Scan barcode
A review by barb4ry1
I Was a Teenage Weredeer by Michael Suttkus, C.T. Phipps
4.0
Actual rating: 3.75/5
I love Urban Fantasy. Here and now spiced with magical and supernatural elements appeals to me in a way only few setting do. Despite being reasonably well versed in the genre, weredeers are something new to me.
And they're only one of shapeshifters species living in Bright Falls.
Jane Doe is a teenage weredeer who wants to go to college and escape Bright Falls. Unfortunately, the chances of her escaping her small Michigan hometown are pretty slim - in some states, it's legal to shoot shapeshifters. For instance, she's working as a waitress at the Deerlightful Diner and tries to lead a normal life. Things change when her best friend's sister is murdered in an apparent occult killing. Jane's brother is the primary suspect. With the help of local drug dealer (sexy bad boy), FBI agent (sexy good guy) and other colorful characters, she'll have to solve the mystery and fight for the safety of her family.
I'll start with the characters. They're fun. Given that Jane is a teenager, the tone of the book is sarcastic, hormone-driven, but also entertaining. The characters have distinct voices and imagining them is easy. Their dialogues are often cheesy and contain a ton of pop-culture references (Twilight, Star Trek, Twin Peaks and many more). It's not a bad thing, as it's done well and I couldn't help but laugh out loud on more than one occasion. Also, deer puns were hilarious. To be fair, though, at times the story felt oversaturated with puns and funny moments. Too much of a good thing isn't always a good thing.
Underneath funny moments and banter, there's a darker side to the story. I can safely say that some of YA / UF tropes were subverted in an entertaining and clever way that doesn't shy away from social commentary. It touches racial and family issues, as well as power dynamics. Good stuff.
The plot is easy to follow but it still delivers some nice twists that push up the tempo.
I enjoyed writing - it's not the best prose on the market but it's the kind of light writing that makes you turn the pages and enjoy the story. It feels natural and is easy to follow. It also makes me believe the authors had as much fun writing it, as I had reading it.
In the end, I enjoyed the novel deerly, and I'll hunt for the sequel. Despite all those terrible deer puns ;)
I love Urban Fantasy. Here and now spiced with magical and supernatural elements appeals to me in a way only few setting do. Despite being reasonably well versed in the genre, weredeers are something new to me.
And they're only one of shapeshifters species living in Bright Falls.
Jane Doe is a teenage weredeer who wants to go to college and escape Bright Falls. Unfortunately, the chances of her escaping her small Michigan hometown are pretty slim - in some states, it's legal to shoot shapeshifters. For instance, she's working as a waitress at the Deerlightful Diner and tries to lead a normal life. Things change when her best friend's sister is murdered in an apparent occult killing. Jane's brother is the primary suspect. With the help of local drug dealer (sexy bad boy), FBI agent (sexy good guy) and other colorful characters, she'll have to solve the mystery and fight for the safety of her family.
I'll start with the characters. They're fun. Given that Jane is a teenager, the tone of the book is sarcastic, hormone-driven, but also entertaining. The characters have distinct voices and imagining them is easy. Their dialogues are often cheesy and contain a ton of pop-culture references (Twilight, Star Trek, Twin Peaks and many more). It's not a bad thing, as it's done well and I couldn't help but laugh out loud on more than one occasion. Also, deer puns were hilarious. To be fair, though, at times the story felt oversaturated with puns and funny moments. Too much of a good thing isn't always a good thing.
Underneath funny moments and banter, there's a darker side to the story. I can safely say that some of YA / UF tropes were subverted in an entertaining and clever way that doesn't shy away from social commentary. It touches racial and family issues, as well as power dynamics. Good stuff.
The plot is easy to follow but it still delivers some nice twists that push up the tempo.
I enjoyed writing - it's not the best prose on the market but it's the kind of light writing that makes you turn the pages and enjoy the story. It feels natural and is easy to follow. It also makes me believe the authors had as much fun writing it, as I had reading it.
In the end, I enjoyed the novel deerly, and I'll hunt for the sequel. Despite all those terrible deer puns ;)