What do you think?
Rate this book
On the Savage Side
Six women--mothers, daughters, sisters--gone missing. When the first is found floating dead in the river, it reveals the disturbing truth of a small Ohio town. Inspired by the unsolved murders of the Chillicothe Six, this harrowing and haunting novel tells the story of two sisters, both of whom could be the next victims, from the internationally-bestselling author of Betty.
Arcade and Daffodil are twin sisters born one minute apart. With their fiery red hair and thirst for an escape, they forge an unbreakable bond nurtured by both their grandmother's stories and their imaginations. Together, they create a world where a patch of grass reveals an archaeologist's dig, the smoke emerging from the local paper mill becomes the dust rising from wild horses galloping on the ground, and an abandoned 1950s convertible transforms into a time machine that can take them anywhere.
But the two sisters can't escape the generational chaos that grips their family. Growing up in the shadow of the town, the sisters cling tight to one another. As an adult, Arcade wrestles with these memories of her life, just as a local woman is discovered drowned in the river. Soon, more bodies are found. While her friends disappear around her, Arcade is forced to reckon with the past while the killer circles ever closer. Arcade's promise to keep herself and her sister safe becomes increasingly desperate while the powerful riptide of the savage side becomes more difficult to resist.
Drawing from the true story of women killed in her native Ohio, acclaimed novelist and poet Tiffany McDaniel has written a powerful literary testament and fearless elegy for missing women everywhere.
Arcade and Daffodil are twin sisters born one minute apart. With their fiery red hair and thirst for an escape, they forge an unbreakable bond nurtured by both their grandmother's stories and their imaginations. Together, they create a world where a patch of grass reveals an archaeologist's dig, the smoke emerging from the local paper mill becomes the dust rising from wild horses galloping on the ground, and an abandoned 1950s convertible transforms into a time machine that can take them anywhere.
But the two sisters can't escape the generational chaos that grips their family. Growing up in the shadow of the town, the sisters cling tight to one another. As an adult, Arcade wrestles with these memories of her life, just as a local woman is discovered drowned in the river. Soon, more bodies are found. While her friends disappear around her, Arcade is forced to reckon with the past while the killer circles ever closer. Arcade's promise to keep herself and her sister safe becomes increasingly desperate while the powerful riptide of the savage side becomes more difficult to resist.
Drawing from the true story of women killed in her native Ohio, acclaimed novelist and poet Tiffany McDaniel has written a powerful literary testament and fearless elegy for missing women everywhere.
464 pages, Hardcover
First published February 14, 2023
About the author
Tiffany McDaniel
6 books1,842 followersTIFFANY McDANIEL is the international bestselling author of Betty, The Summer that Melted Everything, and On the Savage Side. She is the winner of over a dozen literary prizes, including the Guardian's Not the Booker, Friends of American Writers Chicago, the Society of Midland Authors, and the FNAC. Her debut Middle Grade fantasy series, A Sky Full of Dragons, is forthcoming, August 27, 2024. Tiffany was awarded the prestigious title of Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters in July 2021.
She lives with cats and a dog surrounded by the trees and wildlife that she loves. When not writing, she may be found in the garden.
Follow Tiffany on Instagram @authortiffanymcdaniel
To learn more visit tiffanymcdaniel.com or thewandkeepers.com
She lives with cats and a dog surrounded by the trees and wildlife that she loves. When not writing, she may be found in the garden.
Follow Tiffany on Instagram @authortiffanymcdaniel
To learn more visit tiffanymcdaniel.com or thewandkeepers.com
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,745 reviews
September 24, 2023
All the stars. Every star is not enough.
I’m circling back to this one as we approach year’s end. This is still my book of 2023.
I find it most challenging to write the first sentence of a review for a book I adored as much as I loved On the Savage Side. Another reviewer on Goodreads said that Tiffany McDaniel may well be the most gifted storyteller alive today. I can’t shake it. That’s how I feel, too.
With two, and now soon-to-be-three, books published, she has a trademark style of storytelling, one that has me hanging on her every lyrical, descriptive, imaginative word. On top of that, her characterization, the vulnerability and heart in her characters, the creativity in their imaginations, reflective of her own endless creativity; I never want to leave their stories behind, and in the case of On the Savage Side, I dreaded having some idea of their ultimate fates due to what happened to the “Chillicothe Six.”
Inspired by six women in Chillicothe, Ohio, who disappeared around the same time and their cases remained unsolved years later, these women lived and loved in McDaniel’s home state, and the part of Ohio she showcases in her books, an area left behind in some ways.
Arcade (“Arc”) Doggs is the narrator. She begins as far back as her memory takes her, as the twin sister to Daffodil (“Daffy”). Her father is in the military for a time and returns home a different man. He uses drugs to cope, and eventually that use spills over to Addie, the twins’ mom. The girls are young when this happens. Their saving grace is beloved Mamaw Milkweed. She provides a respite from the chaos and is their normal. Time with and lessons learned from her are cherished. Life changes for the twins again when Mamaw is no longer part of their lives.
Time and tragedy chip away at Arc and Daffy’s dreams. Their armor slowly falls away, as they aren’t protected from the ugliness and dark underbelly, until eventually they find themselves on the same path as their mom and Aunt Clover. With drugs they lose their hopes but never their friendships and closeness with each other. During this time they become friends with other women in the community who use drugs to dull life’s immense hardships. As with their mom and aunt, they also turn to sex work to keep money in their pockets and to buy more drugs.
The women are hopeful as they try to get clean, but they return to the same environment and stressors, and life has a way of resetting back to what it knows. One by one, the women disappear and are found in the river. Arc narrates until the very end. Even though I knew the direction the book would take, I never lost hope that someone would escape to a better life, one would overcome addiction, no matter how steep the mountain was to climb. McDaniel goes deep into the darkest, most painful places, but she always leaves some hope to hang onto in the goodness of the hearts of her fallible characters.
The way the story gets its name is derived by a lesson taught by Mamaw Milkweed. That gem is literally threaded throughout the book in a subtle way, and while I have to mention it, I will not spoil it for the reader.
On the Savage Side is a marketed as a literary thriller, and I agree with that classification, though thriller fans should be prepared for the finest, deep dive characterization there is, which keeps the story at a deliciously even pace. There’s an unease from the very first page, and there are twists I did not foresee, including the final twist. I don’t think the twists are in the front seat of the story; the characters, their friendships, and life struggles are.
As with all of McDaniel’s books, I hang on every word. I read, re-read, reflect, ponder, and more than anything I feel. The Chillicothe Six deserved a voice. All women who were once little girls with hopes, dreams, aspirations, and open hearts, who were sisters, mothers, and daughters, deserve a voice, to know love and be loved, and to find justice when a life is taken.
I received a gifted copy of this book; however, I also have it on preorder. Preordering books by our favorite authors is one of the best ways we can support them, and with more than twenty books in her arsenal, and only three published, I want to hear from Tiffany McDaniel again and again for a lifetime.
Many of my reviews can also be found on my blog: www.jennifertarheelreader.com and instagram: www.instagram.com/tarheelreader
I’m circling back to this one as we approach year’s end. This is still my book of 2023.
I find it most challenging to write the first sentence of a review for a book I adored as much as I loved On the Savage Side. Another reviewer on Goodreads said that Tiffany McDaniel may well be the most gifted storyteller alive today. I can’t shake it. That’s how I feel, too.
With two, and now soon-to-be-three, books published, she has a trademark style of storytelling, one that has me hanging on her every lyrical, descriptive, imaginative word. On top of that, her characterization, the vulnerability and heart in her characters, the creativity in their imaginations, reflective of her own endless creativity; I never want to leave their stories behind, and in the case of On the Savage Side, I dreaded having some idea of their ultimate fates due to what happened to the “Chillicothe Six.”
Inspired by six women in Chillicothe, Ohio, who disappeared around the same time and their cases remained unsolved years later, these women lived and loved in McDaniel’s home state, and the part of Ohio she showcases in her books, an area left behind in some ways.
Arcade (“Arc”) Doggs is the narrator. She begins as far back as her memory takes her, as the twin sister to Daffodil (“Daffy”). Her father is in the military for a time and returns home a different man. He uses drugs to cope, and eventually that use spills over to Addie, the twins’ mom. The girls are young when this happens. Their saving grace is beloved Mamaw Milkweed. She provides a respite from the chaos and is their normal. Time with and lessons learned from her are cherished. Life changes for the twins again when Mamaw is no longer part of their lives.
Time and tragedy chip away at Arc and Daffy’s dreams. Their armor slowly falls away, as they aren’t protected from the ugliness and dark underbelly, until eventually they find themselves on the same path as their mom and Aunt Clover. With drugs they lose their hopes but never their friendships and closeness with each other. During this time they become friends with other women in the community who use drugs to dull life’s immense hardships. As with their mom and aunt, they also turn to sex work to keep money in their pockets and to buy more drugs.
The women are hopeful as they try to get clean, but they return to the same environment and stressors, and life has a way of resetting back to what it knows. One by one, the women disappear and are found in the river. Arc narrates until the very end. Even though I knew the direction the book would take, I never lost hope that someone would escape to a better life, one would overcome addiction, no matter how steep the mountain was to climb. McDaniel goes deep into the darkest, most painful places, but she always leaves some hope to hang onto in the goodness of the hearts of her fallible characters.
The way the story gets its name is derived by a lesson taught by Mamaw Milkweed. That gem is literally threaded throughout the book in a subtle way, and while I have to mention it, I will not spoil it for the reader.
On the Savage Side is a marketed as a literary thriller, and I agree with that classification, though thriller fans should be prepared for the finest, deep dive characterization there is, which keeps the story at a deliciously even pace. There’s an unease from the very first page, and there are twists I did not foresee, including the final twist. I don’t think the twists are in the front seat of the story; the characters, their friendships, and life struggles are.
As with all of McDaniel’s books, I hang on every word. I read, re-read, reflect, ponder, and more than anything I feel. The Chillicothe Six deserved a voice. All women who were once little girls with hopes, dreams, aspirations, and open hearts, who were sisters, mothers, and daughters, deserve a voice, to know love and be loved, and to find justice when a life is taken.
I received a gifted copy of this book; however, I also have it on preorder. Preordering books by our favorite authors is one of the best ways we can support them, and with more than twenty books in her arsenal, and only three published, I want to hear from Tiffany McDaniel again and again for a lifetime.
Many of my reviews can also be found on my blog: www.jennifertarheelreader.com and instagram: www.instagram.com/tarheelreader
February 2, 2023
“In life, there is a savage side and a beautiful side.”
Set in Chillicothe, Ohio, On the Savage Side by Tiffany McDaniel revolves around twin sisters Arcade ”Arc” and Farren “Daffy” Doggs. Raised by their addict mother Adelyn and their Aunt Clover both of whom are prostitutes, Arc and Daffy spend their time dreaming of a life away from the hell they call home, drawing on the cement floor of their home with markers gifted to them by their maternal grandmother Mamaw Milkweed. The time the sisters spend with her, listening to her stories full of magic, life lessons and words of wisdom is the only bright spot in their miserable childhood.
“Wings were the one gift we kept giving ourselves. Each year we would draw them with more feathers, hoping they would be big enough to be real. No matter how hard we wished, or how large we drew the wings, we never got more than a foot off the ground, the highest we could jump on any given day.”
