Reviews with content warning for Sexual assault - On the Savage Side

I pick one word to start my review. For 'On the Savage Side', the word I picked is 'gutted'.

Merriam Webster defines 'gutted' as: to destroy the inside of

This book was such a hard read. The list of trigger warnings is long: sexual abuse, rape, drug abuse, animal cruelty...there's more but I'm a bit stunned after finishing this and so I'm sure I'm missing some of them.

Somehow I was compelled to keep going. The writing definitely runs heavy with the purple prose and I normally don't like that but it worked for me this time. It made me feel like I was experiencing the floating haziness that Arc and the others in the story were experiencing because of their drug use. The extra wordiness did tend to drag the story out a bit long than necessary. The first 3/4 of the book, I was mesmerized; the last part was too much for me. But I also felt like I needed some of the purple prose sections to recover from the more reality based happenings...it became an escape for me just like it was for the characters.

I think what also kept me going was hope: I really did want Arc (and the others) to find a way out of the terrible life she was in and I kept reading hoping she would get there....I was pulling for her to make it. I saw the end coming

her murder

but was still engrossed along the way.

I think it's important to mention that the serial killer/murder aspect of the story is a small part of the plot. While this is inspired by the real-life case of the Chillicothe Six, this is not a story about an investigation into a serial killer. The vast majority of the story is given to Arc, her family and her friends' struggles with addiction and the (100% horrific) impact on their lives.

I have respect for this book and think it is very well-written. I put McDaniel's other book, 'Betty' on my TBR...but not for a while as I will need some time to recover from this one. If you can stomach the subject matter, it is a haunting story that will definitely give a reader a lot to think about.

Content Warnings

ksanderss's review against another edition

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challenging dark mysterious sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.0

A very sad, reflective, poetic story.

Content Warnings

kristen_spencer's review

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challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Content Warnings

motleybooksandtea's review

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dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

This book. Oof.

Stunning writing. SO LYRICAL. Passages and sentences is love to highlight and keep with me. But the content is brutal. REAL, and brutal. There were many times I thought I’d stop reading because it was so much to handle. But I’m glad I finished.

The topics are so hard but also so important. And she writes about them with honesty.

This is the most trigger warnings I’ve ever attached to a book, so please look them up. For someone without many triggers this was still a highly difficult read.

I don’t think it would be fair to give this a star rating as it was BEAUTIFULLY written, and any issues I would have are my own. This novel is loosely based on true events as well.

Content Warnings