Daffodil and Arcade are twins who grew up in a little world of their own, living in an imaginary world created by the stories their grandmother tells them.As an adult, Arcade is still coming to terms with her past when a a rash of women’s bodies are found under sinister circumstances. Some of the women are well known to Arcadia and she must struggle to fulfill her promise to Daffodil to keep them both safe as a killer terrorizes their small Ohio community. McDaniel based her story on the real life disappearances and murders of women in Ohio

This is a difficult read and I think it is a necessary one. When people from impoverished backgrounds go missing and no one cares to look for them, it’s implied that that they did something to cause their murder. That their murder is somehow their fault because they engaged in risky behavior, that they are less important to society. On the Savage Side is loosely based on the true-crime case of the “Chillicothe Six”. This book is not a murder mystery. It is a heartbreakingly raw look at the lives of Arcade and Daffodil, twin sisters born into poverty. All the adults in their lives struggle with addiction and eventually, they do too. Unable to depend on their mom or their Aunt Clover, they find community and family in their group of friends who are also addicts and sex workers. They call themselves “The Chillicothe Queens”. Arc and Daffy’s friends disappear one by one and show up dead in the river.

I have never read a Tiffany McDaniel book before, the way she writes is beautifully poetic. I listen to a lot of true crime podcasts, it’s rare that you get a first-hand (albeit fictionalized) account from the victims of a suspected serial killer. Even though this is fiction, there is so much truth in the story. This book won’t be for everyone, it is rife with triggering content. The men in the story are predators of the worst kind and the women are society’s most vulnerable. It is hard for me to say I “enjoyed” this book because it is so dark, but I will think about this book for a long time. It left me feeling sad and angry. I will absolutely add Betty to the top of my TBR. Thank you Knopf and NetGallery for this ARC!

From the author of the phenomenon Betty, comes this new work of literary fiction, On the Savage Side.

Arcade and Daffodil are twins thirsting for an escape from generational ghosts of poverty they are living in. Years later, Arcade struggles with flashbacks to the childhood she just can’t forget. As her friends start to disappear around her, Arcade promises to keep her and her sister safe. Will she be able to accomplish this? Or will she be pulled under like the family that came before her?

This book was a heavy read – the heaviest I’ve read all year. It was hard, but in the end it was beautiful. Honestly, I spent 80% of this book just slogging through waiting for it to be over, but the last 20% WOW just WOW. It totally made me remember why I didn’t used to DNF books, and thankful I stuck with this one. It was inspired by the true story of six women killed in Chilicothe, Ohio and that added so much weight to Arcade’s story.

While this one has certainly stayed with me, and I won’t forget it anytime soon, I just cannot get past most of the book bringing me down. As a result, this was not a five-star read for me – but it was sure close.

If you are prepared for your heart to actually break, then check this one out February 14th. Thanks to the publisher, Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor, @aaknopf, for my e-ARC in exchange for this honest review.

I found this b9ok dark and deeply disturbing. I tried to finish it but only got half way through before giving up. It is a very grim look at poverty, addiction and the abuse of women. There is no mystery to focus on nor is there anything positive.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. This is my honest review

I really enjoyed the premise and concept of this book, but it felt overwritten. Regardless, I appreciate the author shedding light on the Chillicothe 6 and the nightmare of poverty and drugs that has plagued the Chillicothe area for years.


https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/61153745

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.

Whew. That was a painful, frightening journey. I had to make myself continue reading. That's not to say the book was bad -- on the contrary, it was a well-written journey into hell. This took me places I'd never been, and places I hope I never experience in the future. As I read, I was constantly thankful for the love, care and respect I received from my parents.

I've been to Chillicothe several times, and I know I'll look at it with different eyes next time I'm there.

I received a complimentary copy of the book from the publisher and Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.

I devoured this in a day and wish I could start it all over again. I love the writing style and the character development! Definitely recommend.

On the Savage Side
By Tiffany McDaniel

This is a dark and unsettling book. It is the story of twin sisters, Arc and Daffy, born to an addicted prostitute. Their lives are filled with horror. Between a rapist who is a policeman and a tattoo artist who is "Dipped in Evil", the girls experience the darkest sides of life from a young age.

I found this book to be disturbing – and could really find no point to it. This is not my kind of read. I finally gave up on it about half way through.

Tiffany McDaniel is an author that I will read anything the woman writes. She writes such interesting characters, with storylines that you feel like you are living right along with the characters. An added touch of subtle magical realism makes it magical. I love her writing. She is up there with David Joy, Donald Ray Pollack, Ron Rash and Chris Offutt as favorite Appalachian writers.

i unfortunately was not a fan of this book. i found its words a little to colorful and flowery in nature and found the nature of the novel quite depressing witch normally is not an issue for me but the characters itself where hard to relate with. the writing was in my opinion at times trying to be smarter than it was capable of. I found it at times preachy and pretentious. i did like the plot and fund some aspect interesting but overall I was not a fan.

