This is my first book by this author and I didn't know what to expect going in.

Daffodil and Arcade are twin sisters growing up in a life of poverty, drugs and prostitution. As you read the story you realize how hard it is to overcome and get out of that life for something better. Told from times when the girls are young and in adulthood

You can't help but feel for the twins who's life seems doomed from the start.

Make no mistake this is a gritty book and based on real events.

I had a hard time reading this one. Usually I can get past the dark topics with some ease, but not this one. The flowery writing that so many other reviewers seemed to love just felt wrong to me. The wording didn't match the content. I guess this writing style just isn't for me. This is the only book I've read where the river talks.

Many, many other people loved this book, so I'm an outlier here. Don't let my opinions stop you from giving it a try.

Many thanks to netgalley and Knopf for the arc.

3.5

I think this book is a dark, beautiful and hauntingly heartbreaking look at lives lost too soon, addiction, poverty and loss.

The writing style is lyrical, flowery and even though it’s done well and written beautifully, it is also very dense and requires all of your attention to move through it and keep up. I had a particularly hard time with this and that made this a more challenging read for me.

Ultimately, I think it perfectly captured the bleak sadness that it was working to illustrate for readers. I found Arc and Daffy endearing and likable. I was a huge fan of Mamaw Milkweed and the role she played in their lives as the children of an addict. I am always in the mood for a secondary caregiver who fills the gaps that primary caregivers leave open.

I’m grateful to the author for sending me the digital arc to enjoy, I will definitely be reading more from them in the future.

Rounded up from a 2.5, this one is based on true events in Ohio. With that being said it is fictional, and the horrendous nature of these events is where the truth comes from. It’s a dark, dark book but the writing style is very poetic in most parts and thus is a stark contrast to the content. This is a book you have to pay attention to while reading - there’s a lot to unpack as you look at the lives of these young girls and women that are struggling to survive. There are obvious dark themes - murder, poverty, child abuse - so keep that in mind for triggers. Thanks to NetGalley for the early read.

Wow. This is my first book by Tiffany McDaniel and I am such a fan! I loved the beautiful writing about such a horrifying subject. My heart broke for Arc and Daffy. This novel focuses on the victims and gives them a voice. It’s a hard look into the world of drug addiction and I had to put it down several times because of how heavy it was in parts. The last 20% or so really blew me away.

You will find yourself feeling awful for how Arcade and Daffodil were raised and verbally and sexually abused. It is so vividly described and one of the men that rapes a child is even a police officer. They learn that they must keep silent about the abuse they have suffered. The girls make up an imaginary world where they can escape the harsh realities of what is happening and call themselves Queens. Their mother and aunt are prostitutes and they end up the same.

Arc suffers guilt on trying to keep her sister safe. She is tormented as all her her friends die and are put in the river. No one cares because they are poor and prostitutes.

The vivid descriptions and the abuse they suffered will stick with you as it is just so gut wrenchingly sad to read about their ordeal and that no one stepped in to help them. The author did a great job creating villians and how vial some people can be. This book is not for the faint of heart but such a mesmerizing read.

I like how she gave the description of a savage side and a beautiful side and how you could make the savage side beautiful. A great analogy for life and how to look at the same thing from different views.

How sad is this haunting literary thriller inspired by the murders of six women in Chillicothe, Ohio and later known as the Chillicothe Six! It is haunting to hear the voices of their past struggles, their laughter and their demise. Growing up in Chillicothe, they revealed their hopes, dreams, and aspirations to grow up to be famous.

"We had hopes and dreams of being something more. Our dream wasn't to give ourselves away. That much is true."

Twin girls are depicted and one of them we know will become a victim: Arcade (Arc) and Daffodil (Daffy). Their parents struggled with drug addiction and they made a vow to their grandmother Mamaw Milkweed, who looked after them, never to become like them. It is heartbreaking and raw to see the path their lives took. Their generational chaos caught up with them in severe form of trigger warnings: sexual assault, child abuse, and drug abuse. I was deeply disturbed and carried high hopes throughout that their life would get better. But, this is more of a story about their lives and imagination as any child has even in their darkest most harrowing moments.

I had not heard about this but have traveled to Chillicothe, Ohio to the World Series and could not get past the smell of the paper mills in this town. In the book they mention the smell, but they loved their old town and looked past it. I also could not get over the string of prisons that dotted the landscape before arriving. I had no idea so many existed until our trip. The struggles this town and family face is real across America. It appears as a never ending cycle that I had hoped they would be able to break. Judge them? These girls will let you know, they lived in poverty and found no other solution.

