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A review by raeannht
Love & Olives by Jenna Evans Welch
3.0
Quirky and fun. I really enjoyed the father-daughter dynamic. I also thought it did a good job at portraying mental illness and trauma.
There were some things that bothered me throughout it, although I'm probably being nitpicky. For one thing, I've been on set for filming (albeit a small, student production) and it bothers me that they don't talk about sound at all. They don't talk about using a lav mic or boom. I certainly hope they weren't trying to record sound directly from the camera when they describe takes standing right next to the ocean with him standing a distance from the camera, although I know using a shotgun mic is common is documentary films. Also, some of the things they want her to do can be done well enough with just having an artistic eye, I suppose. I can ignore the fact that half the stuff she lists as a director of photography's job isn't accurate, but it would make sense for her to do those things with a small crew and I can see that was an easy way to tell the reader what she would be doing, if an inaccurate way. But she mentions being in charge of things like color correction, which you need to know how to use software to do, that's a whole skill beyond knowing what you want it to look like at the end, although later on Theo talks about working on color grading himself. And she says that the bright midday sun that hurts her eyes would look good on camera, and that just doesn't make sense to me. There's a reason golden hour is a good thing. But sure, they do talk about carrying lots of equipment so many they have sound stuff or lighting stuff like bounce boards they just don't mention or maybe she watched some tutorials. But this next one is undeniable.
Referring to the map her dad left behind, on page 3 it says, "And what about our map? He'd left it folded on my nightstand." And on page 359 it says "While the rest of the items my dad had left behind had been scattered around the house, in drawers and on countertops, the map had been placed. I'd found it folded and tucked carefully beneath my pillow." So that's just a clear continuity error (I told you I was being nitpicky).
The ending seemed a little too easy to me after years of hurt, but it was sweet. I do like the way things tied together. Overall, I liked the book more than it probably seems with my little rant.
There were some things that bothered me throughout it, although I'm probably being nitpicky. For one thing, I've been on set for filming (albeit a small, student production) and it bothers me that they don't talk about sound at all. They don't talk about using a lav mic or boom. I certainly hope they weren't trying to record sound directly from the camera when they describe takes standing right next to the ocean with him standing a distance from the camera, although I know using a shotgun mic is common is documentary films. Also, some of the things they want her to do can be done well enough with just having an artistic eye, I suppose. I can ignore the fact that half the stuff she lists as a director of photography's job isn't accurate, but it would make sense for her to do those things with a small crew and I can see that was an easy way to tell the reader what she would be doing, if an inaccurate way. But she mentions being in charge of things like color correction, which you need to know how to use software to do, that's a whole skill beyond knowing what you want it to look like at the end, although later on Theo talks about working on color grading himself. And she says that the bright midday sun that hurts her eyes would look good on camera, and that just doesn't make sense to me. There's a reason golden hour is a good thing. But sure, they do talk about carrying lots of equipment so many they have sound stuff or lighting stuff like bounce boards they just don't mention or maybe she watched some tutorials. But this next one is undeniable.
Referring to the map her dad left behind, on page 3 it says, "And what about our map? He'd left it folded on my nightstand." And on page 359 it says "While the rest of the items my dad had left behind had been scattered around the house, in drawers and on countertops, the map had been placed. I'd found it folded and tucked carefully beneath my pillow." So that's just a clear continuity error (I told you I was being nitpicky).
The ending seemed a little too easy to me after years of hurt, but it was sweet. I do like the way things tied together. Overall, I liked the book more than it probably seems with my little rant.