compelling mystery and plenty of twists to keep thriller fans engaged.
Perfect for Readers Who Love
* Multiple unreliable narrators
* Fast paced, bingeable mysteries
* Darker YA thrillers
* Small town secrets
* Twisty murder mysteries with layered reveals
* Pretty Little Liars style suspense
One of my favorite elements was the multiple points of view. From the very beginning, you know that someone isn’t telling the whole truth, which turns every chapter into a puzzle piece. I love stories built around unreliable narrators, and this one had me constantly questioning everyone’s motives and trying to figure out who was lying.
While I did correctly guess the major reveal before it happened, it honestly didn’t lessen my enjoyment. The journey was just as entertaining as the destination, and Peterson still managed to include a few surprises in the final act that kept the ending satisfying. The mystery is well constructed, the writing is snappy, and the pacing rarely lets up.
Although this is firmly a young adult novel, it never felt overly juvenile to me. It reminded me of the addictive vibe of Pretty Little Liars—a series I happily devoured well into adulthood. That said, this is definitely on the darker side for YA, so I’d recommend it more for older teens and adult readers who enjoy YA mysteries.
My only real complaint is that I wanted just a little more after the ending. One additional chapter tying up a few lingering questions would have made the conclusion feel even stronger. Even so, this was a thoroughly entertaining read with a compelling mystery and plenty of twists to keep thriller fans engaged.
Perfect for Readers Who Love
* Multiple unreliable narrators
* Fast paced, bingeable mysteries
* Darker YA thrillers
* Small town secrets
* Twisty murder mysteries with layered reveals
* Pretty Little Liars style suspense
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
3.5⭐️
I have mixed feelings about this one. I typically love the messiness of teen thrillers, and this had all the hallmarks of the plot points and tropes I usually eat up. And for much of it, I did. However, it wasn’t a shining star among the various YA thrillers I have recently read.
I did enjoy the format. The story is told primarily through police interviews with three characters recounting the 24 hours leading up to the murders. The distinction between the interview transcripts and the characters’ internal thoughts and background information was always clear and easy to follow. I liked the rotation between Ben, the boyfriend; Liz, the best friend; and Jayne, the identical twin sister, before the final quarter of the book shifted to the POV of the titular character, Sadie. I also appreciated that the narrative stayed focused on information relevant to the central incident rather than getting bogged down with unnecessary side characters or random details.
That said, I did find the mystery fairly predictable. I won’t say much more than that to avoid spoilers or make it easier for future readers to piece things together. For a YA thriller, though, I think this is a strong choice for teen readers. It’s age-appropriate, has enough bite to keep things interesting, and never crosses the line in terms of content. The characters felt authentically teenage, and while some readers may wish for more backstory and more fully developed scenes, I think many will appreciate the direct, “get to the point” style of the prose.
I am grateful to have received a complimentary eARC from Simon Teen ahead of publication.
I have mixed feelings about this one. I typically love the messiness of teen thrillers, and this had all the hallmarks of the plot points and tropes I usually eat up. And for much of it, I did. However, it wasn’t a shining star among the various YA thrillers I have recently read.
I did enjoy the format. The story is told primarily through police interviews with three characters recounting the 24 hours leading up to the murders. The distinction between the interview transcripts and the characters’ internal thoughts and background information was always clear and easy to follow. I liked the rotation between Ben, the boyfriend; Liz, the best friend; and Jayne, the identical twin sister, before the final quarter of the book shifted to the POV of the titular character, Sadie. I also appreciated that the narrative stayed focused on information relevant to the central incident rather than getting bogged down with unnecessary side characters or random details.
That said, I did find the mystery fairly predictable. I won’t say much more than that to avoid spoilers or make it easier for future readers to piece things together. For a YA thriller, though, I think this is a strong choice for teen readers. It’s age-appropriate, has enough bite to keep things interesting, and never crosses the line in terms of content. The characters felt authentically teenage, and while some readers may wish for more backstory and more fully developed scenes, I think many will appreciate the direct, “get to the point” style of the prose.
I am grateful to have received a complimentary eARC from Simon Teen ahead of publication.
September 25, 2026
Wasn’t at twisty as I would like but overall a good quick thriller read
August 7, 2026
Audiobook listen. I figured out the culprit the first time the character was introduced, which was disappointing. Perhaps the narrator gave it away with her inflection, but I think the words on written page would have also given the person away.
August 5, 2026
Some thrillers hide their killer. This one hands you the crime scene on page one and dares you to figure out why nothing about it adds up. Killing Sadie by Rachel Peterson opens the morning after a barn party in small-town Ohio, with two teenagers dead and three survivors sitting in separate interrogation rooms, each swearing they are telling the police everything. They are not. And the fun, the squirming, delicious fun of this book, is catching them in the act.
The Setup: A Party, a Barn, and an Open-and-Shut Case That Isn't
Seventeen-year-old Sadie Cooper, homecoming queen and golden girl, was stabbed to death in an old stone barn at Trevor McClain's infamous farm party. Her killer, quiet art kid Mason Vreeland, died moments later at the hands of Sadie's boyfriend, Ben, who was trying to save her. Sadie's twin sister, Jayne, witnessed it all. Case closed, right?
Except the accounts don't line up. Sadie's best friend, Liz, remembers one timeline. Jayne remembers another. Ben's story bends whenever the questions get uncomfortable. Small contradictions about a drink, a text, a necklace start stacking up into something much uglier, and a sharp state detective named Sloane Budd arrives to pull at every loose thread. Then, in a bold third act, the microphone passes to Sadie herself, narrating the weeks before her death, and the whole picture snaps into horrifying focus.
Quick Verdict at a Glance
Before we go witness by witness, here is the short version of my case notes:
Structure: An interrogation-room frame with rotating narrators, capped by a dead girl's testimony. Ambitious, and mostly it works beautifully.
Voice: Liz, Jayne, and Ben sound genuinely distinct, which is rarer in multi-POV thrillers than it should be.
Twist factor: The Act Three reveal recontextualizes everything you read before it. I flipped back to earlier chapters just to admire the wiring.
Pacing: Strong start, slight sag in the middle, ferocious finish.
Content notes: Underage drinking, murder, manipulation, and toxic relationships, handled with a YA-appropriate hand but not a timid one.
Witness by Witness: The Voices That Carry the Book
The greatest strength of Killing Sadie by Rachel Peterson is characterization through contradiction. Liz, a transplant from an Alabama trailer park who reinvented herself inside the wealthy Cooper family's orbit, narrates with a wounded, sarcastic drawl that made her my favorite in the room. Her chapters ache with class anxiety; she knows she is the "bonus daughter" whose invitation can be revoked at any time. Jayne, the aloof twin with equestrian trophies and zero patience for high school, speaks in cool, controlled paragraphs that feel rehearsed in the best, creepiest way. Ben, the football prince living under his powerful father's shadow, is all swagger and self-soothing mantras, and Peterson lets him hang himself with his own internal monologue.
