Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and Tiffany McDaniel for giving me the opportunity to read this book.

It is hard to put into words just how deeply this book affected me. This book embodies just how difficult it is to be a woman in the world. The narrator’s voice was so unique that it just pulled me into his world and refused to let me go until I knew how it ended.

1⭐ DNF too disturbing!

Twins Arc & Daffy are passed down, dope addicts.
The book is being narrated by Arcade (Arc) in such a way that from the very start, I thought what am I reading?

This is not a mystery/thriller, which is what I was expecting going into this book.
Even though this was inspired by very real unsolved murders of the Chillicothe Six, it just felt like a horrific feverish dream, where everything that happens someone wrote poetry about it. The subject matter is not for the faint of heart. My heart was breaking in chapter one and I felt like crawling out of my skin.

This is absolutely not a bad book, or bad writing, but I really can't say who I'd recommend it to. It’s written like a wild fantasy ride, a bit lyrical and poetic which may be great for others.

Warnings: substance abuse, addiction, solicitation, animal abuse, violence, gore, sexual assault (including the repeated on-page rape of a child),, miscarriage, murder.

Dnf @6%
I tried to enjoy the story and keep reading it, but it was so hard and rough for me or it just i have a bad time to read this kind of book. Because honestly the book is beautiful and lyrical written.
Will consider try to read it again later

I was so profoundly moved by the message and plotline in this article and am seriously so thankful to Knopf Books, NetGalley, and Tiffany McDaniel for granting me access to this magnificent read before it was set to publish to the public. I always appreciate well-done literary fiction, and I definitely count On the Savage Side as a well-done publication.

I made it 20%. Actually I made it 5% reading this copy and knew I wasn't totally feeling it but wanted to continue to try so I used an audio credit and started listening. Nope, couldn't do it. I absolutely LOVED Betty so I was super eager to read On the Savage Side but it didn't have the same direction, the same heart. I also usually love stories that focus on women/sisters but something was just missing. I'm not going to post about it because I don't think I made it far enough nor would I have anything positive to say.

I am the outlier. Please pick this up because this book is heartbreakingly beautiful. If you can get past all the content warnings (they are super heavy) it will make you cry because it is dark. I was in love with this book up to 60% and fell off afterwards. Mainly because it felt like 60% was written by McDaniel and 40% was written by someone else. McDaniel’s has this poetic infused writing style that just had me drawn. Everything was so vivid and brought the story to life. I really enjoyed the twins early life with their Mamaw Milkweed and will cherish those memories versus the other ones. I was expecting more of a mystery read because of the synopsis but was definitely more than that and less mysterious. If you can push through this one, you won’t believe the twist at the ending.

Although this is my first book from McDaniel, it will not be my last. I need to get my hands on Betty since it seems to be the fan favorite.

Devastated to write that I could just not find myself getting into this book. McDaniel’s previous work has delved into dark and painful subject matter before, much of which comes directly from events that unfolded in real life. Both of her previous works were some of the most exquisitely written novels I have ever read. Unfortunately, the writing in this book is just not up to par with McDaniel’s other work, and that ultimately meant that the dark and tragic subject matter felt horrid in a deeply unrewarding way.
I am still excited for this author’s future work, but this one just didn’t satisfy me.

Thank you NetGalley for giving everyone a voice and I do hope mine is heard.

As for Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor, Knopf here is what I think of On the Savage Side, and would really like to know who your market was for this garbage.

Published: 02/14/23

Disappointment is an understatement. There was a story being presented. However, the author chose to take her writing from filthy profanity with the politically correct forced on me F-bombs (and I do believe if you think it, you say it.) to the 2020ish trend of women's genitalia being acceptable.

I read this book e-book as an ARC delivered to my kindle tbrough NetGally. The cover and title both caught my eye. After reading the description, I knew this would be a story I would enjoy and it did not dissapoint. It was a quick read, as it was easy to follow provided many details. I did not realize how much drug use and description of this would be involved, but I know it was important for the storyline. I loved the characters of Arc and Daffy and did not expect the ending. I would absolutely would recommend this book to a friend!

This is a very poignant book, but also one that is very difficult to get through. There’s really no happiness to grab onto, although that is kind of the point.

Tiffany McDaniel remains the queen of my heart. I will eagerly await (albeit impatiently) the next novel. On the Savage Side was everything I could hope for in a book. New favorite.

This is a dark and twisted story but written in a very poetic way. I found the writing to be beautiful but at times distracting. I think I prefer a grittier style than lyrical prose. This was definitely a gutting story and at times so hard to read but definitely worth picking up.

