Blog Tour Review: Leading Lines by Chantel Guertin

A big thank-you to ECW Press for asking me to be part of the Leading Lines blog tour!

Leading Lines by Chantel Guertin
Series: Pippa Greene #3
Published: October 13th, 2015
Publisher: ECW Press
190 pages (ARC)
Genre: Contemporary Young Adult
Acquired this book: From the publisher in exchange for honest consideration
Warning: May contain spoilers
{GoodReads || Buy this book: Amazon || Chapters/Indigo}

 

{Read my review of The Rule of Thirds || Read my review of Depth of Field}

After two drama-filled weeks in Manhattan, Pippa Greene is back. Despite a romantic reunion with boyfriend Dylan, she can’t seem to shake the emotional aftermath of New York. As she navigates parental drama at home and her charged dynamic with Ben Baxter at school, Pippa finds that Dylan is more wrapped up in his post-high-school life of bands, shows, and new friends than in their relationship. Will it survive?

Written with the same humour and heart that made Chantel Guertin’s first two Pippa Greene novels instant favourites, Leading Lines offers a fresh and charming perspective on friendships, family, and first love.

Leading Lines is the third book in the Pippa Greene series. Pippa is a young photographer navigating high school, family life, the death of her father, her first love, and family secrets. I adored the first book in the series, Rule of Thirds, and liked the second book, Depth of Field, but it was so different from the first it felt like reading an entirely different series. I attributed this to the fact Pippa’s boyfriend and best friend, who had featured prominently in the first book, weren’t in the second book. They were back in the third book, but this time it was Pippa herself that prevented me from loving this book.

I have mixed feelings about Pippa. On one hand, her voice feels authentic and the situations she’s in are realistic. I like flawed, realistic characters, and I get that teens are often driven by emotions and hormones...but Pippa is a bit over the top at times. I understand her hurt and anger over the secrets her mother kept, and I know from experience how hard it is to lose a parent, but if I’d treated my mum the way Pippa treats hers, I’d have had my ass handed to me. I was also really irritated by the stuff with her boyfriend, Dylan. I didn’t mind their instalove in the first book, but didn’t like or understand his complete absence in the second book. Then he’s finally in this book but he treats Pippa like crap and she just takes it for half the book. I could understand the reasons for them growing apart - or, more aptly, him distancing himself from Pippa - but Pippa’s behaviour and attitude rubbed me the wrong way a lot of the time. With so much changing in her life, she didn’t want her relationship with Dylan to change; she wanted them to grow together, but they were growing separately while growing apart, and it was painful and confusing for her. I felt for her there, and as annoyed as I got I could admit it felt realistic in many ways - hence my mixed feelings!

One of my complaints about the first two books was the cliffhangers endings and how nothing was wrapped up in the second book. Things were mostly wrapped up neatly in this book, although I believe the series is continuing. I liked that Pippa had some growth and eventually realized she needed to change things and carry on with life. I also liked that there were a few small unexpected things throughout the story. Again, this is where my mixed feelings come in - Guertin crams a lot of stuff into very short books (all of them are around 200 pages), and while some things irritate me, it’s more personal preference things that might only bother me, while the other part of my brain says ‘but you have to admit this is realistic for a 17-year-old’. 

If there is a fourth Pippa Greene book in the series, I’ll read it out of curiosity. Even though I didn’t enjoy Leading Lines as much as I'd hoped to and had mixed feelings about Depth of Field, I really enjoyed Rule of Thirds, and I think Pippa has potential to grow into herself and become a well-rounded character. 

Chantel Guertin is an author, beauty expert and magazine editor. - See more at: http://chantelguertin.com/about/bio/#sthash.dFg3Njko.dpuf

Chantel Guertin is an author, beauty expert and magazine editor. - See more at: http://chantelguertin.com/about/bio/#sthash.dFg3Njko.dpuf

Chantel Guertin is an author, beauty expert and magazine editor. Chantel is currently the Editor-at-Large of TheKit.ca, a monthly digital fashion & beauty magazine & weekly print feature in the Toronto Star, Montreal Gazette & Vancouver Sun, a beauty expert on  The Marilyn Denis Show and faculty at Centennial College in the Book & Magazine publishing program, where she teaches magazine writing and editing courses.

Follow the Leading Lines Blog Tour!

• September 5: Tour kickoff, Review, and Giveaway, Booking it with Hayley G, http://www.bookingitwithhayleyg.blogspot.ca/
• September 6: Giveaway, Chapter by Chapter, http://www.chapter-by-chapter.com/ 
• September 7: Review, Books Etc, http://booksandstuff-kstar.blogspot.ca/
• September 8: Review, Read my Breath Away, http://readmybreathaway.blogspot.ca/
• September 9: Review, One More Page Reviews, https://kmn04books.wordpress.com/
• September 10: Review, Sukasa Reads, http://sukasareads.blogspot.ca/
• September 11: Guest Post, Dear Teen Me, http://dearteenme.com/
• September 12: Review and Excerpt, Brains Books and Brawn, https://brainsbooksandbrawn.wordpress.com/
• September 13: Review, Musings of a Writer, http://musingsofawriter.com/
• September 14: Review, Ramblings of a Daydreamer, http://sweetmarie-83.blogspot.ca/
• September 15: Review and Giveaway, The Book Bratz, http://thebookbratz.blogspot.ca/

Have you read any of the Pippa Greene books? What did you think? If you haven't read them, do you plan to? Let's talk here or on Twitter!

