Scan barcode
lizzidown's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug abuse, Addiction, Rape, Physical abuse, Murder, and Pedophilia
alisonvh's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This book is beautifully written, but so sad. I was really hoping it would have a happy ending, but no such luck.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug abuse, Death, Addiction, Animal death, Child death, Drug use, Death of parent, Sexism, Sexual content, Murder, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence
readwithsabs's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Addiction, Sexual violence, and Child abuse
Moderate: Child death
artemisg's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Her is a blur. She is who we were. -Daffodil Poet
It has been said many times, but Tiffany McDaniel can write. Every sentence in this book was just beautiful and spoke to my soul.
My mother, aunt, and grandmother were women of hot skin who seemed to sweat even in the middle of a blizzard. Women who always put on mascara to the radio, talking with pride about our centuries-dead mamaw who was hung as a witch, not once, but twice. She was burned when the noose broke.
"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 of the future."
This novel is inspired by the unsolved murders of the Chillicothe Six and follows twins Arcade (Arc) and Daffodil (Daffy) as they discover bodies in the river, and their loved ones become bodies in the river. These bodies are of women who are not the “perfect victims”, they are women who, due to the circumstances of their lives, turned to drugs and prostitution. This makes them unimportant in the eyes of law enformecment and the eyes of the locals. But, they are important to their friends, their families, and themselves. This is a harrowing examination of girlhood and womanhood in poverty, of generational trauma, and drug addiction and abuse. It is heartbreaking and beautifully written and captivating and intense.
We fell silent with the chill, studying the woman on the ground before us, trying to find her story. We weren't sure if that story was in the new cuts up and down her arms, or in the old ones, scarred over. … Maybe she'd carved her name into a tree and picked her teeth when watched by the men with knives in their eyes. I couldn't stop imagining her life. In the winter, her pulling her coat tight against herself and pretending to smoke the cold air. I didn't know her enough to imagine the big moments of her life. I could only envision the small
ones.
McDaniel thrives when writing about complex and nuanced characters, and the characters we meet in this novel are that. The girls we meet have complex inner lives and are treated with incredible kindness by McDaniel and each other and incredible, violent abuse from other characters in the novel. They navigate some of the worst things that can happen to a person and somehow still treat one another with gentle love and kindness, even when they have not been shown any kindness in decades.
“Years from now," she said, "an archaeologist like you, Arc, will dig my tooth up and I'lI matter because I'll be from the past. They'll wonder who I was and they'll give me a better story than my truth."
The incorporation of nature into this book was an incredible narrative choice, as were the fictionalised autopsy reports. Reading them made me overwhelmingly emotional. Reading this book as a whole made me overwhelmingly emotional, it was devastating.
"But it's not a fire taking the women," she said. "It's a river."
"Drowning is just another way to burn us," I said.
It has been said many times, but Tiffany McDaniel can write. Every sentence in this book was just beautiful and spoke to my soul.
My mother, aunt, and grandmother were women of hot skin who seemed to sweat even in the middle of a blizzard. Women who always put on mascara to the radio, talking with pride about our centuries-dead mamaw who was hung as a witch, not once, but twice. She was burned when the noose broke.
"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 of the future."
This novel is inspired by the unsolved murders of the Chillicothe Six and follows twins Arcade (Arc) and Daffodil (Daffy) as they discover bodies in the river, and their loved ones become bodies in the river. These bodies are of women who are not the “perfect victims”, they are women who, due to the circumstances of their lives, turned to drugs and prostitution. This makes them unimportant in the eyes of law enformecment and the eyes of the locals. But, they are important to their friends, their families, and themselves. This is a harrowing examination of girlhood and womanhood in poverty, of generational trauma, and drug addiction and abuse. It is heartbreaking and beautifully written and captivating and intense.
We fell silent with the chill, studying the woman on the ground before us, trying to find her story. We weren't sure if that story was in the new cuts up and down her arms, or in the old ones, scarred over. … Maybe she'd carved her name into a tree and picked her teeth when watched by the men with knives in their eyes. I couldn't stop imagining her life. In the winter, her pulling her coat tight against herself and pretending to smoke the cold air. I didn't know her enough to imagine the big moments of her life. I could only envision the small
ones.
McDaniel thrives when writing about complex and nuanced characters, and the characters we meet in this novel are that. The girls we meet have complex inner lives and are treated with incredible kindness by McDaniel and each other and incredible, violent abuse from other characters in the novel. They navigate some of the worst things that can happen to a person and somehow still treat one another with gentle love and kindness, even when they have not been shown any kindness in decades.
“Years from now," she said, "an archaeologist like you, Arc, will dig my tooth up and I'lI matter because I'll be from the past. They'll wonder who I was and they'll give me a better story than my truth."
