I Was a Teenage Weredeer

Bright Falls Mystery #1

by C.T. Phipps, Michael Suttkus

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 eighteenth 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.

Genres: Urban Fantasy, Fantasy, Mystery, Paranormal, Young Adult, Humor, Audiobook

275 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 21, 2017

About the author

C.T Phipps is a lifelong student of horror, science fiction, and fantasy. An avid tabletop gamer, he discovered this passion led him to write and turned him into a lifelong geek. He is a regular reviewer on Booknest.EU and for Grimdark Magazine.

He's written the Agent G series, Cthulhu Armageddon, the Red Room Trilogy, I Was A Teenaged Weredeer, Lucifer's Star, Psycho Killers in Love, Straight Outta Fangton, The Supervillainy Saga, and Wraith Knight.

Blog: http://unitedfederationofcharles.blog...

Website: https://ctphipps.com/

C.T. Fanclub: https://www.facebook.com/groups/14917...

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/ctphipps

Reviews

[Montzalee Wittmann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Re-read audible book version July 2019
I Was a Teenage Weredeer
Bright Falls Mysteries Series, Book 1
By: C. T. Phipps, Michael Suttkus
Narrated by: Arielle DeLisle
This is an audible book I requested and the review is voluntary.
The only thing better than reading a hilarious Phipps book is having someone else reading it to you, someone professional! Yep, this book was awesome! Who knew deer love puns? It is an informative book too! Lol! They must have a sense of humor because Jane Doe, yes, Doe as in deer, is a weredeer! There is a whole bunch of shifters in this town. Vampires too. There is a serial killer too! Jane is drafted to help find it. Jane really grows up fast! There are a lot of secrets in this little town, some of it Jane is not going to want to know. Lots of action, danger, magic, creatures, mysteries, and humor! Very funny book!
The narration was performed excellently! Great job!






E-book Sept 2017
I Was a Teenage Weredeer (Bright Falls Mysteries, #1)
by C.T. Phipps and Michael Suttkus
I was given this book to read and the review is voluntary, but boy would I be a real jerk not to tell everyone I could about this fun book! This book had me smiling or smirking or laughing or groaning frequently. Jane Doe, are gal of the story, yes... Jane DOE, is a shifter in the Deer family. All shifters in the area have a gift, hers is ....well you have to read the story...this isn't a book report!
This book is sooo clever and fun, so full of puns too that apparently deer don't like, who knew?
There were moments of suspense, battling evil but not like I have ever read before. Nope, not like I have ever read before. This book is certainly a hoot. There is murder and mayhem. There is craziness and fun, all based around an ancient legend and spell. Mystery, twists, turns, adventure, magic, creatures, shifters, and more. This book is a fun book to read and I enjoyed it tremendously!!! I can't wait for book 2!

[Petros Triantafyllou · Rating 5 out of 5]

Urban Fantasy at its finest.

Jane Doe, as the title indicates, is a teenage weredeer. Now, one would think that being a weredeer is a big deal, but for Jane it's just life. After all, the rest of her family are weredeers as well, and they live in a small town in Michigan which is full of other shifters. So Jane leaves an ordinary, mundane life. Or at least she used to, up until the moment her best friend Emma (who's a werewolf btw) informs her that Jane's brother is the prime suspect for the murder of Emma's sister. What would a teenage girl do in such an event? Nothing less than investigate the murder herself, of course.

"The wind stopped for a second. I didn't know how long its invitation would last so I turned into my deer form and ran for the inside as quickly as possible. The moment my hind legs passed through the threshold, the door shut behind me and locked. We were getting some real haunted-house stuff here. Poltergeist meets the Evil Dead movies. I still had nightmares about the television and the laughing moose head."

I loved this book. What is there more to say? IWaTW has an interesting and unusual (in a positive way) format with a well-structured plot and a great in-depth characterization. The pace is excellent, with exciting yet dreadful events succeeding one another and building momentum for the finale.

The multi-leveled characters are likable (or compellingly distasteful) and interesting to follow. The world-building is masterfully developed and easy to delve in, and the magical elements are strategically placed to serve the story. Finally, I would be amiss if I didn't mention Phipps' delightful humor, full of deer puns and easy to spot cultural references.

All in all, I Was a Teenage Weredeer is an amazing urban/contemporary novel with a perfect blend of action and humor, and I highly recommend it to every fan of this genre.

[Gavin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun YA UF comedy that had a feel of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Veronica Mars about it. The world was fun and packed with some cool magic. We got shape-shifting, spirits, and all sorts of other crazy magic. The story had plenty of humor and a bit of action and mystery. Some parts of it were weirdly dark despite the light tone!

The story followed 18 year old weredeer Jane Doe as she got caught up in solving the mystery of an occult killing of one of her classmates that her brother has been blamed for. As well as being a weredeer Jane also has the additional ability of being able to magically read objects. Which comes in pretty useful for detecting stuff!

I felt like the story was quite fun. Jane and her friend Emma were easy to like and both seemed pretty horrified by all the deer puns which helped to make them even more hilarious. The rest of the secondary characters proved decent enough as well be they friend or foe.

If I had to pick out some flaws I'd say some of the action towards the second half when Jane got caught up in battling the evil spirit was not all that exciting. Another slight flaw was the fact that all three major secondary characters were attracted to Jane. This can be OK but annoyed me this time as I've been reading an absolute ton of wish-fulfilment stories like this of late and think I've hit burnout! I did actually like a bunch of the pop culture references in the story but felt like a few of them were out of place for an 18 year old lead character. Especially the music, gaming, and movie references. What kid watches and listens to a bunch of crap from the years before they were even born? I definitely did not!

This story was set in the same world as Phipps's Straight Outta Fangton. SoF focused on the vampires and was mostly set in the vampire haven of Detroit. I was a Teenage Weredeer switched the focus to the shape-shifters and a town in one of their only two haven states in Michigan. I felt like this worked well as a companion read to Straight Outta Fangton but I also feel like it could be easily read as a standalone in its own right.

All in all I felt like this was a fun UF read and I'll definitely be picking up the sequel.

Rating: 3.5 stars. A slight decrease in quality in the second half of the story added with the tiny flaws I mentioned ended up costing this one half a star.

Audio Note: I felt like Arielle DeLisle did a decent job with the audio. She has a good voice and seemed to get the tone of the story and the timing of her comedic delivery right most of the time. The one flaw was that a few of her secondary character voices could have been better. Still, on the whole I did like her performance.

