Review of On the Savage Side

On the Savage Side is a different kind of mystery. More victim-centered than the typical mystery or thriller, it is inspired by an Ohio true crime case and focuses on twin sisters Daffy and Arc and their life in a family struggling with addiction. If you enjoyed books like The Quarry Girls, definitely check out my review of On The Savage Side by Tiffany McDaniel.

On the Savage Side by Tiffany McDaniel

To be published on February 14, 2023 by Knopf. Thanks to the publisher for giving me an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Arcade and Daffodil are twin sisters born one minute apart. With their fiery red hair and thirst for an escape, they forge an unbreakable bond nurtured by both their grandmother’s stories and their imaginations.

Together, they create a world where a patch of grass reveals an archaeologist’s dig, the smoke emerging from the local paper mill becomes the dust rising from wild horses galloping on the ground, and an abandoned 1950s convertible transforms into a time machine that can take them anywhere.

But the two sisters can’t escape the generational chaos that grips their family. Growing up in the shadow of the town, the sisters cling tight to one another.

As an adult, Arcade wrestles with these memories of her life, just as a local woman is discovered drowned in the river. Soon, more bodies are found. While her friends disappear around her, Arcade is forced to reckon with the past. Arcade’s promise to keep herself and her sister safe becomes increasingly desperate while the powerful riptide of the savage side becomes more difficult to resist.

What Else Has Tiffany McDaniel Written?

Her first book was The Summer That Melted Everything, in 2016, and she followed that with Betty, a stark coming-of-age story set in Appalachia, in 2020.

Review of On the Savage Side

Wow, this was a very, very tough (but also moving) read, a mystery a very different kind. 

Just a heads-up that the book features depictions of abuse, domestic violence, and addiction. It’s a dark book that doesn’t shy away from the harsh realities of poverty, trauma, and human suffering.

Inspired by an unsolved true crime case in Chillicothe, Ohio, the book focuses on twin sisters, Arcade and Daffodil (Arc and Daffy).

Arc and Daffy live with their mother, who is grappling with mental health and addiction issues and sells herself to support her habit. The girls also have their grandmother and an aunt as a presence in their life, but they use their vivid imaginations to escape the very tough circumstances they find themselves in and tell themselves stories.

The story switches between a narrative of the girls at age ten and again at age twenty, when Arc, Daffy and their friends Thursday, Violet, Nell, and Indigo have also drifted into a life similar to the twins’ mother.

When the body of the woman turns up in the local river, the group mourns and resolves to stay careful, but a monster is roaming among them.

This was my first book by Tiffany McDaniel. She is a writer and poet and her writing is definitely on the lyrical side.

I really loved these two sisters, their one blue and one green eyes, their scrappy natures, and how they always tried to see the beauty in life despite their difficult circumstances.

I loved how nature and the river tied in to the story. In this sense the book reminded me of a few books I’ve read recently: The Paper Palace, which had a similar style and some similar themes, The Quarry Girls by Jess Lourey, which also was inspired by a true crime case and was very focused on humanizing the victims, and Before You Knew My Name by Jacqueline Bublitz, a story about a girl trying to solve another girl’s murder. So if you enjoyed these titles, you should definitely check out On The Savage Side.