What impressed me most is how the lies are built. Peterson doesn't rely on a narrator conveniently withholding a scene. Instead, she lets three people describe the same evening and trusts the reader to notice that the timestamps, the drinks, and the drama don't reconcile. The recurring image of three matching broken-heart friendship necklaces becomes a quiet masterstroke of plotting; by the final pages, a piece of cheap Christmas-market jewelry carries more menace than the murder weapon.
Sadie's own section deserves special mention. Giving the victim the last word is a risk, since it could easily read as a gimmick. Here it lands like a verdict. Her voice is vain, funny, self-aware, and heartbreaking, a girl dissecting her own flaws while walking, unknowing, toward the barn. Peterson threads Romeo + Juliet references through Sadie's chapters (the Baz Luhrmann film, naturally), and the doomed-romance framing pays off in ways I won't spoil.
Cross-Examination: Where the Case Wobbles
An honest review has to press on the weak spots, and Killing Sadie by Rachel Peterson has a few worth flagging.
The middle drags. Because three narrators must each recount the same afternoon and party, Act Two occasionally retreads ground. The repetition is intentional, since the discrepancies are the point, but a leaner edit could have kept the tension tighter through the midsection.
The local police are cardboard. Detectives Norris and Hunt exist mainly to be outwitted, and the small-town force is so conveniently sloppy that it strains belief. Thankfully, Detective Sloane Budd, the no-nonsense state investigator with her McDonald's peace offerings, is a genuine standout who balances the ledger.
The pop culture skews old. These teens reference Say Anything, Dawson's Creek, When Harry Met Sally, and Casablanca with suspicious fluency. Individually charming, collectively it reads like the author's nostalgia wearing a teenager's outfit.
A few conveniences in the endgame. The final reveal is chilling and earned on an emotional level, but the logistics involving a certain phone and some very precise timing don't fully survive a second look. Readers who autopsy their thrillers may raise an eyebrow.
None of these issues sink the book. They keep an excellent debut from being a flawless one, which feels about right for where most readers and early reviewers have landed on it.
The Author Behind the Crime Scene
This is Rachel Peterson's debut novel, published by Simon & Schuster's relaunched Simon Pulse imprint, and it arrives with real polish. Peterson grew up in Hudson, Ohio, studied English and creative writing at Miami University of Ohio, and spent roughly two decades in advertising and marketing before turning to fiction, writing several unpublished manuscripts along the way. That apprenticeship shows. The Ohio setting breathes with lived-in detail, from cornfield geography to the social physics of a school where everyone knows whose father owns what. Since she has no previous published books, this is the ground floor for her readers, and it's a confident place to start.
Exhibit A: One Disclosure, Entered Into the Record
Every witness in this story hides something, so let me be the one person in the interrogation room who doesn't. The publisher provided me with a copy of this book for review purposes. No conditions were attached, no script was handed over, and every opinion above, the applause and the eyebrow-raises alike, is entirely my own honest testimony. Consider it sworn.
Closing Argument
Killing Sadie by Rachel Peterson is a sharp, mean-in-the-best-way YA thriller that understands a simple truth: teenagers lie better than adults because they get more practice. It stumbles slightly in its pacing and asks for a little forgiveness on plot mechanics, but its voices are vivid, its twist genuinely re-frames the novel, and its final image lingers like a scream across a dark field. Hand it to fans of unreliable narrators, twisted sister stories, and anyone who has ever suspected the perfect family down the street is anything but. I closed Killing Sadie by Rachel Peterson wanting exactly two things: a flashlight for my next walk past a barn, and whatever this author writes next.
The Setup: A Party, a Barn, and an Open-and-Shut Case That Isn't
Seventeen-year-old Sadie Cooper, homecoming queen and golden girl, was stabbed to death in an old stone barn at Trevor McClain's infamous farm party. Her killer, quiet art kid Mason Vreeland, died moments later at the hands of Sadie's boyfriend, Ben, who was trying to save her. Sadie's twin sister, Jayne, witnessed it all. Case closed, right?
Except the accounts don't line up. Sadie's best friend, Liz, remembers one timeline. Jayne remembers another. Ben's story bends whenever the questions get uncomfortable. Small contradictions about a drink, a text, a necklace start stacking up into something much uglier, and a sharp state detective named Sloane Budd arrives to pull at every loose thread. Then, in a bold third act, the microphone passes to Sadie herself, narrating the weeks before her death, and the whole picture snaps into horrifying focus.
Quick Verdict at a Glance
Before we go witness by witness, here is the short version of my case notes:
Structure: An interrogation-room frame with rotating narrators, capped by a dead girl's testimony. Ambitious, and mostly it works beautifully.
Voice: Liz, Jayne, and Ben sound genuinely distinct, which is rarer in multi-POV thrillers than it should be.
Twist factor: The Act Three reveal recontextualizes everything you read before it. I flipped back to earlier chapters just to admire the wiring.
Pacing: Strong start, slight sag in the middle, ferocious finish.
Content notes: Underage drinking, murder, manipulation, and toxic relationships, handled with a YA-appropriate hand but not a timid one.
Witness by Witness: The Voices That Carry the Book
The greatest strength of Killing Sadie by Rachel Peterson is characterization through contradiction. Liz, a transplant from an Alabama trailer park who reinvented herself inside the wealthy Cooper family's orbit, narrates with a wounded, sarcastic drawl that made her my favorite in the room. Her chapters ache with class anxiety; she knows she is the "bonus daughter" whose invitation can be revoked at any time. Jayne, the aloof twin with equestrian trophies and zero patience for high school, speaks in cool, controlled paragraphs that feel rehearsed in the best, creepiest way. Ben, the football prince living under his powerful father's shadow, is all swagger and self-soothing mantras, and Peterson lets him hang himself with his own internal monologue.
What impressed me most is how the lies are built. Peterson doesn't rely on a narrator conveniently withholding a scene. Instead, she lets three people describe the same evening and trusts the reader to notice that the timestamps, the drinks, and the drama don't reconcile. The recurring image of three matching broken-heart friendship necklaces becomes a quiet masterstroke of plotting; by the final pages, a piece of cheap Christmas-market jewelry carries more menace than the murder weapon.
Sadie's own section deserves special mention. Giving the victim the last word is a risk, since it could easily read as a gimmick. Here it lands like a verdict. Her voice is vain, funny, self-aware, and heartbreaking, a girl dissecting her own flaws while walking, unknowing, toward the barn. Peterson threads Romeo + Juliet references through Sadie's chapters (the Baz Luhrmann film, naturally), and the doomed-romance framing pays off in ways I won't spoil.
Cross-Examination: Where the Case Wobbles
An honest review has to press on the weak spots, and Killing Sadie by Rachel Peterson has a few worth flagging.
The middle drags. Because three narrators must each recount the same afternoon and party, Act Two occasionally retreads ground. The repetition is intentional, since the discrepancies are the point, but a leaner edit could have kept the tension tighter through the midsection.
The local police are cardboard. Detectives Norris and Hunt exist mainly to be outwitted, and the small-town force is so conveniently sloppy that it strains belief. Thankfully, Detective Sloane Budd, the no-nonsense state investigator with her McDonald's peace offerings, is a genuine standout who balances the ledger.