[Emma · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

Jane Doe feels trapped. She’s a weredeer, in a family of weredeer, all residents of Bright Falls, Michigan, a town full of shifters. In this world, supernaturals have been outed, at least in part, since the vampires’ decision to reveal themselves. But that hasn’t led to peace and happiness for all, instead shifters have dangerous lives outside specific safe havens, with the possibility of being shot just for who they are. She wants more, but she’s stuck. Thankfully, on her birthday, the town mean girl turns up dead. What a present. Except the police think her brother may be the killer. Not so good. So now she has to prove he didn’t do it and the find the real culprit, but at least she’s no longer bored...

I had two conflicting responses to the book’s concept. The immediate seller was the puntastic name of both the character and the family eaterie she works in, the Deerlightful Diner. Little did I know that these were the tip of the iceberg, the book is worth reading for the deer puns alone. The fact that the author makes punning a thing weredeer and shifters in general are fascinated by, and which they literally can’t avoid doing whether they realise it or not, was absolutely perfect. Jane, herself, is in denial- one conversation in which her accidental puns are exposed made me genuinely laugh aloud. I hadn’t noticed them either. On the other hand, the rather more negative reaction was to the main character being a weredeer. A deer. Seriously? If you filled in one of those internet quizzes: ‘What Kind of WERE are YOU??? Click to find out NOW’ and you got a deer, you’d be disappointed. If i’m not some kind of big cat, i’m not playing. Nobody wants to be prey. The whole point of being a were-anything is that you change from normal to special, deadly and sexy-dangerous, or what’s the point? So that was the downer. I wasn’t sure how the author was going got pull this off- how interesting can a deer be after all? The honest answer is more than you’d think. Her deer form is pretty strong and she can also psychically read objects. Not just in a this-knife-was-used-in-a-crime kind of way, but a full see-the-whole-event-in-stereo kind of way. On top of that, she’s intelligent, ballsy, and a wonderfully funny narrator.

For the most part, the chatty, teen drama tone of the book worked well, even if the attitude and emotional ages seemed more like 16ish at the most rather than the 18 plus they actually were. There were some moments, especially in the rapid conversation between the younger characters, that made the book feel too YA for me. It was a bit Dawson’s Creek (showing my age). And that’s another problem, the references, though usually funny, weren’t always right for the character. Maybe for the reader, if they’re as old as I am (not telling), but there are parts YA readers are going to miss. That’s not to say I didn’t enjoy the hell out of them- serious love for the in jokes about vampire and shifter literature as well as the character awareness of the rules of horror. There was a clear aim to subvert tropes and to offer a darker alternative to each item on the typical YA tick list. It made for a curious mix of just right and too young that meant it didn’t work as well for me as urban fantasy with adult characters.

Nevertheless, there was more depth to the story than expected, deftly hidden beneath the humour. In this, it very much channelled the show the author says inspired the book, Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Themes of racism and persecution, what it’s like to be or feel different, social and familial pressure, sexuality - all raised naturally and with real sentiment within the framework of the plot and character relationships in the book. Here though, I could have done without Jane kinda jokingly calling herself racist every 5 minutes, it undermined how well the issue was dealt with in other parts of the book and emphasised the times when the author was trying too hard to be funny or edgy. Overall, Jane has a lot in common with the Slayer: she uses the tools she has to get shit done, she protects her friends and family, and sometimes has bad thoughts about even badder men. There’s a lot of potential here for the future. The lasting impression is of a good time had by all, and I wouldn’t hesitate to read whatever comes next.

ARC via author

[Dianne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quirky title-check
Quirky characters-check
Quirky dialogue-check
Fabulously entertaining read-check and double check-because, yes, there is a murder mystery to solve, and no, it wasn’t the butler.

When her eighteenth birthday was ruined by the murder of her best friend’s sister and her brother is the primary suspect, Jane Doe, weredeer, waitress and psychic must put her plans to escape small town life on hold, possibly indefinitely. There is a murder to solve and a brother to save, and Jane is on the case.

C.T. Phipps’s I WAS A TEENAGE WEREDEER gives readers license to groan, laugh out loud and still be intrigued and invested in what could be an occult murder with dark undertones in a world where the supernatural have long ago been outed by vampires.

As Jane digs into her town’s past, she discovers that even a place as kitschy as Bright Falls, Michigan there are secrets to uncover and some will hit pretty close to home. Suspects abound and even with the help of the FBI and a visit to the vampire medical examiner’s vault, Jane will find herself running into dead-ends. The question remains, who dun it and why? Who can be trusted and who is fooling who? Unlikely allies and possible romantic entanglements will find Jane up to her antlers in chaos.

Prepare yourself to be thoroughly entertained by C.T. Phipps’s wicked puns, social consciousness and a cast of characters that practically glow in the dark, they are so vibrant! Jane has attitude, snark and a talent for digging herself out of trouble, just barely. I loved her character!

Do yourself a favor, take a walk on the wild side, I WAS A TEENAGE WEREDEER is one of those gems that comes on like a tsumani of surprises! The entertainment value is priceless, the mystery is cozy and the pace is perfectly timed!

I received a complimentary copy from C.T. Phipps!

Series: Bright Falls Mysteries - Book 1
Publisher: Crossroad Press; 1 edition (September 21, 2017)
Publication Date: September 21, 2017
Genre: YA Paranormal Fantasy
Print Length: 256 pages
Available from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
For Reviews, Giveaways, Fabulous Book News, follow: http://tometender.blogspot.com

[Carole (Carole's Random Life) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This review can also be found at Carole's Random Life in Books.

This was entertaining. I am not going to lie - the thing that really caught my attention about this book was the title. Weredeer? Have I ever read a book about a weredeer? Of course not so you know I had to give this book a try just to find out more about this weredeer. It ended up being a really clever story with some great world-building. I am glad that I took a chance on this fun little story.

Jane Doe is a weredeer. I should probably mention that there are little bits of humor sprinkled all over this story as you may have guessed as soon as you saw Jane's name. Anyway, Jane's family owns a local diner where Jane works as a waitress alongside other members of her family. Since Michigan is one of only two states that are safe for shifters, the town of Bright Falls has a rather large shifter population. Jane's best friend is a werewolf and there are all kinds of colorful characters around town.

Jane learns that her best friend's sister has been killed and that her brother has been accused of the murder and decides to investigate. Weredeers often have special abilities and Jane is able to gather a lot of knowledge just by touching objects. Jane and her best friend hope that her special abilities will make finding out what really happened a simple task. Of course, things quickly get complicated and they find themselves uncovering a mystery that goes back quite a few years.

