“With an upbeat tone, clever dialogue, and an artsy point of view, Depth of Field is one relatable teenage girl’s contemporary coming-of-age journey.” ― School Library Journal “Amusingly honest . . . Frothy yet engaging romance with a snapshot of the photography world to add color.” ― Kirkus Reviews “Tight plotting, vivid characters, and an underlying thread of photography know-how make Depth of Field a smart and stylish read.” ― The National Reading Campaign “Guertin truly inhabits the world of a talented 16-year-old who, in spite of self-doubt, faces the world head on. And if the story is one that has been told many times, many ways, Guertin’s approach to it is creative and new.” ― Canadian Review of Materials Two weeks in New York City should be the time of Pippa’s she’s attending the prestigious Tisch Photography Camp. But what should be 14 unforgettable days of bliss turns into chaos when her one and only nemesis, Ben Baxter, proves to be surprisingly more complex than she could’ve ever imagined, and her Tisch mentor, a renowned photographer, seems to have a lot more to do with her parents’ past than anyone wants her to know. Is Pippa out of her depth? Picking up where she left off in The Rule of Thirds , Pippa Greene returns in Depth of Field , a story full of the same heart, comedic touches, and romance that made readers fall in love with Chantel Guertin’s charming YA series.
Rom-Coms: It Happened One Christmas -- Oct 2023 Gigi, Listening (USA) // Two for the Road (Can) - 2023 Instamom -- A PopSugar Best Beach Read 2021 Stuck in Downward Dog Love Struck
YA: The Pippa Greene series: The Rule of Thirds Depth of Field Leading Lines Golden Hour
I went into this book with all the wrong expectations, and maybe that's partly on me. I mostly enjoyed the first book but I HATED Ben. I hated his personality, I hated that he stole iPads and got away with it, and I hated that he stole Pippa's photos and won the competition with them... all without suffering any consequences.
I wanted Depth of Field to kick his ass. I wanted him to burn in the fiery pits of hell. But the complete OPPOSITE of that happens. Pippa basically forgives him, they kind of become friends, then she maybe even starts to LIKE him.
I honestly just couldn't deal with it. I hated Ben, I hated Pippa for not hating Ben.. and then Pippa wasn't even awesome at photography. I felt like the only thing in the world she knew about it was the rule of thirds and she was just clueless about everything else. Then there's the fact that she got ass-whipped drunk on the first night of camp, right after her teacher warned her against doing that. I mean, really Pippa??
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Wow, didn't see that plot coming from the ending of the first book. Pippa's mum and dad and David, and Ben's 180° turn. But now I want more. Will there be more? Please?
I haven't read the first Pippa Greene book (didn't actually realise there was one when I started reading), but it's testament to the quality of the author that I didn't at any point feel like I needed to have read it before this one. Depth of Field is a great Young Adult read, full of all the things that contemporary YA do well - love, loss, finding yourself and growing into a better person.
There are a couple of twists that I guessed fairly early, and I'm not sure whether the author meant me to or not, but it didn't spoil my enjoyment of the story. Guertin's characters are big and likeable, with a real feel to them, and the variety of elements in the story makes for a continuously interesting read. Photography is an interest of mine, which I think helped my enjoyment along, but I think even if you know nothing about the subject it wouldn't stop you liking Pippa's story. I'll definitely be looking out for the rest of the series.
Thanks to Netgalley for providing a copy in exchange for an honest review.
A Depth of Field A Pippa Greene Novel Chantel Guertin Copyright 2014
A Depth of Field is a story of a young girl named Pippa Greene who has a passion for photography and is going yo go to photography camp for two weeksand her boyfriend Dylsn happens to be going as well.
Thid book is astory of teenage love of teenage passions but it is also a story of overcoming loss because the previoud year Pippas Father died of cancer. Her Father was the one who taught her photography.
Her time at camp not only shows her about herself but she learns things about her parents as well.
Five stars for a complex well written younb adult novel.
Awww!! I flew through this book. That's funny, since I felt the ending got rushed for a second, but not long enough to mar the story. This book was a total love story for me. I was rooting for Ben and Pippa from the get go, forget Dylan. Yeah, it seems a little heartless to say, but if you read the story than you'd probably end up feeling the same way too. Again, this is funny since the last story I hated Ben. Seriously. Great writing at work. First you hate a character, then you love them in the next book. That's real development at work. Takes a talent, especially for a voracious reader like myself. Can't wait to get onto book 3 now!
I read this book to fulfil the goal read a book about a hobby. it is juvenille at times. but it has a suprise ending. i will read the next book in the series
I'm really glad I got the chance to get back into Pippa's world. Much like The Rule of Thirds, Depth of Field is a short and sweet read that has a little more going on than you originally think. In fact, DoF takes it even further, which made it a great read about a girl finding her place - in more ways than one.
