On the Savage Side is definitely not for the faint of heart, as the story of sisters Arc and Daffy is very traumatic. I really loved McDaniel's writing, as it treats traumatic moments with grace and great writing. It treats the sisters respectfully. It was a very sad but well done book.

" A new Tiffany McDaniel novel?! I need it immediately!" Is what I thought to myself as I happily settled in to read On the Savage Side.
I forgot that Tiffany McDaniel writes books that grab hold of you in every way; your mind, your heart, and your soul are all at risk of being broken when you read her books and On the Savage Side is a masterpiece.

You can't help but to root for Arc & Daffy, the two sisters in this novel! It's painful to have hope for the sisters because even though it seems they might be cursed to an existence full of trauma they are so bright and imaginative.

This fucking book brought me to tears too many times to count!
I'm a regular horror reader and yet the villain in this book is one of the scariest I've ever read--combined with the terrifying grip of heroin On the Savage Side is heartbreakingly good. Sometimes I worry about books that are a little too trauma porn like, but On the Savage Side isn't that.

These characters will stay with me and I hope to maintain a bit of their wonder in this cruel world.

In conclusion GO READ THIS BOOK AND BE READY TO BAWL YOUR EYES OUT!

A raw, unsparing, and beautifully told story inspired by tragic true events. On the Savage Side is the new upcoming novel by Tiffany McDaniel, who is the author of BookTok favorite Betty. This book is inspired by the real-life story of the Chillicothe Six. Between 2014-2015, six women from Chillicothe, OH disappeared under mysterious circumstances; four of the six women have since been found deceased and the cases remain largely unsolved.

On the Savage Side follows the story of two twin sisters, Arc and Daffy. Growing up in rural Ohio, the sisters rely on each other to navigate a troubled family environment and the brutality of the world around them. Told from Arc’s perspective, the story alternates timelines between childhood and the present day where one-by-one local women are found drowned in the river. As we learn more about Arc and Daffy’s rocky journey through adolescence, we also start to uncover clues about the murders plaguing the town.

I loved Betty when I read it and I think I loved this even more. I really admire the way McDaniel is able to paint really vivid settings that immediately transport the reader directly into the story. A lot can be said about the way the author writes about nature because it’s almost magical, but in particular I found it such an interesting contrast between the often bleak subject matter that she writes about and the almost lush way that she describes the nature around which the story takes place. Through a combination of myth making and metaphor, the author is able to conjure images that are both highly fantastical yet feel deeply real.

You’ll know this if you’ve read Betty, but the way that McDaniel writes from the perspective of children is really unique and endlessly fascinating. Her children are both filled with innocence and wonder, but also have a striking way of seeing through to the truth and heart of their surroundings. In this book, the characters spend more of their time as teenagers and adults, but throughout it all, the writing feels luxurious; even as the story propels itself forward, particularly in the latter half of the book, the writing forces you to read slowly just to savor the beautiful language.

I would definitely recommend that folks check the content warnings because the book deals with some pretty heavy topics, but if this review has piqued your interest, or if you enjoyed reading Betty, I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.

this was incredibly dark and stunning. the writing hit me hard, as did the characters and what they went through. not for the faint of heart, and there were moments that felt weaker to me than others (the twist, the mother's diary), but overall this was striking and powerful. can't wait to read the author's other book.

Tiffany McDaniel can WRITE 😳😳😳

this book took me on a rollercoaster. there were times where i was ready to give it a 3 star, a 4, a DNF. but i was wrong wrong wrong. it’s nothing less than a 5✨

absolutely soul crushing. it’s the way she strings words together that bring about the strongest version of emotions to ever exist

McDaniel brings life to the Chillicothe Six through this novel. she tells us of their humanity, of the ways our society never created space for them to have a chance. this book is weird and beautiful and profound all at once. it’s a musing on addiction, disposable women, power hungry men. read ittt

This book was devastatingly beautiful and horrifically sad at the same time. The writing was exquisite, the characters were brilliant and tortured. Difficult subject.

Inspired by a true crime story and reflecting the savagery of Ohio’s heroin epidemic, McDaniel writes a poetic and wrenching novel of generational trauma, addiction, and sisterly love. 

Arcade and Daffodil are twins born one minute apart. Their unbreakable bond is forged by their parents’ betrayal and their grandmother’s stories. They build princess castles and crowns as flimsy protections from the neglect, violence and predators their mother and aunt invite into their home. 