The pop culture skews old. These teens reference Say Anything, Dawson's Creek, When Harry Met Sally, and Casablanca with suspicious fluency. Individually charming, collectively it reads like the author's nostalgia wearing a teenager's outfit.
A few conveniences in the endgame. The final reveal is chilling and earned on an emotional level, but the logistics involving a certain phone and some very precise timing don't fully survive a second look. Readers who autopsy their thrillers may raise an eyebrow.
None of these issues sink the book. They keep an excellent debut from being a flawless one, which feels about right for where most readers and early reviewers have landed on it.
The Author Behind the Crime Scene
This is Rachel Peterson's debut novel, published by Simon & Schuster's relaunched Simon Pulse imprint, and it arrives with real polish. Peterson grew up in Hudson, Ohio, studied English and creative writing at Miami University of Ohio, and spent roughly two decades in advertising and marketing before turning to fiction, writing several unpublished manuscripts along the way. That apprenticeship shows. The Ohio setting breathes with lived-in detail, from cornfield geography to the social physics of a school where everyone knows whose father owns what. Since she has no previous published books, this is the ground floor for her readers, and it's a confident place to start.
Exhibit A: One Disclosure, Entered Into the Record
Every witness in this story hides something, so let me be the one person in the interrogation room who doesn't. The publisher provided me with a copy of this book for review purposes. No conditions were attached, no script was handed over, and every opinion above, the applause and the eyebrow-raises alike, is entirely my own honest testimony. Consider it sworn.
Closing Argument
Killing Sadie by Rachel Peterson is a sharp, mean-in-the-best-way YA thriller that understands a simple truth: teenagers lie better than adults because they get more practice. It stumbles slightly in its pacing and asks for a little forgiveness on plot mechanics, but its voices are vivid, its twist genuinely re-frames the novel, and its final image lingers like a scream across a dark field. Hand it to fans of unreliable narrators, twisted sister stories, and anyone who has ever suspected the perfect family down the street is anything but. I closed Killing Sadie by Rachel Peterson wanting exactly two things: a flashlight for my next walk past a barn, and whatever this author writes next.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Thanks to Simon Teen for this early review copy
We already know who ends up dead, but what actually happened is a completely different story depending on who’s telling it. The book is told through three perspectives: Sadie’s twin sister, boyfriend, and best friend as they recount their version of events to the police. The format was interesting, as we got to know the story secondhand, and each version was different and contradicted the others. It kept me guessing who was lying, who was leaving things out, and who was trying to hide something much bigger.
The multiple POVs were easily my favorite part. Every character had secrets, messy relationships, and their own version of the truth, which made it hard to trust anyone. All characters were unlikeable; either they were outright bad or trying too hard to be good. I did enjoy the entire build-up until we finally got Sadie’s perspective.
The multiple POVs were easily my favorite part. Every character had secrets, messy relationships, and their own version of the truth, which made it impossible to fully trust anyone. None of them were particularly likable, either they were making terrible choices or trying a little too hard to come across as the “good” one. I also enjoyed the slow buildup until we finally got Sadie’s perspective, which revealed the true version of events.
My biggest complaint is the ending. It answers the main question but wraps everything up so quickly that it left me wanting a couple of more chapters. I also wasn’t completely convinced by the motive, it felt a bit random and underdeveloped. There were a few plot holes and relationships that could have used more explanation. And as with so many YA thrillers, the parents were conveniently absent despite their children literally being questioned in a murder investigation.
Even with that, this was still a fun, fast-paced YA thriller that kept me invested the whole way through.
We already know who ends up dead, but what actually happened is a completely different story depending on who’s telling it. The book is told through three perspectives: Sadie’s twin sister, boyfriend, and best friend as they recount their version of events to the police. The format was interesting, as we got to know the story secondhand, and each version was different and contradicted the others. It kept me guessing who was lying, who was leaving things out, and who was trying to hide something much bigger.
The multiple POVs were easily my favorite part. Every character had secrets, messy relationships, and their own version of the truth, which made it hard to trust anyone. All characters were unlikeable; either they were outright bad or trying too hard to be good. I did enjoy the entire build-up until we finally got Sadie’s perspective.
The multiple POVs were easily my favorite part. Every character had secrets, messy relationships, and their own version of the truth, which made it impossible to fully trust anyone. None of them were particularly likable, either they were making terrible choices or trying a little too hard to come across as the “good” one. I also enjoyed the slow buildup until we finally got Sadie’s perspective, which revealed the true version of events.
My biggest complaint is the ending. It answers the main question but wraps everything up so quickly that it left me wanting a couple of more chapters. I also wasn’t completely convinced by the motive, it felt a bit random and underdeveloped. There were a few plot holes and relationships that could have used more explanation. And as with so many YA thrillers, the parents were conveniently absent despite their children literally being questioned in a murder investigation.
Even with that, this was still a fun, fast-paced YA thriller that kept me invested the whole way through.
March 19, 2026
OMG THIS BOOK IS INSANE!!! I received this advanced copy at NTTBF and could not wait to read it, so here’s my review!
This murder mystery is sooo compelling! I was hooked at the very beginning!! The timeline follows a story where a teenage girl, Sadie, is murdered. The three main characters, Liz, Sadie’s best friend, Jayne, Sadie’s twin sister, and Ben, Sadie’s boyfriend, are all being questioned for details of how Sadie’s murder occurred. But, sure enough, details aren’t lining up. Who is telling the truth, and who is lying?
The twists and turns of this book are THRILLING, the details of each point of view are INSANE, and so much more! This book releases in August, and I HIGHLY suggest you read Killing Sadie!!
This murder mystery is sooo compelling! I was hooked at the very beginning!! The timeline follows a story where a teenage girl, Sadie, is murdered. The three main characters, Liz, Sadie’s best friend, Jayne, Sadie’s twin sister, and Ben, Sadie’s boyfriend, are all being questioned for details of how Sadie’s murder occurred. But, sure enough, details aren’t lining up. Who is telling the truth, and who is lying?
The twists and turns of this book are THRILLING, the details of each point of view are INSANE, and so much more! This book releases in August, and I HIGHLY suggest you read Killing Sadie!!
August 7, 2026
Looking for a YA mystery thriller that is guaranteed to leave you shocked and speechless? Then look no further than Killing Sadie by debut author Rachel Peterson.
Set in a small town in Ohio, the story follows the aftermath of an unchaperoned blowout party at the McClain farm, during which seventeen-year-olds Sadie Cooper and Mason Vreeland are killed. According to witnesses, Mason killed Sadie, and Sadie’s boyfriend Ben killed Mason. On the surface, this should be an open-and-shut case. The police just need to understand why Mason killed Sadie.
Killing Sadie is told from the points of view of three people in Sadie’s life: her best friend, Liz Stratton, her twin sister Jayne, and her boyfriend Ben Carrera. They are individually and simultaneously interviewed by police detectives in the hours after the murders. You would think this would make reading the book challenging, but it doesn't. In fact, it makes the book more interesting as readers and detectives attempt to piece the investigation together.