Their childhood comes to an abrupt end after their grandmother dies in a tragic accident when they were nine years old. Sexually abused and with no one looking out for them, they are left to fend for themselves. Unfortunately, the darkness of their childhood follows them into their adult lives and what follows is a painful cycle of sexual abuse and prostitution, violence and substance abuse, and ultimately tragedy. The friends they make along the way lead into some beautiful heartfelt moments of friendship and support but with each of them struggling to step out of the darkness in their lives, the friends are unable to keep themselves and one another out of harm’s way. As evil lurks in their community, targeting women like themselves, law enforcement turns a blind eye only compounding the tragedy in the lives of these women who have been profiled, judged and victimized their whole lives.
“When a woman disappears, how is she remembered? By her beautiful smile? Her pretty face? The drugs in her system? Or by the johns who all have dope breath and graceless desires?”
On the Savage Side by Tiffany McDaniel is a dark, brutal, atmospheric and heartbreaking read. The narrative flits between the past and the present day when Arc and Daffy are twenty years old. The author develops her characters with meticulous detail and weaves their stories together seamlessly. I put down this book multiple times but was unable to stay away from it for too long. Exceptionally well-written, this is a compelling read that will stay with me for a long time. With consistent pacing and a tightly woven plot, featuring Arc and Daffy and their friends Thursday, Nell, Violet and Indigo the author tells an emotionally hard-hitting story inspired by the unsolved murders of the Chillicothe Six. This is not an easy read but a powerful one.
Many thanks to the author, Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor and NetGalley for the much-appreciated digital review copy. All opinions expressed in this review are my own, The book is due to be released on February 14, 2023.
“We humans have always been in pain. History tells us that in the artifacts civilizations have left behind. Pain is there in the broken vases, the fractured poetry, the overwhelming music we have played for centuries. We belong to grief until the engine goes out. Then we belong to the dirt, our bodies identical to other fallen things.”
⚠ child-neglect, sexual abuse of a minor, sexual violence and substance abuse.
Set in Chillicothe, Ohio, On the Savage Side by Tiffany McDaniel revolves around twin sisters Arcade ”Arc” and Farren “Daffy” Doggs. Raised by their addict mother Adelyn and their Aunt Clover both of whom are prostitutes, Arc and Daffy spend their time dreaming of a life away from the hell they call home, drawing on the cement floor of their home with markers gifted to them by their maternal grandmother Mamaw Milkweed. The time the sisters spend with her, listening to her stories full of magic, life lessons and words of wisdom is the only bright spot in their miserable childhood.
“Wings were the one gift we kept giving ourselves. Each year we would draw them with more feathers, hoping they would be big enough to be real. No matter how hard we wished, or how large we drew the wings, we never got more than a foot off the ground, the highest we could jump on any given day.”
Their childhood comes to an abrupt end after their grandmother dies in a tragic accident when they were nine years old. Sexually abused and with no one looking out for them, they are left to fend for themselves. Unfortunately, the darkness of their childhood follows them into their adult lives and what follows is a painful cycle of sexual abuse and prostitution, violence and substance abuse, and ultimately tragedy. The friends they make along the way lead into some beautiful heartfelt moments of friendship and support but with each of them struggling to step out of the darkness in their lives, the friends are unable to keep themselves and one another out of harm’s way. As evil lurks in their community, targeting women like themselves, law enforcement turns a blind eye only compounding the tragedy in the lives of these women who have been profiled, judged and victimized their whole lives.
“When a woman disappears, how is she remembered? By her beautiful smile? Her pretty face? The drugs in her system? Or by the johns who all have dope breath and graceless desires?”
On the Savage Side by Tiffany McDaniel is a dark, brutal, atmospheric and heartbreaking read. The narrative flits between the past and the present day when Arc and Daffy are twenty years old. The author develops her characters with meticulous detail and weaves their stories together seamlessly. I put down this book multiple times but was unable to stay away from it for too long. Exceptionally well-written, this is a compelling read that will stay with me for a long time. With consistent pacing and a tightly woven plot, featuring Arc and Daffy and their friends Thursday, Nell, Violet and Indigo the author tells an emotionally hard-hitting story inspired by the unsolved murders of the Chillicothe Six. This is not an easy read but a powerful one.
Many thanks to the author, Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor and NetGalley for the much-appreciated digital review copy. All opinions expressed in this review are my own, The book is due to be released on February 14, 2023.
“We humans have always been in pain. History tells us that in the artifacts civilizations have left behind. Pain is there in the broken vases, the fractured poetry, the overwhelming music we have played for centuries. We belong to grief until the engine goes out. Then we belong to the dirt, our bodies identical to other fallen things.”
⚠ child-neglect, sexual abuse of a minor, sexual violence and substance abuse.
June 16, 2024
‘TO BE A WOMAN IS TO BE FROM THE BEGINNING OF TIME," Mamaw Milkweed would say as she stared at herself in the mirror. "It is God's greatest challenge posed to us. If we fail, we'll be promised nothing but an eternity of that failure, lost in the mist at the edge of the county. If we find our way out, thank the women before who left the light on against the dark.’
On the Savage Side by Tiffany McDaniel is a haunting exploration of trauma, resilience, and the dark corners of human existence. Drawing inspiration from real life events, McDaniel has crafted a deeply affecting narrative that dives into the complexities of sisterhood, addiction, and survival in a world that is often brutal and unforgiving.
The novel centers around twin sisters Arcade and Daffodil, who grow up in Chillicothe, Ohio, a town marred by the opioid crisis. Their mother, addicted to drugs, and the absence of a stable father figure, cast long shadows over their childhoods. The girls find solace and escape in their close bond, but as they grow older, the grip of addiction and the harsh realities of their environment begin to pull them apart.
The story is set against the backdrop of a series of murders of women in their community, which adds an undercurrent of dread and urgency to their lives. McDaniel weaves these personal and communal tragedies together, creating a tapestry that is both intimate and expansive.
On the Savage Side is rich with themes of loss, love, and the search for redemption. McDaniel's prose is poetic and evocative, often blending the beautiful with the grotesque. Her portrayal of the girls world is unflinching and raw, yet she infuses it with moments of hope and tenderness.
McDaniel captures the deep, almost telepathic connection between the sisters, as well as the pain of their gradual separation. This relationship serves as the emotional core of the novel and highlights the impact of familial ties in the face of adversity.
The characters are vividly drawn and complex. Arcade, the more introspective of the twins, serves as the primary narrator, and through her eyes, readers experience the full spectrum of human emotion. Daffodil, with her rebellious and fiery spirit, complements Arcade's more contemplative nature. The supporting characters, including their mother and the various inhabitants of Chillicothe, are equally well crafted, each contributing to the rich tapestry of the narrative.
On the Savage Side is a powerful and poignant exploration of the human condition. Its lyrical prose, coupled with a deeply moving narrative, makes it a very compelling read. This novel is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit and a sobering reminder of the cost of societal neglect.
My Highest Recommendation.
‘A daughter is a woman lost at sea. A mother is the one who saves her. But if she's not there, the daughter will always be lost.’
On the Savage Side by Tiffany McDaniel is a haunting exploration of trauma, resilience, and the dark corners of human existence. Drawing inspiration from real life events, McDaniel has crafted a deeply affecting narrative that dives into the complexities of sisterhood, addiction, and survival in a world that is often brutal and unforgiving.
The novel centers around twin sisters Arcade and Daffodil, who grow up in Chillicothe, Ohio, a town marred by the opioid crisis. Their mother, addicted to drugs, and the absence of a stable father figure, cast long shadows over their childhoods. The girls find solace and escape in their close bond, but as they grow older, the grip of addiction and the harsh realities of their environment begin to pull them apart.
The story is set against the backdrop of a series of murders of women in their community, which adds an undercurrent of dread and urgency to their lives. McDaniel weaves these personal and communal tragedies together, creating a tapestry that is both intimate and expansive.
On the Savage Side is rich with themes of loss, love, and the search for redemption. McDaniel's prose is poetic and evocative, often blending the beautiful with the grotesque. Her portrayal of the girls world is unflinching and raw, yet she infuses it with moments of hope and tenderness.
McDaniel captures the deep, almost telepathic connection between the sisters, as well as the pain of their gradual separation. This relationship serves as the emotional core of the novel and highlights the impact of familial ties in the face of adversity.
The characters are vividly drawn and complex. Arcade, the more introspective of the twins, serves as the primary narrator, and through her eyes, readers experience the full spectrum of human emotion. Daffodil, with her rebellious and fiery spirit, complements Arcade's more contemplative nature. The supporting characters, including their mother and the various inhabitants of Chillicothe, are equally well crafted, each contributing to the rich tapestry of the narrative.
On the Savage Side is a powerful and poignant exploration of the human condition. Its lyrical prose, coupled with a deeply moving narrative, makes it a very compelling read. This novel is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit and a sobering reminder of the cost of societal neglect.
My Highest Recommendation.
‘A daughter is a woman lost at sea. A mother is the one who saves her. But if she's not there, the daughter will always be lost.’
January 25, 2023
Probable Cause of Death: Being a Woman
I went into On the Savage Side expecting a murder mystery, as the blurb says it was inspired by the unsolved murders of six women in Chillicothe, Ohio. But it’s really more of an exploration of all the evils promulgated on downtrodden women. McDaniel just uses the lives of two twins, born to an addict who become drug addicts themselves, as the main hurt examples. As the story goes on, the dead women are women they knew or were friends with. The question becomes whether they’ll be next.
The writing is beautiful and I found myself highlighting numerous passages. Tiffany McDaniel is a poet and it comes across in her words. But it’s not an easy book to read. “You wanna know what rehab is?…it’s a place of mirrors. They force you to do nothing but look at your own reflection all day and all night. No f***ing way am I going to the place of mirrors. I know what I am. I know what I ain’t. There’s no point in drinking from the wishing cup. An addict is an addict forever.”
The story is raw and emotionally draining. There are numerous triggers - pedophilia, violent sex, violence against women. I had to keep putting the book down as it was like a repeated sucker punch. This is a book I appreciated but certainly didn’t enjoy.
My thanks to netgalley and Knopf for an advance copy of this book.
I went into On the Savage Side expecting a murder mystery, as the blurb says it was inspired by the unsolved murders of six women in Chillicothe, Ohio. But it’s really more of an exploration of all the evils promulgated on downtrodden women. McDaniel just uses the lives of two twins, born to an addict who become drug addicts themselves, as the main hurt examples. As the story goes on, the dead women are women they knew or were friends with. The question becomes whether they’ll be next.
The writing is beautiful and I found myself highlighting numerous passages. Tiffany McDaniel is a poet and it comes across in her words. But it’s not an easy book to read. “You wanna know what rehab is?…it’s a place of mirrors. They force you to do nothing but look at your own reflection all day and all night. No f***ing way am I going to the place of mirrors. I know what I am. I know what I ain’t. There’s no point in drinking from the wishing cup. An addict is an addict forever.”
The story is raw and emotionally draining. There are numerous triggers - pedophilia, violent sex, violence against women. I had to keep putting the book down as it was like a repeated sucker punch. This is a book I appreciated but certainly didn’t enjoy.
My thanks to netgalley and Knopf for an advance copy of this book.
April 29, 2023
This one was raw.
Twins born to a junkie. A tragic upbringing that had nowhere to go but down.
