Book Review: Film for Her by Orion Carloto

The slew of books by internet influencers is never-ending. Some are (poorly) ghost-written fiction novels, some are insufferable “write your own” journal style, some are just vapid words on pages whose only goal is to exploit their following and make that moneyyyy. This is not one of those books. I’ve been following Orion Carloto on Instagram and Youtube for about 5 or 6 years now. I dabbled a bit in her Tumblr which is where her following began, but it was her Youtube videos that really drew me to her. Over the past few years, she’s become one of the few “micro-celebrities” (is that the term?) who consistently put out content that felt deeper than the surface level stuff most people associate with youtubers. Orion’s entire life and being is an aesthetic dream & I never wanna wake up, baby!!

As a bisexual Latina poet and creator, she turns a simple phrase like “the sun is lazily clocking out of her shift” into an entire ass mood with her poetry and prose. Visually, she’s stunning – an olive skinned, dark eyed siren of a women who’s been sought out by couture brands like Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Cartier, and Burberry to partner with. She has a natural beauty within and without which she shares regularly on her instagram, giving her page an effortlessly curated look that still somehow feels accessible. She posts goofy vlogs with her friends that show a sometimes awkward (endearingly so, of course), not always “put together” version of herself that doesn’t come off as “the real her” but rather, an extension of the curated online version of herself she presents. She’s the “multifaceted sad girl” of the internet, and I’m equal parts envious and admiring of her life and art.

Here are some teasers of her 2nd book Film for Her:

“With both pen and camera lens, Orion Carloto captures the dreamlike beauty of memory. Film for Her is a storybook of people, places, and memories captures on film. Through photographs, poetry, and prose, Orion Carloto invites readers to remember the forgotten and reach into the past, find comfort in the present, and make sense of the intangible future. Film photography isn’t just eye candy, it’s timeless and romantic – the ideal complement to Carloto’s writing.”

& that concludes our lovely tour of some of my favorite images/pieces from Film for Her. I’ve said before that most of my books are thrifted or gifted, and this one I was lucky enough to be gifted from my sister Carli. Thanks bitch!! Orion Carloto’s first book of poetry, Flux, is equally beautiful but Film for Her with its mixed media and gorgeous physical aspects of the book (you can see the cloth-like texture in the image above) really elevate this one for me.

As I mentioned before, if you like this style of book, you should check out Connor Franta’s Note to Self, which I have a post about here). It also features film photography, poetry, and prose, and is maybe the only other “Youtuber” book I’d recommend.

As always, thank you kindly for stopping by thelavenderhours and happy reading!

-k