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jnsonney's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Death, Drug use, and Gore
snowiceblackfruit77's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Addiction, Body horror, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail
fredrikamarias's review against another edition
- 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
4.25
Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gore, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Violence, Police brutality, Grief, Murder, and Pregnancy
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child death, Cursing, Death, Misogyny, Sexism, and Death of parent
breeamf's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.5
Graphic: Addiction, Child abuse, Gore, Pedophilia, Rape, and Sexual violence
Moderate: Body horror, Death, Drug abuse, and Drug use
reading_and_roaming20's review against another edition
- 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
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.
Graphic: Addiction, Body horror, Child abuse, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gore, Miscarriage, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Death of parent, and Murder