Depth of Field

August 1, 2014
Competition winner Pippa is spending two weeks in New York City at a prestigious photography camp run by art college Tisch. Though she's had an entrancing date with romantic boyfriend Dylan, Pippa's conflicted since he's asked her not to contact him while she's away. Then Ben turns up at Tisch; he stole photos from her in The Rule of Thirds (2013) and submitted them to the competition as his own. Pippa wants to hate him, but circumstances keep throwing them together, rekindling the sparks she felt before he betrayed her. Her mentor, the highly unreliable photographer David Westerly, provides guidance, but it's his past connection to her deceased father and her mother that intrigues the 16-year-old. Paying more attention to that than to her Tisch work leads to a stunning and unwelcome discovery. The conclusion leaves many hanging threads. Pippa's developing relationship with Ben, the uncertainty of Dylan's intentions and the critical discovery about David's connection to her parents-a secret her mother's inexplicably kept even knowing Pippa would be in contact with David-all serve to set up another outing. Pippa's voice, as she describes a severe hangover or her assessment of David, is amusingly honest. Frothy yet engaging romance with a snapshot of the photography world to add color. (Fiction. 12-18)

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September 1, 2014

Gr 9 Up-Pippa Green has planned the summer of her dreams at the exclusive Tisch School of Photography Camp in New York City-until her best friend bails, her boyfriend goes on tour, and her lying, stealing, cheating nemesis from high school photo club shows up. Two weeks in the Big Apple turn into two lonely weeks without her best friends. Pippa makes the most of it anyway, finding new pals, reconciling old fights, and learning more than she ever expected about her family's history in the city, all while snapping photos and compiling class assignments for Tisch Camp. It is a whirlwind adventure for Pippa Greene, and it's a heck of a ride for readers. With less of a focus on romance than the previous installment The Rule of Thirds (ECW, 2013), this novel zooms in on Pippa's relationship with her mentor David, who happens to be her deceased father's old best friend. Secrets of her family's past are revealed, and the heroine comes to terms with a new perspective on life, love, and her future. 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. It will appeal to fans of Stephanie Perkins's Anna and the French Kiss (Dutton, 2010) and Maureen Johnson's 13 Little Blue Envelopes (HarperCollins, 2005).-Eden Rassette, Kenton County Public Library, KY

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