The Deer Effect

by Susan Wingate

THE WINNER OF FOUR LITERARY AWARDS IN 2015

A Fantasy Thriller for fans who enjoy reading books by James Patterson, Sue Monk Kidd, Frank Peretti and Alice Sebold.

Once in a while a story comes along that resonates with the very essence of what we call "humanity," and speaks to readers of every age. The Deer Effect is that story - a phenomenal #1 Amazon bestseller lauded for its artistic touch, its tender tapping at emotion, and its mesmerizing ability to speak to the hearts of readers around the world.

"ONE BRITTLE LEAF FOUND ALONG our usual path proved the days had gone wintry. Papery thin as onion skin--blanched from frosty temperatures and yellowing like the pages of an old Bible, the leaf’s long slender shafts, crooked and dry, painted my world. The blue sky dragged me out that Sunday in December—December 5, 2010, if you must know—when the temperature rose to only forty-two Fahrenheit. What was I thinking?

Hold on. Wait a second. Let me back up just a tad. For your information, I'm dead. Although I speak of myself, make no mistakes. I died this day..."

So the story begins about Hannah Demsey who is found dead near the body of a fawn on the side of the road. Rod, Hannah's husband, sets out on a journey to find the killer. With his faith waning, all truths change when Rod comes face-to-face with the only person who can tell him how his wife really died.

THE DEER EFFECT is a story of loss, redemption and forgiveness.

Genres: Mystery, Fantasy, Fiction

344 pages, Paperback

First published November 5, 2014

About the author

"My love of books is largely due to the Sevilla Elementary School librarian. I ran to her to tell on Jeff Sloggins who, after slurping spinach around in his mouth, gagged, choked, then barfed on our table in the school cafeteria." ~Susan Wingate

Susan Wingate holds a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing from Lindenwood University. Her poetry, short stories, and essays have been published in journals such as the Virginia Quarterly Review, the Superstition Review, and Suspense Magazine, as well as others.

Susan's novel, How the Deer Moon Hungers received eight book awards. Susan is a proud member of PENAmerica.

Susan Wingate writes about big trouble in small towns and is the primary caregiver of her husband who suffers from frontotemporal dementia. They live off the coast of Washington State on San Juan Island.

Reviews

[Diana Hockley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well, to be honest, I bawled my way through it - for Hannah, for the deer, for her husband and of course, for her dog.

Well written and emotionally draining, this book had me riveted from the beginning, so much so that I can't find any more words to say - except READ IT!!

Excellent writing, excellent characterisation - all in all, well done!!!

[Cathie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received the audiobook edition of this novel by the narrator in exchange for an honest review.

I usually love stories that have to do with afterlife and redemption; this one felt just too "nice" and forced upon. It was like "Ghost" met Hallmark productions on sucrose overdose. There's bambi and popcorn and rose petals in this story At one point the main character, the woman who died but needed to stay back so hubby could move forward started crying rose petals from her eyes. I kid you not.

Also, I'll point out the obvious here, if it's all about making sure those on earth move on why is that not ok to do so once you are dead and gone from this planet's realm. Surely, the best lesson in moving on would be if the dead person just moved on.

My 3 main criticisms:
The backdrop of the characters and setting lacked depth.

The narration was in a soft "angel like" voice throughout that reminded me of sickly Candyland. I understand it was because it was in the voice of one that couldn't move over, angelic like, but hell, (and that single word is harsher and darker than all of the emotions portrayed throughout the story) if you're stuck are you also not still of this world in some way and not all pure and soft and forgiving and sweet. The voice reminded me of a sweet (very sweet) 5 year old caught in a adult's body.) It was like listening to Tinkerbell through a soft filter.
This story may have been better if I were reading it in book form because I probably would have added fluctuation to the voice and imagined more harshness to some of the dialogue. (As a side note; I don't think this was the narrator's fault. The voice seemed to match the author's tone of writing; see spoiler above.)

Every time the story started to have any flow there was a chapter end and the beginning of a new one. This ain't a large book folks and it had 80+ chapters. Just tell the story; stop pausing , using chapter breaks. It got to the point where I knew when there would be a new thought there would be a new chapter. It was annoying.

[Susan Wingate · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved writing this novel. It took me to all levels of emotion during the writing. My hope is that you feel those emotions and enjoy the journey with the characters. Thank you for considering reading THE DEER EFFECT.