They say twins are 2 halves of each other. Arc & Daisy. Both sharing the same eye trait- each having one green and one blue. Identities tied together. The early neglect and abuse leading to the euphoria of drugs and the dark side but still they were able to find fragments of love and beauty.
The reality, haunting. Women missing or found dead in the river. Women who the town wanted forgotten. Sisters, mothers, daughters. Addicts.
McDaniel can write. This was intense and will stay with me for a very long time. These Queens who wore their crowns on the savage side of life.💧
*Countless triggers*
***McDaniel dedicated this to the 6 Chillicothe victims***
Twins born to a junkie. A tragic upbringing that had nowhere to go but down.
They say twins are 2 halves of each other. Arc & Daisy. Both sharing the same eye trait- each having one green and one blue. Identities tied together. The early neglect and abuse leading to the euphoria of drugs and the dark side but still they were able to find fragments of love and beauty.
The reality, haunting. Women missing or found dead in the river. Women who the town wanted forgotten. Sisters, mothers, daughters. Addicts.
McDaniel can write. This was intense and will stay with me for a very long time. These Queens who wore their crowns on the savage side of life.💧
*Countless triggers*
***McDaniel dedicated this to the 6 Chillicothe victims***
July 9, 2024
Honestly, this could be one of the most powerful stories that I have ever read. I am shattered.
Dark feminist fiction, gut-wrenching and poignant. A story of girls, women, sisters, mothers and friends. Dear Lord, my heart hurts.
I am really not going to say anything about the plot of this novel. I went into this knowing nothing...
...and I definitely recommend that reading journey. I picked this up just because I had seen quite a few of my book friends who enjoy Dark Fiction giving it 5-stars.
I read snippets of their reviews and knew that this was a story I wanted to check out. I listened to the audiobook and recommend that as a format. The narrator, Catherine Tabor, mesmerized me with their presentation of this story.
I would caution Readers going into this who may be triggered by talk/experiences of addiction. This novel does explore the harsh realities of the opioid epidemic in the United States and the author does not pull punches.
That is merely one impactful topic explored in this though. We also dive deep into the cycle of poverty, experiences of women and girls raised/living in grossly unsafe environments and the rural sex trade, amongst other things.
I'm not exaggerating when I say that I was instantly drawn into this narrative. McDaniel's writing style is smooth and captivating, raw and gritty.
The choices McDaniel made in telling this story, I have no words; chef's kiss. I am in awe. There are a few different perspectives over the course of the story, and you also jump around a bit in time.
Additionally, there are little sections that I found to be so unique, that added such depth to the narrative.
For example, McDaniel gives the perspective of the local river. I always love a sense of place within a story and the way this is done is great. The history and feeling, the desperation. It's so well done.
Also, there are sort of fantastical Medical Examiner's reports after the bodies of missing women are found discarded in the river. The reports give descriptions of them and their lives that in a way, I felt lifted them out of the darkness of their reality and gave them a whimsical identity/features. The one they deserved and may have desired.
What could have been in another time, another place.
Overall, McDaniel has achieved a captivating, heart-wrenching, authentic story of addiction, poverty, struggle and love, within the pages of On the Savage Side. This one will live in my soul for a long time to come.
I'm looking forward to reading more from this author!
Dark feminist fiction, gut-wrenching and poignant. A story of girls, women, sisters, mothers and friends. Dear Lord, my heart hurts.
I am really not going to say anything about the plot of this novel. I went into this knowing nothing...
...and I definitely recommend that reading journey. I picked this up just because I had seen quite a few of my book friends who enjoy Dark Fiction giving it 5-stars.
I read snippets of their reviews and knew that this was a story I wanted to check out. I listened to the audiobook and recommend that as a format. The narrator, Catherine Tabor, mesmerized me with their presentation of this story.
I would caution Readers going into this who may be triggered by talk/experiences of addiction. This novel does explore the harsh realities of the opioid epidemic in the United States and the author does not pull punches.
That is merely one impactful topic explored in this though. We also dive deep into the cycle of poverty, experiences of women and girls raised/living in grossly unsafe environments and the rural sex trade, amongst other things.
I'm not exaggerating when I say that I was instantly drawn into this narrative. McDaniel's writing style is smooth and captivating, raw and gritty.
The choices McDaniel made in telling this story, I have no words; chef's kiss. I am in awe. There are a few different perspectives over the course of the story, and you also jump around a bit in time.
Additionally, there are little sections that I found to be so unique, that added such depth to the narrative.
For example, McDaniel gives the perspective of the local river. I always love a sense of place within a story and the way this is done is great. The history and feeling, the desperation. It's so well done.
Also, there are sort of fantastical Medical Examiner's reports after the bodies of missing women are found discarded in the river. The reports give descriptions of them and their lives that in a way, I felt lifted them out of the darkness of their reality and gave them a whimsical identity/features. The one they deserved and may have desired.
What could have been in another time, another place.
Overall, McDaniel has achieved a captivating, heart-wrenching, authentic story of addiction, poverty, struggle and love, within the pages of On the Savage Side. This one will live in my soul for a long time to come.
I'm looking forward to reading more from this author!
February 25, 2023
The town of Chillicothe sits along the Scioto River in Ohio, roughly 50 miles south of Columbus, the city in which I reside. I’ve visited the town and remember it well, as I remember the deaths and disappearances of the Chillicothe Six – six women who disappeared between the spring of 2014 and the summer of 2015, many of whom were sex workers and drug addicts. Four were eventually found dead; two have never been located.
So to say I felt an immediate connection to Tiffany McDaniel’s brilliant new novel, On the Savage Side, would be the truth. I did – instantly – and this connection is why the book will haunt me to the end of my days.
Inspired by the unsolved murders of the Chillicothe Six, On the Savage Side is the story of Arcade and Daffodil, twin sisters growing up in the town of Chillicothe, caught in a familial cycle of drugs and prostitution. Life is by no means happy for the sisters, but they’re surviving. Until one by one, the dead bodies of their friends are found floating in the Scioto River, and Arc and Daffy are forced to face their past in order to outlast a killer.
The women in McDaniel’s novel are victims of the most unforgivable crimes -- parental neglect, physical abuse, sexual abuse – all while battling addiction and resorting to sex work in order to pay for the drugs their bodies need. It’s heartbreaking to read and horrifying to imagine. And it’s made even more devastating when their deaths are ignored and deemed not important enough to investigate because the women are addicts and prostitutes.
But they’re people, too. They’re loved by others. They’re mothers, daughters, sisters, and friends. And their lives and deaths matter.
McDaniel has written a beautiful and unforgettable novel, one that, as I said earlier in my review, will stick with me. She has given a voice to not only the women of the Chillicothe Six but to women all over the world who find themselves in similar life situations. She puts poetry in their hearts and bares to us their souls.
And to all these women, know that I see you. I hear you. And I will remember you.
My sincerest appreciation to Tiffany McDaniel, Knopf Publishing Group, and NetGalley for the Advance Review Copy. All opinions included herein are my own.
So to say I felt an immediate connection to Tiffany McDaniel’s brilliant new novel, On the Savage Side, would be the truth. I did – instantly – and this connection is why the book will haunt me to the end of my days.
Inspired by the unsolved murders of the Chillicothe Six, On the Savage Side is the story of Arcade and Daffodil, twin sisters growing up in the town of Chillicothe, caught in a familial cycle of drugs and prostitution. Life is by no means happy for the sisters, but they’re surviving. Until one by one, the dead bodies of their friends are found floating in the Scioto River, and Arc and Daffy are forced to face their past in order to outlast a killer.
The women in McDaniel’s novel are victims of the most unforgivable crimes -- parental neglect, physical abuse, sexual abuse – all while battling addiction and resorting to sex work in order to pay for the drugs their bodies need. It’s heartbreaking to read and horrifying to imagine. And it’s made even more devastating when their deaths are ignored and deemed not important enough to investigate because the women are addicts and prostitutes.
But they’re people, too. They’re loved by others. They’re mothers, daughters, sisters, and friends. And their lives and deaths matter.
McDaniel has written a beautiful and unforgettable novel, one that, as I said earlier in my review, will stick with me. She has given a voice to not only the women of the Chillicothe Six but to women all over the world who find themselves in similar life situations. She puts poetry in their hearts and bares to us their souls.
And to all these women, know that I see you. I hear you. And I will remember you.
My sincerest appreciation to Tiffany McDaniel, Knopf Publishing Group, and NetGalley for the Advance Review Copy. All opinions included herein are my own.
February 16, 2023
Tiffany McDaniel can write like nobody's business! I am in awe at the beauty of her writing. I could feel her words as I read them. Talk about a book that evokes emotion. Whew! On the Savage Side is so beautifully written that it needs to be said more than once. There are so many sentences which moved me in this heartbreaking book loosely based on the unsolved murders of the Chillicothe Six. I became a fan of Tiffany McDaniel after reading The Summer that Melted Everything. I was so excited when I saw this book was available. It blew me away and broke my heart all at the same time.
This book focuses on twin sisters, Arcade (Arc) and Daffodil (Duffy) who have a tight bond and whose grandmother, Mamaw Milkweed made their bleak and sad childhood bearable until she is killed in an accident when they are 9 years old. Their father is dead, and their mother and aunt are addicts. They are left to fend for themselves and suffer sexual abuse and neglect.
Sadly, their lives are full of tragedy, and will they continue the cycle of abuse, drug use, prostitution and violence? Can it get worse for them? Sadly, it can.
This was such an exquisitely written heartbreaking book. I could not get enough of it. The book is told through the past and the present. This is not an easy book to read, it has many triggers such as neglect, sexual abuse of children, drug use, death of women, violence against women, to name a few.
If you have not read a book by Tiffany McDaniel, you need to put her on your radar.
Wowza! I look forward to reading more of her books in the future.
Gripping, evoking emotion, heartbreaking and brilliantly told.
#OntheSavageSide #NetGalley #Knopf #TiffanyMcDaniel.
Thank you to Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor, Knopf and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.
Read more of my reviews at www.openbookposts.com
This book focuses on twin sisters, Arcade (Arc) and Daffodil (Duffy) who have a tight bond and whose grandmother, Mamaw Milkweed made their bleak and sad childhood bearable until she is killed in an accident when they are 9 years old. Their father is dead, and their mother and aunt are addicts. They are left to fend for themselves and suffer sexual abuse and neglect.
Sadly, their lives are full of tragedy, and will they continue the cycle of abuse, drug use, prostitution and violence? Can it get worse for them? Sadly, it can.
This was such an exquisitely written heartbreaking book. I could not get enough of it. The book is told through the past and the present. This is not an easy book to read, it has many triggers such as neglect, sexual abuse of children, drug use, death of women, violence against women, to name a few.
If you have not read a book by Tiffany McDaniel, you need to put her on your radar.
Wowza! I look forward to reading more of her books in the future.
Gripping, evoking emotion, heartbreaking and brilliantly told.
#OntheSavageSide #NetGalley #Knopf #TiffanyMcDaniel.
Thank you to Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor, Knopf and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.
Read more of my reviews at www.openbookposts.com
February 6, 2023
oof.
this might have killed me.
this book was incredibly dark, bordering on gruesome, and absolutely eerie in how much it stuck with me. in a word it was stunning.
the writing hit me hard, as did the characters and their stories.
this book is not for the faint of heart, and now i am questioning whether my ol' cardiac system is insert-antonym-for-faint or not!
it wouldn't be an emma review if i didn't throw a complaint or two in, and true to form there were moments in this book that felt weaker than others: .
but overall this was striking and powerful, and i can't wait to read the author's other book.
bottom line: the fact that i barely indulged in my usual focusing on the negative says it all!