The narrator Arc leads the story from her memories. It was a creative portrayal and sometimes quite lyrical, which I read is the author's theme in all of her books. I loved the character Mamaw Milkweed who took a step forward to guide her granddaughters, but after her death their lives became darker and more disturbing!

"Somewhere in that very conversation, someone will say our names. The names of the women whose bodies spent their death in the river, like me, disappeared in the unsolved case that today is known as the Chillicothe Six."
Take heart! It's powerful! This will chill your soul for a better life for so many. Outstanding writing and research from this author which happened in her home state.
Thank you NetGalley and Knopf Publishing Group for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰
▫️Thank you @aaknopf & @netgalley for the ARC and the opportunity to review this amazing book.

-On The Savage Side by Tiffany McDaniel
-Release date February 14th 2023
⭐️5,000 stars (seriously)

⚪️ 𝐒𝐲𝐧𝐨𝐩𝐬𝐢𝐬: A literary thriller inspired by the true story of six missing Chillicothe Ohio women, whose murders remain unsolved. Twin sisters Arc and Daffy only know a violent world filled with drugs, prostitution, and heartbreak. But there is always hope, and together they hold onto it as well as their incredible bond. Right to the very bitter end.

▫️ 𝐌𝐲 𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬: Wow. Wow wow wow! I knew this was going to be good but it far exceeded my expectations! As far as I am concerned, McDaniel is thee literary queen 👑 No one can tell a story like she does. If you haven’t read any of her books, you are truly missing out.

The characters have settled in my heart (right along side Betty), built a home there, and forever they will stay.

The material is brutal and I would be lying if I told you this was an easy one to get through. It is raw, violent and ugly but also so tragically beautiful with so much hope. I feel like I’m not even making sense. But that’s what this book did to me. It left me feeling like I completely lack the ability to review a book in a way that gives it all the justice it deserves.

❕I think it needs to be said that this book is *loaded* with trigger warnings. If you check them and feel like you can, You. Need. To. Read. This. Book! You NEED Tiffany McDaniel to fill up your book shelves!

I now believe Tiffany McDaniel's writing just isn't for me: the overly poetic language and the clunky dialogue doesn't leave much of an impact.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Netgalley ARC - Pub Date: Feb 14, 2023
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On The Savage Side by Tiffany McDaniel is a gut-wrenching shocker of a story about addiction and murder. Specifically, the author develops this fictional story based on the true story of the “Chillicothe Six,” who went missing from the poverty and drug-addicted small town of Chillicothe, Ohio. I have read at least four books in the past year about the curse of opioid addiction, and this book will haunt me for a very long time. The two twin sisters, Arcade and Daffodil, are born one minute apart, and that beginning may have been the best and only good day in their lives. This story is scary, sad, harrowing, tragic, frightful, and honest. Born to an addicted mother, a dead father, a grandmother who loves them but can’t save them, and a crazy drug-fueled aunt, these girls don’t stand a chance. Nature and nurture are a fact of life, and no matter what, they were born to lose. They were born into a lifestyle that sucked the life out of them slowly. You can watch your own mother’s destructive life of prostitution to buy drugs and despise her for it. Still, one day, you will be looking in a mirror that reflects the toil of a druggie's face of vacant eyes, endless days of doing whatever to get your next fix, and eventually giving up your life. This story is VERY WELL TOLD, and the author doesn’t flinch in her description of this town where hope goes to die. It took me ten days to finish, but if you can, I challenge you to read “On The Savage Side” for a real-life look at trying to survive in unforgiving circumstances. The fact that this novel is based on factual events is shocking. Not every story ends well. #drugs #prostitution #fantasy #wastedlives #opiods #heroin #deadgirls #unresolved #murder #hopelessness #TRIGGERS #fiction #literaryfiction #mystery @netgalley @aaknopf #knopfpublishinggroup #book #books #bookaddict #booksofinstagram #bookstagram #bookstagramer #bookshelf #tiffanymcdaniel
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I received a complimentary copy of this book. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own. Thank you to Knopf Publishing, NetGalley, and the author for the opportunity to read this book. Pub Date: Feb. 2023.

This is not a story for the faint hearted. More a rolling history of desperation than a murder thriller, On the Savage Side tells the story of twins Arc and Daffy. While the book is inspired by local murders, McDaniel has spun a beautifully written tale of first children, then women trying to outrun the destiny projected upon them by tragedy and poverty.
This is a sad story, but I still loved it and recommend it to those who enjoy learning about the obstacles in life that some face.

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.