Oh, and it has either won outright or has ranked as a finalist in six literary awards.

[Claudia {SparrowHawk} · Rating 1 out of 5]

One of the most difficult challenges I face when committing to a book review, is knowing that I may possibly have to dole out that ONE sullen Sparrowhawk; especially when it concerns a personal book review request.

What’s more, I have established that personal requests are awfully unnerving, because I have the author’s feelings in mind since they respectively reach out to book bloggers on a more individual level as opposed to distribution services such as Netgalley or even publishing houses, and while this all may be true, I still have a strong desire to support and cheer on self-publishing/up & coming authors; I heartily believe they deserve the spotlight more than esteemed authors, since they already have their foot in the door.

To the same degree however, I do not wish to mislead or falsify my overall reading experience with a novel due to fear of shame, guilt or hurting an author’s feelings; although, to me, it is intolerable to hurt any one for that matter.

In all fairness though, let’s bring into light the verifiable truth that I have been writing book reviews steadily now for about, nine months or so. Thus technically, I am still a freshman in the “book review blogging” scene. Also, sharing my personal experiences and impressions with the books I have chosen to read was never my initial aim when I first kicked off this blog. Under those circumstances however, somehow Sparrow’s Reading Corner has evolved into what it is today, which by the way, is still in the process of improvement as I am continually modifying and shifting ideas here and there.

Having said all that, it behooves me to say that The Deer Effect was simply not for me; it was sadly disappointing and not at all what I had anticipated the story to be conclusive to its blurb.

IN A NUTSHELL:
// Susan Wingate’s writing style is highly energetic and expressive. Her usage of verbs are the driving force that mostly carry out the storyline with strength and distinction; at times however, I felt as though I was drowning with the muscular usage of her action words

// It pains me to have to dislike a book, really, so allow me to admit that I am not in any way a professional book critic, nor am I a licensed editor, or a skilled commentator. I am simply a thirty-something year old stay-at-home wife/book hungry/video game obsessive/homeschooling mom who evidently overindulges and greatly enjoys reading and blogging. I guess what I’m trying to say is, I am no one special to criticize or disfavor any author or their work. In fact, I highly value their courage to put themselves out there! As well as their vulnerability, which we can justly admit we try so desperately to avoid

// While there was some significance to the prose, the majority of the narrative felt, to such an extent cluttered and withdrawn; like, there was no room for depth. I found I was barley able to register with the plot or its characters; okay, you know what it felt like? It felt like I was staring at an abstract painting, and well, my mind tends to operate in a black & white fashion :/

// There’s more humor in the dialogue than there is sadness. It is also a fast-paced storyline with familiar low fantasy elements

// There simply was no building of the world or setting around the characters; in fact, there were a lot of hazy progressions that came across as incredibly small and confined and most of the story felt forced to me

// I did not like this book. There are obviously a handful of issues I had with the overall delivery and sadly, the storyline and its characters were not striking enough to allow me to see past these issues. I would not recommend it.


3 THINGS I LIKED:
+ While, I did not find the book particularly good, it did succeed in some points. Amongst those, the relationship between Hannah and her dog Bobby, there were a few scenes between the two that were touching

+ Beyond Hannah’s death, the storyline follows Rod’s predicament in finding resolve with the issues concerning his marriage to Hannah, the final words he addressed to Hannah, and finding Hannah’s killers; he must come to grips with the odds against him. I found his determining response and reaction inspiring and moving when he confronted Hannah’s killers, but again, there could have been more depth

+ In fairness, the book offers some interesting attempts in exploring suggestions relating to the stages of grief after the loss of a loved one


3 THINGS I DID NOT LIKE:
- At first glance The Deer Effect appears to be an affecting read – it features an enticing blurb which easily describes the novel to be one about, “loss, redemption and forgiveness.” Plus a tempting introduction that had me frantically turning the pages:

Hold on. Wait a second. Let me back up just a tad. For your information, I’m dead. Although I speak of myself, make no mistakes. I died this day. This story will tell you a tale about my dog and my husband and the two going on a journey in order to come to terms with my death. It’s their story. Through my eyes, ears, nose, fingers, tongue and mind you’ll get a sense of me, of course-an infusion of me, but I’m just the storyteller here. Make no mistakes.