I liked Jane. I thought she was pretty brave to get involved with everything and she was never afraid of asking the hard questions. It was fun to watch her try to figure everything out. There were a lot of other characters in the book and I liked most of them. I did find it a bit difficult to keep everyone straight at times since there were so many characters that had a role. I did think it was odd that Jane's parents were almost always referred to as Judy and John instead of Mom and Dad.

I thought that Arielle DeLisle did a great job with this story. This was the first time that I have had the chance to listen to this narrator and I was impressed by her delivery. I thought that she was able to bring Jane to life and added a lot of emotion and excitement to the story. I wouldn't hesitate to listen to her work again in the future.

I would recommend this book to others. I had a lot of fun with it and found myself chuckling from time to time. There were a lot of pop culture references and puns worked into the story that kept everything rather light. I felt that the ending of this book was pretty satisfying but I may decide to pick up the second book at some point in the future.

I received a review copy of this audiobook from the author via Audiobook Boom.

Initial Thoughts
I found the book to be quite clever and enjoyed learning about the world that it was set in. I have to admit that the idea of a weredeer is what really made me want to pick up this book and Jane was even more interesting that I could have expected her to be. There were some parts of the book that had me chuckling and I thought the narrator did a fantastic job with the story so it was a good overall reading experience.

[Bookwraiths · Rating 3 out of 5]

Originally reviewed at Bookwraiths.

Urban fantasy isn’t one of my usual reading genres. Young adult isn’t either. Neither is humorous stories. Be that as it may, I decided to cast caution to the wind and give I Was A Teenage Weredeer a go, certain that these authors could wow me as much with this creation as they did their space opera Lucifer’s Star.

Set in the same world as Phipps’ Straight Outta Fangton, Weredeer takes place in the small town of Bright Falls, Michigan: the home of the shifter clan. Our protagonist is a smart, snarky, and geeky girl by the name of Jane Doe, who just happens to be a weredeer. It isn’t a big issue for her though because everyone around here has a special gift and paranormal activity is a part of life.

What is a big deal is that Jane’s brother is a suspect in the murder of her friend’s sister. Jane quickly winding up in the middle of said murder investigation. The mystery which thereafter evolves is full of family and town secrets; secrets which will certainly change Jane’s life forever.

There are more than a few things to really like about Weredeer, but one of its chief strengths is the authors’ clever subversion of the standard tropes of both urban fantasy and young adult. Even though the usual teen angst of YA and fantastical elements of urban fantasy are ever present here, the authors offer a rather darker side to many things, using societal issues and diverse characters in a refreshing way to add depth to what would otherwise be a fairly generic plot line.

If you had to point to one thing and say that is what I Was A Teenage Weredeer is all about though, then it would have to be the humor. First, everyone in this story is obsessed with puns. Good puns. Bad puns. Puns that are cheesy. Some that are damn clever. More than a few about deer and our protagonist Jane DOE. Second, pop culture references are everywhere, turning many scenes into funny discussions about how this film or this character would handle the current situation. The puns and references making sure the fun never stops.

The only complaint I have with Weredeer is the pacing. To be fair, this was most notably a problem in the middle sections of the book, slowly fading as the authors accelerated to a very exciting conclusion; however, during the times it was an issue, the narrative did drag quite a bit, weighed down by descriptive passages and too much humor. I know all the puns and pop culture references were there to lighten the mood up, add some fun to things, but when it seemed ever single character was getting into the pun making, it became a case of a little too much of a good thing, causing my desire for more puns to peaked and quickly decline.

To sum up, I Was A Teenage Weredeer was a nice, easy read with a few surprises, some good paranormal MUR-DEER action, and loads and loads of puns. I could definitely see fans HUNTING for something like Buffy the Vampire Slayer or a similar tv series/films enjoying this novel DEERLY . (Yeah, I had to put in, at least, a couple of deer pun.) Seriously, though, anyone who finds YA urban fantasy with a dark side to their liking would probably really enjoy this novel.

I received this book from the authors in exchange for a fair and honest review. I’d like to thank them for allowing me to receive this review copy and inform everyone that the review you have read is my opinion alone.

[Dyrk Ashton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Trueblood meets Nancy Drew in this snarky urban fantasy with rapid-fire dialogue and action.

I enjoyed the hell out of this. It's YA, but that doesn't bother me at all. I read everything, even grade school and teen. It's where I find half if not more of the most interesting stories and characters, to tell the truth. There's nothing childish or naive about IWATWD, though. The characters are interesting and savvy, with a great sense of humor, and some quite new and refreshing. The story has harrowing and some downright creepy moments, and flies along, with the twists and turns of a detective novel--but with shapeshifters (and wizards, or that matter). When it comes right down to it, it's just plain a hell of a lot of fun. This is a series I could see going on and building momentum for a dozen books or more.

Readers note: The Kindle eBook copy I read was riddled with errors. Dozens upon dozens of them, in fact. I normally wouldn't bring that up. Hell, I find them in my own books months after publication, and for some reason, even trad books have more and more errors these days (yet nobody ever talks about that, God forbid), but there were enough here to throw me out of the story nearly every other page. HOWEVER, I have been informed that this was an editor and publisher's error that has since been rectified, which makes me very happy. I'd hate to see such a fun book lose credibility because of it. I have upgraded my star rating from 4 to 5 based on this information. Hopefully you can now read it with confidence, and enjoy.

[M.L. Spencer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I Was a Teenage Weredeer is a fantastic first installment of The Bright Falls Mysteries Series that I found positively deerlightful! I’m not usually a fan of Young Adult or Urban Fantasy, but this novel is truly a departure from the norm.

This is a story that transcends genre and plays on tropes, offering a rather cynical side of YA that I found to be refreshing.

Written in the same world as Phipps’ Straight Outta Fangton, Weredeer introduces a new protagonist in the form of Jane Doe (yes, you read that correctly). Jane seemed to me a lot like Bella from Twilight, only capable and likeable. She finds herself wrapped up in a murder mystery after her brother becomes a suspect, and finds herself teamed up with a mysterious FBI agent. Pop culture references fly like fouls at a AA ballgame.

I found Jane very easy to identify with due to her vast capacity for cynicism, sarcasm, and a never-ending supply of teenage angst. The plot moves forward at a steady pace, keeping the pages turning.

And not only is the story very well-told, a variety of societal issues are addressed, making this a weightier read than your average YA novel. There is something for everyone between these pages.

