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. "I can't recommend it highly enough." - The Bookwyrm Speaks

I Was a Teenage Weredeer

Alexia Cambaling

I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review.

This was a really fun book. I'm not usually a fan of urban fantasy and shifter stories but this one had a really unique premise that intrigued me. Basically, the protagonist, Jane Doe (weredeer love puns apparently) can shapeshift into a deer. When I first saw the description, I thought, well that's new. That isn't exactly something I get to read everyday.

I Was A Teenage Weredeer is so full of teenage angst, hijinks, and lingo that I sometimes can't help but remember that my own teenage life had been so stifled in favor of college and academics that it can be a struggle to relate to other teenagers. Jane Doe, for one, happens to be my age. Still, while I personally cannot relate, she remains a fun character to read about. She's cynical, she's snarky, and she says what's on her mind. Sometimes she ends up coming across as a bit insensitive and she and her best friend Emma can be seen cracking jokes at inappropriate times.

There's a lot of banter in this book, a lot of them sound natural for the most part, some seem to be awkward for the scene. There's also a lot of references to pop culture, which I'm usually not a fan of, but it's not overly distracting. As for the writing itself, it flows nicely and doesn't make it seem too obvious that it was written by two different authors.

The plot itself is good and well-paced. It starts off with a murder mystery involving her best friend's sister who she doesn't particularly like. From there, it branches off into different directions, involving twists and secrets that I didn't see coming. It's rather short so there isn't any filler and every chapter advances the plot. The characters are mostly okay, they don't come off as caricatures or cliches. Most of the characters have some twist to their personalities which I also like.

Some romance is hinted in this book, which I'm not a fan of. I don't like insta-love and the instant attraction would be off-putting if it was more overt. Luckily, it wasn't really a big plot point so it didn't bother me too much.

That said, I did enjoy this book and I might read the next one.

This book is also on  The Bookworm Daydreamer

I Was a Teenage Weredeer

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