Through the interviews, you get to know the characters and soon discover small inconsistencies in their stories. The question becomes who’s lying and why.
Broken into acts, Liz, Jayne, and Ben take readers and detectives back in time to the day of the party and before in Act One. Act Two details Friday night, the night of the party. Act Three is the part of the story that takes it from good to great. Act Three is told from Sadie’s point of view and shows what truly happened. This is also the part of the book where readers’ minds will be blown, because there’s absolutely NO way you will figure out what truly transpired. I, myself, had two theories and was nowhere close to figuring this all out.
I would say I’m not generally a mystery/thriller reader. At least, not unless there are some fantasy or paranormal elements involved. I am, however, a person who is curious and likes to figure things out. Rachel Peterson has just made me a fan of YA mystery thrillers. I can’t wait to read more from her.
**Received a copy of the book from the publisher and voluntarily reviewed it.**
Set in a small town in Ohio, the story follows the aftermath of an unchaperoned blowout party at the McClain farm, during which seventeen-year-olds Sadie Cooper and Mason Vreeland are killed. According to witnesses, Mason killed Sadie, and Sadie’s boyfriend Ben killed Mason. On the surface, this should be an open-and-shut case. The police just need to understand why Mason killed Sadie.
Killing Sadie is told from the points of view of three people in Sadie’s life: her best friend, Liz Stratton, her twin sister Jayne, and her boyfriend Ben Carrera. They are individually and simultaneously interviewed by police detectives in the hours after the murders. You would think this would make reading the book challenging, but it doesn't. In fact, it makes the book more interesting as readers and detectives attempt to piece the investigation together.
Through the interviews, you get to know the characters and soon discover small inconsistencies in their stories. The question becomes who’s lying and why.
Broken into acts, Liz, Jayne, and Ben take readers and detectives back in time to the day of the party and before in Act One. Act Two details Friday night, the night of the party. Act Three is the part of the story that takes it from good to great. Act Three is told from Sadie’s point of view and shows what truly happened. This is also the part of the book where readers’ minds will be blown, because there’s absolutely NO way you will figure out what truly transpired. I, myself, had two theories and was nowhere close to figuring this all out.
I would say I’m not generally a mystery/thriller reader. At least, not unless there are some fantasy or paranormal elements involved. I am, however, a person who is curious and likes to figure things out. Rachel Peterson has just made me a fan of YA mystery thrillers. I can’t wait to read more from her.
**Received a copy of the book from the publisher and voluntarily reviewed it.**
August 23, 2026
4.75⭐️
WOW. This book is insane. I thought I guessed the plot so many times in the book yet all of my guesses were wrong.
TBH going into this book I had very low expectations, and I’m so glad that it exceeded them.
The ending was crazy! My feels scrambled after reading that. I’m still confused and have questions about what happened, and the thing about a book like this is that even after reading it i will never get the answers.
It’s crazy because everything is right in front of you, but at the same time it’s not.
Thank you to NetGalley for this arc.
I really enjoyed this book, it was fast paced and kept me intrigued and wanting to read more.
WOW. This book is insane. I thought I guessed the plot so many times in the book yet all of my guesses were wrong.
TBH going into this book I had very low expectations, and I’m so glad that it exceeded them.
The ending was crazy! My feels scrambled after reading that. I’m still confused and have questions about what happened, and the thing about a book like this is that even after reading it i will never get the answers.
It’s crazy because everything is right in front of you, but at the same time it’s not.
Thank you to NetGalley for this arc.
I really enjoyed this book, it was fast paced and kept me intrigued and wanting to read more.
September 1, 2026
This was a fun YA thriller! I really enjoyed the storytelling format. It was an interesting and creative experience that allowed the reader see the story unfold from different POVs. I liked that the author finished with Sadie’s POV to reveal who killed her. Technically, I guessed from the very beginning, but that didn’t stop me from enjoying the book. I think my only true complaint is the abrupt ending. I was left wanting a little more. Other than that, I think it was a solid read.
Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster Children’s Publishing for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!
Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster Children’s Publishing for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!
Did Not Finish
September 4, 2026Dnf at 20%
The story begins with three teens in a police station. Sadie is dead and her best friend, her twin sister and her boyfriend are in the police station recounting what happened. Her bf Liz is incredibly annoying and the police detective questioning her was like a caricature of an asshole cop. I couldn’t not with this book.
The story begins with three teens in a police station. Sadie is dead and her best friend, her twin sister and her boyfriend are in the police station recounting what happened. Her bf Liz is incredibly annoying and the police detective questioning her was like a caricature of an asshole cop. I couldn’t not with this book.
September 5, 2026
This was a fun read. Engaging and unpredictable, always a great combo. The ending surprised me, but it felt a bit abrupt and not entirely believable. Still. Great debut!
May 10, 2026
Thank you to NetGalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review. I really liked this story, there were a few things that kinda bothered me (no parents in the interrogation room and other basic police procedure things)
The story was fun and kept me guessing up until the end. I would definitely recommend to others.
The story was fun and kept me guessing up until the end. I would definitely recommend to others.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
This was such an entertaining way of telling a murder. Seeing all the point of views and putting together what actually happened. The only thing I didn’t care for was the ending and how things played out. I highly recommend this for people who liked Pretty Little Liars (the book series), it had similar vibes with drama and finding out who the killer was.
(Note: I received this copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the publisher/author for the opportunity.)
POV: Multiple, First Person
Spice Level: (mentioned, closed door)
Sad Level: 💧💧💧
Would I Recommend? Yes
Favorite Character(s): n/a
Emojis Based on Vibes: 🔪🍻🤐
⚠️ CONTENT WARNINGS
Graphic: Death, Infidelity, Toxic relationship, Murder, Alcohol
Moderate: Cursing, Mental illness, Toxic friendship
Minor: Alcoholism, Misogyny, Sexual content, Violence, Injury/Injury detail
(Note: I received this copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the publisher/author for the opportunity.)
POV: Multiple, First Person
Spice Level: (mentioned, closed door)
Sad Level: 💧💧💧
Would I Recommend? Yes
Favorite Character(s): n/a
Emojis Based on Vibes: 🔪🍻🤐
⚠️ CONTENT WARNINGS
Graphic: Death, Infidelity, Toxic relationship, Murder, Alcohol
Moderate: Cursing, Mental illness, Toxic friendship
Minor: Alcoholism, Misogyny, Sexual content, Violence, Injury/Injury detail
July 9, 2026
This was such a devious (in the best way) book! I absolutely could not stop. This is a super quick read with fabulously unreliable narrators and a twisted plot.
Two teens are dead, Sadie and her killer, Mason, and what we get is the investigation. This should be a pretty open and shut case. Sadie was murdered by Mason and her boyfriend killed him in self defense... but one detective wants to dig a little deeper into exactly what happened. The three closest people to Sadie, her twin sister Jayne, her best friend Liz, and her boyfriend Ben all take us through everything that led up to Sadie's and Mason's deaths.