4.5 stars <3 Tiffany McDaniel has done it again!!
She continues to write some of the most beautiful prose I've ever read while telling such a beautiful, heartbreaking, impactful story. The "interludes" between the chapters (reading from the perspective of the river, the autopsies) were some of my favorite parts of the book and so perfectly woven in.
My two complaints - I wish the writing was toned down a LITTTTTLE bit. Reading such poetry-like writing while, as I mentioned, beautiful, felt like a bit much at times. I also didn't love the twist at the end. Because this wasn't set up like a typical mystery/thriller, I wasn't really expecting one and it felt a little out of place to me tonally-speaking.

Arc and Daffy are sisters who grew up in Chillicothe, Ohio and are surrounded by drug addiction. The book begins with the death of their father, who overdoses. Their mother and aunt are drug addicts, but mamaw milkweed (grandmother) teaches them about hope and life lessons. This book goes back and forth from different time periods. Ultimately, Arc and her friends discover bodies of drug addicted women floating in the river. This book is based on a true story of women found missing and dead in Chillicothe, Ohio.

Basically every trigger exists in this book. Sexual abuse, drug addiction, violence. It was a tough read, to be honest. It didn’t capture my attention like I expected, and was quite exhausting to read.

A special thank you to NetGalley and Knopf publishing for this advance copy in exchange for my review. Tiffany McDaniel’s On the Savage Side is out now for purchase!

It’s really hard to assign this one a star rating, and it should be advised to readers that this one is a really heavy read. It has a ton of 4 and 5 star reviews, but I’m finding myself struggling to give it based on some of the subject material (honestly, it has a ton of triggers - substance abuse, suicide, prostitution, murder, sexual abuse….to just begin). This was also my first time reading anything from Tiffany McDaniel, and while it’s clear she’s a very talented writer, her style is very extended, flowy and full of imagery, with lots of attention to small details. This is a bit different than my preferred style (I’m honestly very plot driven and motivated), so I found myself getting super lost and emotionally charged with the subject matter. I’m fully aware I’m in the minority for not enjoying a lot of this book.

Again, thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this advance copy to review and for inspiring me to branch outside of my comfort zone with this one. Readers - check the trigger warnings prior to jumping in to this one.

I don't know how to say it other than this was not for me. I can't enjoy a break story, even with beautiful prose.

On the Savage Side by Tiffany McDaniel

I don’t really have the words to do this book justice. After reading and loving Betty, I was ecstatic to have the opportunity to read “On the Savage Side” as an eARC.

This book was brutal. I had to put it down and walk away several times because I would get so inside my head. It’s depressing, heavy, and heartbreaking. Even more so than Betty and that’s saying a lot.

McDaniel has such a unique storytelling ability. Her novels are largely character-driven and there’s such a poetic, lyrical style to her writing. “On the Savage Side” is based off of the Chillicothe Six murders which I had never heard of prior.

Generational trauma is something I could go on and on about and I felt McDaniel honed in on this theme. I think this was my first novel that had such focus on addiction and generational trauma and I think it was done really, really well. It’s just enraging that this stuff happens every day. It breaks my heart to think about it.

Daffy and Arc will stay with me for a long time 💔

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨

Thank you so much to @netgalley @aaknopf for my eARC!

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 every 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 try 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.

Wow! This book was a LOT and is one that comes with so many trigger warnings - but if you're able to navigate through the heavy heart wrenching topics this was a well done story exploring these hard issues that some individuals experience. The history woven into this story was an additional layer that made for an excellent and captivating read. A story you're rooting for the MC throughout and the end leaving you dizzy to process when it is all done. It's just so well done.

"It is from her that we get our hot skin," Mamaw Milkweed would say, telling my sister and me that we had a touch of the witch in us. "You can't put a woman to fire and expect the flesh of the women after her not to feel that very heat. It is also from her that we dream the future."

holy craaaap THIS BOOK!!!! I LOVED LOVED LOVED it so much. The lyrical writing, the imagery and the heartbreaking and emotional story line?!? my god this was a book written for me!!

I am so enamored and in awe of Tiffany McDaniel's mind. This story never broke from its poetic writing and I just couldn't keep my jaw off the floor when thinking about how she wrote the heaviest scenes with the most beautiful language.

It was definitely a hard read, but one that was worth it. Finding out that this was subtly based on a true story of six missing girls in Ohio made it much heartbreaking and meaningful. I loved the tie ins to the author's Cherokee heritage and thought the story of these women honored the backstory beautifully. This one will stick with me for such a long time and is one that I will recommend to so many people.