Nearly Perfect and a Blast of a Book
4.75 out of 5 stars
In my head when I’m writing this description I can hear the slow (and just flute version of) Morning Mood by Edvard Grieg (Youtube) because that’s what I hear when I’m thinking of a place called Bright Falls where people aren’t just people anymore. They are shifters that make up different classes and animals. There are Werebears and Werewolves and then you meet Jane Doe (aptly named) the main character who is a Weredere. She just turned 18 and is trying to work her way into enough money to get out of Bright Falls when her best friend’s sister turns up dead in an apparent murder. Recruited to find the murderer by her friend Jane Doe’s life will never be the same.
There are some authors that you realize that you like anything they write even when it’s not in a ‘typical’ genre. C.T. Phipps is that author for me. This is at least the third unique genre I’ve read that he’s written and I’ve liked them all. I Was a Teenage Weredeer (though the name and cover art did catch my attention) wouldn’t normally be a book that I thought “Yup! I have to read that” but… now I’m mad at myself for not thinking that. I Was A Teenage Weredeer was a blast from beginning to end.
Phipps and Suttkus kept cracking me up – all of the deer puns and the interaction between the different shifter species was great. Along with the hallowed history of Bright Falls and the mysterious “aura” and feeling that surrounded the town. I also didn’t know going into it (I don’t always read the entire synopsis for fear of spoiling the book) that this was going to be set in the same world as Straight Outta Fangton.
I Was a Teenage Weredeer while being a mouthful to say was one of those books that just got my sense of humor. As I mentioned above – the puns were great (and the notion that one of the stereotypes about weredeer were these bad deer-related puns). The premise of the book (a town is cursed and they must find a murderer) sounds typical but what Phipps and Suttkus do with it is far from that.
While not a perfect book it’s darn close. I ended up finishing this in less than two days because I couldn’t put it down. It should come with a warning telling you that you might lose sleep until you finish it.
I Was A Teenage Weredeer is a book for those who don’t take everything too seriously. A fantasy book that will make you laugh and a story about friendship, magic, and finding out who you really are all wrapped up into one.
The narration for this was done by Arielle DeLisle, who I thought did a fantastic job of bringing Jane to life. It was one of those voices that were so good that it’s hard to pull Arielle from Jane in my mind now.
Book Description:
Publisher’s Summary
From the best-selling author of the Supervillainy saga
Jane Doe is a weredeer, the least-threatening shapechanger species in the world. Blessed with the ability to turn furry at will and psychically read objects, Jane has done her best to live a normal life working as a waitress at the Deerlightful Diner. She has big dreams of escaping life in the supernatural-filled town of Bright Falls, Michigan, and her 18th birthday promises the beginning of her teenage dreams coming true.
Unfortunately, her birthday is ruined by the sudden murder of her best friend’s sister in an apparent occult killing. Oh, and her brother is the primary suspect. Allying with an eccentric FBI agent, the local crime lord, and a snarky werecrow, Jane has her work cut out for her in turning her big day around.
Thankfully, she’s game.
Set in the same world as Straight Outta Fangton.
I Was a Teenage Weredeer by CT Phipps, Michael Suttkus
Narrator: Arielle DeLisle
Length: 9 hrs and 54 mins
Series: Bright Falls Mysteries #1
Published by Crossroad Press on February 13th 2018
Genres: Fantasy, Mystery
Format: Audiobook
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Also by this author: Cthulhu Armageddon, Agent G: Infiltrator, The Tower of Zhaal, Lucifer's Star, An American Weredeer in Michigan, Lucifer's Nebula, Brightblade
Also in this series: An American Weredeer in Michigan, A Nightmare on Elk Street, The Bright Falls Mysteries Saga
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Awesome review for an amazing and hilarious writer duo :0
Thank you! This book was really funny.