But as I began to peel away its layers and carefully examined the plot and the characters, I was at a complete loss. To put it plainly, it was extremely difficult for me to follow along; it just felt abstract and far from what I typically classify as low fantasy


- The objects and concepts revolving around the views of the afterlife in this narrative are abstruse and overly knotty; for instance, the funeral scene, at first, it is easily understood as dark and grim; full of anguish and despair {it is a funeral after all}, and just as you are in a moment of deep sadness, you are abruptly taken to these following sentences {this is Hannah speaking}:

I wished for something happier and popcorn popped into my mind. When it did Voila! A big butter cardboard bucket of it, the kind you get at the movies, popped down right in front of us. Fawn dove her face right in and made a few kernels sprinkle out around the bucket. I picked those up and shoved them into my mouth. Blissful oily oozing butter coated my lips and tongue and it was like the best popcorn I’d ever tasted in the whole entire world, ever. Fawn’s eyes got so big after eating some that I thought they might explode right there and then, out of her head.

It was extremely jarring to say the least, and in a way, I strongly felt the childish approach backfired and thus removed the intensity and magnitude of the novel


- The real stumbling block with this novel is that its execution leaves a lot to be desired: from the character development, the narrative, the afterlife illusions and imagery; it’s all very grainy. The majority of it was utterly confusing and frustrating on so many levels, here are a few examples:

Chapter 5

Now I understand-when you die on earth with someone, you awaken with them in your renewed blissful state. Death didn’t mean the same thing on this side. I felt no sadness, regrets, no pain.

Okay, this is early in the chapter, no sadness, regrets, no pain; got it. Let’s move forward


Chapter 29

Poor Rod. I felt a wave of pain sweep across my body and spin me around. Fawn followed me, nudging me around in circles. She felt my pain too. Rod’s pain.

But I was under the impression that sadness, regret and pain were obsolete in the afterlife. And how is it that Hannah can feel, not only her own pain, but Fawn’s and Rod’s too!? Ugh! I want to make sense of all this, really I do!


Chapter 82

I felt terribly guilty and began to cry. Soft rose petals fell out of my eyes and tumbled around me. “I’m sorry, ” I called out to Him {God} and then as if forgiven right then and there, Fawn appeared.

. . .this last one drove me to absolute distraction: again, I was under the impression that all sorrow, hurt and pain fell into disuse, but now, not only is Hannah in emotional distress, but now she is crying soft rose petals! And on top of that, repentance is still obligatory even in the afterlife!? Ugh! My my nerves are strained and I feel like I’m choking. . .I’m going to go cry now


Overall Rating:
Storyline | 1/5
Characters | 1/5
Violence | Minor murder, driving under the influence, hit and run, verbal threats, aggravated assault, medical terms are used to describe the state of dead bodies, blood is mentioned, there is one graphic scene that paints the death of a character as well as an animal, guns
Profanities | Moderate: A few words reference known profanities, but are not textual; except for the word A** which is mentioned only once. There are obscene gestures such as: flipping someone off and blurted obscenities. There is extreme usage of the words God, Holy, Jesus, Hell and Damn
Sexual Content | Very Minor: A very brief scene specifies a character taking a shower; other than that, no kissing or sexual dialogue
Mature subjects/themes include, but are limited to: loss of a loved one, death, assault, martial strife, divorce, adult drinking, driving under the influence, religion, atheism, funeral, paranormal

[Lauren Dare · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a free copy of this novel from the author via voracious readers to review. This book was unlike anything I’ve read before but my goodness it was emotional. When we lose someone we like to believe they are watching over us and this novel was a unique story of how the afterlife comes to be and where the paths converge with those still living. I felt for Hannah and Rod. But clearly makes us re-examine what we have in life and never to take those we love for granted as they could be taken from us at any point.

[Kayla · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a good read for me even though there were a few places I was confused about what was going on. I think it’s beautiful way to show a possibility of what happens to us after we die. I loved that the deer that died when she did was also her friend in the afterlife. I think this is a nice read for anyone who wants something a little heartwarming.

[Mallory Tovey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I got a complimentary copy of this book from the author via Voracious Readers Only.
I loved it, this book was so easy to read and I got through it in a few days! I've read books in the past about individuals after their deaths and it has been a huge disappointment but this one hasn't! I loved how this author went about creating a storyline that felt realistic and the ending was perfect. I definitely recommend others read this book!

