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mellhay's review
4.0
We get a few mysteries to solve. The pit of baby skeletons, Dr. Jones who brings a world of trouble with his desires, and Robyn's search. But we also have personal interests and conflicts. Jane's got two potential relationships brewing. We also meet new characters - Robyn, Larry, and Yolanda. Robyn is an interesting addition and we spend more time with her in the beginning.
What surprises me, how the authors manage to connect all these problems into one conversation. It's awesome. I wouldn't have pictured the conversation going as it did, but it fits the characters and the story. It all works together!
****FULL REVIEW TO FOLLOW****
What surprises me, how the authors manage to connect all these problems into one conversation. It's awesome. I wouldn't have pictured the conversation going as it did, but it fits the characters and the story. It all works together!
****FULL REVIEW TO FOLLOW****
abeckstrom's review
4.0
This review is for the audiobook version of An American Weredeer in Michigan read by Ariel DeLisle.
Phipps proves his first foray into YA was no fluke. Weredeer is very fun. If you enjoyed the first book in the series then picking up this one is a no-brainer. I have to warn you though--more deer puns.
Jane Doe returns as do BFF Emma, love interest Alex, and bad boy Lucien. Sadly, no one from Fangtown makes an appearance in this book either. Jane shows some maturity and growth here in her love life and takes charge earlier on in this book than it's predecessor.
The only criticism I could find against Weredeer is it feels a little pushy or agenda-ish or lecture-y (I can make up words) with regards to its LGBT characters. Inclusion is fine and great as long as its organic and helps to aid the reader/listener in empathizing or connecting with the characters and not used as a political device. How Emma's LGBT nature is portrayed made me less interested in her as a character instead of more.
Ariel DeLisle shows improvement as narrator from book 1 to book 2 in this series. She does a fine job of giving each character a distinct and distinguishable voice.
Once again, fans of Jim Butcher's Dresden or Kevin Hearne's Iron Druid series will find plenty to enjoy here (albeit the Bright Falls Mysteries series has a slightly more YA than the aforementioned Butcher and Hearne series) -- fun characters, witty banter, magic, etc.
I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.
Phipps proves his first foray into YA was no fluke. Weredeer is very fun. If you enjoyed the first book in the series then picking up this one is a no-brainer. I have to warn you though--more deer puns.
Jane Doe returns as do BFF Emma, love interest Alex, and bad boy Lucien. Sadly, no one from Fangtown makes an appearance in this book either. Jane shows some maturity and growth here in her love life and takes charge earlier on in this book than it's predecessor.
The only criticism I could find against Weredeer is it feels a little pushy or agenda-ish or lecture-y (I can make up words) with regards to its LGBT characters. Inclusion is fine and great as long as its organic and helps to aid the reader/listener in empathizing or connecting with the characters and not used as a political device. How Emma's LGBT nature is portrayed made me less interested in her as a character instead of more.
Ariel DeLisle shows improvement as narrator from book 1 to book 2 in this series. She does a fine job of giving each character a distinct and distinguishable voice.
Once again, fans of Jim Butcher's Dresden or Kevin Hearne's Iron Druid series will find plenty to enjoy here (albeit the Bright Falls Mysteries series has a slightly more YA than the aforementioned Butcher and Hearne series) -- fun characters, witty banter, magic, etc.
I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.
namaria's review
5.0
Entertaining read and well-written. It had a good cliffhanger. I'm looking forward to book three.
queenterribletimy's review
4.0
Actual rating: 3.5
The review is also available on my blog, paired with a song!
An American Weredeer in Michigan is set in a few months after the events in I Was A Teenage Weredeer. Jane appoints herself as the shaman of the town, Alex chases bad boys working for the FBI and Emma tries to avoid her family as much as she can. The short peace of the town is broken when Jane and Emma finds dozens of baby skeletons under a cliff. If a ritual serial killer isn’t enough, the leader of a cult called Ultralogy also appears on the scene seemingly fighting for saving the forest from Emma’s family. Once again, Jane finds herself in the middle of a magical conflict and promises she has to keep, even though it might end up with a disaster.
