The Deer Effect

By: Susan Wingate

Narrated by: Felisha Caldeira

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

When his wife, Hannah, is found dead on the road near the carcass of a fawn, Rod Demsey sets out on a journey to find her killer (with his dog who seems to be able to communicate with spirits). His grief causes his faith to wither until an unexpected turn brings Rod face-to-face with the only person who can tell him what really happened to his wife.

The Deer Effect is a story of loss, redemption, and forgiveness. From the author of Drowning - winner of the 2011 Forward National Literature Award for Drama, The Deer Effect will be a great listen for fans of Mitch Albom, Garth Stein, and Frank Peretti.

©2014 Susan Wingate (P)2016 Susan Wingate

Good story, but...

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.

A positive and inspirational story

Overall I liked this story…I liked the premise and the inspirational aspects of redemption and forgiveness. I liked the spirituality of the book as well as the positive ending. However, there were a few things that bothered me. First, I still don’t get how the title came to be. Yes there was a deer that played a key role but the deer effect? That just didn’t make sense. Hannah died and supposedly went to Heaven but yet she could still hurt and feel pain?? I didn’t like that Hannah was coming back as a child spirit either. That didn’t do anything to add to the story.

I received the Audible version of this book in exchange for an honest review. The book was narrated by Felisha Caldera and she did a very good job. The story was a little slow for me so I sped up the narration on my Audible app and it still sounded just fine!

Deer Effect

Any additional comments?

The Deer Effect has a very realistic aspects that affect us all .It is about appreciation, regard, and forgiveness toward one another. I like this audiobook

Captivating Story!

This is not my normal genre; however, after reading the description, The Deer Effect sounded intriguing and I really wanted to listen to it. The story was very captivating and a refreshing change from my normal genre's. It will not only speak to your heat but will leave you contemplating life, loss, forgiveness, and letting go.

***Spoilers***
Rod and Hannah had a fight earlier and Hannah decides she is going to walk their dog named Bobby. While she is in the process of getting ready to head out, and is in the driveway, Rod calls out to her and let's her know he plans on moving out. She does not react, but proceeds with walking dog.

During the walk, two misguided motorcyclist ride by and come close to hitting them; however, as she is walking, it appears a fawn was hit. She tries to assist and starts checking over the fawn injuries when the motorcyclists circle back and hit her but decide to leave the scene of the accident.

When the accident is discovered, Hannah and the fawn have passed and Rod comes to the scene of the accident after the dog comes home without Hannah. While Hannah is being removed from the scene of the accident, her and the fawn are aware and realize they will be together until their spirits leave earth. They also discover the dog is the only one who can see them.

As the days, weeks and months pass, Rod has to deal with his grief and at times thinks he is going crazy as strange things happen. He starts to hear a buzzing in his ears and sometimes thinks he hears someone talking. Then he notices the dog's behavior and how the dog will act like he hears, interacts, and sees his late wife. Rod's thinking he's lost his mind, but starts working on communicating with the dog and ask simple questions and eventually comes to believe the dog can see Hannah. One night he even sees the sprit of a little girl.

As he goes through the emotions of grief, and guilt, he's feelings turn to anger and he puts motions in place to deal with Hannah's killers to ensure they are held accountable for her death. However, Hannah's time on earth is coming close to the end and she tries to reach out to him one last time before something bad happens.

I really enjoyed listening to this story! It was entertaining, with a little suspense, humor, and a powerful message. I received this audiobook for free in exchange for an honest review. Thank you Susan, the story was great!

Bark Once for Yes

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.

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.

Not a Christian novel

Nothing of what Christ said in it about after we die. Humans don't become angels.