[Diane · Rating 4 out of 5]

With a title like The Deer Effect, somehow the reader anticipates a story about hunting - but this couldn't be further from the truth. And billed with the catch-all 'novel' phrase, it's uncertain (from either title or cover) what to expect - which is, plain and simple, NOT a hunting saga or 'Deliverance' type of tale, but a story of murder and grief.

The protagonist finds his dead wife's body next to the carcass of a fawn, and the rest of the story assumes 'whodunnit' proportions as Rod embarks on a quest to find her killer and uncover the truth.

Death is the draw here; but unlike many a murder mystery, it isn't the end-all focus but an introduction that involves a wide cast of characters in an investigation that leads to some unexpected conclusions.

It doesn't follow the usual course of a murder mystery because there's heavy emphasis on grief, the process of recovery, and a nefarious spirit's involvement in matters (yes, there's even a ghost…)

It doesn't follow the usual progression of events that would lead into a psychological novel about grieving because there's an element of mystery surrounding the death, which requires close investigation from different angles until, at last, an unexpected truth comes out.

And The Deer Effect doesn't provide the predictability of a story that uses a singular literary device to achieve its purposes: the fact that the protagonist becomes unwittingly involved in a search for justice while simultaneously fielding messages from his dead wife makes it a contrast in not only realities, but perception.

The only 'constants' in such an exploration lie in setting and place: readers footpad through psychological woods that hold more than a touch of emotional insight in them.

Forget about hunting, deer, and woods survival. Enter a world where grief serves as the catalyst for change and where death opens the door to other worlds.

Such is the world of Rod and those around him - all changed by Hannah's death, each looking for answers, and all wound up a satisfying story that is haunting until its final resolution.

[Valerie Caraotta · Rating 5 out of 5]

Though unconventional in timing, I will say first and foremost that it will not take you long in this work to discover why Susan Wingate's books rank as Amazon's best sellers and why she has received numerous writing honors. Though fictional, The Deer Effect has realistic aspects that affect us all when it comes to appreciation, regard, and forgiveness toward one another.

Hannah Demsey's walk with Bobby, her beloved dog, would be her last as she hurried out the door following another despairing fight and threats of divorce by Rod. Life would change quickly for Rod and most mysteriously for Hannah as motorcyclists would fatally kill her and the fawn. As Wingate skillfully weaves the plot where the dog Bobby could understand and see Hannah in her changed body, the dynamics for Rod would play different as Psychiatrists and Pastor John try to make sense of his confusion and "buzzing" in the ears.

Hannah's angelic presence and altered states would continue to find closure with Rod, as they both exchange anger to forgiveness and finally to "rose pedals" of love. It centers around finding comfort and closure to the mistakes of the past and even for those long gone before us.
Rod's initial anger will thrust him wholeheartedly into revenge toward those that killed his wife. Notice how the human element of anger plays out when Rod stands before his killers face to face, gun in tow. It is a book that allows each of us to do some deep introspection and through free will, dare to change our course if needed.

This book, if it is your first from Susan Wingate, will most likely interest you in her other quality award winning pieces. I rate it 5 stars with 2 thumbs up.

[Stacey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a copy from the author in exchange for an honest review, and I'm glad I had the opportunity to read it. It was a nice change of pace from the types of stories I've been reading lately.

Hannah and Rod had a disagreement, but before they could settle anything, Hannah was killed. We get to watch as Rod and their dog, Buddy, come to terms with Hannah's death.

I loved how Buddy could see and interact with Hannah and Fawn, the deer who died with Hannah. There are many out there who believe animals have such an ability, so it was interesting to see it incorporated into a story.

I felt for Rod and Hannah. He was riddled with guilt over what he said to Hannah before her death, and she didn't want to leave him and Buddy, yet she also didn't want to get stuck on Earth. They both needed to learn to forgive before they could move on.

There were times Hannah seemed childlike, and other times where she came across as mature. I would have rather she acted one or the other, not both. It was also mentioned she couldn't feel pain, yet there were points where she was described as feeling pain or she cried, so it was a little inconsistent, but it wasn't enough to take away from the enjoyment of the story.

If you don't believe in life after death, or if you don't have any type of religious beliefs, this may not be the book for you as it deals with these topics. It also deals with love and the power of forgiveness.

This was my first time reading anything by Susan, and it won't be my last.