Jane is as witty and sarcastic as ever and I actually found myself warming up to her even more. She absolutely has no filter between her brain and mouth and thus she ends up in situations which she would be able to avoid otherwise. I’m still not sure about Emma, but it’s kind of cute the way Jane treats her like a puppy sometimes. I suspect if anyone else tried to handle her the same way, would end up with a limb or two missing. A few other characters from the previous book are also present, namely Alex and Lucien, still fighting over Jane, trying to outdo each other. At the beginning I was a bit worried that the love triangle is going to be a main plotline, but thankfully this part of the book was well written and Phipps didn’t overdo it. A little drama never hurts a story, but sometimes it’s hard to find the balance between enough and a bit overboard. Aside from the “old” cast, this book has new characters too namely Robyn and John Jones and a few others. Oh, and Raguel, the talking gun has much more role in this book, and apparently had become one of my favorite “characters”.
“My mother used to say any miracle that doesn’t leave you quivering on the ground questioning your sanity is insufficiently miraculous.” – Robyn
The plot itself is quite simple: Jane has to figure out who is behind the baby serial killing what the Ultalogists really want in Bright Falls, and what these two things have to do with each other, if anything. All the while she tries to keep her personal life together. While this time around I enjoyed all the pop cultural references more (especially the Harry Potter ones for obvious reasons) it felt like the mystery itself was just there to have a reason for Jane and the others to go from one place to the next, and for her to show off her sarcastic self.
“I tried to believe that. Of course, it would have been easier to believe if not for the fact I had to turn into a deer to duck out of the way of Jones pulling out a wand then firing glowing balls of hellish fire at me. ‘You are not going to Avada Kedavra me, Hermione!’ I shouted.”
For me the balance between comedy and mystery was off a bit and this book either should have been about 100 pages longer or should have one plot less to properly build up the mystery part and focus on that more. I mean, just the Ultralogist plotline would be good for a book if built up from scratch because it has a potential to be a twisting tale with interesting enough characters and villains. As it was, they felt like they were just in the story to have some bad guys for good measure. They felt lifeless, even though as I said, had the potential. A cult, especially a religious cult is always a good base for a book. Here the plot revolved more around the Dryad and Robyn and although this was interesting and raising a lot of questions, just wasn’t strong enough for a leading plot. Maybe if the Brotherhood was more involved, because that itself also has a lot of potential for a story. Probably less side characters crammed into such a short book would have been better too. We don’t really get to know them and they leave less space for the main characters to have their arcs, thus making it hard to connect with any of them.
Phipps obviously has fun writing this series and these characters. Once I put aside my initial misjudges after I read I Was a Teenage Weredeer I was able to enjoy the sequel much more. It’s witty, has a lot of references to pop culture (most of which I don’t get because I’m admittedly totally clueless), and a few turn of events which was actually surprising. But I can’t decide if I should take this book seriously (does it takes itself seriously?) or should I just look at it as some popcorn fun. Even so, An American Weredeer in Michigan improved compared to I Was a Teenage Weredeer. I could lean back, read, and just enjoy myself while giggling at some of Jane’s or the Merlin Gun’s comments. Who liked the first book of the Bright Falls Mysteries or C.T. Phipps’ other books, will find this one just as entertaining and full of deer puns which you’d think is impossible. If you are looking for some easy read, and Urban Fantasy with a comedy streak and a story with some moral lessons, shapeshifters and mages, the Bright Falls Mysteries might be up your alley.
The review is also available on my blog, paired with a song!
An American Weredeer in Michigan is set in a few months after the events in I Was A Teenage Weredeer. Jane appoints herself as the shaman of the town, Alex chases bad boys working for the FBI and Emma tries to avoid her family as much as she can. The short peace of the town is broken when Jane and Emma finds dozens of baby skeletons under a cliff. If a ritual serial killer isn’t enough, the leader of a cult called Ultralogy also appears on the scene seemingly fighting for saving the forest from Emma’s family. Once again, Jane finds herself in the middle of a magical conflict and promises she has to keep, even though it might end up with a disaster.
Jane is as witty and sarcastic as ever and I actually found myself warming up to her even more. She absolutely has no filter between her brain and mouth and thus she ends up in situations which she would be able to avoid otherwise. I’m still not sure about Emma, but it’s kind of cute the way Jane treats her like a puppy sometimes. I suspect if anyone else tried to handle her the same way, would end up with a limb or two missing. A few other characters from the previous book are also present, namely Alex and Lucien, still fighting over Jane, trying to outdo each other. At the beginning I was a bit worried that the love triangle is going to be a main plotline, but thankfully this part of the book was well written and Phipps didn’t overdo it. A little drama never hurts a story, but sometimes it’s hard to find the balance between enough and a bit overboard. Aside from the “old” cast, this book has new characters too namely Robyn and John Jones and a few others. Oh, and Raguel, the talking gun has much more role in this book, and apparently had become one of my favorite “characters”.
