I have said
many times before that it is the development of characters that really draws me
into a horror novel. I have to feel an
investment in the people within the story in order to really have any emotional
investment in reading. One way that
always hooks me into a story is to use the first person perspective. This allows us to see the progression of a
character from the start of the story to the finish more intimately than with
any other method. This method can be
even more entertaining when we get a glimpse of the mind of someone sliding
down the slope of insanity. This is
exactly what Zané Sachs treats us to in her novel Sadie the Sadist.
“Like many people,
Sadie feels undervalued and frustrated. Employed by a supermarket, she plots to
murder coworkers—or lure them into the employee bathroom for a quickie. Sick of
being treated like a robot, she taps into a powerful (and deranged) alter-ego
and transforms into Sadie the Sadist. READER BEWARE: This book contains graphic
violence, psycho/sexual incidents, and Sadie’s favorite recipes. X-tremely
Black Humor.”
Any of us who have ever worked service jobs will quickly
find ourselves relating to the plight of hard-working and underappreciated
Sadie. As Sadie starts to come to
certain realizations about what her continued work in the service industry
means about her, she discovers the other side of herself in the form of Sadie
the Sadist. From there, it is a rapid
plunge into hilarious madness. The
person we imagined Sadie to be early in the novel based on the way she
describes herself, her interactions with others, and the way people react
towards her or act towards her is quickly shattered as we her depravity and
brutal nature continues to grow as she embraces Sadie the Sadist. However, this does not mean that this book is
not suitable for more casual horror fans.
Sadie the Sadist has a lot to
offer for a wide range of readers.
One of the best things about this novel for me was that even
at the most horrific moments, Sadie’s insight and perspective were full of dark
humor. Even Sadie’s recipes placed
throughout the book contain a dash of laughs.
One of my favorite lines in the book came from when Sadie shares her
first recipe. “Sadie’s Hot Shit Brownies”
tell you at the end that it is important to let the dish cool before cutting
it. Sadie commiserates with us that she
knows this is hard, but shares that “time passes faster if you do something productive,
like vacuum or masturbate.” Do not mistake
this to mean that all of the humor in the book is sophomoric. You have to appreciate the placement of this
line to get its humor. It is delivered
right along with the rest of the recipe as if it is something you would find in
a Betty Crocker cook book.
Another strong point of the novel is Sachs' ability to create a great visual as you are reading. I have no idea what any of the equipment with which Sadie works looks like, but I could visualize it enough to have an idea. The over-the-top kills are described with a great balance of imagery that provides enough details for the reader to see what it is that Sachs wants them to see and leave a little bit to the imagination. Best of all is the first person descriptions of Sadie and the tour through her mind. You can
not help but love this character, despite the fact that she is gathering a pile of victims rather quickly. You root for her more and more as she falls further into madness all the way through the surprising ending.
Over all, Sadie the
Sadist is a fantastically written mix of horror and humor. Zané Sachs takes a likeable character with whom we can all relate and
sends her right into the depths of sociopathic insanity. If you haven’t read it yet, you need to do
yourself the favor of checking it out.
Maybe even try one of Sadie’s recipes.
So, let’s
take a look at the Rage Circus breakdown:
Story Concept - 4/5
Story Execution - 4/5
Story Flow - 4/5
Character Development (give-a-damn
factor) - 5/5
Gripping visuals/details - 5/5
Entertainment Value/Story Engagement
- 5/5
Editing (including grammar and
spelling) - 5/5
Overall – 4.57/5 – Don’t upset Sadie,
get your copy and read it now!
You can get your copy at Amazon in
print or Kindle version:
You can also get it on B&N Nook -
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/sadie-the-sadist?keyword=sadie+the+sadist&store=ebook
Check out what Zané Sachs is up to on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ZaneSachs
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