In conclusion, I heartily recommend I Was a Teenage Weredeer to a Young Adult-Adult readership. My only suggestion is to make sure you block out a good amount of time for yourself before you begin this read, as you probably won’t be going anywhere until the last page is turned.

[[Name Redacted] · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think the best case I can make for this book is that, after simply describing it to my friends, ALL of them now desperately want to read it. Twice in the last week, people have yelled at me for not having a copy on hand to loan them!

I won't lie: I had a lot of quibbles (eg: the song was simply "Lucretia, My Reflection" and the band was The Sisters of Mercy), the editors definitely need to be fired (eg: at one point the book randomly switched from 1st person to 3rd person for a single sentence), the pacing felt a little off in the final half, and the puns (SO MANY PUNS) nearly broke me... But overall, this was a legitimately fun read!

Jane Doe (*twitch*) is a likable protagonist, the characters are interesting and distinct (this may be the first series where I haven't confused characters for one another), and the world is replete with references to the classic World of Darkness games (Alex is veering towards being a Marauder, trust me) and parodies of True Blood/the works of Charlaine Harris. A solid entry in the urban-fantasy/paranormal mystery genre, and I'm looking forward to reading the next volume!


[UPDATE: I feel I should note that my copy was granted me by the author in exchange for an honest review, and I have been notified that my copy was an older one -- newer printings have been successfully edited!]

[Scott · Rating 2 out of 5]

There is something inherently likable about this novel that is raising it from the fetid mire of one-star status, but that something is ineffable, indefinable, and might just have to do with the fact that I'm a dork.

Because this is a super dorky novel.

It's a light urban fantasy that gleefully pulls from various magical and supernatural mythologies and folk traditions, all recontextualized in the modern world with a plucky young female heroine. Think True Blood, but then think Charmed instead. I generally love this type of shit.

But this novel tries WAY too hard to inject the story with sass and humor, and none of it plays. It's just... lame and cringey. Like this girl I used to know in high school who would knit during class and talk about nothing but Sailor Moon. I actually quite liked her, but she was devoted to that same type of humor, and I'd constantly roll my eyes. It's the type of humor that mistakes cultural references for wit (there is a labored call to Star Wars, Game of Thrones, Twin Peaks, Doctor Who, etc. on nearly every page) and otherwise uses cliché and outdated catchphrases to fill in the gaps. There were two moments I did find amusing, but they were cribbed directly from Buffy the Vampire Slayer (not just referenced, I'm talking stolen).

A book doesn't have to be funny to be good. So let me tell you why this was such a problem for me:

So the protagonist is a self-defined geek, and apparently a love of puns is something endemic to being a weredeer. Fine. One character reveling in the muck of dorky humor sounds fun. Who doesn't love that? (Ask me to tell you my joke about the fish one day.)

But none of the puns or references are especially clever, and they all feel shoehorned in. And it turns out this isn't a quirk of just the main character. Every character's dialogue is suffused with this stuff, and in consequence, they are all indistinguishable. And not only that, but every moment where there should be a bit of dramatic tension, there's a cringey line. Every time a character needs to deal with an emotion, there's a Star Wars reference. So while I can forgive something for not being funny (we all laugh at different things, right?), this novel's untempered use of this nonsense spoils nearly every scene.

So no, this one did not do it for me and has far from improved my faith in the self-published Kindle oeuvre that I like to poke my nose in a little every year. But again, there was something I still clung to in this novel. Though I didn't always know what was happening in the plot (some scenes were a bit muddled), the arc was well-crafted. And points for cobbling together a supernatural universe that was simultaneously cohesive yet drawn from a bevy of sources. But don't steal lines from Buffy. Even on accident.

[Lukasz · Rating 4 out of 5]

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 ;)

[Kirsty ❤️ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well I've never seen Veronica Mars but I hae seen Buffy so when I saw that all the reviews liken this to those programmes I have half an idea what they meant.  This was fun and packed with some cool magic. There were shape-shifters, spirits, and so much more. The story had plenty of humor and a bit of action and mystery. 

There's so much originality in this book complete with an ancient legend and spells. So many twists and turns. Really enjoyed it. 

Thank you to CT Phipps for the ARC

[M.K. Gibson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Adorkable!

Disclaimer: I know CT Phipps and I was given the audiobook for free in exchange for an honest review.

BLUF: I liked it. I Was a Teenage Weredeer doesn’t pretend to be anything more than it is. As part of Phipps’ & Suttkus’ United States of Monsters series, along with Straight Outta Fangton, I Was a Teenage Weredeer is a great continuation on his world building. The town of Bright Falls MI is an amazing rustic place that reminds you a little of Twin Peaks and a lot off Gravity Falls.

The story revolves around a pop-culture obsessed shape shifter named Jane Doe (Yes, it’s her real name and part of the book’s knowing, cornball humor) as she is tasked with solving the murder of her best friend’s sister . . . who’s a werewolf.

You with me so far?

Without going into too many specifics, Jane is from a long line of shaman weredeer shifters. She has the ability to read objects and see psychic images. Kinda like Jeff Goldblum in that 80s movie with Cindi Lauper. Using her abilities, Jane and her rag-tag Scooby gang (a la Veronica Mars or Buffy) team up with a FBI Wizard and mega nerd, and go up against ancient spirits, local drug lords, mercenaries, magical beasts, ancient sins, and The Big Bad Wolf.

Trust me, it makes sense in context. With pluck, determination, and her ever growing abilities, Jane doesn’t back down from the secrets and dangers of Bright Falls. She faces them in true heroic fashion which any fan of the urban fantasy genre will applaud.

That being said, I do have a new criticisms.First with the structure, as it felt like there was a a SNAFU with the end of the second act, being more like a third act, then late introduction to a pivotal character, and THEN the real third act. Second, Jane’s (and ALL of her friends and allies) pop culture obsession. Now, I like the jokes and the slew of Sci-Fi geek references, but the tipping point comes when the entire cast of characters quote things that no 18 year old would say, or know, or cherish. Star Wars? Sure. Quoting The Fugitive? Doubtful. Lastly, this book does cover humans dealing with the reality of real-wold monsters, and said integration into society. The social-political impact is real and warranted considering the current time and climate. But, it seems like there’s no less than three “That’s racist! Sexist! Misogynistic!” per chapter. More so, it seems that certain things are said only for a character to call it out and move on.

But these are my issues, and in no way should prevent someone else from reading the book.