This was a difficult read. I’m not sure if it is because I was reading it on the heels of a lighter YA novel or if it is really just that gritty. It reminds me of watching Criminal Minds with my husband years ago. I often found that I just had to stop watching because the nature of the crimes & the stories surrounding the crimes were just too jarring. I felt quite the same with this text. It was more than somber. It was almost mournful in its telling. Everything in the novel seemed to block out any light or goodness. This is fitting, but it also makes for a hard read for sensitive readers.

Thank you so much for the opportunity to read and review this novel.

Unfortunately, I am unable to finish this novel and review it. I was unaware of the trigger warnings and even the ones I was aware of; I didn’t know it would trigger me the way this one did. Amazing writing on a very difficult topic

It’s going to be awhile before I can get over this book. I’m mesmerized. I’m captured. I’m befuddled. I’m sad. I’m broken. I have read couple of books based on true crime cases, but after reading this one, I know they didn’t do any justice. These characters were as real as those six girls collected from the river. I’m sure their stories were as complicated as the real ones too.

Arc and Daffy were raised in not so well conditions yet they had each other. Daffy was Arc’s little poet; Arc was Daffy’s ark. While their mom and aunt were trying to deal with their addiction, girls were trying to find meaning and friends. Unfortunately years later they ended up just like their parents. And there was someone out there killing all their friends. Was it the spider who sneaked into their room when they were little? Or was it the highway man? Who knows?

“I reckon you'll forget us, too. But if by chance, you do remember us, we were daughters, sisters, and mothers. Remember us for that. Maybe then, on the old land once called Chala-ka-tha, we will have left the most amazing artifacts of ourselves behind.“ All I’m going to do is blow a chef’s kiss to Tiffany McDaniel. You made sure those girls were not forgotten. Their stories were as valid as those who came from “good” families and environments. They were as human as any anyone. Autopsy reports added another level of storytelling into this book. Brava!

I’m disgusted with this book. From the description, I had a certain expectation of the storyline. However, I have read 25% of the book and I have yet to see anything of the plot that I’ve been expecting. I do understand that background information is necessary for any story (which is what I’m assuming is what I have been reading), but frankly, it has left me feeling bored, and with the aforementioned things, frustrated, enough that I can’t make myself read the remainder of the book. From the description, the book looked promising, so I am really sad that my experience is what it is.

This is a brilliant book. McDaniel’s writing is so beautiful, yet the story is so deep and dark, disturbing and so necessary. This is a fictional account of the Chillicothe Six in Ohio, based on the unsolved murders of six women.
This is a book I won’t soon forget. Highly recommend reading.

After reading The Summer That Melted Everything, there’s a certain style that I was expecting when I started ‘On the Savage Side’ & it managed to fall right in line whilst also being very different, which is EXACTLY what I want when I pick up an author that I’ve read and enjoyed before. I want to feel the author’s essence in the writing style, while also exploring completely new topics & McDaniel delivered and then some!

McDaniel’s character work is exceptional, her characters are flawed and real and they work their way into your heart and just refuse to let go. She also is skilled at writing platonic relationships, I love the way she delves into the complexities of familial love & attachment.

I had not heard about the Chillicothe Six before picking this up so it was quite interesting to read about & look up background info on them to get a sense of what was fact and fiction. I think to say that this is “based” on them is a bit of a stretch, it’s actually stated in the beginning that it’s “loosely based” which is a bit more accurate as I think the 2 main characters are pretty much completely made up. We also get some raw insight into the world of heroin and the terrifying all consuming grip it tends to have on it’s users.

I also have always been a huge fan of books with really great villains & I think this book had one for the books. This provoked such a vast array of emotions from me, I consider that to be a successful reading experience! I am definitely going to be picking up her most recent book, Betty, as it seems to be the favorite among her fans.

This was an highly emotional read, while also being scary, shocking, & titillating for all those true crime lovers. I’ll def be recommending this to thriller lovers and literary fic readers alike!

This is one of those creepy-good books that keeps you reading even when you feel you can't take any more! Arc and Daffy are twins born into an odd family in Ohio. Fortunately they have each other as they are abused and make up stories to survive the nightmare that is often their lives. Alternating in time, the novel reveals their childhood and adulthood that is fraught with addiction, prostitution, and horrors that no one should have to suffer. I often found it difficult to read and had to put it down often to recover, Based on a true story, it will have you grieving for these women and counting your lucky stars you are sane and do not have to walk "on the savage side."
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!

Thanks to Netgalley and Knopf press for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

I did not know much about "the Chillicothe Six" going into the novel and found this to be a fascinating read. Born into poverty, addiction and prostitution, Arc and Daffy never had a chance in their small, factory town. As they wander through life, they soon become just like their mother and Aunt Clover. This is a story about the traumatic life of Arc and Daffy, twin daughters of a widow who supports her heroine addiction through prostitution. After the girls grow up, their group of friends begin to turn up dead, one by one, floating in the river.

There is a strong undercurrent of hopelessness and powerlessness to the story that anyone who has dealt with addition will recognize. This is a read not for the faint of heart.

Heart pounding thriller that left me on the edge of my seat. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this one. Definitely one of the best books this year.