------------------
tbr review
i don't have anything to say about this beyond how excited i am to read it.
(and also thanks to the author for the arc)
this might have killed me.
this book was incredibly dark, bordering on gruesome, and absolutely eerie in how much it stuck with me. in a word it was stunning.
the writing hit me hard, as did the characters and their stories.
this book is not for the faint of heart, and now i am questioning whether my ol' cardiac system is insert-antonym-for-faint or not!
it wouldn't be an emma review if i didn't throw a complaint or two in, and true to form there were moments in this book that felt weaker than others: .
but overall this was striking and powerful, and i can't wait to read the author's other book.
bottom line: the fact that i barely indulged in my usual focusing on the negative says it all!
------------------
tbr review
i don't have anything to say about this beyond how excited i am to read it.
(and also thanks to the author for the arc)
March 14, 2023
“What always seems to last are the miseries of the past” ~ Daffodil Poet
‘On the Savage Side’ is a book that is very difficult to read, and also difficult to put down. There’s no way that I could give this book a proper review, it’s one that you need to read for yourself and just absorb every word.
This is a story that is based and inspired on the unsolved murders of the Chillicothe Six in Ohio, between 2014-2015. We are shown the unfavorable treatment and conditions for the women of this town. In reading this, I’ve also come to the unfortunate conclusion that some people are just born with the short end of the stick. No matter how hard you wish or pray for a better life, there’s just no escaping the one you were brought into.
Arcade (Arc), and Farren Doggs (Daffy- also known as Daffodil Poet) are twin sisters who tell us the story through their eyes. They were each born with one blue eye and one green eye, which they called “devils marbles”. They lived through the wisdom and dreams that were given to them by their Mamaw Milkweed. They live with their mother who never leaves her bedroom, and has a series of “John’s” come through the house. Aunt Clover also lives with them, and watches the travel channel all day to dream of places she knows she’ll never get to.
Through Arc and Daffy, we are able to live their story from the time they are young girls to twenty years old. We meet their friends along the way, and how each of them survive from day to day.
I am both saddened and angered by this story. The ending also had a twist and conclusion that was absolutely brutal to take. I also hate spiders more than anything after reading this book 🕷️.
I highly recommend reading this story (but know this not a light, easy read), and I’m glad to say that I found a new author to read in Tiffany McDaniel.
‘On the Savage Side’ is a book that is very difficult to read, and also difficult to put down. There’s no way that I could give this book a proper review, it’s one that you need to read for yourself and just absorb every word.
This is a story that is based and inspired on the unsolved murders of the Chillicothe Six in Ohio, between 2014-2015. We are shown the unfavorable treatment and conditions for the women of this town. In reading this, I’ve also come to the unfortunate conclusion that some people are just born with the short end of the stick. No matter how hard you wish or pray for a better life, there’s just no escaping the one you were brought into.
Arcade (Arc), and Farren Doggs (Daffy- also known as Daffodil Poet) are twin sisters who tell us the story through their eyes. They were each born with one blue eye and one green eye, which they called “devils marbles”. They lived through the wisdom and dreams that were given to them by their Mamaw Milkweed. They live with their mother who never leaves her bedroom, and has a series of “John’s” come through the house. Aunt Clover also lives with them, and watches the travel channel all day to dream of places she knows she’ll never get to.
Through Arc and Daffy, we are able to live their story from the time they are young girls to twenty years old. We meet their friends along the way, and how each of them survive from day to day.
I am both saddened and angered by this story. The ending also had a twist and conclusion that was absolutely brutal to take. I also hate spiders more than anything after reading this book 🕷️.
I highly recommend reading this story (but know this not a light, easy read), and I’m glad to say that I found a new author to read in Tiffany McDaniel.
February 22, 2024
ON THE SAVAGE SIDE is a beautifully written, brutal book about the horrors of addiction, abuse, racism, misplaced authority and lost innocence.
Loosely based on a case of serial murders of young women in Ohio, Ms. McDaniel delves into the background of each fictional woman and believe me, that is one horrific ride. Born into families that harbored junkies, sex workers, extreme poverty and food instability, it's hard to see anyone coming from such an environment and being successful in life. Arcade and Daffy, (Daffodil Poet) are young girls, becoming women, and basking in talent: Daffy's inexorable urge to write and Arcade's irresistible urge to dig. What these ladies could have done in life is hard to wrap my head around, and it's also difficult to face because I know that these ladies actually exist and that what happens to Daffy and Arc most likely happens every single day in America.
I cannot find the words. It's been a week now and I still can't find them. The stunning quality of the prose, the beauty of these young women-their imaginations, their creativity, in spite of all the corruption and rottenness surrounding them, covering them, suffocating them...that beauty was undeniable. It's a terrible world when beauty like that can be snuffed out, whether it be in an instant or over a period of years. It's gut-wrenching.
Tiffany McDaniel is at the top of her game. It seemed like she arrived already at the top and there she remains. After having read BETTY and THE SUMMER THAT MELTED EVERYTHING, I knew I was reading the words of a goddess of literature and pain. I urge you to go ahead and introduce yourself by reading ON THE SAVAGE SIDE, so that you may then worship at the McDaniel altar with me.
My highest recommendation! Read it, read it, read it!
*Thank you to NetGalley, Knopf, and the author herself for the eARC in exchange for my honest feedback. This is it. *
**Trigger warnings behind the spoiler tag:
Loosely based on a case of serial murders of young women in Ohio, Ms. McDaniel delves into the background of each fictional woman and believe me, that is one horrific ride. Born into families that harbored junkies, sex workers, extreme poverty and food instability, it's hard to see anyone coming from such an environment and being successful in life. Arcade and Daffy, (Daffodil Poet) are young girls, becoming women, and basking in talent: Daffy's inexorable urge to write and Arcade's irresistible urge to dig. What these ladies could have done in life is hard to wrap my head around, and it's also difficult to face because I know that these ladies actually exist and that what happens to Daffy and Arc most likely happens every single day in America.
I cannot find the words. It's been a week now and I still can't find them. The stunning quality of the prose, the beauty of these young women-their imaginations, their creativity, in spite of all the corruption and rottenness surrounding them, covering them, suffocating them...that beauty was undeniable. It's a terrible world when beauty like that can be snuffed out, whether it be in an instant or over a period of years. It's gut-wrenching.
Tiffany McDaniel is at the top of her game. It seemed like she arrived already at the top and there she remains. After having read BETTY and THE SUMMER THAT MELTED EVERYTHING, I knew I was reading the words of a goddess of literature and pain. I urge you to go ahead and introduce yourself by reading ON THE SAVAGE SIDE, so that you may then worship at the McDaniel altar with me.
My highest recommendation! Read it, read it, read it!
*Thank you to NetGalley, Knopf, and the author herself for the eARC in exchange for my honest feedback. This is it. *
**Trigger warnings behind the spoiler tag:
December 6, 2023
A Most Brutal And Heartrendering Story!
Arcade (Arc) and Daffodil (Daffy) are beautiful spirited, identical twin sisters born into poverty while also the product of their mother and father being drug addicts. The book follows the girls from the age of six until the ripe old age of twenty-one where the crux of the story centers around a fictional account of the unsolved absolutely, horrific true crime murders known as "The Chillicothe Six". The one constant in their lives was their grandmother (Mamaw) who tried to give them the best in life that she could with morals, faith and knowledge to keep them on the straight and narrow that can always veer off the road at a moments notice when struggling against a family living in addiction and alcoholism. Unfortunately the lives of these precious innocents will take a devastating turn with the sudden death of their father and then of Mamaw when their young lives rapidly keep them fighting for survival without any guidance, support or supervision.
Many years later, the twins are still struggling for survival but always having each other as a security belt they have now become the opposite of any dreams of living a wholesome or good life. They don't dream of a future anymore only tired of being hungry and downtrodden, just sorely needing money for their next fix to keep them from the sickness of withdrawal. They have several friends all fighting the day to day death switch of surviving also but now a cunning and faceless killer is in their midst of Chillicothe and eventually one by one of their friends disappear without a trace until their bodies turn up weeks or months later in the river where all the young women had once found solace. Who cares about prostitutes and drug addicts? The town police don't seem to care until too many bodies begin to surface but these murders don't seem to take any form of priority in this dark underworld.
Could the vicious killer be one of their own on the police force? Could it be the janitor at the local rehab center? How about the crazy, evil tattoo artist in town who is know for his violence to men as well as women? What about the local hourly beaten down and dirty creepy motel service cleaner who knows all the girls and is never without the single red glove he always wears? What about the many men who service all the women in more ways than one? How about a dark and dirty detective known for his perverted taste in little underage girls who would kill to keep his filthy secrets from being known? After Arcade finds two of the bodies on separate occasions she makes it a priority to find the murderer because she knows that Daffy and herself are now on the killer's agenda since he is well aware that Arc may figure all all the keys that fit the lock to bring him down but not before more murders occur and he is creeping closer and closer to the sisters and there isn't anyone Arc can turn to help save their lives so will this be their foretold future that was their unspoken destiny even before their birth? Is there anyone left who can help Arc find a different future instead of just surviving in this jungle world of tears and pain?
Brilliant, absolutely brilliant! This is a book that I won't ever forget. My heart is in such pain after reading this book and the tears were ready to flow so many times while I was reading this captivating yet raw, painful story. Beautifully although savagely told by the author " Tiffany McDaniel" who captured the pure love of twin sisters through the horrendous, ugly downfall into the insidious and seedy life of prostitution and addiction where they become less than human beings in the eyes of most of the public who are mostly repulsed by these poor women instead of feeling sympathy or compassion. I must admit I had to get used to the lyrical and poetic writing in the beginning although it didn't take long for me to get accustomed and found myself totally immersed in this author's quality of writing style. This book was truly a WOW! I have not read a book this moving of my heart and soul since the book ''Odd Man Out" by James Newman which I read a couple of years ago and found completely unforgettable and now this novel has captured my heart and shredded it in so many ways! I should think this book will be on the best seller list for many weeks and I hope that everyone will get the opportunity to read and feel all the subtle and blatantly loud emotions that vividly poured from this author's hand.
Highly, highly recommend!
Forewarning: Abuse, Sexual abuse, Child sexual and physical abuse, Graphic drug use, Violence, Explicit language, Descriptive murder scenes!
Do not let any of these warnings keep you from reading this book as they are a realistic view of living a degrading and demoralizing life as a woman in this devastating
story.
I want to thank the author "Tiffany McDaniel" for writing this HEARTBREAKING novel and the publisher "Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage and Anchor" and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this fantastic book and any thoughts or opinions expressed are unbiased and mine alone!
I have given a rating of 5 BRILLIANTLY UNFORGETTABLE AND SAVAGELY BRUTAL 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 STARS!!
Arcade (Arc) and Daffodil (Daffy) are beautiful spirited, identical twin sisters born into poverty while also the product of their mother and father being drug addicts. The book follows the girls from the age of six until the ripe old age of twenty-one where the crux of the story centers around a fictional account of the unsolved absolutely, horrific true crime murders known as "The Chillicothe Six". The one constant in their lives was their grandmother (Mamaw) who tried to give them the best in life that she could with morals, faith and knowledge to keep them on the straight and narrow that can always veer off the road at a moments notice when struggling against a family living in addiction and alcoholism. Unfortunately the lives of these precious innocents will take a devastating turn with the sudden death of their father and then of Mamaw when their young lives rapidly keep them fighting for survival without any guidance, support or supervision.