Long story short, I like the book, I like Jane Doe, and I love the world that Phipps and Suttkus created. I look forward to the sequel and the overall integration into The United States of Monsters world.

4/5 stars!

[Terrible Timy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Actual rating: 3.5

I've got a copy from C. T. Phipps in exchange of an honest review. The full stuff can be found on my blog as well: starlitbook.com/2018/06/19/i-was-a-te...

The story is set in a small town in Michigan called Bright Falls, after the Revelation – the vampires decided it was time for a coming out and humanity had to face the reality of the supernatural. Michigan is one of the few places where shapeshifters can live in peace without being hunt down without any reason. Although the focus of the story lies elsewhere this conflict itself would be worth a novel. So Jane lives in Bright Falls and she wants to get as far away from it as she can get. Until, that is, the Revelation, which doesn’t leaves too much choice for her. She could follow in her mother’s footsteps, who is the shaman of the town, but she doesn’t have enough magic for that. Or so she thinks. In the shapeshifter society every race has its own role to play: the weredeers (Jane’s family) are the magic wielders, the ones who acts shaman for the community, the werewolves are the leaders, etc. However, times are changing, and now the Old Ways aren’t the only set of rules they have to obey to. The government laid out new laws regarding the freshly arisen situation and things are still rocky and uncertain. Hence, not everyone is happy with how things are. If that wasn’t enough (and you can never have enough trouble in a fantasy/mystery book) someone decided it was time to commit some ritualistic murders.

One of the victims is Victoria, Emma’s sister, who happens to be Jane’s best friend, member of the werewolf clan. Actually, the granddaughter of the werewolf clan’s head, Marcus O’Henry. I give you a moment to process this: a deer and a wolf as best friends. Yep. And that’s not all, Jane’s sister dates Emma’s brother, while Jane’s brother, Jeremy dates Victoria. Thus Jeremy becomes the prime suspect in Victoria’s murder. Emma begs to Jane to help her find out what happened using her physic abilities. She agrees more to help his brother than care for Victoria. Nonetheless she ends up flank deep in the investigation and the mystery surrounding the Darkwater Preserve, while everyone ends up dumping long kept secrets on her.

The pace of the book is a bit uneven, sometimes you wish the characters would move on from standing around and exchanging snarky comments and puns. Although the humor saves it and there are some really clever deer puns added. On the other hand, sometimes it feels like the author tries too hard to be funny and witty or explain the joke wich totally ruins the effect it could have. Also, there were too many pop cultural references for my taste, and while it might appeal for the geeky types out there, for me it was overdone. I especially liked the banter between Maria, Emma and Jane. And Kim Su! She was my favorite character, too bad she didn’t have more role. Maybe in book 2.

And since we are talking about characters. They are the weak points of the book. By the end Jane grew on me with her snarky, sarcastic comments (her calling herself racist about every two page in one of the chapters really ticked me off though), and because I could absolutely sympathize with her on this:

“I don’t want to be inconsequential. I don’t want to be who I am. I want to be someone who matters. That requires being more than just a person who eats leaves three days a month.”

Well, okay, maybe not the leaves eating part. However, I struggled to feel anything for Emma or Jeremy or the others. And they all had some crappy memory to carry with themselves too. I Was A Teenage Weredeer works with stereotypical characters – all women are gorgeous, except our MC of course, all the males are handsome or at least those who have important roles – which would be cool, if it managed to put on them a twist which would make them interesting enough. And that’s where it fails. Sure, every one of them is a shapeshifter or a mage, has their Gifts and own dark or not so dark secrets, but that hardly makes it easy to tell them apart from each other. At least the guys are more separable with the quite lunatic FBI agent and the “bad guy” crime lord. I just wish Jane wouldn’t act like a school girl around them. The complicated relationships/family ties aren’t helping much either, and probably would’ve been better if it was left out completely. However, it should be noted that there are a lot of serious topic being discussed underneath the YA-ish surface: tolerance towards each other regardless of our race, political views or sexual interests, abuse, dealing with death and guilt, etc. Also has thoughts like this:

“America is a study in contrasts. It is a nation founded on the principles of equality and democracy but built with slavery as well as genocide. We must acknowledge both sides of our heritage to forge the future.”

Which is pretty actual if you think about it.

I Was A Teenage Weredeer is a rather light, fun read with pop cultural references from Game of Thrones, Star Wars, Buffy and many others fan probably will deerly love and enjoy. Those who like YA will find this an enjoyable read with a snarky heroine, several supernatural species and a mystery that holds a few twists. When you think it’s over, well, you have to think again. Underneath the cheesy, sarcastic surface however, are some thoughts which sets this book apart from the typical YA crowd. Plus the fact it has weredeers! And puns. Don’t be surprised if you end up saying deer puns for a few days after reading I Was A Teenage Weredeer. It has that effect on you whether you liked it or not. Accept it.

[The Drowsy Bookworm · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

I listened to the audio version of this book. I thought the narrator did a good job voicing all the different characters, from a crimelord dragon shifter to vampires, werewolves, teenagers with New York accents, etc. It was easy to listen to and the story moved at a swift pace.

The plot itself contains many elements: a murderous demon, a corrupt town history, human sacrifices, a coven made up of magic-hungry teenagers willing to do whatever it takes to obtain shifter abilities. The world here is similar to that of the Sookie Stackhouse series in that vampires and shifters have “come out” to the public; but while their existence is known, it’s not entirely accepted. In certain states it’s legal to shoot shifters on site, and there’s hierarchy among the different types of animal shifters. Unsurprisingly, werewolves are at the top of the totem pole, while main character Jane Doe’s race of weredear possess the ability to become shamans. Within a few pages of the book we learn that Jane Doe’s best friend Emma is a werewolf, and her sister Victoria has just been found dead with Jane’s brother as the primary suspect. Thus begins the unrelenting cycle of events that unfold throughout the book.

The story takes a lot of turns, and we learn quickly not to take everything at face value. Many characters have secrets that they don’t want coming to light in the wake of Victoria’s murder and the subsequent investigation. There’s an unintended trip to hell, a haunted forest with evil spirits lurking within, and a magical convenience store of sorts that can be conjured up if you need to buy an enchanted rabbit foot and some scented candles. There’s a lot of nerd references (I say this as a proud nerd) to the Matrix, Star Wars, LOTR, etc. One of the characters is constantly quoting sci-fi movies. It makes you feel like you’re hanging out with a close friend and I found myself laughing at this quite frequently.

