Just completely bleak from the beginning. Every terrible thing that can happen to a person happens in this book and it was pretty brutal to read. I didn’t love Betty but was inspired to read this one because the writing was just stunning. On the Savage Side was no different, and despite the deep sorrow of the book I felt that the writing elevated it and kept me going. I kind of wish that the river pov was used throughout the novel rather than being packed in the beginning, and I did find the twist at the end to be kind of cheesy. Something about the characters didn’t feel super authentic, but I also can’t really speak to the level addiction, poverty, and abuse that influenced these characters’ actions and style of speaking/thinking. I think the last chapter really captured the essence of this novel and made me go “oh, this is what she was going for!” and brought everything together. Ultimately, this felt like a much more together novel than Betty, though I still wished for a bit more cohesiveness at the end.

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challenging dark emotional reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.75

On the Savage Side was both beautiful and brutal, something that came as no surprise to me since I’d already read Betty. Knowing that this story is inspired by the Chillicothe Six it was clear that it was going to be bleak and brutal, that happy endings for the characters were unlikely. The book is a compassionate and unflinching look at the reality for girls and young women whose lives involve abuse, addiction, and prostitition, who live on the margins of society, and whom society (mostly) has given up on. Even though I’m well aware of the harsh realities of the world, the way the men in this story disregarded and abused women, that Arc and the others knew so many men who could realistically have been responsible for the killings, that some police were predators while others were complicit or did not care, gutted and infuriated me all the same. I credit McDaniel’s writing with that. It was lyrical and beautiful and she really made the reader care about her characters. They were daughters, sisters, wives, mothers and friends. They’d been children with talent, imagination, and curiosity, who had dreams for their futures and desperately wanted better for their children. The love and support especially between sisters Arc and Daffy, but also between Harlow, Imogen, Violet, Thursday and Sage Nell was another point of beauty. So too was the way the characters drew on the environment as well as local folklore and mysticism as sources of strength. Another source of strength was the concept of a savage side and a beautiful side which became an extended metaphor throughout the story and was an important legacy from Mawmaw Milkweed. I loved the way they referred to themselves as Queens, a poignant juxtaposition to the way society treated them.

McDaniel included a couple of innovative aspects in this book which enhanced my reading experience. The first was the short sections narrated by the river and briefly outlining the fate of a woman’s body. This won’t be to everyone’s taste but it worked for me. The second was her sketches. It didn’t take long for me to get a sense of deep dread every time I saw a spider, while the annotated sketches for each dead woman emphasised their uniqueness and the reality of their murder. Finally, I want to mention a twist that comes towards the end of this story. Some readers may be surprised and feel a little manipulated. I had suspicions but even had I not, I still feel the twist fitted the book’s theme, and added to the nuance and complexity of the characters and the bonds between them.

Highly recommended but only when you are up for a heavy read.

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challenging dark emotional sad tense 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

What a gorgeous, yet brutal story. Days later, I am struggling to put coherent thoughts down to accurately express what this book is.

The circumstances sisters Arc and Daffy endured from childhood and beyond are heart wrenching. The reality is that the abuse and cycle of addiction within the pages of their story is not at all fictional for so many. TIFFANY MCDANIEL humanizes and creates empathy for women on the fringes. I had such love for all of the Chillicothe Queens.

MCDANIEL uses unique aspects of this book to make it so much more. The first section blew me away with the river’s perspective of a murdered woman traveling through her waters at the end of each chapter. It was both eerie and beautiful.

This book is not going to be for everyone. As far as content warnings go, it’s got them all. There are graphic descriptions of drug use, assault, and violence. But they are not gratuitous or included for shock value. Each horrific scene serves a purpose in building the story and invoking emotion in the reader.

There are illustrations throughout that set the scene as you progress from one chapter to the next. I made an effort to finish reading at one of these illustrations each time I put the book down. I would absolutely recommend this strategy. It immediately put me back in the story to open back up to a keyhole or drawing of an eye.

And I can’t post this review without giving MCDANIEL credit for one of the best twists of all time. It is not often that I am caught so completely off guard. Honestly, just incredible.

There is simply not enough that can be said about ON THE SAVAGE SIDE. It deserves all the stars and then some.

Content Warnings

lilacsandliterature's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional mysterious sad slow-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

5.0

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_treatyoshelves_'s review against another edition

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5.0

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