Many years later, the twins are still struggling for survival but always having each other as a security belt they have now become the opposite of any dreams of living a wholesome or good life. They don't dream of a future anymore only tired of being hungry and downtrodden, just sorely needing money for their next fix to keep them from the sickness of withdrawal. They have several friends all fighting the day to day death switch of surviving also but now a cunning and faceless killer is in their midst of Chillicothe and eventually one by one of their friends disappear without a trace until their bodies turn up weeks or months later in the river where all the young women had once found solace. Who cares about prostitutes and drug addicts? The town police don't seem to care until too many bodies begin to surface but these murders don't seem to take any form of priority in this dark underworld.
Could the vicious killer be one of their own on the police force? Could it be the janitor at the local rehab center? How about the crazy, evil tattoo artist in town who is know for his violence to men as well as women? What about the local hourly beaten down and dirty creepy motel service cleaner who knows all the girls and is never without the single red glove he always wears? What about the many men who service all the women in more ways than one? How about a dark and dirty detective known for his perverted taste in little underage girls who would kill to keep his filthy secrets from being known? After Arcade finds two of the bodies on separate occasions she makes it a priority to find the murderer because she knows that Daffy and herself are now on the killer's agenda since he is well aware that Arc may figure all all the keys that fit the lock to bring him down but not before more murders occur and he is creeping closer and closer to the sisters and there isn't anyone Arc can turn to help save their lives so will this be their foretold future that was their unspoken destiny even before their birth? Is there anyone left who can help Arc find a different future instead of just surviving in this jungle world of tears and pain?
Brilliant, absolutely brilliant! This is a book that I won't ever forget. My heart is in such pain after reading this book and the tears were ready to flow so many times while I was reading this captivating yet raw, painful story. Beautifully although savagely told by the author " Tiffany McDaniel" who captured the pure love of twin sisters through the horrendous, ugly downfall into the insidious and seedy life of prostitution and addiction where they become less than human beings in the eyes of most of the public who are mostly repulsed by these poor women instead of feeling sympathy or compassion. I must admit I had to get used to the lyrical and poetic writing in the beginning although it didn't take long for me to get accustomed and found myself totally immersed in this author's quality of writing style. This book was truly a WOW! I have not read a book this moving of my heart and soul since the book ''Odd Man Out" by James Newman which I read a couple of years ago and found completely unforgettable and now this novel has captured my heart and shredded it in so many ways! I should think this book will be on the best seller list for many weeks and I hope that everyone will get the opportunity to read and feel all the subtle and blatantly loud emotions that vividly poured from this author's hand.
Highly, highly recommend!
Forewarning: Abuse, Sexual abuse, Child sexual and physical abuse, Graphic drug use, Violence, Explicit language, Descriptive murder scenes!
Do not let any of these warnings keep you from reading this book as they are a realistic view of living a degrading and demoralizing life as a woman in this devastating
story.
I want to thank the author "Tiffany McDaniel" for writing this HEARTBREAKING novel and the publisher "Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage and Anchor" and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this fantastic book and any thoughts or opinions expressed are unbiased and mine alone!
I have given a rating of 5 BRILLIANTLY UNFORGETTABLE AND SAVAGELY BRUTAL 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 STARS!!
March 9, 2023
Six-year old twins Arcade (Arc) and Daffodil (Daffy) Doggs live in squalor in the shadow and stench of the local paper mill in Chillicothe, Ohio.
In a home plagued by heroin addiction, we first meet the girls in 1979 shortly after their father has died of an overdose.
Their beloved grandmother, Mamaw Milkweed, teaches the girls to crochet, explaining that quilts, like life, have a beautiful side and a savage side. She illustrates her point by showing them the underside where the tied-off strings of yarn hang down before they are reworked into the pattern above.
“You make the savage side beautiful with a needle,” Mamaw says, with no awareness of the irony of her statement.
Together, Arc and Daffy create a rich imaginary world where they can escape the harsh realities of their abusive home life and the drug addled minds of Momma, Aunt Clover, and the parade of men that pass through.
It is these early years that will shape who the twins are destined to become as adults.
Told from the perspective of Arc, this gritty portrayal of addiction, abject poverty, and violence follows the sisters in the footsteps of their parents right into young adulthood.
While celebrating Arc’s twentieth birthday, we are introduced to the “Chillicothe Queens,” long may they reign: Sage Nell, Indigo, Thursday, Harlow, and Violet… mothers, daughters, sisters, friends… prostitutes and drug addicts.
On the Savage Side by Tiffany McDaniel is a very, very tough read. Brutal.
McDaniel can write. Lord, can she write. Her world building and character development are second to none. Her prose: lyrical, poetic, haunting, visceral.
As the title suggests, this story is savage… and not for the faint of heart.
Trigger warning? Honey, this entire book is a trigger warning. But should you choose to open its cover, you will be richly rewarded.
This is one you are likely never to forget. I know I won't.
In a home plagued by heroin addiction, we first meet the girls in 1979 shortly after their father has died of an overdose.
Their beloved grandmother, Mamaw Milkweed, teaches the girls to crochet, explaining that quilts, like life, have a beautiful side and a savage side. She illustrates her point by showing them the underside where the tied-off strings of yarn hang down before they are reworked into the pattern above.
“You make the savage side beautiful with a needle,” Mamaw says, with no awareness of the irony of her statement.
Together, Arc and Daffy create a rich imaginary world where they can escape the harsh realities of their abusive home life and the drug addled minds of Momma, Aunt Clover, and the parade of men that pass through.
It is these early years that will shape who the twins are destined to become as adults.
Told from the perspective of Arc, this gritty portrayal of addiction, abject poverty, and violence follows the sisters in the footsteps of their parents right into young adulthood.
While celebrating Arc’s twentieth birthday, we are introduced to the “Chillicothe Queens,” long may they reign: Sage Nell, Indigo, Thursday, Harlow, and Violet… mothers, daughters, sisters, friends… prostitutes and drug addicts.
On the Savage Side by Tiffany McDaniel is a very, very tough read. Brutal.
McDaniel can write. Lord, can she write. Her world building and character development are second to none. Her prose: lyrical, poetic, haunting, visceral.
As the title suggests, this story is savage… and not for the faint of heart.
Trigger warning? Honey, this entire book is a trigger warning. But should you choose to open its cover, you will be richly rewarded.
This is one you are likely never to forget. I know I won't.
January 13, 2023
On the Savage Side by Tiffany McDaniel
Release Date: February 2023
Knopf Publishing Group-Thank you for the NetGalley review copy and to Tiffany McDaniel for reaching out
General genre: Literary, Domestic Drama, Crime
Subgenre/Themes: Small town, generational addiction, drugs (heroin), twins, sexual abuse, sex workers, rehab, missing women and girls, corruption, victims, trauma
Writing Style: Immersive, past & present POV, literary
What you need to know: Twin sisters are being raised by their mother and aunt in poverty and violence. A coming-of-age tale, the reader comes to intimately share in Arcade (Arc) and Daff's struggle to survive their circumstances, the nurturing people in their lives come and go in a constant ebb and flow of instability. In their teen years, they make friends they can relate to; one by one, something happens to these young women. This novel was inspired by the true crime story of six women who went missing or were found dead in Chillicothe, Ohio.
My reading experience: This book will haunt me for the rest of my life. I truly believe that Tiffany McDaniel set out to write the most beautiful, memorable characters so that they will live in our reader's hearts forever- memorializing the tragic, real-life women who were murdered; their cases never solved. I will always remember the way this book made me feel. The lyrical prose describes the magical, vibrant, nature of young girls and women with their whole lives ahead of them. The way they are full of life and memories, dreams and aspirations, imaginations and wonder set against the backdrop of harsh reality.
A nightmare.
Drugs, sex work, violence, poverty, literally the most vulnerable prey in a playground for predators. Even the authorities don't care where they are, who they are with, or what will happen to them.
I felt sick to my stomach knowing what was coming and Tiffany McDaniel does not hold back or spare your sensitivities. This book ran my emotions through a full spectrum, chief among those feelings was anger. The same anger when I listen to true crime podcasts where law enforcement treats missing sex workers as throwaway people or teen girls as runaways. They blame the parents, the neighborhood, the drugs...anyone but the people actually out there victimizing, abusing, and murdering.
A truly harrowing story. I've never read anything like it and I will never forget it.
My final recommendation: This is for fans of Tiffany McDaniel's prior release, Betty. Coming-of-age stories where children must overcome impossible odds due to their life circumstances. If you want to bear witness to women who are abandoned, go missing, are victims of abuse, and there's just no justice, nobody to care or lift a finger to advocate for them. A powerful, harrowing read that stirs up strong emotions in your core.
Comps: Bastard Out of Carolina, Betty
Release Date: February 2023
Knopf Publishing Group-Thank you for the NetGalley review copy and to Tiffany McDaniel for reaching out
General genre: Literary, Domestic Drama, Crime
Subgenre/Themes: Small town, generational addiction, drugs (heroin), twins, sexual abuse, sex workers, rehab, missing women and girls, corruption, victims, trauma
Writing Style: Immersive, past & present POV, literary
What you need to know: Twin sisters are being raised by their mother and aunt in poverty and violence. A coming-of-age tale, the reader comes to intimately share in Arcade (Arc) and Daff's struggle to survive their circumstances, the nurturing people in their lives come and go in a constant ebb and flow of instability. In their teen years, they make friends they can relate to; one by one, something happens to these young women. This novel was inspired by the true crime story of six women who went missing or were found dead in Chillicothe, Ohio.
My reading experience: This book will haunt me for the rest of my life. I truly believe that Tiffany McDaniel set out to write the most beautiful, memorable characters so that they will live in our reader's hearts forever- memorializing the tragic, real-life women who were murdered; their cases never solved. I will always remember the way this book made me feel. The lyrical prose describes the magical, vibrant, nature of young girls and women with their whole lives ahead of them. The way they are full of life and memories, dreams and aspirations, imaginations and wonder set against the backdrop of harsh reality.
A nightmare.
Drugs, sex work, violence, poverty, literally the most vulnerable prey in a playground for predators. Even the authorities don't care where they are, who they are with, or what will happen to them.
I felt sick to my stomach knowing what was coming and Tiffany McDaniel does not hold back or spare your sensitivities. This book ran my emotions through a full spectrum, chief among those feelings was anger. The same anger when I listen to true crime podcasts where law enforcement treats missing sex workers as throwaway people or teen girls as runaways. They blame the parents, the neighborhood, the drugs...anyone but the people actually out there victimizing, abusing, and murdering.
A truly harrowing story. I've never read anything like it and I will never forget it.
My final recommendation: This is for fans of Tiffany McDaniel's prior release, Betty. Coming-of-age stories where children must overcome impossible odds due to their life circumstances. If you want to bear witness to women who are abandoned, go missing, are victims of abuse, and there's just no justice, nobody to care or lift a finger to advocate for them. A powerful, harrowing read that stirs up strong emotions in your core.