I really enjoyed the storytelling in this book. You seriously never know what to expect or who to trust, but that is all told to us through the synopsis. It is inside the mind of each of the characters and how they portray that night, their actions and their relationship with Sadie that really pulled me in. I had such a great time with this one, from start to finish.
I listened to the audiobook and I loved the full cast. This was well narrated and the listening experience only added to my enjoyment of this ya thriller.
Two teens are dead, Sadie and her killer, Mason, and what we get is the investigation. This should be a pretty open and shut case. Sadie was murdered by Mason and her boyfriend killed him in self defense... but one detective wants to dig a little deeper into exactly what happened. The three closest people to Sadie, her twin sister Jayne, her best friend Liz, and her boyfriend Ben all take us through everything that led up to Sadie's and Mason's deaths.
I really enjoyed the storytelling in this book. You seriously never know what to expect or who to trust, but that is all told to us through the synopsis. It is inside the mind of each of the characters and how they portray that night, their actions and their relationship with Sadie that really pulled me in. I had such a great time with this one, from start to finish.
I listened to the audiobook and I loved the full cast. This was well narrated and the listening experience only added to my enjoyment of this ya thriller.
January 11, 2026
If you don’t know me, My name is Paige, I am OBSESSED with anything true crime and young adult. Killing Sadie combines my two favorite things in one book, and I was excited to pick it up.
The story follows three teenagers: The bestfriend, The twin sister, and the boyfriend all in separate interrogation rooms, recounting the night (and days prior) that their, sister, girlfriend and best friend Sadie was murdered.
I enjoyed the set up in the beginning, but what I didn’t expect was basically the entire story to take place in the thoughts of three teens sitting in interrogation rooms. Don’t get me wrong, I love the aspect of the room, BUT when the writing changed into the italicized format what was supposed to be them recounting a memory to help the investigators ended up being mixed up in personal thoughts and feelings. There was not a clear line between what the teenagers were speaking to the investigators and what they were thinking. At one point, the investigator replied to something I thought was strictly in the head of one of the characters and that threw me off.
True crime is my favorite because it makes me feel as though I’m an investigator myself putting all of the puzzle pieces together while I’m reading. With that being said, I loved the fact that the entire time I was reading I kind of had an idea of what had happened and why. But there was a twist that ended up changing everything. I LOVE that, I very much enjoy being surprised while reading. BUT I will say by the time the twist was revealed and the book had ended I felt very unsatisfied. I had so many questions and I felt as though the ending was super rushed.
Many young adult books focus on gushy teenage feelings and its easy to get lost in that when reading this genre. Rachel Peterson made me feel as though I was reading an adult novel. Although I knew the characters were teenagers I didn’t feel bored and annoyed with childish themes, she did a great job fleshing out these characters considering they spent much of their time at an interrogation room table.
Although I was disappointed with the set up, the ending had me hooked and made me want much more, so you can bet I’ll be picking up anything Rachel Peterson in the future.
The story follows three teenagers: The bestfriend, The twin sister, and the boyfriend all in separate interrogation rooms, recounting the night (and days prior) that their, sister, girlfriend and best friend Sadie was murdered.
I enjoyed the set up in the beginning, but what I didn’t expect was basically the entire story to take place in the thoughts of three teens sitting in interrogation rooms. Don’t get me wrong, I love the aspect of the room, BUT when the writing changed into the italicized format what was supposed to be them recounting a memory to help the investigators ended up being mixed up in personal thoughts and feelings. There was not a clear line between what the teenagers were speaking to the investigators and what they were thinking. At one point, the investigator replied to something I thought was strictly in the head of one of the characters and that threw me off.
True crime is my favorite because it makes me feel as though I’m an investigator myself putting all of the puzzle pieces together while I’m reading. With that being said, I loved the fact that the entire time I was reading I kind of had an idea of what had happened and why. But there was a twist that ended up changing everything. I LOVE that, I very much enjoy being surprised while reading. BUT I will say by the time the twist was revealed and the book had ended I felt very unsatisfied. I had so many questions and I felt as though the ending was super rushed.
Many young adult books focus on gushy teenage feelings and its easy to get lost in that when reading this genre. Rachel Peterson made me feel as though I was reading an adult novel. Although I knew the characters were teenagers I didn’t feel bored and annoyed with childish themes, she did a great job fleshing out these characters considering they spent much of their time at an interrogation room table.
Although I was disappointed with the set up, the ending had me hooked and made me want much more, so you can bet I’ll be picking up anything Rachel Peterson in the future.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
𝗤𝗨𝗜𝗖𝗞 𝗣𝗟𝗢𝗧 𝗣𝗘𝗘𝗞
After two high schoolers are found dead after a party, the victim’s twin sister, boyfriend, and best friend give police conflicting accounts of what happened.
5 ⭐️ 𝗔𝗨𝗗𝗜𝗢 𝗧𝗔𝗞𝗘
This is the perfect format for a full-cast audiobook. Each main character is voiced by their own narrator, and they all nailed it.
I had a long day on the road and wanted a bingeable thriller to keep me entertained. This was exactly that.
4.5 ⭐️ 𝗦𝗧𝗢𝗥𝗬 𝗧𝗔𝗞𝗘
This isn’t a gentle, sweet read. It’s dark, there’s cursing, and everyone seems to be hiding something. It’s popcorn energy, melodramatic, and completely addictive.
The format is so much fun. Boyfriend Ben, twin sister Jayne, and best friend Liz are all interviewed by police, with their testimonies slipping seamlessly in and out of flashbacks. It balances police interviews, high school drama, and everyone’s secrets perfectly.
We know someone is lying, so it’s fun figuring out who and why. Even though it’s plot-driven, the teens feel developed enough to both like and dislike. No one is completely innocent.
And then that ending... wow. I thought I had it figured out, but I had absolutely no idea. It was maybe a little abrupt because I wanted more time with the characters to process what had just happened. But it was still a fantastic finish.
𝗪𝗢𝗥𝗧𝗛 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗗?
Such an impressive debut! Apart from the high school setting, this didn’t feel YA. It’s dark, fast-paced, and a great binge.
Thank you Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing, Simon & Schuster Audio and Libro.fm for this gifted ARC.
🎧 Narrated by Andre Bellido, Ferdelle Capistrano, Stacy Gonzalez, Rachel F. Hirsch, Lee Osorio
📖 Release 08•04•26 | 304 pages | 6h 58m
After two high schoolers are found dead after a party, the victim’s twin sister, boyfriend, and best friend give police conflicting accounts of what happened.
5 ⭐️ 𝗔𝗨𝗗𝗜𝗢 𝗧𝗔𝗞𝗘
This is the perfect format for a full-cast audiobook. Each main character is voiced by their own narrator, and they all nailed it.
I had a long day on the road and wanted a bingeable thriller to keep me entertained. This was exactly that.
4.5 ⭐️ 𝗦𝗧𝗢𝗥𝗬 𝗧𝗔𝗞𝗘
This isn’t a gentle, sweet read. It’s dark, there’s cursing, and everyone seems to be hiding something. It’s popcorn energy, melodramatic, and completely addictive.
