Reviews tagging 'Blood'

On the Savage Side by Tiffany McDaniel

14 reviews

carrrrme's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

5.0

Tiffany McDaniel nos lleva en este libro a Chillicothe (Ohio), inspirándose en la historia real de un grupo de mujeres que aparecieron muertas en el río.
Estos crímenes no se investigaron lo suficiente debido a la condición de drogodependientes de las víctimas y la autora les da voz a ellas en este libro. Para ello, nos cuenta la vida de las mujeres con todo lujo de detalles, por lo que creo que no es un libro que vaya a gustar a quienes busquen un thriller al uso de los que se centran en buscar al asesino.

Las protagonistas son dos hermanas, Arc y Daffy, a las que vamos a conocer desde bien pequeñas. En un principio intentando sobrevivir a su sórdido ambiente doméstico y después, a la vida en el exterior, en un contexto plagado de adicciones, violencia y prostitución. El resto de personajes también están marcados por el sufrimiento y la violencia, aunque alguno es un rayito de luz entre tanta oscuridad. 
Pese a ser un libro tan duro, es cierto que el lenguaje tan lírico de Tiffany McDaniel consiguió que realmente disfrutara de esta lectura, está escrito de una forma bellísima, incluyendo muchas metáforas y rituales relacionadas con la naturaleza que provienen del folclore de la zona. 

Es un libro duro, con escenas que se me hicieron muy difíciles de leer y de procesar. No creo que sea para todo el mundo, sería buena idea que leyeras los trigger warnings si algunos temas son demasiado delicados para ti, porque en este libro pasa de TODO.  

Con todo ello, a pesar de que fue una lectura con la que sufrí mucho, para mí es un libro redondo. Creo que la historia de estas mujeres permanecerá conmigo mucho tiempo.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Child abuse, Death, Drug abuse, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Violence, and Blood

snowiceblackfruit77's review

dark emotional reflective sad tense fast-paced

• 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

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Content Warnings

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

lisaadam's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, and Pregnancy

bella_cavicchi's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional tense slow-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

4.0

I found ON THE SAVAGE SIDE difficult to read, so unflinching in its depiction of poverty and addiction that I read with a clenched stomach, gripped in empathetic pain. But without this level of violence and trauma, this book would be lying to itself, and for that reason, I consider it a winner.

The novel only fell apart for me (and only slightly!) in the repetition of its lyricism. Sometimes I felt like McDaniel was being intentionally opaque, and while it was always beautiful, I occasionally lost interest. But that is just one picky complaint of an otherwise stirring novel. I'm glad I read it.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child death, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Terminal illness, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail

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: Addiction, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Miscarriage, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Police brutality, Trafficking, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, and Injury/Injury detail

onmalsshelf's review

Thanks to the publisher for this review copy. Obviously this one is working for a lot of people, but it is not for me at this time. I may consider picking it up at a different time. 

DNF @ 60%

When I say I tried, I TRIED. 

I’ve been reading this since June 10th (today is September 10th) and I only got to 60%. 

I don’t mind dark books, but this is DARK and bleak - making for a combination that had me putting down my kindle after each chapter. I tried this on Kindle via eGalley as well as audio from Libby. 

While I know that it’s important for authors to inform readers of things that often get forgotten by using fiction, I get concerned when they started using overly descriptive language that seems like it would fit more in a romance novel.  

I wish that she had used the River aspect more because once that was gone, there was no flow. 

I finally set it down once animal neglect was added in because of course the author just has to pile on more dark things. 

I will say, the narrator for this is fantastic. Without the audio, I’m not sure I would have gotten to 60%. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Death of parent, 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: Addiction, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Blood, Trafficking, Toxic friendship, and Injury/Injury detail

kitty03's review against another edition

challenging dark sad slow-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Body horror, Child abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail

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

Moderate: Animal cruelty

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

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

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

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