Comps: Bastard Out of Carolina, Betty
Read
June 30, 2024*Something I noticed:
trigger warnings should be in order for this one, the blurb doesn't do a good job of hinting at it. There are depictions of harsh reality here, unfiltered.
A brilliant novel full of pain, the kind that digs deep furrows underneath the skin... poignant; and suffering, lots and lots of it. It's a remembrance of the indescribable nature of love and the love of nature. And loss, and also hope. The stories we tell ourselves to flatten reality into something less jagged, to smother our intellects with softness.
A very harrowing and thoughtful read indeed, highly recommended.
She looked out on the water and asked, “Where would we be if no one had ever said the word God? Had never said the word heaven? Hell? All those things which deepen the shade of the ripe fruit. Where would we be without a creation story? Without the say of sin? Where would we be if we could just live without the fear that the life we’ve had has not been good enough to spend eternity with the harps? No sense of shame or guilt or of doing the wrong thing. Who was the first idiot to say, ‘We are more than evolution. We are morals and ethics and creation. We are the feel, the made, the what that has come from the hip bones of a God above.’ Truth is, we’re all just pieces of shit the universe has born out of its ass. Now, that’s a philosophy I stand by.
2023 Read
trigger warnings should be in order for this one, the blurb doesn't do a good job of hinting at it. There are depictions of harsh reality here, unfiltered.
A brilliant novel full of pain, the kind that digs deep furrows underneath the skin... poignant; and suffering, lots and lots of it. It's a remembrance of the indescribable nature of love and the love of nature. And loss, and also hope. The stories we tell ourselves to flatten reality into something less jagged, to smother our intellects with softness.
There are exceptional demons that wait for us all. An infinite pulse that insists we float down the river that has been made for our drowning. In shallow water, rocks mutilate our truths. In the deeper depths, it is our own dying that forms an opinion of us. I wish I could vanish from my death. I wish I could run free with the horses and never again be the daughter of dropped miracles. I wish I could emerge pretty in a dream that fades away every part of myself I have ever hated. My mother hates me. My father hates me. My sister hates me. But the needle loves me.Equal parts pensive lament on life's circumstances, what to do with the lemons and the helplessness inherent in destiny and fate.
A very harrowing and thoughtful read indeed, highly recommended.
She looked out on the water and asked, “Where would we be if no one had ever said the word God? Had never said the word heaven? Hell? All those things which deepen the shade of the ripe fruit. Where would we be without a creation story? Without the say of sin? Where would we be if we could just live without the fear that the life we’ve had has not been good enough to spend eternity with the harps? No sense of shame or guilt or of doing the wrong thing. Who was the first idiot to say, ‘We are more than evolution. We are morals and ethics and creation. We are the feel, the made, the what that has come from the hip bones of a God above.’ Truth is, we’re all just pieces of shit the universe has born out of its ass. Now, that’s a philosophy I stand by.
2023 Read
May 24, 2024
Tiffany McDaniel became a new favorite author for me when I read her incredible book, Betty, so I really looked forward to this new book, On the Savage Side.
This is a passage:
There was beauty, on the wild side. And there was beauty in the women who lived in it.
‘Being a witch doesn't mean wearing a pointed hat, riding a broom or having a wart on your nose. A woman with a power. That's why they set her on fire. They tried to ashes her power, because a woman who says more than she should say, and does more than she should do, is a woman you have to try to silence, and destroy. But there are things that not even fire can destroy. And one of these things is the strength of a woman.
I love that Grandma Mamah Milkwood 💕 is the stability and strength in the lives of her identical twin granddaughter’s Arcade (Arc) and Daffodil (Daffy). She is always telling them stories and trying to teach them to get through life since she knows they are going to need it. She loves them dearly and wants each sister to have a future.
She loves to crochet and speaks of the beautiful side and the back side with the unfinished strands of thread are on. She calls this the Savage Side. She reminds the girls that they live on the Savage Side and she is telling them so they can survive. If you tuck the loose ends into the fabric it then becomes beautiful. This was a powerful message and one the girls often think back to.
She understands each sister is going to need as much help as possible. Both their parents were addicted to heroin and their Dad dies when they are just six. Then they live with their Mom and Aunt Clover who both become prostitutes to sustain their addiction.
By their 10th birthday, a “Spider” is crawling into Arc’s room and she can’t make him go away. Soon she finds that her sister is also getting visits from him. This Spider happens to be a policeman and knows he has the power to abuse them. It starts a downward spiral in their lives. Yet, they are still young enough to be dreaming of life and on each birthday they draw a pair of wings so they can fly away.
As the girls start growing up, they make friends with other girls who also have their own nightmares about spiders, wolves, and rabid dogs to contend with. It becomes harder to not get pulled into escaping the pain for a while and so the girls, too become addicts. Yet, all along we witness these young women support each other and try to clean up so they can have a chance at a beautiful life.
Then bodies start washing up on the river. The most horrific part is you need to be “the right kind of victim” for murders to count. Otherwise, it is easy to forget you ever were here at all. This is the message and it is a very disturbing one. I cried for these girls to have a better chance and to be ok. It is horrible that anyone would be so evil as to think you could take someone’s life just because you felt like it and you know nothing is likely to ever happen to you. Just make sure you focus your gaze on girls from the Savage Side.
The writing is so disturbing, but also mesmerizing. This is a Dark Book, yet I was compelled to keep reading it. Tiffany McDaniel has a talent about bringing flawed characters who have lived through so much and making you really care about their fate. It certainly did for me.
This is a character study of women meant not to count in life. It is heartbreaking 💔. This is not a book for everyone. It is not a Mystery.
As much as I loved this book, I gave it 4 Stars because sometimes Tiffany McDaniel’s big, flowery, and poetic writing was just to much of a juxtaposition with the non-stop horror described. I know that was the point, but to have each passage filled with more and more agony, violence, and pain was hard to take in. So, I recommend this book, but do realize this is a sad and harsh look at life. You need to be up for reading that.
This book is somewhat based on the true deaths or disappearances of the Chillicothe Six who were young women found in the river or assumed to have died there. It is a reminder that young women have dreams and their lives always manner. They are daughters, sisters, mothers, and friends. We must never forget this. We need to try harder to stop this from ever occurring.
Thank you NetGalley, Tiffany McDaniel, and Knopf Publishing for granting me a copy of this book. I always leave reviews of books that I read and am happy to do so.
This is a passage:
There was beauty, on the wild side. And there was beauty in the women who lived in it.
‘Being a witch doesn't mean wearing a pointed hat, riding a broom or having a wart on your nose. A woman with a power. That's why they set her on fire. They tried to ashes her power, because a woman who says more than she should say, and does more than she should do, is a woman you have to try to silence, and destroy. But there are things that not even fire can destroy. And one of these things is the strength of a woman.
I love that Grandma Mamah Milkwood 💕 is the stability and strength in the lives of her identical twin granddaughter’s Arcade (Arc) and Daffodil (Daffy). She is always telling them stories and trying to teach them to get through life since she knows they are going to need it. She loves them dearly and wants each sister to have a future.
She loves to crochet and speaks of the beautiful side and the back side with the unfinished strands of thread are on. She calls this the Savage Side. She reminds the girls that they live on the Savage Side and she is telling them so they can survive. If you tuck the loose ends into the fabric it then becomes beautiful. This was a powerful message and one the girls often think back to.
She understands each sister is going to need as much help as possible. Both their parents were addicted to heroin and their Dad dies when they are just six. Then they live with their Mom and Aunt Clover who both become prostitutes to sustain their addiction.
By their 10th birthday, a “Spider” is crawling into Arc’s room and she can’t make him go away. Soon she finds that her sister is also getting visits from him. This Spider happens to be a policeman and knows he has the power to abuse them. It starts a downward spiral in their lives. Yet, they are still young enough to be dreaming of life and on each birthday they draw a pair of wings so they can fly away.
As the girls start growing up, they make friends with other girls who also have their own nightmares about spiders, wolves, and rabid dogs to contend with. It becomes harder to not get pulled into escaping the pain for a while and so the girls, too become addicts. Yet, all along we witness these young women support each other and try to clean up so they can have a chance at a beautiful life.
Then bodies start washing up on the river. The most horrific part is you need to be “the right kind of victim” for murders to count. Otherwise, it is easy to forget you ever were here at all. This is the message and it is a very disturbing one. I cried for these girls to have a better chance and to be ok. It is horrible that anyone would be so evil as to think you could take someone’s life just because you felt like it and you know nothing is likely to ever happen to you. Just make sure you focus your gaze on girls from the Savage Side.
The writing is so disturbing, but also mesmerizing. This is a Dark Book, yet I was compelled to keep reading it. Tiffany McDaniel has a talent about bringing flawed characters who have lived through so much and making you really care about their fate. It certainly did for me.
This is a character study of women meant not to count in life. It is heartbreaking 💔. This is not a book for everyone. It is not a Mystery.
As much as I loved this book, I gave it 4 Stars because sometimes Tiffany McDaniel’s big, flowery, and poetic writing was just to much of a juxtaposition with the non-stop horror described. I know that was the point, but to have each passage filled with more and more agony, violence, and pain was hard to take in. So, I recommend this book, but do realize this is a sad and harsh look at life. You need to be up for reading that.
This book is somewhat based on the true deaths or disappearances of the Chillicothe Six who were young women found in the river or assumed to have died there. It is a reminder that young women have dreams and their lives always manner. They are daughters, sisters, mothers, and friends. We must never forget this. We need to try harder to stop this from ever occurring.
Thank you NetGalley, Tiffany McDaniel, and Knopf Publishing for granting me a copy of this book. I always leave reviews of books that I read and am happy to do so.
February 13, 2023
Not exactly your usual Valentine's Day fare! I'm not even going to try and synopsize the book other than to say it's the story of twins Arcade (Arc) and Daffodil (Daffy) and the bleak life they experience.
I find this a very difficult book to review. I was distinctly uncomfortable reading parts of it. There's so much brutality, sexual abuse, drug use, prostitution, and the list goes on. I'm not normally bothered by fictional atrocities but this book really disturbed me. I'm not sure if that's a good or bad reflection on the author but be very cautious before picking this one up. It's dark with barely a glimmer of hope.
The story is told from Arc's point of view partly in the past starting when the twins are about 6 and partly in the present when Arc and Daffy are 20-21 years old. Really well-written; in fact some of it seemed like it belonged in another book. I realize addicts and sex workers are people too but some of these ladies are so philosophical and knowledgeable that I felt like they should be lecturing at university. Much of the language in the book is extremely flowery and poetic and there's a ton of imagery and symbolism, so much so that I found myself skimming huge chunks. I was misled by the book blurb and expected more of a mystery but not only do the events take place in a totally different time period from the Chillicothe Six but also the murders are not the focus of the book.
There are lots of 4 and 5 star reviews so I have to assume that this book wasn't for me.
Thank you to Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage and Anchor via Netgalley for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this novel. All opinions expressed are my own.
Publication Date: February 14, 2023
I find this a very difficult book to review. I was distinctly uncomfortable reading parts of it. There's so much brutality, sexual abuse, drug use, prostitution, and the list goes on. I'm not normally bothered by fictional atrocities but this book really disturbed me. I'm not sure if that's a good or bad reflection on the author but be very cautious before picking this one up. It's dark with barely a glimmer of hope.