[Alan Black · Rating 5 out of 5]

Susan Wingate has given her readers a novel cast from a different mold than her best selling thriller-suspense series Bobby's Dinner. The Deer Effect is an inspirational Christian fantasy novel wrapped in a metaphysical cloak of ghostly proportions giving the reader chills and a desire to join in all at the same time.

A hit-and-run driver on a lonely stretch of road kills Hannah. Her husband Rod is inconsolable and unable to turn to God or the church because of his stubborn disbelief. Her little dog Bobby is confused, not knowing where his mommy went and why she won't come back. Hannah blatantly breaks the rules that set her on a course for heaven to help Rod and Bobby, plus help them catch the s.o.b. that killed her.

Wingate style is well written and at times almost poetical in her prose. Her fantasy base is clear and thought out, consistent in its execution. The Deer Effect is a novel worth reading more than once.

The author, in exchange for an honest review, gave me this book.

[Karen Underhill]

A great read, I would recommend it

[Monica Sarff · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderfully written

Atonement, faith,loyalty and love comingle for an inspiring read. Forgiveness comes at a price ..Keep the tissues handy for this one.

[Mary Beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Weird, but kind of fun.

[Buttercupp77 · Rating 2 out of 5]

I've become a bit choosy about my reading within the past year. Since I've committed to writing reviews, I try to choose books that I think I'm more likely to enjoy. (I like to think I'm able to differentiate between quality - it's well executed - and taste - I like it - but I'm not sure that I've managed to excise my tastes well enough to be truly fair). I had high hopes for this one. Unfortunately, I didn't enjoy this book much at all - I seriously contemplating giving up at 25% of the way in. I persevered - I'm not sure how I feel about that choice.

The author did write a few scenes that impacted me on an emotional level - I shed a couple of tears in a couple of spots. So there was success at generating a modicum of investment into the story.

I thought a lot of elements could be improved. Structurally, the sheer number of chapters just didn't make sense. There was also a lot of "preaching" or philosophising that really didn't move the story forward, so I think a good third of the novel could have been cut without sacrificing the plot. I thought the characters could have been significantly better developed - they read as really flat to me, except for Bobby, which was a misstep based on the themes the novel was trying to develop. (For this story, the focus should have been Rod). There were characters that were thrown in that really didn't make a lot of sense. (I felt that Fawn could have been eliminated completely with very little adjustments required to the story). There were a couple of gaping plot holes and sidelines that just didn't make sense.

As far as the writing itself, it was mostly cloying in tone. I thought the author was trying too hard to be poetic and spiritual, which negatively impacted the story. In a work of fiction, the story has to be the driver, which thematic development happening almost outside the awareness of the reader. There were weird uses of expressions, mistakes, and a clunkiness to the writing (especially evident in the dialogue).

Research, research, research. Getting details in the realm of realistic is important. The professional characters (police, therapist, pastor/minister - even the dockhand) were decidedly unprofessional in their conduct. I recognise that these scenes were not central to the story being told (this is not trying to be a police procedural), but it's still important for them to be believable. Furthermore, the accessibility of a psychiatrist or "under sheriff" (which, for the record, I doubt is a real title) stretched credulity.

I also have serious questions about Hannah's theology. Given that spirituality is a central theme of the novel, I did expect that her beliefs would have been clearly conveyed (even indirectly), and that she would have faced a conflict upon confronting the reality she faced. Her character is expressly indicated to have been raised Roman Catholic, and converted to Presbyterianism. (My father was RC, my mother is Presbyterian and I was raised Presbyterian, so I have some familiarity with the tenets of these faiths). The complete lack of a conflict at all was surprising and, I think, a missed opportunity to show the character's growth.

Overall, my impression is that this is a good early draft, with some interesting elements that are worth exploring, but there's still work to be done to polish it including: tightening the pace, character development and realignment, editing out errors, cutting the incidental elements, and filling in critical details to add realism and credibility to plot and characters.

I received a copy of this book through Voracious Readers Only.

