This book is beautiful and sad and haunting. It will stick with me for a long time.

Inspired by the unsolved murders of six women in Chillicothe, Ohio, "On the Savage Side" tells a story of sisterhood, friendship, motherhood and the ravages of addiction. Not a comfortable read but an important one. A gorgeous literary tale with a couple twists that will surprise you.

Thank you to Knopf and Netgalley for an advanced readers copy of this book for my honest review.

“My mamas used to say that in life there is a savage side. But she also said you could turn the savage side beautiful.”

Tiffany McDaniel’s On the Savage Side is a book that I know I’ll keep thinking about for the rest of the year. Inspired by the unsolved murders of Chillicothe Six victims, we follow the life story of Arc and Daffy, twin sisters, through Arc’s perspective. This is a really heavy and dark book to read, dealt with abuse, drug use, generational trauma and sexual assault. However, McDaniel’s poetic writing made me want to keep reading the book.

A really heartbreaking traumatic tale of the underprivileged women struggling through lives. I’ve not heard of the Chillicothe Six before reading this book and appreciate McDaniel bringing more attention to their stories. I also don’t know anyone suffering with drug use, and this story really showed me a different perspective to view those struggling through addiction.

“Addiction is a thief. It steals the minutes from the day. The color of the sky. It steals the hero from the story, the leaves on the trees, the answer to the question, Who am I?”

5 ⭐️

Thank you NetGalley and Knopf Publishing for the free e-copy in exchange for my honest review.

I started this book because of my major FOMO and it did not disappoint!!

On The Savage Side is a thriller-like literature that is inspired by real incidents and unsolved murders of the Chillicothe Six. The story is dark and focuses mainly on female pain, so beware that it might not be everyone’s thing. I love female centric stories so I loved reading this one although it depressed me at the end. Among the triggers are murder, death, addiction and poverty. Make sure you discuss this story with people who have read it, or read with a group . Can make you sad and ugly cry!

Thank you Knopf for the eARC

This was not a book for me. I can see how some people will love it, but all the extra descriptions and folklore was just too much for me. I knew what the big twist was less than halfway through the book.

On the Savage Side by Tiffany McDaniel is a heartbreakingly sad book. It can be hard to read at times because of the subject matter. The writing itself flows and has a lyrical quality to it. Sister stories are always a big draw for me but throwing in addiction made this heavier than my usual read. I’m really happy I read it as it made a huge impression on me.

Daffodil and Arcade really never stand a chance based on their upbringing. Trauma after trauma infects their childhood like an illness. A cycle of sexual exploitation continues, and is highlighted when women start disappearing, women like themselves.
They aren’t important enough to matter in the eyes of police, and they continue to be victimized.
A sad story told in a beautiful, lyrical way is such a juxtaposition. Based on the missing women of Chillicothe, Ohio, On The Savage Side is heartbreaking and beautiful.

Pub date: 2/14/23 (out now!)
Genre: literary fiction, suspense
Quick summary: Arcade and Daffodil are twins growing up in Chillicothe, Ohio, where they are endangered by poverty, the opioid epidemic, and a serial killer.

This book was a 5-star read for me, but I want to make it clear that this is not a book for everyone. There is somev very heavy subject matter - murder, child sexual abuse and neglect, miscarriage, drug abuse, extreme poverty - essentially pretty much every trigger warning you can think of. I thought McDaniel's earlier book BETTY was devastating, but somehow ON THE SAVAGE SIDE is even more so.

So why did I give this book 5 stars? A few reasons: 1. I had to force myself to stop reading it so I didn't devour it in one sitting and end up too sad to sleep. 2. McDaniel's writing is so lyrical and beautiful despite the heavy topics she writes about. 3. I know this story and its characters will stay with me for a long time.

If you're read books about dark topics, you may think you've read this book before. But you haven't - McDaniel does a beautiful job centering Arcade, Daffodil, and their friends, making this their story, not the story of the man or the other dark forces terrorizing their community. It reminded me of LONG BRIGHT RIVER in its focus on the women who are so often forgotten.

If you're going to read this one, I recommend buddy reading it with friends - this is one you will want to discuss!

Thank you to Knopf for providing an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Be warned, this book is brutal. It’s written beautifully (though it did take me a while to really vibe with the lyricism), but the amount of suffering within its pages is tough to get through.

Inspired by the real, unsolved murders of the Chillicothe Six, the book tells the story of Arc and Daffy, twins being raised in a dying rust belt town besieged by the opioid crisis. When women start turning up in the river, Arc tries to find the River Man before she and her sister are his next victims.

McDaniel reveals a humanity in these victims - sex workers, addicts - that is often overlooked, and for that I deeply appreciate this book. However, I cannot stress enough how relentlessly depressing the story is. Also, there is a “twist” towards the end of the book that just didn’t work and felt like a cheap ploy to better fit into the thriller genre. This is not a thriller or even a mystery. It is a literary examination of female pain and I wish it had felt comfortable enough in that identity to stick to it.

