Cover Comparison: Sarah Dessen Edition

This cover comparison has been brewing for months now (I'm pretty sure Russell from The Habermann Press suggested do it sometime last year. WHOOPS.) but now it's finally here. YAY!

In all honesty the reason why I decided not to do this comparison till now is because I wanted to wait till the summer because Sarah Dessen's books are quintessential summer reading. It had absolutely nothing to do with the fact that I can be a horrible procrastinator. Okay, so maybe it's partially because I'm a horrible procrastinator, but let's just forget about that....

As you guys probably know (unless you're living under a rock somewhere which I highly doubt since you're on the internet reading this blog) all of Sarah Dessen's books got cover redesigns last year. Yep, every last one of them. I'm sure you've seen at least some of these new covers already but lets take a good look at them and the original covers.

                                                                Original Covers

                                                         New Covers

                     

Original Covers: I'm a big Sarah Dessen fan so to me these covers are classic. I've read every one of Sarah's books when they bore these covers so it only makes sense that they hold a special place in my heart. Along for the Ride and The Truth About Forever are my two favorites, but I feel like This Lullaby and Dreamland both have pretty timeless designs. That being said I do have to admit that some of the other covers look a bit outdated and were probably in need of a revamp.

New Covers: The first thing thought pops into my head when I see these new covers is that almost every one of them looks super photoshopped and staged. I don't know what it is about the way these covers are edited, but they just look so sterile to me. Regardless I do love some of them. The Lock and Key cover? Perfection, and to be honest probably one of my new favorite book covers.  However, I feel like some of the other covers are just lacking. The Truth About Forever, What Happened to Goodbye, and That Summer just don't hit home for me. I feel like their original covers represented their story much better, but whatever.

So Who Wins? In this case I really can't pick a definitive winner. For some of these books I definitely prefer the original cover, while for others I absolutely adore the new cover. However I must admit that across the board I love the gorgeous coloring of Sarah Dessen's name on all of the new covers. They got that right!

Instead of telling me which set of covers you like best like you normally do, this time I want you guys to let me know which of Sarah Dessen's book covers, old or new, are your favorite! I'm super curious to hear your responses and see if we share cover favorites. :D

Julia :)

Cover Comparisons: The Forest of Hands and Teeth Series

A little over a week ago, Carrie Ryan debuted the new paperback cover for her novel The Forest of Hands and Teeth. Seeing this prompted me to immediately head to Google to see if there were any other alternate covers for this series, and guess what, there are. I HAVE STRUCK COVER COMPARISON GOLD HERE GUYS. Just check out the two awesome sets of covers for this series from both the US and UK!

US Covers

 UK Covers

US Covers: While I am not really a big fan of the Forest of Hands and Teeth series, I have always loved their covers. I feel like the definitely invoke a sort of otherworldly horror just like the stories themselves and there's something both beautiful and unsettling about them. In fact, a good part of the reason I actually read this entire series was because I liked the covers so much. 

UK Covers: Oh my. These UK covers are absolutely freaking gorgeous. I love their symbolism and simplicity and there aren't any cover models which is always a plus! To quote my mother "Why are those foreign covers so much cooler than ours?" Good question mom. GOOD QUESTION.

So who wins? Honestly, I'm pretty torn about this one. I love the original covers because I feel like they capture the essence of the stories so well, but I also love the UK covers because of how beautiful and aesthetically pleasing they are. I guess if I had to choose which set I'd want on my shelf, I'd probably pick the UK set.

Which set of covers for The Forest of Hands and Teeth Trilogy do YOU like best? Be sure to vote in the poll below and sound off in the comments about why you made your decision!

Oh and remember how I said at the beginning of this post that there's a new paperback cover just for The Forest of Hands and Teeth? Here it is:

I definitely think it's interesting that the designers went the "gritty post-apocalyptic" route for the new cover, especially since the book isn't terribly edgy to begin with. It's certainly on the more benign side when it comes to zombie novels, and I always felt like it was really just a romance with post-apocalyptic elements, but whatevs. Maybe it will bring in a new crowd of readers who can enjoy the story.