“My mother used to say any miracle that doesn’t leave you quivering on the ground questioning your sanity is insufficiently miraculous.” – Robyn
The plot itself is quite simple: Jane has to figure out who is behind the baby serial killing what the Ultalogists really want in Bright Falls, and what these two things have to do with each other, if anything. All the while she tries to keep her personal life together. While this time around I enjoyed all the pop cultural references more (especially the Harry Potter ones for obvious reasons) it felt like the mystery itself was just there to have a reason for Jane and the others to go from one place to the next, and for her to show off her sarcastic self.
“I tried to believe that. Of course, it would have been easier to believe if not for the fact I had to turn into a deer to duck out of the way of Jones pulling out a wand then firing glowing balls of hellish fire at me. ‘You are not going to Avada Kedavra me, Hermione!’ I shouted.”
For me the balance between comedy and mystery was off a bit and this book either should have been about 100 pages longer or should have one plot less to properly build up the mystery part and focus on that more. I mean, just the Ultralogist plotline would be good for a book if built up from scratch because it has a potential to be a twisting tale with interesting enough characters and villains. As it was, they felt like they were just in the story to have some bad guys for good measure. They felt lifeless, even though as I said, had the potential. A cult, especially a religious cult is always a good base for a book. Here the plot revolved more around the Dryad and Robyn and although this was interesting and raising a lot of questions, just wasn’t strong enough for a leading plot. Maybe if the Brotherhood was more involved, because that itself also has a lot of potential for a story. Probably less side characters crammed into such a short book would have been better too. We don’t really get to know them and they leave less space for the main characters to have their arcs, thus making it hard to connect with any of them.
Phipps obviously has fun writing this series and these characters. Once I put aside my initial misjudges after I read I Was a Teenage Weredeer I was able to enjoy the sequel much more. It’s witty, has a lot of references to pop culture (most of which I don’t get because I’m admittedly totally clueless), and a few turn of events which was actually surprising. But I can’t decide if I should take this book seriously (does it takes itself seriously?) or should I just look at it as some popcorn fun. Even so, An American Weredeer in Michigan improved compared to I Was a Teenage Weredeer. I could lean back, read, and just enjoy myself while giggling at some of Jane’s or the Merlin Gun’s comments. Who liked the first book of the Bright Falls Mysteries or C.T. Phipps’ other books, will find this one just as entertaining and full of deer puns which you’d think is impossible. If you are looking for some easy read, and Urban Fantasy with a comedy streak and a story with some moral lessons, shapeshifters and mages, the Bright Falls Mysteries might be up your alley.
audiobookmel's review
4.0
My review and an extended sample of the audiobook are posted at Hotlistens.com.
Jane Doe, our nineteen year old weredeer lead character is at it again. She can’t help but stumble into trouble. It seems wherever she goes, she finds trouble. This time, while out on a picnic with her best friend and werewolf, Emma, they are met with two monster hunters. Then stumble upon a mass grave of baby skeletons.
The villain even has two different references that I always thought about when he was mentioned. Dr Jim Jones. There are times when they talk about Jim Jones, and yes, he is a cult leader too, which always made me think of Jonestown. Then other times, he’s called Dr. Jones, which makes me think of Indiana, which this Dr Jones really doesn’t match in my eyes.
So, Jane has to battle another baddie with a little help from her friends. Some hard choices have to be made by many. Jane’s gun continues to be snarky. We also learn more about the gun’s history.
Oh, should I mention Jane’s relationship issues? There is this hot FBI agent, Alex, who she has had a bit of a long distance thing going on with for a while. Then there is Lucien, mob boss who own a nightclub with a portal to hell. Oh, and he’s Alex’s adopted brother, Lucien being the one adopted into the family. Emma also has a crush on Jane. Jane is bisexual, but is a little creeped out about her best friend having a crush on her. There is just a lot going on here and I wish there was less. I think we’ve made some progress on this, but I’m not 100% sure yet.
