A Review of Beyond the Camera by Joanne Jacquard
Reviewed by Wennie Conedy
3 out of 5 stars

Have you ever thought about what happens behind the scenes of a photo shoot? Or what happens after the picture is taken? Joanne Jacquard attempts to answer that question. A work of fiction, the book explores very mature themes and is not suitable for children and teenagers.

Elise is a professional photographer with a seemingly perfect life. Little do people know that she is trapped in a loveless marriage, and is constantly looking to find the one person she would like to have by her side for the rest of her life. Her chosen profession provides her the ability to meet people, the opportunity to travel, and expand her client base. Yet it also has the opportunity to destroy what she has carefully built. She discovers that family can be her enemies, friends can be her salvation and a good man may just slip through her fingers.

I had a hard time getting into the book. It took me several chapters before the book could truly grab my interest. It's hard to fall `in like' - much less `in love' - with Elise. She immediately comes off as a woman with loose morals, no conscience and no regard to how her family would be affected by her actions. She is blatant with her flirting, and she flirts with anyone. This is not a heroine that I would hold in high esteem. Through the whole book, I could not sympathize with her at all.

As I read the story, I was struck by the very strong underlying messages that the author wanted to convey. A projected image is just that - an image. There is so much more going on behind the scenes, as nothing is what it seems. The repercussions of Elise's traumatic and life threatening event have far reaching impact on her and the people she loves. The ending of the book had me reeling and feeling very sorry for those who loved her.

If the author's goal was to shake the reader up and drive in the awareness how we act now will have far reaching effects in the future, she certainly succeeded. Although the book is not an easy read, there are lessons to be learned and should you decide to pick this book up, I encourage you to stay with it through the end.