[Connie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wingate has a quietly riveting style that captures your complete attention from beginning to end. Coupled with a somewhat unique perspective from the dead, literally, this novel deserves the engaged read that it pulls close in a warm textual embrace. My only caveat would be, if you are not one for a backgrounding religious message, then the underlying faith may overshadow your appreciation of a truly well written, original concept. The prose flows, at times mirroring the confusion of the newly departed, at others giving the reader as well as the bereaved pure solace. Be warned that the images will shift your preconceptions of the immediate afterlife with unforgettable color and texture. This Voracious Readers Only selection was completely outside of my usual comfort zone with regards to genre, but I could not stop turning the pages, wondering where the author would next lead. Though I felt the underlying message was somewhat simplistic, the grace and agility with which it was delivered was noteworthy. This is a storyteller of old, no question.

[Danielle Green · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was provided a free copy of this book by the author through voracious readers in exchange for an honest review.
Hannah suddenly and tragically dies. The story focuses mainly on her husband, Rob, and her dog, Bobby and how they cope with their loss.
The book itself was a quick read, but at times it was difficult for me to follow the plot line. It is very "chapter-based". I felt a connection with Rob and Bobby, but there were other characters that came into the story briefly and it felt disjointed.
Overall this was a beautiful novel that I enjoyed reading, but I was expecting more mystery and twists and turns. I would read another novel by this author.
Quick comment - there were some minor grammatical errors in the edition (i.e. missing words, wrong words).

[Joan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This novel is very different, although the basic premise is silly, it was funny in places and turned philosophical at the end. The dead POV character’s antics became tiresome pretty quickly. As far as the book itself goes, this is a more or less average read; the formatting in the Kindle version knocks that down a notch or two. Pages ranged from one word per page to as many as four or five lines - probably averaging no more than 10-15 words per page. Irritating as all get out!

[claire martin · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received a copy of this through Voracious readers only.

I was intrigued by the plot but I found it wanting.
I found ghost Hannah annoying after a while, a 10 year old teasing her loved ones whilst they grieve is childish and uncalled for. I can understand how Hannah found it difficult to move on as she loved her dog so much.

The plot of Rod finding Hannah's killers felt rushed and towards the end the book felt a bit too preachy for my liking.

[Bob Rivera · Rating 4 out of 5]

A sweet, poignant story around a tragic death, and the healing that the survivors must go through in terms of regrets, grief, and slow recovery. I enjoyed the read, and shed a few tears over the bittersweet story.

[Jessica Alexander-Lillicrap · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a complimentary copy of the book from the author via Voracious Readers Only.
This is an easy read with a cool premise. The free copy had a couple of typos. A good read for relaxing.

[Kyoung · Rating 1 out of 5]

Too Weird

If you like weird, maybe this book is for you. I tried reading but too many descriptions of a dead person communicating with her dog left behind...

[Jonathan · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received this book via GoodReads First-Reads.

Page 113, last paragraph, first word... OMGee. That pretty well sums up this book. If you're an avid reader you will likely be frustrated by the repetition of words and phrases as well as the word errors.

The book had a lot of promise but lacked the ability to consume me. It was hard to read and continue on. There seemed no motive for the killing early in the book which seemed malicious in intent only to read that it was an accident later on.

The author creates a world and sets rules for this world which she breaks constantly then halfway through the book, now there's repercussions to breaking these rules that weren't mentioned until well after they had been broken.

I don't know why, but the whole plot seemed lost on me. Maybe it was all the errors or maybe it was the 80+ chapters in 285 pages. That's an average of less than 4 pages a chapter and there was no need for chapter break 95% of the time. It just felt, distracting.

Also, my pet peeve was a constant in this book. In grade school I was taught that you can never start a sentence with, "And" because it is a continuation, not a start. In dialogue it is acceptable but not in description or narration. That is also why "OMGee" bugs me so much. It is poor writing practice in narration. That is my opinion.

The characters lacked development, very little backstory or motive to them. It all left me wanting more. It starts getting good towards the end, then it turns 180 degrees. I like positive endings, but they need to be believable. To think that a man would befriend the twenty-something's that killed his wife was too much of a stretch for me. Maybe that is a reflection of me.

I wouldn't recommend this book, but I don't put it in the "Never read" area either.

I wish Susan the best and hope she writes many successful books.

