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

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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brittonmc1221's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.0

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thebphiles's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious sad tense 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

4.75

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reading_and_roaming20's review against another edition

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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.

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a_stylish_bookworm's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Thank you @prhaudio for a copy of this audiobook.

This is a heavy read and be prepared for some intense topics such as addiction, child neglect and prostitution. The story is told by Arc and her life with her twin, Daffy, who lives with their mom and aunt who are both addicts and prostitutes. The girls life changes drastically when their grandmother dies.

The story is about these girls lack of upbringing and how they survived in such neglect. The writing is so beautiful and vulnerable. I love how the book centers on the other side of savage is a beautiful side and how this told throughout the story.

The narrator did such a phenomenal job with all the voices and bringing the personalities to life.

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