There are two major plot focuses in this story and they intertwine perfectly. Pippa is in New York for the Tisch Photography Camp to pursue her passion. What she finds there in her mentor is a lot more than just some photography tips, though, as he has a very interesting and unexpected tie to her parents' past. I loved reading the parts about the Tisch camp (and the NYC setting was so fun, though I could have done with a little less of the constant street name dropping) because Guertin made their assignments fun and interesting but also gave room for character development within their structure. The biggest impact on Pippa, though, comes from getting to know her Tisch mentor, David. A college friend of her late father's, David holds a lot of secrets about the past that he shared with her parents and while Pippa goes in looking for a way to connect to who her dad was in college, she gets a lot more than she bargained for when she uncovers one of David's - and her parents' - biggest secrets. This was a great twist and I think Guertin played it out in a smart and impacting way. For a short book, the plot really moved well and kept me interested and invested.
The characters really help Guertin's story shine as they feel quite realistic, if slightly dramatic on occasion. Pippa herself continues to be an interesting and very real main character. She certainly makes mistakes but at least she tries to learn from them. Honestly, I think that's all you can ask of a teenager. She came alive in DoF much like she did in The Rule of Thirds and seeing her grow here - learning to forgive and mature and come into her photography even more - was wonderful. Her best friend Dace, while not present for most of the book, still has her moments and proves once again to be a fantastic friend to Pippa. I hope to see more of her and more of their friendship in the next book (and I'd love to see Pippa support Dace through something since Dace is always there for her). The new boyfriend from the end of TRoT, Dylan, isn't in DoF much either, which I was bummed about, but this let he-of-questionable-character Ben Baxter have his moment in the spotlight to show Pippa who he really is. I very much enjoyed seeing him become much more three-dimensional in this sequel and I'm interested to see where he goes from here. Pippa better sort out her feelings!
With a cliff-hanger ending that leaves Pippa's and readers' hearts on the line, I'm definitely looking forward to what should be an intense third book for our dear main character. Anyone who is looking for some quick and fun reads but still wants to find a reason to get invested in a story and a character's journey need look no further than Guertin's Pippa Greene series.
Depth of Field is the continuation of Pippa Greene’s story from The Rule of Thirds. Pippa is a young photographer; photography was something she shared with her dad, who died the year before. He was a professional photographer, and his passion for the art was something he passed on to Pippa.
One of the things I liked best about The Rule of Thirds was how authentic Pippa’s voice was. She was basically a regular 16-year-old girl who had insecurities, made mistakes, and learned a few things about life and love along the way. I still liked Pippa in Depth of Field, but she seemed…different. In a way, this book felt like it was part of a different series. Maybe it’s because there was a different setting, plus so many new characters and we didn’t get to see Pippa’s boyfriend and best friend, who were quite prevalent in the first book, but it felt almost too different.
Just like with The Rule of Thirds, there was a lot of stuff packed into this little book. At just under 200 pages, Guertin managed to tell a lot of story, which is quite impressive. Oddly enough, even though Pippa seemed really different in this book, I connected with her more in some ways. I understood her better, I think. When I was 17, I went to France for 10 days, and even though we had chaperones, we had a lot of free time, so I can understand Pippa’s excitement at having freedom, and the not-so-great choices she made. She’s an unchaperoned 16-year-old in NYC, of course she’s not going to be a saint! Also, having lost my own dad to cancer at a young age, I could understand Pippa’s desire to do anything to stay close to him, plus honour his memory. A lot of her choices and interests in life revolve around her dad - what he liked, what he did - and I can understand that, but I also hope she’ll find some of her own interests and passions, and become her own person.
I wasn’t sure if this book was the second in a duology or part of a series, so the cliffhanger ending surprised me. The Rule of Thirds left me feeling like some things were left too open, and I felt the same with Depth of Field. There were a lot of unanswered questions and loose ends, and even though there’s going to be another book (at least I assume there is), it felt too open. It would have been nice if at least one aspect of the story had been tied up enough to leave me feeling satisfied but wanting more, instead of ‘Ugh, that’s how it ended?’
Overall, Depth of Field is a good continuation of Pippa’s story. If you enjoy realistic YA fiction with an authentic voice, I’d recommend this series. I’m looking forward to seeing where Pippa goes next and how she handles the hurdles ahead.
Book two of Pippa's adventures, and she is in New York for a fancy schmancy photography camp. Her boyfriend's not there...but evil-villain-is-evil Ben is. For the sake of my amusement, a minor book-overlap thing: I read this right after Breakfast Served Anytime, in which the characters are asked to leave their technology at home during their summer programme. In Depth of Field, Pippa and Dylan decide to communicate solely by old-school means (letters and so on) while Pippa is at camp. In essence...this means that Dylan is out of the picture for the length of the book.
Ben, however, is in the picture, and he is suddenly to be pitied and trusted, despite his clear evil-villain status in the previous book. I'm all for character complexity, of course, but this reads to me less like complexity and more like inconsistency. I don't need Ben to get his comeuppance or anything, but he was way too horrible in the previous book for the 180 Pippa does here. This book...I dunno. It seems a lot like setup for Ben as the boyfriend in book 3, honestly.
There are major revelations in Depth of Field that come out of deep left field (sorry, yes, that was intentional). The book stands alone better than it might otherwise, but it's clearer than ever which things in The Rule of Thirds (e.g., panic attacks) were really only there to serve the plot. I checked all three books out of the library in one fell swoop, and I'll happily finish the third, but if more books follow I probably won't be rushing to find copies.
