The Rule of Thirds by Chantel Guertin
Book #1, Pippa GreenePublished by ECW Press on October 1st 2013
ARC from Netgalley
196 pages
Purchase on Amazon・Fully Booked
Synopsis
Sixteen-year-old Pippa Greene never goes anywhere without her camera. She and her best friend/supermodel-in-training Dace long ago mapped out their life plan: Pippa will be the noted fashion photographer, and Dace the cover girl. But ever since last spring, things have changed for Pippa — and her junior year at Spalding High proves to have its own set of challenges. Not only is Vantage Point, the statewide photography competition, in three short weeks, but her mandatory volunteer placement lands her at St. Christopher’s Hospital, a place Pippa never wanted to set foot in again. With humour and pluck, she navigates her new role as a candy striper (watch out for Code Yellows), her changing relationship with her best friend (goodbye Honesty Pact), and — perhaps most stressful of all — her new love interests (yes, love interests plural).
Will Pippa make it to Vantage Point without having a panic attack? Will either one of the guys prove less sketchy than her last boyfriend? Can she and Dace figure out a way to dream big and be best friends? One thing is certain: real life is a lot more complicated than a photograph.
I’ll give it straight to you: I loved The Rule Of Thirds. I was not acquainted with the author before but when I saw the lovely cover (hello to that gorgeous vintage TLR) and read the synopsis- my gut (which I trust most of the time) told me I was going to enjoy this. And I did! Boy, did I enjoy it!
He punches me lightly in the arm. Punch. In. The. Arm. Yessss… Dace doesn’t know what she’s talking about. Punch in the arm = total, uncontrollable, physical attraction.
Did I want to jump inside this book and become best friends with the characters? YES, YES, YES! They all had their own idiosyncrasies and we get to see their individualities unravel at a good pace. I’ve noticed that contemporaries that focus on character development turn out slow and this was not the case at all with The Rule of Thirds. While this was a short read, I felt that the book was able to accomplish a lot!
“But then what? I get there and where are you?”
Now let me tell you about how much I loved the main character. Philadelphia “Pippa” Greene was fantastic. Me and her, we’re almost completely alike to the point that I’d declare her my soul sister. So if you’re wondering if she was relatable or not, my answer would be HELL YES! While this was mostly because of her love for photography, I found that her grief was another factor. I’ve known grief before and the way the author incorporated this issue in the story was really amazing. Grief can get overwhelming but it was handled well in this book. I admired how the story remained light despite having to deal with a (potentially) dark matter.
Concentrate on the rule of thirds, so you don’t concentrate on anything else.
Still, the main reason that I am so enthusiastic about this book was photography. If you guys don’t know yet, aside from books, one of the things I’m most passionate about is photography. Although I enjoy breaking the rules when it comes to taking pictures, the Rule Of Thirds is something I always try to keep in mind. The Rule Of Thirds is an actual photography rule that lots of photographers emphasize since it is crucial for composition of images. The photography aspect was prominent enough for me, since Pippa was always with a camera. More importantly, it was believable and realistic- from the special film treatment to the photo club. I was just so fond of getting glimpses of photography through the Pippa’s point of view and was even more delighted that we had so much in common.
“Boys love a healthy competition. They’re like soda. Some are pepsi, always trying to be better than Coke. The Cokes know they’re the best, but are always on their A-game because the Pepsis are hanging around.”
“What about if they’re root beer?”
“Root beers are the wild card. A little crazy.”
Other aspects that I took delight in were friendship and romance. Although I wish we got to see more of both (can’t get enough!!!), I had fun reading about them. Pippa’s best friend, Dace, was quirky! She’s an aspiring model and while she had her own drama, I thought she was a pretty cool bff! As for the romance, we get a cute little love triangle here, you guys. While I’ve never been in one before (thank god for that), I sympathized with Pippa and her angst over her love interests- a boy who shared her passion but remained mysterious and a crush she hasn’t been able to shake off for the longest time. The only thing I can say is that one is definitely McCuter cuter than the other.
“So, second time you’ve fainted with me. I’m starting worry about the effect I have on you. Every guy wants the ladies to swoon, but this is a bit much.”
Judging from all the laughing and swooning I went through when I read this book, I have no doubts about my feelings for The Rule Of Thirds. I just feel like this book was meant for me! And I so recommend this book to you guys, especially if you enjoy photography or want a quick, light-hearted read! This wonderful YA debut novel is definitely on my mental list of super favorite contemporaries!