The format is so much fun. Boyfriend Ben, twin sister Jayne, and best friend Liz are all interviewed by police, with their testimonies slipping seamlessly in and out of flashbacks. It balances police interviews, high school drama, and everyone’s secrets perfectly.
We know someone is lying, so it’s fun figuring out who and why. Even though it’s plot-driven, the teens feel developed enough to both like and dislike. No one is completely innocent.
And then that ending... wow. I thought I had it figured out, but I had absolutely no idea. It was maybe a little abrupt because I wanted more time with the characters to process what had just happened. But it was still a fantastic finish.
𝗪𝗢𝗥𝗧𝗛 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗗?
Such an impressive debut! Apart from the high school setting, this didn’t feel YA. It’s dark, fast-paced, and a great binge.
Thank you Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing, Simon & Schuster Audio and Libro.fm for this gifted ARC.
🎧 Narrated by Andre Bellido, Ferdelle Capistrano, Stacy Gonzalez, Rachel F. Hirsch, Lee Osorio
📖 Release 08•04•26 | 304 pages | 6h 58m
May 19, 2026
I can never resist a YA mystery/thriller and I always like to support debut authors so when this book was available on NetGalley I immediately grabbed it.
This was told in such an interesting way, with shifts back in time from the present to the past. There are 3 narrators (Sadie’s boyfriend, best friend, and sister) giving their testimony of what happened the night that Sadie died and each narrator has something to hide. It was interesting to get into their heads and see what they were thinking. I also liked seeing their connection to Sadie.
I did suspect where the story was going but I still enjoyed the twists and turns to get there.
The writing was really solid and drew me in right away. I read over half of the book in a single sitting because I was just so intrigued.
My big complaint is the ending of the book. I don’t want to get too detailed because of spoilers but I’ll just say that the book definitely could have used an epilogue!
I’d definitely recommend this one if you enjoy YA mysteries. I’ll be on the lookout for this author’s next book.
Thank you Simon and Schuster Children’s Publishing for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
This was told in such an interesting way, with shifts back in time from the present to the past. There are 3 narrators (Sadie’s boyfriend, best friend, and sister) giving their testimony of what happened the night that Sadie died and each narrator has something to hide. It was interesting to get into their heads and see what they were thinking. I also liked seeing their connection to Sadie.
I did suspect where the story was going but I still enjoyed the twists and turns to get there.
The writing was really solid and drew me in right away. I read over half of the book in a single sitting because I was just so intrigued.
My big complaint is the ending of the book. I don’t want to get too detailed because of spoilers but I’ll just say that the book definitely could have used an epilogue!
I’d definitely recommend this one if you enjoy YA mysteries. I’ll be on the lookout for this author’s next book.
Thank you Simon and Schuster Children’s Publishing for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
October 6, 2026
“Insecurity can make people kind, or it can make them cruel.”
I'd like to thank Simon & Schuster for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
I've also posted this review on Instagram and my blog.
Instagram Post
Blog Post
Content Warnings: death, violence, grief, murder, toxic relationship
I binged this book in 1 day! We start by hearing the witness statements from each of the three characters, and as time went on, I became more and more invested in their accounts. I enjoyed the different perspectives and how seamlessly it went from past to present. Each of the characters had their own voice, and it was easy to dive into each view. The storytelling multi-perspective approach made it a very immersive and real-feeling read. Of the three, my favourite perspective was Liz's, with her very detailed descriptions. In terms of writing, the unreliable narrator element was well done. I was constantly wondering who was telling the truth and who was lying, and for what reason. Multiple times I had an idea of what I thought would happen, but each time something new was introduced, which debunked each theory. The setting of the police interrogation was intriguing and really added to the thriller atmosphere. While the story as a whole wasn't very scary or gory, the ending was very chilling. The final shocking plot twist took me by surprise, but I wish that more explanation was added, as it felt a bit rushed. Some aspects were intentionally left open, which I understood for the plot, and while I wished there was a more definitive ending, I can understand why the author made this strategic choice. I'm looking forward to reading more by Rachel Peterson in the future!
I'd like to thank Simon & Schuster for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
I've also posted this review on Instagram and my blog.
Instagram Post
Blog Post
Content Warnings: death, violence, grief, murder, toxic relationship
I binged this book in 1 day! We start by hearing the witness statements from each of the three characters, and as time went on, I became more and more invested in their accounts. I enjoyed the different perspectives and how seamlessly it went from past to present. Each of the characters had their own voice, and it was easy to dive into each view. The storytelling multi-perspective approach made it a very immersive and real-feeling read. Of the three, my favourite perspective was Liz's, with her very detailed descriptions. In terms of writing, the unreliable narrator element was well done. I was constantly wondering who was telling the truth and who was lying, and for what reason. Multiple times I had an idea of what I thought would happen, but each time something new was introduced, which debunked each theory. The setting of the police interrogation was intriguing and really added to the thriller atmosphere. While the story as a whole wasn't very scary or gory, the ending was very chilling. The final shocking plot twist took me by surprise, but I wish that more explanation was added, as it felt a bit rushed. Some aspects were intentionally left open, which I understood for the plot, and while I wished there was a more definitive ending, I can understand why the author made this strategic choice. I'm looking forward to reading more by Rachel Peterson in the future!
August 21, 2026
🩸𝙆𝙞𝙡𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙎𝙖𝙙𝙞𝙚 // 𝘙𝘢𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘭 𝘗𝘦𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘰𝘯
…unreliable narrators, a murder at a teen barn party, secrets, and lies…sounds like a solid set up for a YA mystery/thriller…
I did really enjoy trying to figure out what actually happened to Sadie through the stories told by her sister, her boyfriend, and friends. The narrative structure of the story unfolding through the viewpoints of three separate people connected to the murdered teens was pretty well done. After all, they were all essentially giving their own account of the same events, but it was done so in a way that wasn’t too repetitive and dropped new breadcrumbs with each new perspective.
Although we do get the three main perspectives I mentioned, I think my favorite was when we got to hear the story through a fourth- Sadie’s own, in the third act.
My issues with the book mainly lie in the pacing and the motive. I felt the pacing was a bit off…it drug in places, but then the ending seemed to wrap up far too quickly leaving many unanswered questions and a general “humph” feeling. Also, the motive just wasn’t a truly believable one for me.
I def would recommend giving this one a try if you like YA (leaning towards new adult) thrillers and mysteries. It’s a solid story, even if some elements didn’t do it for me.
🖤🖤🖤/5
💫 Thank you @simonteen for this #gifted copy!
…unreliable narrators, a murder at a teen barn party, secrets, and lies…sounds like a solid set up for a YA mystery/thriller…
I did really enjoy trying to figure out what actually happened to Sadie through the stories told by her sister, her boyfriend, and friends. The narrative structure of the story unfolding through the viewpoints of three separate people connected to the murdered teens was pretty well done. After all, they were all essentially giving their own account of the same events, but it was done so in a way that wasn’t too repetitive and dropped new breadcrumbs with each new perspective.
Although we do get the three main perspectives I mentioned, I think my favorite was when we got to hear the story through a fourth- Sadie’s own, in the third act.