After coming second in a photography contest and losing out to Ben Baxter - the new kid who has swooped in and overtaken her in the spot of best photographer at Spalding High , the only thing Pippa has to look forward to is despite her arch nemesis Ben being there - she has a spot at Tisch College Summer Camp where her father studied photography when he was younger. For Pippa, photography is the only thing she has left that reminds her of her connection to her father. When she gets to the camp , she is happy to discover she has an awesome roommate - the downside is that her roomie is swooning over Ben Baxter. Part of the Camp is that you are mentored and paired up with a selection of different photographers around New York from Fashion Magazines to Human Interests etc. One of the mentors is Pippa's parents best friend and she wants him, what will happen though when she pulls out the name of the Fashion Magazine Seventeen's photographer and Ben Baxter gets the one she desperately wants ? What will Pippa think though when Ben does a good deed and swaps with her ? Pippa goes along with David and starts to discover what type of person and photographer he really is and in doing so she will also learn more about her mother , dad and David and their complex friendship ? While snooping around and looking at David's photos , Pippa comes across one of her mother pregnant with her ? Why has David got this photo and is their more to the story than Pippa knows surrounding her birth ?
Aah omg, I liked this book a lot! First Reads winner, thanks so much!
I really quite enjoyed this book a lot, and while I was a little put off by the fact that it was the sequel to a book and not the first one, I was actually surprised that the book was hasn't hard to understand because of that. It was nice to read a contemporary book for a change.
Pippa gets the chance of a lifetime to go to a prestigious photography camp in New York, and it seems like the best thing ever but then her nemesis Ben Baxter is also attending! It was nice to see that Pippa grew from this experience, seeing as how everything that happened to her was life changing. Reading into the first few chapters, it was easy to see the plot twists and I guessed a few of the things that were gonna happen by the end of the story, but it was still a nice read. Definitely looking forward to the rest of the series.
A while ago, I put down Chantel Guertin’s Depth of Field as one of my Waiting on Wednesday picks, and was immediately contacted by the publisher and asked if I would like to be on the blog tour, which of course I wholeheartedly agree to.
In her YA debut, The Rule of Thirds we are introduced to protagonist Pippa Greene, who is a smart, quirky aspiring photographer who is dealing with a personal tragedy that still affects her through the anxiety attacks she has. We get introduced to her life, and her family and friends and we follow her as she develops a romance with her crush. However the first book left many unanswered questions which paved the way for a sequel, Depth of Field.
I've had Depth of Field sitting on my shelf for a while waiting to be read, and after getting the next book in this series for review, I decided I really need to dive back into this world and finish this book. Pippa is going to Tisch after winning the competition, and her opponent and photo stealer, Ben goes too. I expected things to be tense between this duo, but Ben quickly makes amends for his actions and explains his reasons for doing what he does, this did make me feel sorry for him. Pippa goes on a journey or learning, of growing, and also finds some hidden family secrets that she had no idea about, secrets her Mum didn't want her to know.
I really enjoyed this book, from the photography, the cash cab, even down to making friends with unexpected people. I can't wait to dive into this world again with the next book.
This book is the perfect mix of romance and adventure. Before Pippa leaves for her trip, she spends a romantic night with her boyfriend. They start out the night with him “wriggling closer” to Pippa and then end it with her “lips pressed against his” (8, 13). Pippa and her boyfriend wanted to spend her last night in town in a more intimate way and truly enjoyed it. While on her trip, Pippa is put in a lot of adventurous situations which she learns to embrace. While completing a photo assignment, she wanders “all over the city” but then loses track of time and has to “hurry back before it’s too late” (62, 65). Then again, her entire trip is filled with excitement and adventure aspects. All in all, if you are looking for the perfect combination of romance and adventure, then this is the book for you!
Depth of Field picks right where The Rule of Thirds left off and Pippa is in New York for the Tisch photography program. Two weeks without her new boyfriend and her best friend leave her with the one person she doesn't want to stuck: Ben Baxter. But during those two weeks, she learns that she needs "not to focus on the obvious, but the unexpected, on the layers. Changing her depth of field. She discovers that her mentor knows a lot more about her family and holds some secrets.
Here’s another great book in the Pippa Greene series!
I loved that this story took place in New York. It gives a different side to Pippa, since she is out of her high school. The dynamic of her, Dylan and Ben continues since they all go to New York. And their love triangle also carries on. These characters are realistic and relatable.
I like the backdrop of photography in these stories. I have learned so much about photography, which I wouldn’t have known otherwise. Pippa made me want to pick up a camera and enter some photography contests!
There were some surprising twists in this story. An important part of Pippa’s family history was revealed, which was shocking! I couldn’t have guessed what was going to happen.
I’m so excited to read the next book in the series!
This book was my favorite of the three in this series so far. The photography metaphors in this book truly made me experience Pippa's problems in distinct way. The depth of field title has somewhat of a double meaning because Pippa can't truly continue to grow until she widens her horizons. The character development is really beautiful in this book and I would definitely recommend it to anyone!