The two sisters chase glimpses of joy and peace, while working the streets of their sad hometown, where young women are used and discarded. Then a local woman is discovered drowned in the river. Soon, more bodies are found. As their friends disappear, Arc and Daffy are forced to reckon with their past while a killer prowls their streets. Arc’s efforts to keep herself and her sister safe become increasingly desperate and the savage side engulfs her world.

McDaniel flays your heart open. Arc and Daffy’s love and despair is raw and rhapsodic. Their strengths are angelic and pure and their weaknesses are brutal. This is a family drama, a gender study, a murder mystery and a condemnation of society’s refusal to address rural addiction. I cried many times. It is not for the faint-hearted. But it is gorgeously written with gut-punch pacing and memorable, flawed yet compelling and beautiful female characters.

On the Savage Side by Tiffany McDaniel
Release Date: February 2023
Knopf Publishing Group
General genre: Literary, Domestic Drama, Crime
Subgenre/Themes: Small town, generational addiction, drugs (heroin), twins, sexual abuse, sex workers, rehab, missing women and girls, corruption, victims, trauma
Writing Style: Immersive, past & present POV, literary

What you need to know: Twin sisters are being raised by their mother and aunt in poverty and violence. A coming-of-age tale, the reader comes to intimately share in Arcade (Arc) and Daff's struggle to survive their circumstances, the nurturing people in their lives come and go in a constant ebb and flow of instability. In their teen years, they make friends they can relate to, but one by one, something happens to these young women. This novel was inspired by the true crime story of six women who went missing or were found dead in Chillicothe, Ohio.

My reading experience: This book will haunt me for the rest of my life. I truly believe that Tiffany McDaniel set out to write the most beautiful, memorable characters so that they will live in our reader's hearts forever- memorializing the tragic, real-life women who were murdered; their cases never solved. I will always remember the way this book made me feel. The lyrical prose describes the magical, vibrant, nature of young girls and women with their whole lives ahead of them. The way they are full of life and memories, dreams and aspirations, imaginations and wonder set against the backdrop of harsh reality. A nightmare. Drugs, sex work, violence, poverty, literally the most vulnerable prey in a playground for predators. Even the authorities don't care where they are, who they are with, or what will happen to them.
I felt sick to my stomach knowing what was coming and Tiffany McDaniel does not hold back or spare your sensitivities. This book ran my emotions through a full spectrum, chief among those feelings was anger. The same anger when I listen to true crime podcasts where law enforcement treats missing sex workers as throwaway people or teen girls as runaways. They blame the parents, the neighborhood, the drugs...anyone but the people actually out there victimizing, abusing, and murdering.
A truly harrowing story. I've never read anything like it and I will never forget it.

My final recommendation: This is for fans of Tiffany McDaniel's prior release, Betty. Coming-of-age stories where children must overcome impossible odds due to their life circumstances. If you want to bear witness to women who are abandoned, go missing, are victims of abuse, and there's just no justice, nobody to care or lift a finger to advocate for them. A powerful, harrowing read that stirs up strong emotions in your core.

Comps: Bastard Out of Carolina, Betty,

This is easily going to be one of the best books of 2023. This review contains possible mild spoilers.

This has got to be one of the most deeply moving and profound novels I’ve ever read. The development of Arc and Daffy throughout their childhood, adolescence, and adult years is gripping, and heart wrenching. To me, this is an example of how a book is both character-driven, and plot-driven. It was well laid out, and easy to follow.

I was so angry about the lifestyle they had to endure, and that the adults in their lives continually failed them. The only adult they had was their grandmother, then she was taken too soon. It’s sadly very realistic how these cycles of neglect are allowed to continue. Women have to fight extra hard for survival, even at an early age, and have to take care of one another. Arc and Daffy did not have this. Yet, these girls had one another through everything. They gave one another strength during the darkest times, and they still tried to see the best in their situation. The dark side of things was “the savage side”, where they coped with the evil in their lives.

The description of the drug addiction and consequences faced later in life is extremely realistic. While based in Ohio, this could really be true for any small rural area.

The women’s struggles to survive is frightening. Every man Arc and Daffy encounter seems to be a predator and they all gave me an “ick factor”. The judgement and lack of caring when women started to turn up dead is also sadly realistic. When a man is murdered, he usually doesn’t suffer the character attack like a woman does. This was captured perfectly in the novel.