My issues with the book mainly lie in the pacing and the motive. I felt the pacing was a bit off…it drug in places, but then the ending seemed to wrap up far too quickly leaving many unanswered questions and a general “humph” feeling. Also, the motive just wasn’t a truly believable one for me.
I def would recommend giving this one a try if you like YA (leaning towards new adult) thrillers and mysteries. It’s a solid story, even if some elements didn’t do it for me.
🖤🖤🖤/5
💫 Thank you @simonteen for this #gifted copy!
August 30, 2026
Killing Sadie had a beginning that locked me in. I like thrillers, crime and whodunit books - this checked the boxes. Although, I didn't expect the majority of the book to take place in interrogation rooms switching the point of view throughout. The ending brought me back but I'm just not sure if the format and style is for me. I can't understand a motive at all except psychosis or psychotic disorder. Overall, curious read and well developed. Side note, for the record, I am very happy being one of two.
Thank you Simon for the giveaway.
Thank you Simon for the giveaway.
May 19, 2026
Amazing debut. This is the kind of book I wish had existed when I was younger. The characters are well thought out and complicated — a reminder of how hard high school can be and a spot-on example of growing up in a small town. Cannot wait to see what the author does next.
August 10, 2026
This was a fast paced one sitting read/listen. I switched between the audio at work and the physical once I got home and you can't go wrong either way. The full cast audiobook narration by Andre Bellido, Ferdelle Capistrano, Stacy Gonzales, Rachel F. Hirsch, and Lee Osorio was amazing. This had everything you want in a YA thriller, unreliable narrators, high schoolers behaving badly, some pretty dark themes, and so many twists and turns. My only complaint was that I wanted an epilogue at the end, otherwise this was the perfect bingeable summer thriller. Thank you Simon Teen and Simon Audio for my free copies.
June 1, 2026
Goodreads giveaway win 🙌🏻
Fun quick murder mystery read! From a police standpoint.. rough but ignoring, it had a interesting plot twist and decent character
Fun quick murder mystery read! From a police standpoint.. rough but ignoring, it had a interesting plot twist and decent character
August 21, 2026
*Thank you to Simon Teen and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review*
Honestly, this book kind of made me angry. I didn't understand the killer's motivations and it just felt so disjointed. It's almost like a storyline was edited out? I'm not sure. I clocked the killer from the beginning, but then there were no red herrings to even try to throw me off. I found the part of the book where we flipped to Sadie's perspective to be the most interesting. And then the book just.... ended?? Blargh.
Honestly, this book kind of made me angry. I didn't understand the killer's motivations and it just felt so disjointed. It's almost like a storyline was edited out? I'm not sure. I clocked the killer from the beginning, but then there were no red herrings to even try to throw me off. I found the part of the book where we flipped to Sadie's perspective to be the most interesting. And then the book just.... ended?? Blargh.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Killing Sadie starts with a murder case that should take detectives about twelve minutes to solve. Sadie is dead. Mason killed her. Ben killed Mason trying to stop him. We all saw it. Roll credits. Except every time somebody opens their mouth in this book, the truth gets up, leaves the room, and drives itself into the nearest cornfield.
The whole story unfolds through police interviews with Sadie's twin sister Jayne, her boyfriend Ben, and her best friend Liz, which means you spend the first half of the book feeling very confident that one of these people is finally telling the truth, only to immediately realize they're all treating honesty like it's an optional side quest. Every chapter felt like getting three different retellings of the same disastrous party from friends who absolutely should not be trusted with the group chat recap.
And honestly? That's where the book is at its strongest. Because the mystery isn't really "Who killed Sadie?" We technically know that from page one. The mystery is why everyone looks guilty enough to accidentally confess to three unrelated felonies while answering basic questions.
The character work here is messy in a way that feels very high school and very real. Ben has the energy of a guy who keeps insisting everything is fine while actively making it worse. Jayne is carrying enough grief, anger, and resentment to power a small city. Liz is the kind of friend who would help you hide a body and then spend the entire drive home making terrible decisions of her own. Nobody is particularly likable, but they are all deeply watchable, which honestly feels more important in a thriller.
What surprised me most was how much the book understands that being a teenager is basically existing in a permanent state of emotional overreaction. Every feeling is the biggest feeling you've ever felt. Every secret feels life-ending. Every relationship feels like it determines the fate of the universe. Looking back as an adult, you want to grab some of these kids by the shoulders and say, "You could simply tell one another the truth." But then there wouldn't be a book, and half of us survived adolescence by making choices that would've gotten us voted Most Likely to End Up in a Dateline Reenactment.
The multiple POV structure keeps things moving, even when the actual mystery takes a little while to tighten its grip. I spent most of the book doing that thing where you decide you've solved everything, only to immediately get hit with another contradiction and start building a completely different conspiracy board. At one point I trusted exactly nobody. Not the suspects. Not the witnesses. Not the detectives. Frankly, I wasn't even sure the barn could be trusted.
Then Sadie finally gets her chance to tell her side of the story. Without getting into spoilers, that shift works because it reminds you that Sadie isn't just the victim everyone has been talking about for three hundred pages. She's a person. Flawed, complicated, frustrating, vulnerable. The closer the book gets to the truth, the sadder it becomes, because underneath all the twists and lies is a story about how badly people can fail to see what's happening right in front of them.
I do think the ending is where the book lost me a little. Not because the reveal itself doesn't work, but because I desperately wanted another twenty pages. An epilogue. A follow-up interview. A detective standing in front of a corkboard explaining things with a laser pointer. Something. The book reaches the finish line and then immediately kicks you out of the moving vehicle.
Still, I flew through it. The interrogation format is addictive, the lies are fun to untangle, and the emotional mess underneath all the mystery gave the story more weight than I expected. It landed right in that sweet spot where I was entertained the entire time but still had enough complaints to text my friends about afterward, which is basically the ideal thriller experience. A very comfortable 3.5 stars.
Whodunity Award: For Making Me Distrust Every Teenager Within a Fifty-Mile Radius of That Barn
And thank you to Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC. Nothing bonds a reader and a book faster than spending several hours watching a group of teenagers collectively discover that lying to the police is, in fact, a terrible long-term strategy.
The whole story unfolds through police interviews with Sadie's twin sister Jayne, her boyfriend Ben, and her best friend Liz, which means you spend the first half of the book feeling very confident that one of these people is finally telling the truth, only to immediately realize they're all treating honesty like it's an optional side quest. Every chapter felt like getting three different retellings of the same disastrous party from friends who absolutely should not be trusted with the group chat recap.
And honestly? That's where the book is at its strongest. Because the mystery isn't really "Who killed Sadie?" We technically know that from page one. The mystery is why everyone looks guilty enough to accidentally confess to three unrelated felonies while answering basic questions.
The character work here is messy in a way that feels very high school and very real. Ben has the energy of a guy who keeps insisting everything is fine while actively making it worse. Jayne is carrying enough grief, anger, and resentment to power a small city. Liz is the kind of friend who would help you hide a body and then spend the entire drive home making terrible decisions of her own. Nobody is particularly likable, but they are all deeply watchable, which honestly feels more important in a thriller.