The incorporation of nature into this book was an incredible narrative choice, as were the fictionalised autopsy reports. Reading them made me overwhelmingly emotional. Reading this book as a whole made me overwhelmingly emotional, it was devastating.
"But it's not a fire taking the women," she said. "It's a river."
"Drowning is just another way to burn us," I said.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Drug abuse, Drug use, and Sexual violence
Moderate: Rape and Sexual assault
Minor: Child abuse and Pregnancy
trvshbvt's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I read Betty right before this which was my first introduction to Tiffany McDaniel. I loved Betty so much that I pushed On the Savage Side to the top of my to read list and once again, I am left in awe of Tiffany McDaniel’s storytelling.
This is another book that will stay with me forever. I feel like I know every single character as if I’ve met them in real life. I had no idea addiction played such a large part in this book, which is something that hits close to home. I appreciated the way McDaniel gave these women such detailed and moving backstories, showing that they were so much more than their addictions.
I thought I had a good idea of how the story would end but the actual ending had me audibly say “WHAT” to myself more than once.
An easy 5/5
This is another book that will stay with me forever. I feel like I know every single character as if I’ve met them in real life. I had no idea addiction played such a large part in this book, which is something that hits close to home. I appreciated the way McDaniel gave these women such detailed and moving backstories, showing that they were so much more than their addictions.
I thought I had a good idea of how the story would end but the actual ending had me audibly say “WHAT” to myself more than once.
An easy 5/5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Adult/minor relationship, Drug use, Addiction, Death, Drug abuse, and Child abuse
Moderate: Animal cruelty and Miscarriage
frmeden's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Sexual assault, Drug abuse, Drug use, Sexual violence, Addiction, Child abuse, Grief, Pedophilia, Police brutality, Rape, Death of parent, and Violence
Moderate: Child death
ember_is_gay's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
this was hauntingly beautiful and i want to read it all over again. i am stunned and i don’t think i have the words to describe how i feel about this book. i think this is genuinely one of the best books i have read in a while.
the last few chapters had me so thrown and i just was not expecting that twist. and i was so hopeful for the end, i was so hopeful for arc getting out. but i know that’s not what life is like, i was just wishing and hoping it would be different for her, but of course it couldn’t be.
to all the lost women, i will remember you and think of you often.
to all the lost women, i will remember you and think of you often.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual violence, Sexual content, Trafficking, Violence, Sexual assault, Blood, Rape, Child death, Animal cruelty, Death of parent, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Child abuse, Pedophilia, Police brutality, Torture, Addiction, Animal death, Cursing, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Vomit, Death, Miscarriage, and Murder
onmalsshelf's review
Thanks to the publisher for this review copy. Obviously this one is working for a lot of people, but it is not for me at this time. I may consider picking it up at a different time.
DNF @ 60%
When I say I tried, I TRIED.
I’ve been reading this since June 10th (today is September 10th) and I only got to 60%.
I don’t mind dark books, but this is DARK and bleak - making for a combination that had me putting down my kindle after each chapter. I tried this on Kindle via eGalley as well as audio from Libby.
While I know that it’s important for authors to inform readers of things that often get forgotten by using fiction, I get concerned when they started using overly descriptive language that seems like it would fit more in a romance novel.
I wish that she had used the River aspect more because once that was gone, there was no flow.
I finally set it down once animal neglect was added in because of course the author just has to pile on more dark things.
I will say, the narrator for this is fantastic. Without the audio, I’m not sure I would have gotten to 60%.
DNF @ 60%
When I say I tried, I TRIED.
I’ve been reading this since June 10th (today is September 10th) and I only got to 60%.
I don’t mind dark books, but this is DARK and bleak - making for a combination that had me putting down my kindle after each chapter. I tried this on Kindle via eGalley as well as audio from Libby.
While I know that it’s important for authors to inform readers of things that often get forgotten by using fiction, I get concerned when they started using overly descriptive language that seems like it would fit more in a romance novel.
I wish that she had used the River aspect more because once that was gone, there was no flow.
I finally set it down once animal neglect was added in because of course the author just has to pile on more dark things.
I will say, the narrator for this is fantastic. Without the audio, I’m not sure I would have gotten to 60%.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug use, Animal cruelty, Blood, Child abuse, Drug abuse, Violence, Sexual content, Death of parent, Addiction, Murder, and Panic attacks/disorders
slascano's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Sexual assault, Drug use, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Chronic illness, Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Toxic friendship, Torture, Trafficking, Violence, Addiction, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, and Drug abuse
kaitcetera's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.5
This was the most depressing book I’ve ever read and while I powered through, it was not worth it. I have enjoyed McDaniel’s writing in the past, but this book full of addiction, rape, violence, was too heavy. There is friendship and love but almost no hope.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Sexual violence, Rape, Physical abuse, Violence, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Child abuse, Child death, Car accident, and Bullying