The book doesn’t take itself too seriously, so while we’re accompanying Jane on her twisted journey to find Victoria’s killer and exorcise a demon, there’s a lot of fun to be had as we learn about the paranomal history of the town and the eclectic characters we meet. The one thing that grated on me was Emma – her sarcasm and general negative personality made me question why she and Jane were friends, but to be fair I haven’t been a teenage girl in over ten years so maybe I just can’t relate to snark as a relationship-builder anymore.

Overall I enjoyed the story. It was something different, and I love any book that treats supernatural beings and magical occurences as completely normal so that we can enjoy the fun of it rather than dwell on its unlikelyhood. That’s the kind of world I’d want to live in- though I might stay away from Bright Falls and its penchant for human sacrfices!

I received a free audiobook in exchange for an honest review!

[Aubrey Law · Rating 4 out of 5]

Imaginative and fun story. Definitely enjoyed!

[Dustin · Rating 3 out of 5]

DISCLOSURE: I received an e-copy from the author in exchange of a review. My opinions are honest, fair, and my own.


I fell in awe of CT Phipps’ urban fantasy world found in Straight Outta Fangton. Mindful of those emotions, naturally I was excited to dive into I Was A Teenage Weredeer.

That isn't to imply that the two share the locale. They were approximately thirty miles apart, resulting in minimal crossover. The aforementioned vampire homage wasn't a prerequisite.

As expected, Phipps and his collaborator, Michael Suttkus, took the former's fortified foundation and built upon Detroit's sordid history, laws, and magical creatures, and developed a world that was much more than what transpired before.

”America is a study in contrasts. It is a nation founded on the principles of equality and democracy but built with slavery as well as genocide. We must acknowledge both sides of our heritage to forge the future.”

It was such a pleasure to read, and learn about, the intricacies of Bright Falls, and how the protagonist, Jane Doe, fit in the grand scheme of things, in both worlds: the mundane and supernatural. I reveled in those chapters and characters. I wanted to savor it as much as I could, but impulsively, I had to know what happened next.

Despite its darker storyline, this was technically young-adult, and working within those restraints, they had to tone down the profanity. In lieu of colorful words often found in adult publications, the author's came up with many creative substitutes that not only worked, but made for a more fun and original narrative. Whereas a lot of writers would forgo that admittedly implied contract with said audience, or simply said she/he cursed, they didn't take that responsibility lightly. They, in fact, honored it with minimal cursing, and only to emphasize the mood and frequently intense situations.

The prose was an improvement from Fangton, and Jane was decently fleshed out. She was so intriguing. Other key players, like Maria, the werecrow, were even intense. FBI Special Agent Alex Timmons, and notorious crime lord, Lucien Lyons, were eccentric, too. Occasionally, the pace was perhaps a little too fast, but not to the point that the myriad of details and complexities of character (Jane especially,) became a blur. Contrarily, Phipps and Suttkus offered a nice blend of the fantastical, intricate, and subtle, with profound revelations into the human condition, superimposed by pathos, naivete, and regret. Deep regret.

As promising as all that might sound, it was the characterizations themselves which was the novel's biggest flaw. As mentioned above, our loveable weredeer was nicely developed (par for the course, being the first in the series.) Special Agent Timmons and Lucien were good, too, featuring a surprising connection I didn't see coming. And for one, a backstory steeped in tragedy. I kind of had a sense of who Emma O'Henry, Jane's best friend, was, but I wanted more than substance, and less snark from her. The other townsfolk, though, left much to be desired.

Featuring a similar setup to Straight Outta Fangton, things began innocent enough and, turn by turn, became increasingly perilous, dark, and hostile. The mystery on display here was fully engaging and thankfully, it wasn't another rehashed plot device. Admittedly, a group of novice sleuths was a cliche decades ago, yet there are more important things than a working premise: keeping things interesting and fresh. Phipps seemingly specializes in taking familiar concepts (“tropes are tropes for a reason,”) and making them his own. That's what makes his work so fun to read.

“This was plain old human evil at the start. It infected the spirit of these woods and turned it into a monster. Everyone else just paid the cost.”

As with anything else, there are pros and cons. For instance, in the twenty-third chapter, when Jane confronted her shaman mother, Judy Doe, additional exposition would have been beneficial. Not a lot, but given the heavy-handedness of the scene, it felt rushed. Generally, less is more, but sometimes “more” is needed. Feelings of detachment ensued.

There were additional instances where more clarification would have been advantageous, but would I be nitpicking? Perhaps. Instances revolving around Lucien, and how his notoriety affected him personally, and how his actions impacted Bright Falls. It's possible that I missed some subtlety or other, but certain aspects were talked about in dialogue, and it was almost like it was implied that the reader knew all the history.

Of course, it's entirely possible that I'm to blame, because I have concentration issues and I could have easily missed the subtle details. I probably missed a lot.

Aside from minimal typos and awkward word choice, the prose was fairly clean. They pulled me out of the story temporarily, but never overtly. And while I enjoyed the deer puns, they became too much. They slowed the pace slightly, and I felt impatient to keep the story flowing. The pop culture references were constant, and they helped informed their world.

In summarization, this was a highly ambitious, complex story, seasoned with compassion for humanity, and that of the gods, regardless of their intentions. For those reasons alone, I've discovered an ever deeper respect for CT Phipps, and a curiosity about Michael Suttkus’ work.

Overall, a job well done. 👍

I'm very much looking forward to the additional Jane Doe adventures, found in the second Bright Falls book, An American Weredeer in Michigan, the short story, “Jane Verses the Black Knight,” in the Blackest Knights anthology, and any forthcoming novels.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B076DP...

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B07J2Q...

[Paul Lavender · Rating 4 out of 5]

King of Humour

Charles Phipps throws enough puns around in this book to bury a fleet of buses. Some of the book needs a fresh edit, but the errors don’t distract from the story. Looking forward to reading the sequel.

[A.M. Justice · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a fun mystery with a likable narrator, an eighteen year old community college student and waitress named Jane Doe. Jane and all her family are weredeer, and they live in a contemporary-feeling United States in which supernatural beings like vampires and were-creatures are "out" in society. The same are also under threat, as their humanity is not recognized by the US government, and depending on which state they live in, they may be legally killed.