What surprised me most was how much the book understands that being a teenager is basically existing in a permanent state of emotional overreaction. Every feeling is the biggest feeling you've ever felt. Every secret feels life-ending. Every relationship feels like it determines the fate of the universe. Looking back as an adult, you want to grab some of these kids by the shoulders and say, "You could simply tell one another the truth." But then there wouldn't be a book, and half of us survived adolescence by making choices that would've gotten us voted Most Likely to End Up in a Dateline Reenactment.
The multiple POV structure keeps things moving, even when the actual mystery takes a little while to tighten its grip. I spent most of the book doing that thing where you decide you've solved everything, only to immediately get hit with another contradiction and start building a completely different conspiracy board. At one point I trusted exactly nobody. Not the suspects. Not the witnesses. Not the detectives. Frankly, I wasn't even sure the barn could be trusted.
Then Sadie finally gets her chance to tell her side of the story. Without getting into spoilers, that shift works because it reminds you that Sadie isn't just the victim everyone has been talking about for three hundred pages. She's a person. Flawed, complicated, frustrating, vulnerable. The closer the book gets to the truth, the sadder it becomes, because underneath all the twists and lies is a story about how badly people can fail to see what's happening right in front of them.
I do think the ending is where the book lost me a little. Not because the reveal itself doesn't work, but because I desperately wanted another twenty pages. An epilogue. A follow-up interview. A detective standing in front of a corkboard explaining things with a laser pointer. Something. The book reaches the finish line and then immediately kicks you out of the moving vehicle.
Still, I flew through it. The interrogation format is addictive, the lies are fun to untangle, and the emotional mess underneath all the mystery gave the story more weight than I expected. It landed right in that sweet spot where I was entertained the entire time but still had enough complaints to text my friends about afterward, which is basically the ideal thriller experience. A very comfortable 3.5 stars.
Whodunity Award: For Making Me Distrust Every Teenager Within a Fifty-Mile Radius of That Barn
And thank you to Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC. Nothing bonds a reader and a book faster than spending several hours watching a group of teenagers collectively discover that lying to the police is, in fact, a terrible long-term strategy.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you NetGalley and Simon Pulse for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!
If you like messy, twisty mysteries where everyone is lying and no one is a good person, “Killing Sadie” by Rachel Peterson is definitely one to pick up.
The setup sounds simple at first: Sadie is dead, a loner named Mason supposedly killed her, and then Sadie’s boyfriend killed Mason in self-defense. Case closed, right? Yeah, not even close. Almost immediately, it’s clear things don’t add up, and the whole “open-and-shut case” starts unraveling fast.
The story is told through three perspectives—Sadie’s twin sister, her best friend, and her boyfriend—all being interrogated by the police. And honestly, this is where the book really shines. Everyone is telling the same events, but in completely different ways. The little inconsistencies? So good! It turns into this puzzle where you’re constantly trying to figure out who’s lying, who’s leaving things out, and what actually happened.
And trust me—everyone is hiding something.
Character-wise, yeah, don’t expect to love these people. The boyfriend is cheating (and still somehow jealous), the best friend is messy but at least a little self-aware, and the sister is super judgmental. They’re all flawed, sometimes frustrating, but that’s kind of the point. It makes the story feel more like a true crime-style case where no one is fully innocent.
That said, the beginning can feel a little slow. A lot of the early stuff focuses on teenage drama leading up to the party with relationships, secrets, family issues, and it can drag a bit before things really pick up. But once the interrogation starts digging deeper and the contradictions pile up, it gets way more interesting.
One thing I really liked was how interactive it felt as a reader. You’re basically playing detective the whole time, catching discrepancies like who talked to who, what actually happened at the party, and what doesn’t line up. It keeps you on edge because you know something bigger is going on.
And then the final stretch hits.
Without spoiling anything, you eventually get Sadie’s perspective, and that’s when everything clicks into place. It completely reframes what you thought you knew and exposes just how deep the lies go. The twist? Genuinely unexpected and really well done.
But the ending is also kind of brutal in a different way. It wraps up the truth of what happened, but not necessarily in a neat, satisfying “everything is resolved” way. The investigation itself feels a bit rushed and leaves some loose ends, which might frustrate you if you like clear closure.
Overall, this is a fast-paced, twisty YA thriller that leans heavily into unreliable narrators and messy secrets. It’s not perfect, like how there are some pacing issues and a few things that require suspending disbelief, but it’s super engaging and keeps you guessing until the very end. If you’re into true crime vibes, multiple POVs, and stories where the truth is buried under layers of lies, this is a really solid (and addictive) read.
If you like messy, twisty mysteries where everyone is lying and no one is a good person, “Killing Sadie” by Rachel Peterson is definitely one to pick up.
The setup sounds simple at first: Sadie is dead, a loner named Mason supposedly killed her, and then Sadie’s boyfriend killed Mason in self-defense. Case closed, right? Yeah, not even close. Almost immediately, it’s clear things don’t add up, and the whole “open-and-shut case” starts unraveling fast.
The story is told through three perspectives—Sadie’s twin sister, her best friend, and her boyfriend—all being interrogated by the police. And honestly, this is where the book really shines. Everyone is telling the same events, but in completely different ways. The little inconsistencies? So good! It turns into this puzzle where you’re constantly trying to figure out who’s lying, who’s leaving things out, and what actually happened.
And trust me—everyone is hiding something.
Character-wise, yeah, don’t expect to love these people. The boyfriend is cheating (and still somehow jealous), the best friend is messy but at least a little self-aware, and the sister is super judgmental. They’re all flawed, sometimes frustrating, but that’s kind of the point. It makes the story feel more like a true crime-style case where no one is fully innocent.
That said, the beginning can feel a little slow. A lot of the early stuff focuses on teenage drama leading up to the party with relationships, secrets, family issues, and it can drag a bit before things really pick up. But once the interrogation starts digging deeper and the contradictions pile up, it gets way more interesting.
One thing I really liked was how interactive it felt as a reader. You’re basically playing detective the whole time, catching discrepancies like who talked to who, what actually happened at the party, and what doesn’t line up. It keeps you on edge because you know something bigger is going on.
And then the final stretch hits.
Without spoiling anything, you eventually get Sadie’s perspective, and that’s when everything clicks into place. It completely reframes what you thought you knew and exposes just how deep the lies go. The twist? Genuinely unexpected and really well done.
But the ending is also kind of brutal in a different way. It wraps up the truth of what happened, but not necessarily in a neat, satisfying “everything is resolved” way. The investigation itself feels a bit rushed and leaves some loose ends, which might frustrate you if you like clear closure.
Overall, this is a fast-paced, twisty YA thriller that leans heavily into unreliable narrators and messy secrets. It’s not perfect, like how there are some pacing issues and a few things that require suspending disbelief, but it’s super engaging and keeps you guessing until the very end. If you’re into true crime vibes, multiple POVs, and stories where the truth is buried under layers of lies, this is a really solid (and addictive) read.
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