This is a humorous mystery that will be enjoyed by urban fantasy and cozy mystery fans alike. While, I don’t think there are quite as many deer puns (evidently, that is something that weredeer just love, puns) in this book as the previous one, there are still plenty to keep you chuckling. There are also more than plenty pop culture references to make everyone happy.
I continue to enjoy the humor that these two authors bring to this series. I can’t wait to read more to see what’s next in store for Jane Doe and the gang.
Narration
I continue to enjoy Arielle DeLisle’s narration of this series. Her voice sounds a bit young, but since Jane is only nineteen, I’m okay with it. I like the voices she chooses for most of the characters. I don’t mind the men’s voices, which are pretty masculine when compared to Jane’s young voice. I like the women’s voices. I think she does a great job bringing out the humor in this series.
Jane Doe, our nineteen year old weredeer lead character is at it again. She can’t help but stumble into trouble. It seems wherever she goes, she finds trouble. This time, while out on a picnic with her best friend and werewolf, Emma, they are met with two monster hunters. Then stumble upon a mass grave of baby skeletons.
The villain even has two different references that I always thought about when he was mentioned. Dr Jim Jones. There are times when they talk about Jim Jones, and yes, he is a cult leader too, which always made me think of Jonestown. Then other times, he’s called Dr. Jones, which makes me think of Indiana, which this Dr Jones really doesn’t match in my eyes.
So, Jane has to battle another baddie with a little help from her friends. Some hard choices have to be made by many. Jane’s gun continues to be snarky. We also learn more about the gun’s history.
Oh, should I mention Jane’s relationship issues? There is this hot FBI agent, Alex, who she has had a bit of a long distance thing going on with for a while. Then there is Lucien, mob boss who own a nightclub with a portal to hell. Oh, and he’s Alex’s adopted brother, Lucien being the one adopted into the family. Emma also has a crush on Jane. Jane is bisexual, but is a little creeped out about her best friend having a crush on her. There is just a lot going on here and I wish there was less. I think we’ve made some progress on this, but I’m not 100% sure yet.
This is a humorous mystery that will be enjoyed by urban fantasy and cozy mystery fans alike. While, I don’t think there are quite as many deer puns (evidently, that is something that weredeer just love, puns) in this book as the previous one, there are still plenty to keep you chuckling. There are also more than plenty pop culture references to make everyone happy.
I continue to enjoy the humor that these two authors bring to this series. I can’t wait to read more to see what’s next in store for Jane Doe and the gang.
Narration
I continue to enjoy Arielle DeLisle’s narration of this series. Her voice sounds a bit young, but since Jane is only nineteen, I’m okay with it. I like the voices she chooses for most of the characters. I don’t mind the men’s voices, which are pretty masculine when compared to Jane’s young voice. I like the women’s voices. I think she does a great job bringing out the humor in this series.
alwroteabook's review
5.0
The author very kindly gave me an audio copy of his book for my listening pleasure, and perchance a review. Both of said boxes have now been ticked. There are also minor spoilers.
Jane Doe is a hoot. If you haven't read I was a Teenage Weredeer, please do so right now. She's sassy, sarky and steeped in pop culture references most teenagers only know from their parents (if they don't already know everything and still listen to them). The narrator nails the job, making her sound like, well, not a pain-in-the-ass teenager.
The story moves on from the first in the series. Having completed "The Quest," Jane has gotten on with life, and much of the novel seems to focus on that. At times it seems a bit superfluous, going over the first in the series (I'm not a fan of such tactics), but it's still darn funny, so it gets a hall pass. There's a new bad guy in town, but is all as it appears to be? This is Bright Falls, so you better believe there's more twists and turns than a bag of rotini.
Similar to the Agent G sequel (which also waxed too much about the original), the action and plot really ramp it up over the last quarter of the book, and the payoff is worth it. While not unique, it's at least as funny as the original, and well worth reading/listening to. If you want a complaint, I thought the narrator didn't quite echo my take on Alex.
Check it out. You know you want to...
Jane Doe is a hoot. If you haven't read I was a Teenage Weredeer, please do so right now. She's sassy, sarky and steeped in pop culture references most teenagers only know from their parents (if they don't already know everything and still listen to them). The narrator nails the job, making her sound like, well, not a pain-in-the-ass teenager.