By setting his story in a state (Michigan) where supernatural creatures do have the right to exist, Phipps leaves the issues of oppression and dehumanization in the background and focuses his story on the murder of the most popular girl in town, a werewolf who was Jane's high school nemesis as well as the sister of Jane's best friend. When Jane's brother is arrested for the murder, Jane sets out to prove his innocence and quickly meets and develops flirtatious relationships with both a magic-wielding FBI agent and the local crime lord, who is also the FBI agent's adopted brother.

There were a lot of things I liked and a lot I didn't like in this book. Overall, it has good ideas, likable characters, and a nicely atmospheric, rural small town setting (strongly and probably deliberately reminiscent of Twin Peaks). However, there is too much dialogue and too little action for a book intended to be an urban fantasy thriller. The action sequences, when they occur, are well done, but the characters spend far too much time talking and dropping a boatload of pop culture references, which undermines the dramatic tension. I especially found Jane's vast knowledge of scifi and fantasy books, TV, and films to be highly implausible for an eighteen year old, and the banter and name-dropping got in the way of the storytelling. (Wraith Knight, another Phipps novel that I loved, also had a lot of winks and nods to other works of SFF, but they were more sparingly and subtly integrated into the storytelling.)

[Al Burke · Rating 5 out of 5]

We've got a sarky hero, pop culture references up the yin-yang and a twisting plot. Yep, we're in CT Phipps territory.

Times are changing. The US government has finally acknowledged the existence of supernatural beings and accepted them as citizens. The rest of the country is not so forward-thinking, hence the existence of hamlets like Bright Falls, Michigan, where beings such as weredeer Jane Doe can exist in (relative) peace. Jane is your average awkward (but cool) 18-year old and the fastest pun in the west (ba-doom-tish). As a weredeer, crappy though that may sound, she has some enhanced abilities, such as the power to read objects' history.

This ability, useful though it may seem, gets her dragged into solving a murder involving her family, werewolves, vampires, an FBI detective who's a cross between Dirk Gently and Constantine, and other weird creatures. Jane gets dragged down the proverbial (were)rabbit hole, and must face her own past, the future she's avoiding, and a whole host of supernatural beasties.

The author writes fast-paced, fun novels, and American Weredeer is no different. If you like urban fantasy, humour, murder-mysteries or deer puns (hindsight was my favourite), then you have to check this one out.

[Aaron-Michael Hall · Rating 5 out of 5]

I Was a Teenage Weredeer by C.T. Phipps and Michael Suttkus isn’t my typical read. I enjoy various fantasy genres, but I don’t usually read many urban, YA, or shifter novels. That said, I found I Was a Teenage Weredeer interesting enough to keep reading. It wasn’t the typical shifter tale, nor did Phipps and Suttkus stray from the normal tropes you’d expect to find in this type of novel. That isn’t meant as a fault. I rather enjoyed the numerous deer puns, witty quips, and the carefree nature of the story.

When the protagonist, Jane Doe’s (see what they did there?), brother is the prime suspect in a murder, she’s pulled into a world that she never knew existed. Whereas the knowledge of shifters isn’t a secret in their society, numerous other aspects of that culture and the lineages within it are. From vampires, lycans, and shaman…oh my…we’re introduced to a limitless variety of shifters and the abilities each possess.

I Was a Teenage Weredeer is an entertaining story, but there are a few important issues that are dealt with as well. Prejudice was a topic reiterated throughout the narrative (at times, a bit too much). Since there are a plethora of different shifters, there is also a hierarchy of sorts. So, even though you’ll probably LOL at times while reading, there is more than a light YA shifter tale to consume. We experience a growth in Jane as she uncovers secrets whilst coming to terms with who she is during her investigation to aid her brother.

I Was a Teenage Weredeer was a quick and easy read. Anyone who favors urban, shifter fantasy will probably enjoy it. There aren’t many twists or surprises, but it’s a fun story that does what it was intended to do. 4.5 stars, easily.

[Susanna Schwacke · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun romp through an early Laurell K. Hamilton-esque style of world, complete with a snarky main character. I enjoyed this book greatly, as well as the sequel. The characters are interesting, though I have to admit that the proliferation of J-names gets a little confusing. And, I do think that there may have been a character name changed at one point in the writing of it, as I found 2 separate names referring to the same character. My sole significant problem with the book was the fact that whomever proofread the manuscript may have taken a nap or two. (I'm an editor, so I tend to notice mistakes and find it hard to get past their existence, hence the reason this book didn't get the full 5 stars I would have been inclined to give it without the booboos.)

All-in-all, it's an entertaining book. If you like Laurell K. Hamilton's Anita Blake series, or Charlaine Harris' Sookie Stackhouse books, you will like this.

[Sean E Britten · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you watched more than one season of True Blood you probably remember after vampires "came out of the coffin" the show kept introducing more and more supernatural species and elements until the whole thing started getting faintly ridiculous. I Was a Teenage Weredeer takes this to it's logical conclusion with a huge host of supernatural creatures living openly and no one batting an eye at teenagers who turn into deer playing at being detectives, and it totally works beautifully. However, just because all these vampires, shapeshifters and others are living openly alongside humans, and have been legally absolved of crimes committed before they became known to the world, doesn't mean the sins of the past have been totally forgotten...
The story has twists and turns to keep you entertained while its straightforward enough to let you enjoy the introduction to the setting. Similar to Phipps' Supervillainy Saga, he builds a terrific world through pop culture and background mentions. The creatures are great as well, my favourite was the kelpie. I would recommend this story to anyone although for fans of the Dresden Files or The Hollows series by Kim Harrison it's unmissable. Looking forward to reading more from this series!

[Carrie Chi Lough · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was a Teenage Weredeer charmed and, deer I say, lifted my spirits. This book is quick-witted, sarcastic, and filled with fun references from Dr. Who, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Veronica Mars, and more.
Bright falls is livened with culture and depth. Along with the endeering puns, there is a cruel side to Jane Doe's world. Shapeshifters are discriminated against by the rest of the country and even among each other. For such a smart and clever person, she would be treated as a disease outside of her town. How C.T Phipps and Michael Suttkus balanced and controlled the lighthearted and darker moments of the book impressed me. I don't think any other authors could make me feel such love for Weredeers.

[Frank Dorrian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ok, so I'm very, very overdue to review this book - I can only apologise, I've had a number of shitty things happen in my personal life over the last month that really took the wind out my sails, so to speak, and I've let almost everything on the periphery slip majorly.

But, as all things eventually come to pass, normality also returns, piecemeal, and I've finally got the concentration to sit down and do this book a review that will do it justice instead of 'buck gud, read buck'.

