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A review by pmoore1132
I Was a Teenage Weredeer by Michael Suttkus, C.T. Phipps
4.0
I Was a Teenage Weredeer is a pulpy, self-aware, and generally fun contribution to the SFF tradition. In parts it reads like a reverent response to its forebears. It doesn't shy away from paying subtle homage to Dresden Files and paranormal YA, and it makes frequent (and humorous) references to pop culture. Game of Thrones and Star Wars feature heavily in the dialogue, and often pop culture references seem to be the lens through which the protagonist Jane Doe understands her world. In addition to using pop culture as a mode of describing the world, I Was a Teenage Weredeer uses it as the subject of a number of jokes. The book is full of puns. As soon as I became mentally adjusted to hearing a pun thrown in every few minutes, I found it charming. Probably my favorite feature of Phipps' use of puns is that he isn't afraid to subtly slip them in where I didn't necessarily expect a joke. Some of these sneaky jokes appear during emotionally heavy moments, and, impressively, they somehow don't detract from the impact of their scenes.
The novel strikes a strong tonal balance. It doesn't take itself too seriously and never feels pretentious, but it has heart. The narrative never feels preachy or on-the-nose, and at the same time it deals with serious themes; loyalty, compassion, intrinsic versus instrumental value, and the legacy of violence are all important in certain parts of the story. First and foremost, though, the book is fun, and if it were about those themes, it wouldn't be as effective or as entertaining. Phipps knows that, and it shows.
Phipps' prose works well. It's largely invisible,but it delivers some vivid scenes and believable characters. For the most part, he knows how to select just the right word to convey his meaning. That may sound insignificant, but I'm picky when it comes to word choice, and this book didn't disappoint on that count.
I found myself most captivated by the moments of character development and character conflict. Several characters develop a strong voice throughout the book, and I found myself invested in their story. Even some of the characters playing an antagonist role earned my sympathy. Phipps does an excellent job of making me care about his characters by developing their relationships. I think that's where this book is arguably superior to, say, Dresden Files; whereas Dresden is about Harry and his adventures, Weredeer is really about a community. The events that take place in the story, as one might expect, affect the whole community, and Phipps expertly shows that.
I do have a couple of minor nits to pick. As much as I enjoyed many of the characters and their relationships, as much as I appreciated the unpretentious and nuanced exploration of certain moral issues, I found the plot itself to be sometimes wrapped up a bit too neatly. This book, as the subtitle suggests, is a mystery, and it doesn't leave nearly as many unanswered questions as I would have preferred. In answering these questions and delivering the reader some closure, the book also sacrifices some of that thematic nuance which I appreciated for most of the book.
But those are really my only complaints. I'm looking forward to following these characters in the next entry.
The novel strikes a strong tonal balance. It doesn't take itself too seriously and never feels pretentious, but it has heart. The narrative never feels preachy or on-the-nose, and at the same time it deals with serious themes; loyalty, compassion, intrinsic versus instrumental value, and the legacy of violence are all important in certain parts of the story. First and foremost, though, the book is fun, and if it were about those themes, it wouldn't be as effective or as entertaining. Phipps knows that, and it shows.
Phipps' prose works well. It's largely invisible,but it delivers some vivid scenes and believable characters. For the most part, he knows how to select just the right word to convey his meaning. That may sound insignificant, but I'm picky when it comes to word choice, and this book didn't disappoint on that count.
I found myself most captivated by the moments of character development and character conflict. Several characters develop a strong voice throughout the book, and I found myself invested in their story. Even some of the characters playing an antagonist role earned my sympathy. Phipps does an excellent job of making me care about his characters by developing their relationships. I think that's where this book is arguably superior to, say, Dresden Files; whereas Dresden is about Harry and his adventures, Weredeer is really about a community. The events that take place in the story, as one might expect, affect the whole community, and Phipps expertly shows that.
I do have a couple of minor nits to pick. As much as I enjoyed many of the characters and their relationships, as much as I appreciated the unpretentious and nuanced exploration of certain moral issues, I found the plot itself to be sometimes wrapped up a bit too neatly. This book, as the subtitle suggests, is a mystery, and it doesn't leave nearly as many unanswered questions as I would have preferred. In answering these questions and delivering the reader some closure, the book also sacrifices some of that thematic nuance which I appreciated for most of the book.
But those are really my only complaints. I'm looking forward to following these characters in the next entry.