Reviews tagging 'Torture'

On the Savage Side by Tiffany McDaniel

9 reviews

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. 

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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

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

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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

shelbybowers20's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Drug abuse, Alcoholism, Grief, Police brutality, Sexual assault, Violence, Drug use, Addiction, Pedophilia, Sexual violence, Torture, Child abuse, Misogyny, Murder, and Physical abuse

Minor: Animal death, Animal cruelty, Miscarriage, and Pregnancy

michelleklejmont's review

dark emotional sad medium-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Miscarriage, Blood, Addiction, Sexual assault, Drug abuse, Torture, Sexual violence, Violence, Drug use, and Death

Moderate: Animal cruelty

madif's review against another edition

dark emotional sad slow-paced

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

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Torture, and Drug abuse

eenie816'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? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Fantastic. So hard to recommend because of heavy trigger warnings.  I want to go back and reread because of the twist but not sure I can?  I borrowed it from the library but will probably buy a copy just in case I can get the nerve to read again.  

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pregnancy, Sexual violence, Addiction, Drug use, Murder, Body horror, Child abuse, Police brutality, Sexual assault, Death, Miscarriage, Rape, and Torture

Moderate: Animal death

briwithabook's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Body horror, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Abandonment, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Addiction, Death, Drug use, Toxic relationship, and Adult/minor relationship

Moderate: Alcohol, Alcoholism, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, Pedophilia, Dysphoria, Injury/Injury detail, and Confinement

Minor: Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Miscarriage, Police brutality, Pregnancy, Bullying, Vomit, Animal cruelty, Grief, and Gun violence

So many content warnings for this book. If you have any triggers at all, I’d recommend researching content warnings before reading it.

lost_luna's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad slow-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

5.0

This book has broken me repeatedly 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Car accident, Alcoholism, Addiction, Rape, Pedophilia, Miscarriage, Death of parent, Child abuse, Animal cruelty, Alcohol, Sexual violence, Torture, Sexual content, Grief, Drug use, Drug abuse, Animal death, Child death, Violence, Blood, Sexual assault, Pregnancy, Physical abuse, Murder, Emotional abuse, Death, and Cursing

Moderate: Self harm

reading_and_roaming20's review against another edition

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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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Pedophilia, Murder, Drug abuse, Sexual assault, Death, Drug use, Addiction, Body horror, Rape, Death of parent, Gore, Sexual violence, Torture, and Miscarriage