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Blog Tour Review + Giveaway: Depth of Field by Chantel Guertin

Depth of Field by Chantel Guertin 

Series: Pippa Greene #2
Published: August 12th, 2014
Publisher: ECW Press
190 pages (paperback)
Genre: Contemporary young adult
Acquired this book: From the publisher in exchange for an honest review

Warning: May contain spoilers

{GoodReads || Buy this book: Amazon || Chapters/Indigo}

 

{Read my 4-star review of The Rule of Thirds}

Two weeks in New York City should be the time of Pippa’s life: she’s attending the prestigious Tisch Photography Camp, her boyfriend, Dylan McCutter (two months and counting!) is coming with her, and their parents are 500 miles away. Talk about lights, camera, (swoony, unchaperoned) action! 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?

 

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 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.

 

ECW Press was generous enough to send me an extra copy of Depth of Field to give away to one lucky winner! There's one free entry, and then you can do as many or as few entries as you like. ;-)

 

*Open to Canadian residents only (sorry everyone else, shipping is expensive!)

*Must be 16 years old or older to enter

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Check out the entire tour line-up for more reviews, giveaways, and other fun stuff!

Words of Mystery - Friday, August 1 - Giveaway & Review

Sukasa Reads - Saturday, August 2 - Review & Giveaway

Stay Bookish - Monday, August 4 - Tisch Camp post, Dream Cast, Giveaway

Booking it with Hayley G - Tuesday, August 5 - Excerpt & Giveaway

The Book Belles - Wednesday, August 6 - Review

Read My Breath Away - Thursday, August 7 - Review

Write All the Words! - Friday, August 8 - Review & Guest Blog

Ramblings of a Daydreamer - Sunday, August 10 - Review & giveaway

The Book Bratz - Monday, August 11 - Review & Giveaway

  

Have you read The Rule of Thirds or Depth of Field? What did you think? If you haven't read them, are they on your TBR list?

 
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Review: The Rule of Thirds by Chantel Guertin

The Rule of Thirds by Chantel Guertin

Series: Pippa Greene #1

Published: October 13th, 2013

Publisher: ECW Press

196 pages (ebook)

Genre: Contemporary young adult

Acquired this book: Bought

Warning: May contain spoilers

{GoodReads || Buy this book: Amazon || Chapters/Indigo}

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.

Pippa Greene is a 16-year-old photography lover. Photography was something special she shared with her father, and he passed his passion for it on to her. The Rule of Thirds is laid out like a countdown of the weeks leading up to Vantage Point, a photography contest with a cash prize, but more importantly, a spot at a photography camp at the college Pippa’s dad went to in New York City.

I loved Pippa’s passion for photography. Her camera was like an extension of herself. As someone who’s always been interested in photography (and always had a secret dream of being a photographer), I connected easily to Pippa. I really liked her, and thought she was a realistic sixteen-year-old - a bit self-involved at times, unsure, up for adventure. She was easy to relate to, and I sympathized with her problems.

I read The Rule of Thirds in a day. That may not seem like a huge feat since the book is only about 200 pages, but I’m an incredibly slow reader, so it actually says a lot about the book. I was drawn into Pippa’s life and was curious what was going to happen and how everything would get resolved. There was a lot of stuff packed into this short book - family and friend issues, romance, grief. It was mostly a light read, with funny moments peppered throughout, but it was also unexpectedly emotional. I don’t want to get into spoiler territory, but having lived through something similar to what Pippa went through before the story started, there were moments where my heart broke for Pippa.

As for the romance and the love interests, I loved one and thought the other was totally sleazy. I’m not normally a huge fan of love triangles, but this one was done well. It was a believable portrayal of teen romance, and the fact that one boy made me swoon hard…well I can’t complain. ;-)

I really liked the theme of ‘light in the darkness’ throughout the book. With everything that happened to Pippa, it would have been easy for her to get sucked into a dark hole of sadness, and while she had her moments, she was strong and resilient, and I admired her for that. 

One major aspect of the book was left unresolved, and that didn’t sit well with me, since it was something really serious. I’m hoping it’ll be dealt with in the second book, but it left a bit of a sour taste in my mouth.

Overall, The Rule of Thirds was very enjoyable. Quick and funny, with surprising emotional depth, and a heroine that’s easy to root for, The Rule of Thirds is a must-read for fans of contemporary YA. I’m looking forward to seeing what Pippa gets up to next in Depth of Field.

 

  

Have you read The Rule of Thirds? What did you think? If you haven't read it, is it on your TBR list? Are you interested in photography?

 
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