I don’t mind dark books, but this is DARK and bleak - making for a combination that had me putting down my kindle after each chapter. I tried this on Kindle

Upon finishing this book I actually exclaimed out loud 'what a load of Bullshit', It was long and even from the first chapter I was sick of certain things being repeated over and over, the name Mawmaw Milkweed must have been mentioned about 50 times in the first chapter. At times I enjoyed the strange writing style and at times I was just annoyed by it. I really wasn't a fan of the ending at all, it really made me feel like I'd wasted alot of time reading it.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for an advanced digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

There was a savage and a beautiful side to this book, for me. On the savage side, this book was STEEPED in mysticism, imagery, and a poetic prose that I found very off putting. And there were just parts of it that had me scratching my head and audibly saying “huh?” I mean, “mother’s hand” anybody??? But, that was just a small blip in the beauty of this story, if you can call such a dark and tragic story “beautiful”?! There is no doubt in my mind that Tiffany McDaniel is one helluva writer. Her story was captivating, gut-wrenching, raw and REAL AF!! I could not stop turning the pages. And that twist at the end?!? #whiplash The ending was just gorgeously, masterfully written. I was just in awe. Those last few chapters pulled this one from a 3.5 rounded up to a 4 all the way back to a 5. WHY aren’t more people talking about this book??? I loved it so much more than another certain book about addiction that was awarded a Pulitzer… I cannot wait to see what TM crafts for us next. Now, to go read Betty!

This book was marketed as an "inspired by story" of the Chillicothe Six. I had never heard of these Ohio murders before, six women were killed in 2014/2015. The cases remain open.

The story centres around twins, Arcade and Daffodil. The story is told through Arc's POV in two timelines, one when they are children and one when they are in their early twenties. They were born into poverty with a single mom, who's a drug addict. Their mother frequently brings home Johns to sleep with for drug money. The twins name the Johns "Spiders" because they prey upon them. We follow the twins as they try to escape the hell hole they grow up in, but they are doomed to fall into the same patterns as their mother. They frequent the river nearby where Arc discovers a dead woman.
As they mature and try to get clean with their friends, they relapse into a life of drugs and prostitution and their friends start going missing or found in the water.

This is a heartbreakingly good book and it's intense and heavy and you can't stop reading. The writing is beautiful and evocative.
Can't stop recommending this book.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for sending a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

DNF @ 60%

When I say I tried, I TRIED.

I’ve been reading this since June 10th (today is September 10th) and I only got to 60%.

I don’t mind dark books, but this is DARK and bleak - making for a combination that had me putting down my kindle after each chapter. I tried this on Kindle via eGalley as well as audio from Libby.

While I know that it’s important for authors to inform readers of things that often get forgotten by using fiction, I get concerned when they started using overly descriptive language that seems like it would fit more in a romance novel.

I wish that she had used the River aspect more because once that was gone, there was no flow.

I finally set it down once animal neglect was added in because of course the author just has to pile on more dark things.

I will say, the narrator for this is fantastic. Without the audio, I’m not sure I would have gotten to 60%.

I loved this book! I will definitely recommend it. Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

This is one of those books that you won't stop thinking about for days after you read it. Its so incredibly written and also heartbreaking so prepare yourself! If you like impressively well developed characters, beautiful writing and a story that forces you to reflect, this is for you. I found the commentary about women particularly poignant. I don't want to say more about the plot because I want you to just read it for yourself. Let Tiffany McDaniel destroy you!

I received an advanced copy of On the Savage Side by Tiffany McDaniel from the publisher Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

What It’s About: Arcade and Daffodil are twin sisters and have an unbreakable bond their grandmother’s stories and their imaginations. But surrounded by generational chaos and addiction. As the two women grow up in this environment, they struggle with opioid addiction. This is all set as women (their friends) keep disappearing into the river, likely from a serial killer.

What I Loved: This book is really dark and takes an unflinching perspective on those struggling with addiction. The book pushes us into an uncomfortable position of recognizing that we as society ignore this challenge and overlook those who are struggling and minimize their fortunes and futures.

What I Didn’t Like: I wish I hadn’t listened to this. The book is a little experimental and was challenging to follow. This made the impact less than me. I highly recommend reading this one instead.

Who Should Read It: People who aren’t afraid of challenging reads. People who can deal with really dark topics.

Summary: A killer is on the lose in a town damaged by the opioid epidemic.

tiffany mcdaniel is an incredibly gifted writer, and on the savage side was evidence of that. through the twins, mcdaniel portrays the horrors of girlhood and being a woman. i had no idea about the chillicothe six murders, but i read with a pit in my stomach as soon as i searched it up. the sharp juxtaposition between mcdaniel's gorgeous prose and the dark matter made for a book that i will remember for a long, long time. what a poignant, brilliantly written story.

a hint of true crime with fiery females protagonists. This was a chunker of a thriller but McDaniel writes toxic family dynamics like no other.