I felt so many different emotions while reading this book, and this is one that will stay with me for a very long time. I was sobbing in the end and felt so much for Arc and Daffy. I feel as my words really do not give this the justice it deserves, just read it and you will understand.

Thank you to Tiffany McDaniel, Netgalley, and to the publisher for this e-arc in exchange for my honest thoughts.

Tiffany does it again! Pure magic - and by magic I mean heart crushing grief and a deep dive into the realities of poverty, addiction, and the deep impacts of the environments we are born into.
I absolutely adore everything this woman writes. Stunning writing, incredible depth of character, shocking twists (literal gasps came out of my mouth), and all the feels.
Thank you so much for allowing me to read this and provide feedback. Unfortunately I have none - it’s beautiful, in true Tiffany fashion.

Arcade and Daffodil are twins with a poor home life. They use their imaginations to escape together. As an adult, Arcade looks back upon her life while trying to avoid a killer and generational ghosts that haunt her.

This was such an emotional and hard hitting read. There are some major trigger warnings to be aware of (addiction, child abuse, sexual abuse, animal cruelty). I love books and dysfunctional families and the relationships , and friendships were all so interesting. The language and poetry was typical of Tiffany McDaniel, securing her spot as one of my favorite authors! This was a pretty genuine portrayal of addiction and the people that enable and support us in different ways.

“All the sadness goes away. The warmth washes over you. It’s the most magnificent thing. It makes me feel like glass. The way it breaks me into pieces. But I love being broken by it.”

On the Savage Side comes out 2/14.

Absolutely gorgeous prose, and an extremely important story told with empathy and love. Tiffany McDaniel just does not miss, this was one of my favorites of the year.

As always no one writes a book like Tiffany can. The layers she shows of a character. In on the savage side her third I have read of hers. We follow two twin girls as they struggle with poverty, pain and addiction. This raw sad tale will leave you thinking about it for years to come.

On The Savage Side is Tiffany McDaniel's third novel - I'm not sure I was ready for another novel that turns my insides and rips my heart out.

Inspired by the murders of the Chillicothe Six, McDaniel takes us deep inside a family struggling with addiction, poverty, and abuse. The reader knows from the beginning that this story is going to end in death, yet McDaniel weaves the sadness and tragedy with folklore, fables, and character storytelling. McDaniel's character development is second to none - you will feel all of the emotions right from the first page, and at times, you'll both love and hate the same characters.

On The Savage Side is not a fast read - you will need to read every word. There is a mystery/ true crime element at work in this novel, but McDaniel most successfully brings light to a marginalized group in our society, and she makes their story beautiful. I would consider this to be somewhat risky writing because I have seen other authors attempt to do the same and fail while McDaniel is authentic and organic in her portrayal of this group.

To be honest, I've never cried writing a book review, so I'm not surprised that it is a McDaniel novel that brings tears to my eyes while I reflect upon my reading. McDaniel is one of the most progressive and talented authors of our time.

Thank you to Tiffany for an ARC in exchange for review.

Wow. On the Savage Side is a tough one. My emotions were all over the place and completely jacked up; melancholy, rage, heartbreak.......Ooof, my head is still spinning.

McDaniel paints a vivid & shocking portrait of twin girls growing up in poverty, completely neglected, assaulted, discarded. What follows is a path of desperation & destruction that will break your heart.

There's love here too though. Especially between these two sisters, that’s so big, it feels tangible.

This book is heavy & raw, difficult to read and oh so beautifully written. This book will stay with me for a long time. It’s my first by McDaniel but certainly not my last!

4 stars! And big thanks to NetGalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review.
ttps://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5099689006

On the Savage Side is one of those books that sneaks up on you and takes all the air out of your lungs in the process. Beautifully written and equally horrifying at the same time, twin sisters Daffy & Arc have struggled more than most children - born to a widowed mom with heroin problem who relies on prostitution for her next fix, the girls end up in unspeakable situations, but the skill in which McDaniel tells this story is so beautiful , you will want to rescue the girls yourself.

This book has a lot of triggers so be sure to do some research if need be.

Thank you to Knopf for an advanced copy. All opinions are my own.

CONTENT WARNING: addiction, mention of death of a parent, grief, graphic depictions of drug use, gore, violence, blood, child neglect, prostitution, sexual abuse, death, murder, harm to animals, torture

From McDaniel’s other two books, I knew this one was going to be powerful, but I had no idea how hard this one was going to hit. And it scored a direct shot right to the feels, making me get attached to these women, even knowing what was going to happen. I found myself praying for a happy ending, even when I really didn’t think it was going to come, because that isn’t how McDaniel rolls.