I had heard great things, but after ~50 pages, I was bored. I needed her to get to the point - the writing was too flowy & descriptive, and it wasn't holding my interest.

This was so dark and tragic and I don’t think I was fully prepared for the depth of that. I totally get that it’s a thriller but the ongoing trauma was tough to deal with. Please make sure to take care of yourself and look up trigger warnings - this is probably not a book that’s for everyone.

4.5 stars. I wasn’t sure whether this one would be too difficult to read because there are so many trigger warnings. It is extremely difficult and bleak, but it’s such a very important story that brings to the forefront that each and every woman is a person, and is important, they are loved. They deserve compassion and empathy, and safety. They cannot be forgotten or brushed aside. The author’s writing is so, so good, Well done Tiffany McDaniel.

Thank you to Knopf and NetGalley for the advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review.

With her new novel, 𝗢𝗡 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗦𝗔𝗩𝗔𝗚𝗘 𝗦𝗜𝗗𝗘, Tiffany McDaniel set out to “capture the spirit” of women found dead in the river near Chillicothe, Ohio. As she’s pointed out these are women too often discounted as being unimportant, just another addict, a prostitute, etc. She wanted to shine a light on the value of such women and on the worth of their lives. In strikingly rich prose, she did just that, yet it’s a book that at times I struggled with.⁣⁣
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The writing itself could not have been more luminous. McDaniel’s imagery was incredible, her words often poetic. It was also repetitive. The girls/women in this story were absolutely heartbreaking. Soul-crushingly so. They all wanted to move their lives from the savage side to the beautiful side, but the odds were always stacked against them. Even as they dreamed of more, they lived largely without hope. Life dealt them a short-hand leaving them vulnerable, fragile, and abused by men over and over and over.⁣⁣
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I’m a fan of dark, raw narratives, but 𝘖𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘢𝘷𝘢𝘨𝘦 𝘚𝘪𝘥𝘦 was almost too dark, too bleak for me. It was painful to read. I wanted to keep going, but I also longed to be done. Its sad, sad themes echoed over and over and really affected me. And now, two weeks after finishing this book, I can’t stop thinking about it. I honestly can't say I enjoyed the journey, but clearly its impact was vast. I’m confident this book will garner many well-deserved accolades, but as you pick it up, beware.
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Thanks to @aaknopf for copies of #OnTheSavageSide.

Thank you to Knopf Publishing Group and Netgalley for the electronic copy of On the Savage Side by Tiffany McDaniel. This dark, crime mystery covers addiction and friendship in the most heartbreaking way. It's a story of sisters and family and touches on many possible triggers so if there's something that bothers you be sure to check it out before reading. Just know this is not a light easy read but it is heartbreakingly beautiful and worth your time.

Absolutely LOVED this one. Betty was just okay for me, but this one went all the way. I loved the story of the twins, their struggles, and their town's struggles. I didn't see the twist at the ending come at all. I am looking forward to reading this one again to see how Arc achieved her secret without anyone finding out sooner. I've been recommending this one to all and look forward to my own re-read. A must read.

I'm speechless. On The Savage Side will haunt me forever. It's beautiful, heartfelt, heartbreaking, horrifying, heart wrenching, poignant, poetic, and devastating in all the best ways. This story is a love letter and an honor to The Chillicothe Six and I will never forget it. Best read in MANY years, hands down.

Woo! I need a minute to digest this. It may be helpful to share a trigger warning about the heaviness of this story. I also would like to have known more about the tie between the actual Chillicothe murders, the characters in this story, and how the writer came to choose this story line. The writing is very interesting and it’s very well written. I’ve never read anything quite like it! I’m definitely going to need a palate cleanser!

DNF. I had too much empathy for the characters, their living situation was so sad and untenable that I found it hard to get into the book. I stopped midway through chapter 2. I thought this would be more of an easy thriller than a tragic tale.

4.5/5

Despite the horrors of the story itself, you can find beauty in the writing and characters - their connections and relationships are for sure highlight here. McDaniel’s is getting better book to book and I can’t wait to see if this trend continues.

3.5 stars

I won't bother summarizing here this complex tale based on true events of missing women in Ohio. i will say that I have complicated feelings about this story. The writing style is the main thing that tripped me up. McDaniel's writing is no doubt lyrical and beautiful in its own way, but I did not enjoy it for this narrative. I thought it was too much most of the time, and that made this reading experience unenjoyable for me.

The whole time I was reading, I just kept thinking, "meh," and then that ENDING! Whew, that blew me away. I thought the events in the end were the most redeeming parts of the whole story, and for that reason, this story will have me thinking for a while after finishing.

All in all, I can't say I loved this story or reading experience as a whole. But I am open to reading other novels by Tiffany McDaniel which I have only heard amazing things about.

Thank you to Knopf and NetGalley for allowing me to read an early copy of On the Savage Side!

This is another tragically and beautifully written book by Tiffany McDaniel. This novel is heavy…full of heartache, pain, and despair. It is definitely not for everyone but it’s undeniable that Ms. McDaniel’s storytelling is unparalleled.