Rating:
15 Responses
Okay, I’m not a huge fan of love triangles, but since it’s right up there and I won’t be surprised, I’ll move past that. This one sounds SO cute, and I was smiling just reading the little quotes and your review. I need a feel good book, so I’ll for sure check it out!
I know that people are irked with MCs who alter between her two love interests and is indecisive and that isn’t really the case here! It’s more like there are just two cute boys hanging around the MC but she already knows who she wants but is just getting distracted by the other! It really was such a fun novel! <3 :)
I’m so happy you liked this book! I received this one too and have been excited to read it ever since I saw the title. I currently have a class in photography and I absolutely love it so the title really speaks to me. It sounds so much fun and I can’t wait to get to this! I desperately need something fun!
I wish I were taking a photography class too, ahhhh! Yey I hope you enjoy it as much as I did! The Rule of Thirds was definitely a fun book for me! :D
This sounds like so much fun! Pippa sounds so exciting. Even though I don’t like photography, I think I’ll enjoy this because of the humour and cuteness :3 Great review!
Pippa was a fabulous character! She totally embodied a teenage girl! While I definitely loved this because of the photography aspect, I think it can still be appreciated by someone who’s not in to photography! The humor alone was enough for a good rating! :)
This sounds really cute! I love that it has a photography angle too!!!
It is! Are you a fan of photography too, Brittany? :D
Hmm, it’s strange that I’ve never seen or heard of this book before, because — THAT CAMERA. I can’t say that I’m a huge photography fan, but I love all things vintage, so that cam is practically a dream come true. So happy to hear that you enjoyed this one, Hazel! Just based on that first quote, I can tell I’m going to love the main character IMMENSELY. I mean: “Punch in the arm = total, uncontrollable, physical attraction.” — Haha!
Contemporaries kind of need to have a lot of things in order for me to fully enjoy them, like character development. I know what you mean about how this issue tends to make books drag on and on for ages, so I’m relieved to hear that this wasn’t the case here. It takes skill to be able to develop a character quickly and thoroughly, you know? :)
But LOL — the main character has such a weird name. I kind of have a prejudice against characters who are named after well known places, like America, from THE ELITES. I don’t know. I guess it gives me the impression that they’re more superficial than other characters. Many of us aren’t strangers to grief, whatever kind it may be, but I’ve come to notice that a lot of the apparently grief-stricken characters in books are sad only on the outside, if I’m making sense. It makes them increasingly shallow. So this is definitely a huge plus: “Grief can get overwhelming but it was handled well in this book. I admired how the story remained light despite having to deal with a (potentially) dark matter.”
And DAMN does the love interest sound swoony, and a total smart-ass, as it seems! ;) I’m all for sarcastic love interests who know how to be funny at the same time. So thanks for putting this book on my radar! Like I said, I’m not as passionate about photography as you are, but I know I’ll be able to focus on other aspects and still enjoy the book all the same. Lovely review, hon!
It was a gem I found at Netgalley! It’s not quite popular but it should be, IMO. Hey, we have something in common! I super love vintage stuff too! I own a few vintage cameras but I’m saving up for a vintage Yashica or Rolleiflex TLR! Eeep, sorry I’m doing my cameraspeak again!
The main character was super enjoyable! I definitely think teenagers like us would relate to her a lot! I liked that the author was really able to give the characters personality despite the fact she had little time to do so. I definitely agree with you and I’m so glad you understand my point!
I actually liked the MC’s name, whether it be her real one or her nickname. I find it pretty! I totally get what you mean about how grief-stricken characters can seem shallow! I think it’s a matter of ‘showing’ rather than telling, really.
Pippa’s flirtationship with her main love interest was just so so cute! I was inwardly squealing! I definitely like guys who have a sense of humor! :) Nah, thank YOU for this super sweet comment and for taking time to read my review, Megan! I hope you like the book as much as I did if you ever pick it up! <3
And now I feel like idiot for not requesting this book when I had a chance.
My biggest plus for contemporaries is strong female characters with which I can relate to. I’m glad you enjoyed this book.
Glass @ Way Too Hot Books
I hope you get another chance to read it! :) Same here! And I love enjoyable supporting characters too! Thank you so much for dropping by! :D
I think I would also love this book. Since I’m also a shutterbug, and I always keep in touch with my youth and carefree side, I think I would definitely love this! More power to you dear. :))
This sounds like an absolutely lovely read! Particularly the friendship. I’ve been hunting for a few more books with strong female friendships and this sounds right up my alley.