If your life hasn’t been touched by addiction, it’s really easy to look down from a high horse. But when it has, this book hits completely differently. Arcade and Daffodil are twin sisters who are born into a life of chaos, with parents who are addicted to heroin. The story opens with their mother hanging up their father’s clothing in the windows after his overdose death. They live in a house with their mother and aunt, both of whom are addicted to heroin and support themselves through prostitution. The only stable spot in their life is their grandmother, who periodically takes custody of the girls, but relinquishes them back into their mother’s custody when she cleans up her act enough. However, it never sticks, and they’re subjected to neglect and wind up raising themselves.

You can already predict that this is going to set the stage for them to follow in the footsteps of their mother and aunt, and if you guessed that, you’d be right. Their life doesn’t improve, even though Daffy has an incredible talent for swimming and Arc expresses an interest in archaeology from a young age. We never see their mother or aunt encourage them to do anything positive with their talents, or even show them any love, affection, or even a tiny bit of care, and it’s heartbreaking. Reading about what the twins go through as children isn’t for the faint of heart, and the content warnings are rough—most of them are depicted pretty graphically and on-page, so beware before going into this of what you’re getting into.

Even with all of this, the story combines a feeling of claustrophobic and crushing despair and magical, flowery, lyrical writing. These women work to incorporate beauty into the ugliness of their daily lives, and despite everything happening around them, they cling to each other to develop the loving, family connections that they lack. I loved the bonds between the Chillicothe Queens, even as death is breathing down their necks, whether it’s from heroin or whoever is killing women in their town.

I found myself so invested in the stories of the women, even more so than discovering who was killing them. The tension amps up throughout the story, and it’s almost as if you can feel the net closing in around them, especially as the women in their circle start to disappear little by little. But what this story does most beautifully is painting them as individuals, rather than defining them by the choices they make. They’re each unique people with hopes, dreams, goals, and regrets, not simply addicts or prostitutes. That’s what they do, but it isn’t who they are underneath, and it’s just another part of the net that closes in around them.

This is a difficult read, but it’s extremely deep and powerful, and it has officially cemented McDaniel’s place as one of my favorite new authors. She’s one to watch, with a strong message and an incredible talent. If she isn’t on your radar, she should be.

“On the Savage Side” – Tiffany Daniel

Get ready to see A LOT of praise for this book, judging by the early reviews on NetGalley and GoodReads. I saw “Betty” all over Instagram and I expect the same for this one.

“On the Savage Side” is loosely based on the Chillicothe Six, impoverished women who found themselves victims of a suspected serial killer, as of now unsolved cases. While these murders occurred in 2014 and 2015, McDaniel places her tale in the 70s and 90s, tracing the lives of twins Arcade and Daffodil. To say that they are vulnerable is an understatement: their mother is a heroin addict and sex worker, and they live in poverty in the Appalachians. Several men arrive to abuse and take advantage of all the women in this book in all forms, not just “johns” and drug dealers but also police and others in authority who look down on them due to their place in society.

What follows is not up my street, bordering on misery porn for me. The lives and traumas of all the characters are told in both graphic detail and obtuse metaphor, somehow at the same time, to the point I found this a real slog to get through (it’s close to 500 pages, I don’t feel it needed to be). I think I can see what the author is going for here, and there are points where the stories of the twins mixed with the old folktales of the area really soar, but I just found this too much emotionally and literarily for me. That said, I reckon people out here will get on with it much better than I did. It certainly has merits, and other reviews I’ve seen have been way more positive. Feeling this could be a “A Little Life” type of book, incredibly Marmite.

Thank you to @netgalley, @knopf, @pantheonbooks and @vintageandanchor for an ARC copy in return for an honest review. On The Savage Side is released on 14th February, and it seems like the perfect Valentine’s gift….

Did you read “Betty”? Is this on your radar?

This book was bleak, thoughtful, so incredibly dark but at the same time hopeful and honest and beautiful. Giving a voice to the voiceless in such a tender way is an incredible act and Tiffany McDaniel did it with ease.

Thank you to the publishers for the arc.

Tiffany McDaniel's debut novel, Betty, was one of my favorite books of last year. I was definitely excited to see a new one from this author, and it did not disappoint! Very enjoyable read.