The story is told from Arc's point of view partly in the past starting when the twins are about 6 and partly in the present when Arc and Daffy are 20-21 years old. Really well-written; in fact some of it seemed like it belonged in another book. I realize addicts and sex workers are people too but some of these ladies are so philosophical and knowledgeable that I felt like they should be lecturing at university. Much of the language in the book is extremely flowery and poetic and there's a ton of imagery and symbolism, so much so that I found myself skimming huge chunks. I was misled by the book blurb and expected more of a mystery but not only do the events take place in a totally different time period from the Chillicothe Six but also the murders are not the focus of the book.
There are lots of 4 and 5 star reviews so I have to assume that this book wasn't for me.
Thank you to Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage and Anchor via Netgalley for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this novel. All opinions expressed are my own.
Publication Date: February 14, 2023
August 11, 2023
I'm an outlier for this one. I did not enjoy On the Savage Side.
I was hoping for a different type of book. This was a dark novel without hope.
On the Savage Side was inspired by the murders of the Chillicothe Six. I was hoping to see more justice for these women in the novel since in real life the actual women who were murdered have not had it since two of the missing women are still missing, presumed dead but no body has been recovered.
What rang true was the lack of worry the police felt about trying to find who was killing the prostitutes and drug addicts.
The main character is Arc Doggs. She has a twin named Daffy. They live with their mother and aunt. Both prostitutes and heroin drug addicts. The twins experience child and sexual abuse. They grow up poor and without anyone helping them after their grandmother is killed. So as teenagers, they succumb to drugs and to be able to afford their addiction they become prostitutes themselves.
As I said earlier this book was not for me. The prose was slow and the novel was full of imagery, symbolism, and constant metaphors. Too much for my taste.
Cliffhanger: No
2/5 Fangs
A complimentary copy was provided by Knopf via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
MrsLeif's Two Fangs About It | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
I was hoping for a different type of book. This was a dark novel without hope.
On the Savage Side was inspired by the murders of the Chillicothe Six. I was hoping to see more justice for these women in the novel since in real life the actual women who were murdered have not had it since two of the missing women are still missing, presumed dead but no body has been recovered.
What rang true was the lack of worry the police felt about trying to find who was killing the prostitutes and drug addicts.
The main character is Arc Doggs. She has a twin named Daffy. They live with their mother and aunt. Both prostitutes and heroin drug addicts. The twins experience child and sexual abuse. They grow up poor and without anyone helping them after their grandmother is killed. So as teenagers, they succumb to drugs and to be able to afford their addiction they become prostitutes themselves.
As I said earlier this book was not for me. The prose was slow and the novel was full of imagery, symbolism, and constant metaphors. Too much for my taste.
Cliffhanger: No
2/5 Fangs
A complimentary copy was provided by Knopf via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
MrsLeif's Two Fangs About It | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
February 28, 2023
Raw and poignant, On the Savage Side is the type of book that grabs you in a chokehold and refuses to let go, even after you’ve turned the final page. I fell in love with Tiffany McDaniel’s writing back when I first read The Summer that Melted Everything, and she continues to amaze me with each release she publishes. If you’re looking for a book that will consume you in every way possible, and you can tolerate the heaviness of what it means to be a woman, please give this one a go.
*Many thanks to the publisher for providing my review copy.
*Many thanks to the publisher for providing my review copy.
March 29, 2024
Très touchée par ma première lecture de Tiffany McDaniel. En lisant la quatrième de couverture j’avais peur de lire un énième récit sur la figure éculée de la sorcière blanche, mais ce n’est pas du tout ce que je retiens de ces 700 pages dévorées en une semaine.
L’autrice s’inspire de la disparition de six femmes dans une petite ville de l’Ohio, entre 2014 et 2015. Elle déplace l’action dans les années 70 et 90 pour nous offrir un récit centré sur ce qui n’a pas changé : le peu de valeur accordée aux vies des femmes des classes populaires, des travailleuses du sexe et des consommatrices ou dépendantes d’héroïne et d’alcool.
Ces six femmes ont disparu les unes après les autres sans être recherchées plus que ça, leur meurtrier n’a jamais été condamné. Le livre de Tiffany McDaniel raconte cet effacement, le risque pour certaines femmes d’être assassinées sans un bruit, sans un remous, comme un caillou disparaît au fond de la rivière.
L’autrice a choisi de traiter cette histoire en laissant sa place à la rage et au chagrin, mais en adoptant un ton lyrique et presque mythologique que j’ai trouvé très convaincant.
Ce qu’on pourrait reprocher au livre : sa longueur
J’ai eu le sentiment que c’était parfois trop long, mais peut-être qu’il fallait que ça le soit. Les longues péripéties de la narratrice et ses aller-retours dans le temps nous font ressentir l’interminable flux et reflux des jours. Les difficultés qu’elle traverse et qui reviennent sans cesse : agressions, pauvreté, VSS, toxicophobie, violence policière… Elle peine à maintenir la tête hors de l’eau et la longueur du livre c’est le lent écoulement de la rivière qui la noie
Ce qu’on pourrait reprocher au livre : du trauma p*rn ?
Il est vrai que le récit contient des scènes de violences diverses très graphiques. Mais je retiens le travail du sujet des VSS sur enfant : c’est la première fois que j’ai trouvé cette question si bien traitée dans un livre. Les quelques scènes du trauma sont glaçantes mais restent pudiques, et l’autrice met surtout l’emphase sur l’impact post-traumatique.
La narratrice enfant compare son agresseur à une araignée, et plus tard dans le livre, chaque apparition de l’agresseur et chaque réminiscence du trauma sera ponctuée par des araignées imprimées sur la page.
J’ai trouvé ce parti pris de mise en page et d’écriture TELLEMENT intéressant. Pour ce que ça dit du stress post-traumatique. Pour l’emphase créée avec la lectrice qui sait, en tournant la page, qu’une réminiscence va revenir. Pour plein plein de raisons.
Bref voilà une chronique à chaud et un peu brouillonne. Il y a BEAUCOUP de choses imparfaites dans ce livre mais j’ai aimé l’ambition du sujet et de son traitement. Ça faisait longtemps que je n’avais pas tourné des pages si vite.
L’autrice s’inspire de la disparition de six femmes dans une petite ville de l’Ohio, entre 2014 et 2015. Elle déplace l’action dans les années 70 et 90 pour nous offrir un récit centré sur ce qui n’a pas changé : le peu de valeur accordée aux vies des femmes des classes populaires, des travailleuses du sexe et des consommatrices ou dépendantes d’héroïne et d’alcool.
Ces six femmes ont disparu les unes après les autres sans être recherchées plus que ça, leur meurtrier n’a jamais été condamné. Le livre de Tiffany McDaniel raconte cet effacement, le risque pour certaines femmes d’être assassinées sans un bruit, sans un remous, comme un caillou disparaît au fond de la rivière.
L’autrice a choisi de traiter cette histoire en laissant sa place à la rage et au chagrin, mais en adoptant un ton lyrique et presque mythologique que j’ai trouvé très convaincant.
Ce qu’on pourrait reprocher au livre : sa longueur
J’ai eu le sentiment que c’était parfois trop long, mais peut-être qu’il fallait que ça le soit. Les longues péripéties de la narratrice et ses aller-retours dans le temps nous font ressentir l’interminable flux et reflux des jours. Les difficultés qu’elle traverse et qui reviennent sans cesse : agressions, pauvreté, VSS, toxicophobie, violence policière… Elle peine à maintenir la tête hors de l’eau et la longueur du livre c’est le lent écoulement de la rivière qui la noie
Ce qu’on pourrait reprocher au livre : du trauma p*rn ?
Il est vrai que le récit contient des scènes de violences diverses très graphiques. Mais je retiens le travail du sujet des VSS sur enfant : c’est la première fois que j’ai trouvé cette question si bien traitée dans un livre. Les quelques scènes du trauma sont glaçantes mais restent pudiques, et l’autrice met surtout l’emphase sur l’impact post-traumatique.
La narratrice enfant compare son agresseur à une araignée, et plus tard dans le livre, chaque apparition de l’agresseur et chaque réminiscence du trauma sera ponctuée par des araignées imprimées sur la page.
J’ai trouvé ce parti pris de mise en page et d’écriture TELLEMENT intéressant. Pour ce que ça dit du stress post-traumatique. Pour l’emphase créée avec la lectrice qui sait, en tournant la page, qu’une réminiscence va revenir. Pour plein plein de raisons.
Bref voilà une chronique à chaud et un peu brouillonne. Il y a BEAUCOUP de choses imparfaites dans ce livre mais j’ai aimé l’ambition du sujet et de son traitement. Ça faisait longtemps que je n’avais pas tourné des pages si vite.
January 17, 2023
#SHEREADSWITHCATS Review!
Thank you to Knopf for the free copy and for the author for reaching out.
ON THE SAVAGE SIDE by Tiffany McDaniel is an easy five stars. I am already familiar with her work, as BETTY is one of my favorite books and I absolutely loved THE SUMMER THAT MELTED EVERYTHING. McDaniel blows me away with her ability to craft an exquisite, intricate, and compelling story. Both BETTY and ON THE SAVAGE SIDE are based on real events, which just amps up the intensity and the reader surely and ultimately becomes invested.
While BETTY was based on McDaniel’s own mother’s life, ON THE SAVAGE SIDE is based on the unsolved murders of six women in Chillicothe, Ohio known as the Chillicothe Six. A serial killer is the likely offender, but police investigation was less than thin. The victims were forgotten due to poverty, prostitution, and drug abuse. These six women were not given the attention they deserved and it’s utterly heartbreaking.
The true crime aspect takes a bit of a backseat to the lives of twin sisters, Arcade “Arc” and Daffodil “Daffy” who have the whole world in front of them with dreams, desires, and ambitions, but all against impossible odds. The lives they are forced to lead are inevitable and it’s truly horrific what goes on. We follow them through every terrible moment - but their bond, love, and imagination are bright spots in an otherwise sea of darkness. McDaniel pens with elegant and lyrical prose mixed with trauma and beauty. She gives all of these women the voice they deserve. There are not enough words to describe how this literary masterpiece has affected me, but hopefully you understand.
Warning: McDaniel does not mess around when it comes to the heart - she hits you right where it hurts and then keeps going. Proceed with caution if you are sensitive to issues of sexual abuse, drug addiction, violence, or poverty.
Thank you to Knopf for the free copy and for the author for reaching out.
ON THE SAVAGE SIDE by Tiffany McDaniel is an easy five stars. I am already familiar with her work, as BETTY is one of my favorite books and I absolutely loved THE SUMMER THAT MELTED EVERYTHING. McDaniel blows me away with her ability to craft an exquisite, intricate, and compelling story. Both BETTY and ON THE SAVAGE SIDE are based on real events, which just amps up the intensity and the reader surely and ultimately becomes invested.
While BETTY was based on McDaniel’s own mother’s life, ON THE SAVAGE SIDE is based on the unsolved murders of six women in Chillicothe, Ohio known as the Chillicothe Six. A serial killer is the likely offender, but police investigation was less than thin. The victims were forgotten due to poverty, prostitution, and drug abuse. These six women were not given the attention they deserved and it’s utterly heartbreaking.