This is the second book of Phippyboi's I've read this year, the first being the excellent Agent G, and again, it's not my usual cup of cranberry-infused green tea, Urban Fantasy being something I've never really explored or considered before now, but I actually really enjoyed it - so I guess I should probably thank the author for expanding my horizons beyond darkness, misery and characters obsessed with personal gain.

I stress the probably in that last sentence. I, like many other reviewers it seems, have been infected by the puns. Not cool, Charles. Though, if you're observant enough, you'll have caught the deer pun two paragraphs ago. Again, Charle's fault.

I found the writing style to be a lot more developed and mature in this book than in Agent G, but it is still certainly identifiable as a Phipps product - its packed with sarcastic American-style humour from start to finish, but the story also manages to handle serious themes at the same time, such as race and politics Stateside, and the challenges adolescents face in a world that is currently changing by the day.

Despite how tongue in cheek it is, the concept of a weredeer is actually also really fucking impressively creative, and I imagine that it'll be one those things people wish they'd thought of after reading.

I suppose my only real criticism of this book would be that, purely personally, I'm not into the YA American-style use of sarcasm/snarkiness as the overall pinning point of humour. I'm a Scouser, and we're dryer than a box of your nan's crackers, for the most part, so a lot of the humour glanced off me where I'm sure it'll hit others right in the funny bone.

Overall all though, deffo enjoyed it, a lot more lighthearted than what I usually read and write, and to be honest, I started reading this at the beginning of a really shitty time, and it put a smile on my face.

So thank you, Captain Phipps - 5/5. Deerlightful.

[Raychel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Can't wait to read the next book in this series

[Jamie Edmundson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I must start with an admission that Urban Fantasy is not my usual kind of read, but I was looking for a change and had been meaning to read something by CT Phipps for a while. Comparisons with Twin Peaks, a tv series I loved, persuaded me to go for this one.

Let’s start with the humour. Lots, and I mean lots, of pop culture references, combined with puns. The humour didn’t really click with me, but it does give the book a really distinctive style, when some books in this genre feel like carbon copies of what’s gone before. Also, sometimes with comedy the humour can feel really forced – ‘now laugh at this’ – I didn’t feel like that with this book, it felt natural, and it complemented the story rather than drowning it. So, while the humour isn’t my humour, that didn’t detract from the story; it just gave it a light-hearted feel, and I’m sure this will tickle the funny bone of many readers.

CT Phipps for me is an ideas man: lots of thought has gone into the world of Bright Falls, a slice of small-town America where shapeshifters, vampires and mages mix. He has also done a really good job of creating the oddball cast of characters who inhabit this world. Most importantly, Jane Doe, the weredeer of the title, is an engaging lead. Phipps & Suttkus do an impressive job of writing from her perspective in the first person, and I liked the little asides –‘ah, hell’, ‘yikes’ when she reacts to events.

For me as a reader the issues come when this has been turned into a story. I get that this is deliberately a ‘chuck everything into the mix’ kind of approach, but it all goes too fast for me to really hold on to anything. We are presented with a Twin Peaks style murder, which Jane then investigates, with the help of friends, an Agent Cooper type and a heady mix of characters each with their own history and motives. A cool premise. But Jane appears to solve the whole thing, along with the inevitable supernatural elements, in a day, with another day taking up the final third of the book for the twist/denouement. Slow down dear!

It just means the story never settles. If it’s a whodunnit mystery, we never really get time to wonder who did it, because Jane meets, talks to, and eliminates the suspects super-fast. The backstory/ supernatural side of it also comes in very quickly. Either Jane tells us about the history of Bright Falls, or she talks to a character who then quickly and conveniently fills in the gaps she doesn’t know. In other words, too much tell and not enough show, we are not exploring the world with Jane as much as we could be.

Inspired by series like Twin Peaks and Buffy, the authors have managed to squeeze a twenty-episode series into a one hour special. This is both highly impressive and a little frustrating. It has huge potential as a series and I expect that after this first installment, Jane will have many more strange cases to solve.

[All Things Urban Fantasy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review courtesy of All Things Urban Fantasy

I WAS A TEENAGE WEREDEER is filled with tons of geeky puns and a fun murder mystery plot filled with suspense, secrets, and of course magic. I admit to picking up this book based on the amusing title alone and while that can be tricky but I was richly rewarded with a creatively crafted worldbuilding and the interesting experience of having a non-predatory shifter as a main character. Sometimes a book that relies on pop culture references can overuse them to the point of distraction from the plot. Luckily, I WAS A TEENAGE WEREDEER is able to weave references into the story enough to make you grin and still be able to concentrate on the grisly murders Jane is trying to figure out.

Our main weredeer, Jane Doe (yes the deer puns are non-stop and used to perfection in the story) is a sarcastic, brave, relatable, and has the amusing habit of inserting various pop culture references into any situation. She comes of as a Veronica Mars sort of character trying to find the murderer and getting into trouble with her quirky friends. The secondary characters came off as really well realized and likeable (or not in regards to the bad guys).

It was a compelling story and the whole whodunit plot which evolves from a simple murder into a complex story involving grisly deaths, demonic sacrifices, and surprising revelations about Jane's town. I WAS A TEENAGE WEREDEER is weird and wonderful with the perfect blend of mystery, hilarity, and mayhem.

[Rebekah Teller · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a free copy of this book in an Amazon giveaway and was deerlighted. This is my first leap into the work of C.T. Phipps.

Many types of werecreatures live openly in this world, and they operate within a certain hierarchy, with werewolves being at the top. As Jane Doe uncovers details of her town's past, she must face her own prejudices about other shapeshifters and trample her assumptions about good and evil.

Allow me to fawn over the character development, as it seems to be a strength here. Jane is great! A young woman, resentful of her dependence on her parents, but not quite ready to hoof it on her own. She finds herself on an unexpected hunt when her brother is accused of murder, and suddenly she has way more riding on her shoulders than she feels ready for. Her snarky attitude shows she's willing to buck the system, and there are enough pop culture references to assure us she's a proper geek.

The cast is filled with a wide range of characters, with interesting backgrounds that are gradually revealed as the case unfolds. I would have liked to have seen Jane's connections to some of them deepen. She's a bit awkward with expressing emotion and doesn't always follow her hart's desire, but we do get a sense of more to come.

The pace plateaued for awhile just when I wanted it to pick up, but overall this is a fun read. The story is definitely YA in nature, reminiscent of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys paranormal detective stories and, of course, puns. (Note: You don't have to admit to enjoying the puns.)