The story moves on from the first in the series. Having completed "The Quest," Jane has gotten on with life, and much of the novel seems to focus on that. At times it seems a bit superfluous, going over the first in the series (I'm not a fan of such tactics), but it's still darn funny, so it gets a hall pass. There's a new bad guy in town, but is all as it appears to be? This is Bright Falls, so you better believe there's more twists and turns than a bag of rotini.
Similar to the Agent G sequel (which also waxed too much about the original), the action and plot really ramp it up over the last quarter of the book, and the payoff is worth it. While not unique, it's at least as funny as the original, and well worth reading/listening to. If you want a complaint, I thought the narrator didn't quite echo my take on Alex.
Check it out. You know you want to...
spazenport's review
5.0
An American Weredeer in Michigan is the newest urban fantasy novel from C.T. Phipps and Michael Suttkus. The book takes place a year after the events of the first book, I was a Teenage Weredeer, and follows the same protagonist, Jane Doe. The entire series takes place in a world that has gone through the "Reveal" a time in which supernatural elements of the world are known to everyone and the world is still reacting to that information. Michigan is, more or less, a safe place to be, but a lot of people didn't react well to the revelation and a new type of racism bursts forth.
So, when the new Shaman of Bright Falls, Jane, discovers a mass grave of discarded babies she already had a lot on her plate. Someone has been discarding newborns for the last hundred or so years, and it's an atrocity that can't go unpunished. Teaming up with her crew from the last book, Jane is on a quest to stop the murder of innocent lives...
Until a few more things come up. First, there's a cult leader/wizard who wants to find the person or being responsible for the massacre and harness them for his own purposes. Also, money is an issue for the young and inexperienced Jane, and she's struggling to make ends meet when the current leader of the werewolves wants to buy out her family business. Jane is, of course, reluctant to sell.
Oh, and her boyfriend's brother is super into her. Her day is going to be a busy one.
Jane is a snarky protagonist in the vein of Harry Dresden and I love her for it.
I like ( a lot) how Phipps makes you feel the tension between Alex, Jane, and Lucien. The relationship, or confusion considering it, between herself and Lucien, and herself and Alex, is something that Phipps and Suttkus build up really well. Robyn, a new character introduced in this story, I like specifically because of her "Watson-esque" role she's taken over for Jane. She becomes our outsider that helps us understand things while playing a pivotal role to the story, and I love that. She also feels like she came from Straight out of Fangton (another book that takes place in this universe, but not in this series), in her personality, which really helps tie the two series together in a thematic way.
I can't recommend the Weredeer series by Phipps and Suttkus more. We have books that we read for fun and enjoyment, and we have books that we read as guilty pleasures. This is one of my guilty pleasures, falling into the snarky hero/urban fantasy genre that I always go back to.
5 out of 5, will grab up the next one as soon as it is out.
So, when the new Shaman of Bright Falls, Jane, discovers a mass grave of discarded babies she already had a lot on her plate. Someone has been discarding newborns for the last hundred or so years, and it's an atrocity that can't go unpunished. Teaming up with her crew from the last book, Jane is on a quest to stop the murder of innocent lives...
Until a few more things come up. First, there's a cult leader/wizard who wants to find the person or being responsible for the massacre and harness them for his own purposes. Also, money is an issue for the young and inexperienced Jane, and she's struggling to make ends meet when the current leader of the werewolves wants to buy out her family business. Jane is, of course, reluctant to sell.
Oh, and her boyfriend's brother is super into her. Her day is going to be a busy one.
Jane is a snarky protagonist in the vein of Harry Dresden and I love her for it.
I like ( a lot) how Phipps makes you feel the tension between Alex, Jane, and Lucien. The relationship, or confusion considering it, between herself and Lucien, and herself and Alex, is something that Phipps and Suttkus build up really well. Robyn, a new character introduced in this story, I like specifically because of her "Watson-esque" role she's taken over for Jane. She becomes our outsider that helps us understand things while playing a pivotal role to the story, and I love that. She also feels like she came from Straight out of Fangton (another book that takes place in this universe, but not in this series), in her personality, which really helps tie the two series together in a thematic way.
I can't recommend the Weredeer series by Phipps and Suttkus more. We have books that we read for fun and enjoyment, and we have books that we read as guilty pleasures. This is one of my guilty pleasures, falling into the snarky hero/urban fantasy genre that I always go back to.
5 out of 5, will grab up the next one as soon as it is out.
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