Discussion time! You know how pretty much everyone judges a book by its cover, even though they say they don’t? I know I do. It’s really hard not to, especially since I’m an artist and expect the art to reflect the content. If a cover is bad (or lacking in good design, or design at all), I usually assume the book is so bad it’s not worth spending the money on a really great cover. Of course, this is not always the case. We’ve all been deceived by a beautiful cover before, haven’t we? (By the way, this will be the topic of my next discussion. Just you wait!) Here are some books I’ve read that ended up being good, despite the cover! It’s what’s on the inside that counts, right?
If you click on this montage, it will expand so you can see all the cover details better!
Lament: The Faerie Queen’s Deception and Ballad: A Gathering of Faerie by Maggie Stiefvater – These books are so much better than the cover! A plain black background with some clip art stuck on is no fun!
The Host by Stephenie Meyer – Yes, the silver ring in the eye is cool, but the gunky make-up in the corner of the eye is not. The story is SO long, with so much going on. I’m sure more inspiration could have been stirred up for a better cover.
The Crucible by Arthur Miller – Nothing says drama, magic, and the Salem Witch Trials better than the back of a head…
Nightshade (The Poison Diaries #2) by Maryrose Wood – There’s just too much going on here. A face with pink cotton candy stuck to it and a forest with sunbeams growing out of her chin. “The Poison Diaries” logo is well done, but then they just slapped “Nightshade” on there all non-typographically pleasing. I bet they could have incorporated it somehow.
Black Swan Rising by Lee Carroll – Ugh. I’ve read this, and there is nothing in the story that looks like this.
Most Historical Romance (Like Master of Seduction by Kinley MacGregor) – I think more people would read historical romance (and romance in general) if we didn’t have half-dressed Fabios staring at us! I love this genre, but please. We’ve got a naked man, a flowery font, and “Master of Seduction” HUGE with an innuendo of a catch phrase on there. Thank goodness I have a Kindle. Covers like these embarrass me, and I’m terrified of being seen reading a book with one!
Hush, Hush be Becca Fitzpatrick – Honestly, this dude looks like he is being murdered with a feather (the red feathers above don’t help much). Yes, he is falling from Heaven, but that pose is just unnatural and painful looking.
The Giver by Lois Lowry – Hello, old man. Yes, it works with the story, but there’s no ingenuity at work here!
Loves Music, Loves to Dance by Mary Higgins Clark – Guess who wrote this one? I hope you can read it, seeing as how the name is so small. WHY must an author’s name take up 2/3rds of a cover? It’s not like it’s a really cool name, or a really cool font. Seriously.
Ok! So, you’ve got my picks! What are yours? What other books out there have I been avoiding for years because of the cover? Or do you like these covers? Tell me what you think!