A dark twisted and fun, rapid one-sitting read. Kept me up all night, really twisty and unexpected In wonderful ways.

Beautiful writing. Poetic on a sentence level. Based on the true story of women killed in Chillicothe, Ohio.

Twins, born to addict parents, living in poverty their life was hard growing up. So there is a reason this book had to be written. The stories that are told b but the way the author told it is Poetic and carefully thought out. Some what bizarre but definitely a page turner for sure. I recommend this book if you are traveling or just to cozy up in the bed on a fall night.

On the Savage Side is such a harrowing and beautiful story. It is harrowing in much the same way that Betty (hyperlink for that review) was. But it is also very, very different. McDaniel has taken something already very, very sad and personalized it. Which feels awful, but also much needed.

I had zero knowledge of the Chillicothe Six, and I don’t live but a few states over. I feel like that should have been more newsworthy – and still should be as they still have no idea who is responsible for the deaths of the women. But we all know the criminal justice system cares very little for women who are not white, at least middle class, and either in “respectable” fields, or homemakers. If you “fail” at any one of those requirements, it’s pretty much game over. Nobody gives a shit.
Probable Cause of Death: Being a Woman

On the Savage Side gives voice to the terrors felt by all of us outside of those very narrow parameters. See, Arc and Daf are the children of a drug addicted sex worker. Their mom and their aunt are well known by local law enforcement. And adulthood changes nothing. They continue around the cycle into which they were born – drug addiction, sex work, and extreme poverty.

There is no escape. The only hope they have is in the friends they have made – other drug addicted sex workers. And one by one their friends begin to disappear, only to turn up later in a fashion that will begin to feel very familiar if you’ve read up on the Chillicothe Six. And the police rule them suicides, accidents, etc. Despite the fact that each woman was clearly the victim of a killer. Because we know the police in reality don’t give a single shit about the safety of sex workers, and the world McDaniels has built is no different.
“We belong to grief until the engine goes out. Then we belong to the dirt, our bodies identical to other fallen things.”

I don’t want to say much, in order to mitigate the risk of spoilers, but…On the Savage Side is really incredible. It is incredibly sad, and it is incredibly poignant. If you want to see what life is like at the intersection of extreme poverty, drug addiction, sex work and gender I strongly suggest this book. It explores a very common reality for a shockingly large number of Americans in a way that is as unflinching as it is terrifying.

We like to believe that we are some modern Utopia here in America, but frankly that is only true for a small number of people. For most, yes, it is a mostly okay situation on the day to day, but for the remainder the world is a constant battle. A living nightmare, and a fight for their very lives every single day. And McDaniel has consistently done what she can to bring that to light.
My Rating:

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 5 out of 5.

This isn’t really going to be a fun read. But it is going to be an important and impactful one.

*This review will go live on my website 8/16 at 10:30 AM.

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.

This is a truly jarring novel based on the unsolved murders of the Chillicothe Six. . Dad has died from an overdose, mom is a junkie, her mom is a junkie and Dad’s mom tries to help the girls, but she is battling their environment every step of the way. The twins live in a truly horrific situation and the disappearance of girls who have similar circumstances follows them everywhere. Young girls bodies wash up on the shore of the river and the authorities aren’t really interested in finding the person. Racism, drugs, poverty, prostitution are just some of the themes. The twins stick close to each other, but every time they get a break they just can’t hold onto it. Read closely so that you gain even more perspective about the twins because appearances are deceiving.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC. I give very few books a 5. This is a solid 4.

On the Savage Side is a book that will haunt me for a very long time. It's an incredibly powerful, moving, and thoughtful story. It was triggering for me to read several chapters but, I'm glad I pushed through as it's a beautifully devastating story of abuse and addiction. I loved how the story alternated from past to present day effortlessly. I didn't see the big twist at the end coming, it shook me to the core!

thank you to netgalley and Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor for this book in exchange for an honest review.

What a strange amazing sad book. The writing is beautiful and haunting in a way I was not prepared for. One of my top five books this year.

This is not what I was expecting from the cover or the description. However, I found this novel to be very raw and heartbreaking. And I enjoyed the little twist at the end.

Wow. This was brutal. This story has seeped into my brain. It has exhausted me. Reading about addiction just slaughters me and this book slaughtered me no less than 10000 times. Throw in that it was a story about sisters- it’s just fucking heartbreaking. The following statement is going to sound so juvenile, but god heroin enrages me. Watching generation after generation destroy themselves with little to no salvation in site. Families just watching their own histories repeat themselves. It’s kills me.