I live on a lavender farm with a large herd of wild deer that basically live in our great meadow, so I observe them closely every day. This book was filled with fascinating information about them and I enjoyed learning more about the lives of deer. However I think I will purchase the actual book as I did not really enjoy the narrator.

My thanks to NetGalley for an advance copy of this audiobook.

so kind and informative! This book is a gem. I'm so excited to share this title with my friends and customers alike. Any book that extends my empathy for fellow living creatures is a winner to me.

When I requested this book from NetGalley I wasn’t expecting an audiobook and unfortunately a non-fiction audio book (that isn’t about crime) just isn’t for me, I didn’t even finish it. Of course, this review is solely based on my personal preference of book vs audiobook

I was curious to read The Age of Deer: Trouble and Kinship with our Wild Neighbors by Erika Howsare and I definitely learned a lot about deer! This is not the type of book I’d usually read and parts were dry but it was nice to listen to the audiobook read by the author. This book is quite long and goes into detail about the history of deer in America from the use of buckskin, antlers, hide for snowshoe netting and book binding to hunting today. This book covers such topics as how many deer were in America before Europeans colonized America, are deer overpopulated, the different species of deer, CWD - the disease that’s killing deer, tracking fauns from birth, the prevalence of car accidents involving deer, culling and the significance of calling all deer Bambi.

I, like other people, rarely think about deer. They live nearby and sometimes come to my yard and snack on my trees and landscapings. They are so much a part of my life and I never think about them. This book had me thinking and thinking about deer in every way that I can.
I also loved the narration. I don't understand the people who didn't love it because it worked for me.

Thank you NetGalley and HighBridge Audio for my advanced copy and the chance to review it honestly.

I received this book as an ALC and although it piqued my interest, it ultimately fell flat for me. The narrator and the story felt a bit dry and I can’t say I loved the writing. I can appreciate how the story will resonate with others though and this cover is absolutely gorgeous. I am trying to read out of my comfort zone this year so typically this isn’t a book I’d normally pick up. Please take my opinion with a grain of salt because I see a ton of great reviews! Just because it didn’t work for me, doesn’t mean it won’t work for you!

Happy reading!

This review is for the quality of the audiobook only. I really hope it gets some tighter editing before it goes on sale. Every few sentences, the narrator takes a sharp breath in. I could only listen to a few minutes before it bothered me enough to stop. This issue would be so easy to fix in audio editing that I really implore the publisher to do so, both for the author's sake and for listeners' sakes as well.

If there happens to be a newer edition of the audiobook that has these issues resolved, I would be more than happy to receive that version, continue listening, and complete a review. I genuinely want to read this book. But I can't handle the gasping.

This was an interesting deep dive into the topic of deer - some mythological and artistic context, the importance of deer historically for sustenance and survival materials, how the role of deer has changed in our urban landscapes and everyday lives, and the world of deer hunting for food and for sport.

I enjoyed the author’s engagement with the different groups and activities discussed, sharing her own non-judgemental personal experiences and feelings. Whether travelling to locales overrun by deer (just to see what it’s like), taking survival classes and learning how each part of the deer’s body can be used for tools or materials, or even attending a hunting convention and journeying on a hunting excursion herself, Howsare brought vulnerability and honestly to her commentary. I did find that the topics jumped around a lot and in some cases ran a little long, and I think this book could have been structured a little differently to better demonstrate the human past, present, and future relationship with deer.

The narrator voice at 1x speed was very slow and monotonous, I found this best enjoyed at 1.5x speed (or greater). For some reason I always heard “the fawns” as “The Fonz” which I found kind of funny.

Thank you to NetGalley and HighBridge Audio for providing this ALC!

I was interested in this book because I love deer. I'm the person that always points out deer like it's a cute puppy. Growing up in Ohio it is very common to see deer in the wild, in your backyard and mounted on a wall. I like to think (possibly stupidly and naively) that a deer would meet me and become my best friend. Alas, the chance hasn't come yet.

The cover of this audiobook is super cool! I love that the style of the deer is universally representing deer from all over and throughout time. I love the vibrant colors. Definitely would stand out in a collection of books as being unique.

The narrator, also the author, was a little slow and monotone for me. I had to bump up the speed to 1.5 and that made it a lot easier for me. The reading is a bit like listening to a podcast or an NPR radio station. The context isn't heavy but perhaps, dry. I don't think everyone would want to read this book or find it interesting. But to those that are interested in wildlife, I think you'll enjoy!

For me, the book focus on hunting and consuming deer was a little heavy. Two practices that I avoid as much as possible. Just be aware of that going in. And perhaps it was foolish for me to not expect those two topics in a book about deer when those are very popular aspects of deer. In a physical/ebook copy, I think you'd benefit from the table of contents and being able to jump through chapters that do not interest you.

If you enjoy books about wildlife and our relationship to them, I recommend checking out The Age of Deer by Erika Howsare. Thank you to NetGalley, Erika Howsare and High Bridge Audio. I have written this review voluntarily.

Reviewing an audio arc from NetGalley.

Howsare explores this niche topic with the perfect mixture of nuance, thoughtfulness, innocence, and humor. The result is a sometimes melancholy, sometimes surprising meditation on reality, ideas, and the complex network between humans and our environment.

Throughout the text the author is careful to stand not in judgment but in curiosity, and creates a rich text full of interesting information with a few graceful brushstrokes of biographical anecdotes.

A great winter nonfiction read.