[Leslie Fisher · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought this book was really beautifully written and the story was really interesting. That being said, I had to knock off a star because my enjoyment was hampered by a certain aspect of listening to the audio version. The narrator, Felisha Caldiera, is a very good narrator, and I have listened to other audio books narrated by her, enjoying them immensely. One aspect of this book is that the main character, Hannah, is killed and comes back as an angel. When she comes back as an angel, she is a child-like version of herself. The narrator gives her a childish, sing-songy voice, which makes sense for her character. However, I found the voice and personality of the child-angel-Hannah to be irritating. This could be because I spend all my day working with kids and use books as an escape, so this wasn't a true escape for me. This is nothing against the narrator or the author, but my own issue. I think I may have done better reading a Kindle version because the voice in my head would have been something I created, so it wouldn't have irritated me as much. Overall, the book was good and the elements of loss, desire for justice, etc., are all relatable. I think this book is definitely worth the read, but if you get annoyed easily by kids, I would stick to the hard copy of the book.

[Trinity Rose · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Deer Effect by Susan Wingate isn’t worth reading. Since I got it free I don’t feel bad. I thought it would be really a great read since it won four awards. Just goes to show you that you can’t believe everything you read and we all are very different in what we like.
This book is told from a dead person’s point of view. It almost seems sacrilege to me. The dead woman talks about her dog more than her husband. She misses her dog so much. She goes along spreading fairy dust and thinking of a big bowl of popcorn and it appears. She, Hannah also came back as a child spirit, which I believe it completely wrong.
It really seems like a childish kind of book to me except for Rob, the husband’s feeling of loss and hurt. He was deeply sorry for what he said to Hannah right before she was killed.
If the whole book would have continued in the way Rob felt and left all of the silly, girlish coming back out it would have been so much better.
Another thing I didn't like Hannah died at the same time as a deer so it jumped around the skies with her.
I do not recommend this book at all. Just to silly for me. Life and death isn’t a joke or to be taken lightly.

This is my book and I wasn’t required to review it.

[Teressa · Rating 5 out of 5]

"I can See Why this has Won FOUR Literary Awards"

"The Deer Effect" was an amazing listen. Along with the story being fantastic, the narration was very, very well done. This story was realistic yet fantasy-ish or even perhaps paranormal-ish but it has the elements of the afterlife, faith, and what it means to feel loved.

I really loved the characters Hannah and Rod. What I took from their relationship was be careful how you treat people because it could be the last time you see them. In this life. Hannah was in her faith yet Rod was unsure until certainty found its way to him.

I also loved the characters of Bobby and Fawn. The author, Susan Wingate was super creative to introduce these two as doable supporting characters. The Deer Effect is one of my favorite books and I'd recommend listening to this to anyone.

Felisha Caldeira's narration was SO awesome. She had the perfect voice for this book. She was great with all the characters and had delightful voice inflections. She turned this book into such a fantastic audio. I'm now a huge fan of both author and reader.

Audiobook received inx for an honest review.

[Anne Rightler · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Deer Effect by Susan Wingate is entertaining with an unusual take on death and the afterlife. Hannah and her sweet, beloved dog, Bobby, go for a walk and while tending to a wounded fawn lying by the road, Hannah is struck by a vehicle. Hannah's husband, Rod, having just told Hannah he was leaving her is devastated when he hears of her death.After their deaths, Hannah and the fawn's spirits remain in the earthly realm and communicate with Bobby. Wingate takes readers on an interesting journey as Rod deals with his grief, his faith (or lack thereof) and his need for justice. Although the plot is that of fantasy, there are certainly strong threads of themes of forgiveness and the importance of faith in God throughout the story. The Deer Effect is a heartwarming book. The audiobook was narrated well by Felisha Caldeira, giving each character their own unique voice.
I was given an audio copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Marty · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the premise of the book and I think that the author is a good story teller. There were quite a few errors, i.e. missing words or incorrect words. The author should hire someone to proof read for her. I found the errors distracting. Some of her descriptions were quite lovely. The relationship with her dog was very sweet. I had a few problems with the writing. I swore if Fawn did one more somersault I might become the deer hunter and the repetition of giggling became annoying. When the angel started leaving angel dust I almost didn't finish the story, but I had become invested in Rod the husband and wanted to see his resolution. I was disappointed because the story had such great potential but the repetition of phrases and trails of angel dust destroyed the story for me. Would like to have seen better character development, like why was husband Rod so angry?

[Martina Dewey · Rating 2 out of 5]

Metaphysical is not my thing.

I was not sure would like this book, and as it turns out I would have been better of heading my own judgement. This book really didn't feel connected to me, it seemed scattered too far between the heaven and physical elements. I don't plan on reading more by this author.