The true crime aspect takes a bit of a backseat to the lives of twin sisters, Arcade “Arc” and Daffodil “Daffy” who have the whole world in front of them with dreams, desires, and ambitions, but all against impossible odds. The lives they are forced to lead are inevitable and it’s truly horrific what goes on. We follow them through every terrible moment - but their bond, love, and imagination are bright spots in an otherwise sea of darkness. McDaniel pens with elegant and lyrical prose mixed with trauma and beauty. She gives all of these women the voice they deserve. There are not enough words to describe how this literary masterpiece has affected me, but hopefully you understand.
Warning: McDaniel does not mess around when it comes to the heart - she hits you right where it hurts and then keeps going. Proceed with caution if you are sensitive to issues of sexual abuse, drug addiction, violence, or poverty.
July 15, 2024
Te quiero, Tiffany.
(Cuando procese, reseña)
(Cuando procese, reseña)
February 14, 2023
4.5 stars
On the Savage Side was inspired by the unsolved murders of the Chillicothe Six. It's a tough and heartbreaking read. With this story it feels like the forgotten, women who don't seem to fit into society's "perfect" victim mold, now have a voice. It's our duty as readers to listen.
Twin sisters Arcade "Arc" and Daffodil "Daffy" Doggs live in Chillicothe, Ohio with their drug addict mother and aunt. Keeping it brief, many issues that often go hand in hand with drug addiction are explored in this novel. I can't stress enough it's a dark read and by all means check out other reviews that contain trigger warnings if you need help in deciding if this is a book for you.
There's a mystery element to the story but this isn't the type of book you pick up when you are in the mood to read something from that genre. It's thought-provoking and I'd classify it more as literary fiction than a mystery.
This book put me through the emotional wringer but it's one I'm thankful I read. I just can't get it out of my mind which is a testament to the writing.
Thank you to Knopf Publishing Group for sending me an advance copy! All thoughts expressed are my honest opinion.
On the Savage Side was inspired by the unsolved murders of the Chillicothe Six. It's a tough and heartbreaking read. With this story it feels like the forgotten, women who don't seem to fit into society's "perfect" victim mold, now have a voice. It's our duty as readers to listen.
Twin sisters Arcade "Arc" and Daffodil "Daffy" Doggs live in Chillicothe, Ohio with their drug addict mother and aunt. Keeping it brief, many issues that often go hand in hand with drug addiction are explored in this novel. I can't stress enough it's a dark read and by all means check out other reviews that contain trigger warnings if you need help in deciding if this is a book for you.
There's a mystery element to the story but this isn't the type of book you pick up when you are in the mood to read something from that genre. It's thought-provoking and I'd classify it more as literary fiction than a mystery.
This book put me through the emotional wringer but it's one I'm thankful I read. I just can't get it out of my mind which is a testament to the writing.
Thank you to Knopf Publishing Group for sending me an advance copy! All thoughts expressed are my honest opinion.
June 21, 2024
Quelle claque. Quelle claque.
Ça aura été 708 pages de douleur, de torture, de violence et de cruauté atroce. Mais ça aura aussi été 708 pages de poésie, d’amour, de dépendance. Jamais un livre ne m’a autant atteint que celui-ci.
On y suit l’histoire d’Arc et de sa sœur jumelle, Daffy. Les deux vivent sans père, récemment décédé, mais avec leur mère et leur tante qui vendent leur corps pour financer leurs doses d’héroïnes.
Durant ces 708 pages, on suivra leur enfance brutale, leur passage à l’âge adulte, et cette vie qui sera aussi brutale que leur enfance.
Le livre comporte de nombreuses scènes atroces, que j’ai lu avec d’énormes difficultés. C’est un livre où l’espoir ne brille pas par sa présence et où l’autrice nous montre que non; parfois, vouloir ne suffit pas. Tout le monde ne peut pas s’en sortir. Parce que la vie est injuste, violente, cruelle, que les femmes seront toujours la proie des hommes, et que le combat sera éternel.
Une fois le livre refermé pourtant, après tous ces traumas, on gardera en tête la poésie de l’autrice, et cette histoire qui ne nous abandonnera jamais complètement. Je transporterai dorénavant les reines de Chillicothe dans mon cœur. Pour toujours.
Ça aura été 708 pages de douleur, de torture, de violence et de cruauté atroce. Mais ça aura aussi été 708 pages de poésie, d’amour, de dépendance. Jamais un livre ne m’a autant atteint que celui-ci.
On y suit l’histoire d’Arc et de sa sœur jumelle, Daffy. Les deux vivent sans père, récemment décédé, mais avec leur mère et leur tante qui vendent leur corps pour financer leurs doses d’héroïnes.
Durant ces 708 pages, on suivra leur enfance brutale, leur passage à l’âge adulte, et cette vie qui sera aussi brutale que leur enfance.
Le livre comporte de nombreuses scènes atroces, que j’ai lu avec d’énormes difficultés. C’est un livre où l’espoir ne brille pas par sa présence et où l’autrice nous montre que non; parfois, vouloir ne suffit pas. Tout le monde ne peut pas s’en sortir. Parce que la vie est injuste, violente, cruelle, que les femmes seront toujours la proie des hommes, et que le combat sera éternel.
Une fois le livre refermé pourtant, après tous ces traumas, on gardera en tête la poésie de l’autrice, et cette histoire qui ne nous abandonnera jamais complètement. Je transporterai dorénavant les reines de Chillicothe dans mon cœur. Pour toujours.
December 29, 2022
four stars ONLY because my way of doing things is to pit an author's books against each other, and Betty was a perfect book, so all others must bow to it.
i really want to review this one, let's see if time and broken-brain allow that to happen.
i really want to review this one, let's see if time and broken-brain allow that to happen.
October 28, 2022
4.5 stars. Convinced Tiffany McDaniel is from another planet or something as her work continues to astound me. She is unlike any other writer out there today.
September 21, 2023
“when a woman disappears, how is she remembered? by her beautiful smile? her pretty face? the drugs in her system? or by the johns who all have dope breath and graceless desires?”
what a heart shattering, gutwrenching book.
i had no idea about the chillicothe six murders before reading this, but i read with a pit in my stomach right after searching up the case. the narrative of on the savage side is brutal and unforgiving. i knew that mcdaniel was an incredibly gifted writer, but the way she simultaneously portrays the horrors of girlhood and being a woman through arc and daffy's bleak lives while showing them authorial kindness was evidence of that.
the novel follows the twins, arc and daffy, as they navigate destitute poverty while trying to escape generational trauma that haunts the women of their family. told in a dual time frame of when the twins are 10 and 20, the sharp parallel in how much they have changed is heartbreaking. from their childlike innocence in escaping the chaos of their home to almost mirroring their mother and aunt when they are adults causes us readers to grieve the loss of the naivete that protected them.
this book is not so much a whodunit as it is an empathetic tale of the victims and by extension, the women in the town. every man in the book has the capability of committing the grisliest of crimes, and has already done so. instead of writing a classic mystery/thriller formula, mcdaniel makes the main focus of her book humanizing the women that are historically always scapegoated and ignored in society.
one thing i particularly loved was how mcdaniel incorporated nature into the story. the landscape of the town, especially the river, became another main character. it really brought this entire book to life, from the setting to the characters.
just as referenced in the book, the savage side and the beautiful side are brilliantly balanced out. i will remember this book for a long time.
“under these ohio clouds, a river will keep flowing and a mother will cry out. in the currents forced by rain and fog, how far will a body drift from home?”
thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the arc <3
April 3, 2023
Thank you to the author Tiffany McDaniel, publisher Knopf, and as always NetGalley, for an advance audio copy of ON THE SAVAGE SIDE.
Twin sisters Daffodil (Daffy) and Arcade (Arc) grow up in Chillicothe, Ohio, raised by their grandmother who makes do with very little and loves them both very much. When she dies, the twins are left to the fates of too many young indigenous girls-- to be raised by addicted gaurdians and abused by the people they associate with. ON THE SAVAGE SIDE is the story of two women's survival in a community beset by bogeyman, with an ending you will never see coming.
This book is a harrowing read because it is so dark, but also because the style is poetic and a bit temporally hazy. Also, the first person narrator is the ultimate unreliable narrator, and at times current experience, memory, and fantasy merge. It makes for a beautiful but challenging read.
I just love how moody this book is. I felt an intense sense of dread the entire time I read, never knowing what would come next, but wanting to get there. The balance of suspense to horror makes for such an engaging read, sometimes even a little commanding.
Really, this story tells two horror stories simultaneously: the first is the story of abject poverty. The second, of the foul humans who prey on poverty's victims. So much of what makes this book excellent depends on the tension that results from these two stories leaning into each other, propping each other up.
Consider this my trigger warning for drug use, drinking, intoxication, and violence against women, children, and animals.
Rating: 🕷🕷🕷🕷.5 / 5 spiders
Recommend? Highly! (See TWs)
Finished: March 31 2023
Read this if you like:
👧🏽 Indigenous writers / characters
👣 Suspense
🔪 Murder mysteries
👤 Mental health rep
👭🏽 Sister stories
🪢 Great twists
🕵 True crime novels
Twin sisters Daffodil (Daffy) and Arcade (Arc) grow up in Chillicothe, Ohio, raised by their grandmother who makes do with very little and loves them both very much. When she dies, the twins are left to the fates of too many young indigenous girls-- to be raised by addicted gaurdians and abused by the people they associate with. ON THE SAVAGE SIDE is the story of two women's survival in a community beset by bogeyman, with an ending you will never see coming.
This book is a harrowing read because it is so dark, but also because the style is poetic and a bit temporally hazy. Also, the first person narrator is the ultimate unreliable narrator, and at times current experience, memory, and fantasy merge. It makes for a beautiful but challenging read.
I just love how moody this book is. I felt an intense sense of dread the entire time I read, never knowing what would come next, but wanting to get there. The balance of suspense to horror makes for such an engaging read, sometimes even a little commanding.
Really, this story tells two horror stories simultaneously: the first is the story of abject poverty. The second, of the foul humans who prey on poverty's victims. So much of what makes this book excellent depends on the tension that results from these two stories leaning into each other, propping each other up.
Consider this my trigger warning for drug use, drinking, intoxication, and violence against women, children, and animals.
Rating: 🕷🕷🕷🕷.5 / 5 spiders
Recommend? Highly! (See TWs)
Finished: March 31 2023
Read this if you like:
👧🏽 Indigenous writers / characters
👣 Suspense
🔪 Murder mysteries
👤 Mental health rep
👭🏽 Sister stories
🪢 Great twists
🕵 True crime novels
May 8, 2023
As much as it physically pains me to do so, I’m going to have to agree with my pal Dan 2.0 when it comes to Tiffany McDaniel’s style . . . it’s probably not for me. I looooooooooved Betty and agree that there is an excellent story within the pages of this latest release regarding a series of prostitutes who are found in Chillicothe, Ohio (inspired by the true tale of the “Chillichothe Six”). Unfortunately, it was so mired in the purple prose that I could not feel all of the feels that I was supposed to be feeling. I have actively avoided The Summer that Melted Everything for fear of being a wrongreader and I will probably continue to do so for the foreseeable future since the main complaint was regarding how it too was overwritten.
Also, I already dislike a face cover, but if you're going to commit to one at least get it right. One sister lipsticked her TOP lip, the other the BOTTOM. Stuff like that drives me batshit.
ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Also, I already dislike a face cover, but if you're going to commit to one at least get it right. One sister lipsticked her TOP lip, the other the BOTTOM. Stuff like that drives me batshit.
ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,745 reviews