Have any suggestions for future cover comparisons? Leave them in this form.

Julia :)

Cover Comparisons: Stephanie Perkins Edition

I'm in the minority, but I'm not a huge Stephanie Perkins fan. I've read one of her books (Lola and the Boy Next Door) and it just didn't click with me. That being said, I've always liked the covers for Stephanie's books. Well, surprise, surprise, the peeps down at Dutton books disagreed and decided to give all of Stephanie Perkin's books cover makeovers. When I heard this I feared the worst: KISSING COVERS. Well, good news for everyone, that is not the case! Let's go ahead and take a new look at both the new and old cover designs.

Old Covers

 New Covers

Old Covers: There's nothing particularly great about these covers, but there's certainly nothing wrong with them either. I always thought they were all right in that fluffy rom com type of way. I know a lot of people tend to take issue with the character's faces being directly on the covers because then they can't imagine them for themselves as easily, but I've never really minded all that much. I guess the one complaint I would have is that these covers do look rather juvenile.

New Covers: Okay so I didn't really like them at first, but now that I'm really looking at the new covers I have totally fallen in love with them. The monochromatic color schemes are GORGEOUS and I love that they're so simple and sophisticated yet symbolic. Minimalism at it's finest. Well done Dutton designers! Oh and while we're looking at the new redesigns, let's check out the cover for Stephanie's upcoming novel:

Yep, I am definitely on board with this new cover scheme. 

So who wins? For me the clear winners are the new covers. They're absolutely gorgeous, eye-catching and are not nearly as juvenile as the original covers. I'm almost tempted to buy these books now simply because the new covers are so flippin' beautiful. I hope more YA book cover designers take a lesson from these and go the simple and sophisticated route with future covers. 

Which set of covers do YOU like best? Be sure to vote in the poll below and sound off in the comments about why you made your decision!

Have a suggestion for future cover comparisons? Leave it in this form!

 Julia :)

Cover Comparison: Second Chance Summer

This week I'm comparing the two covers of Second Chance Summer by Morgan Matson. I recently read this contemp and I LOVED it. Everyone should go read it! Anyway, on to the comparison. :)

                                                  US Cover                       UK Cover

US Cover: I LOVE this cover! The color scheme is just gorgeous and it totally captures the beauty of the sunset on the lake which is actually an important image in the story. In fact, I feel like this cover is a perfect representation for the book. Whoever designed this gets major kudos!

UK Cover: If you've seen the UK cover for Morgan Matson's first book Amy and Roger's Epic Detour, then this cover design will be familiar for you. I like what these covers are trying to do, but I'm just not feeling this one. It gives off a happy go lucky vibe, but this book is much more than that, and I certainly wouldn't call it happy go lucky. This cover is okay, but not great.

So who wins? I'm definitely giving it to the US cover. Everything about it is perfect from the colors to the symbolism. I just love it! The UK cover is alright, but I just don't think it captures the right vibe for Second Chance Summer.

Which cover of Second Chance Summer do YOU like best? Be sure to vote in the poll below and sound off in the comments about why you made your decision!

Do you have any suggestions for future cover comparisons? Leave them in this form!

Julia :)

Cover Comparison: The Immortal Rules

This week quite a bit of news has been floating around the blogosphere involving the cover redesign for Julie Kagawa's Blood of Eden series. The first book in the series is The Immortal Rules and if you've read the book then you probably know that the protagonist is part Japanese. AWESOME AM I RIGHT??? But if you take a good long look at the original cover for The Immortal Rules you'll notice that the model for Allison is clearly not Asian. There was a fairly big outcry from fans saying that the cover had been white washed and that a new cover model should be chosen. On top of that, there was also the feeling that the old cover for The Immortal Instruments was just too paranormal looking and didn't embrace the more dystopian nature of the book series as a whole. So HarlequinTeen being the awesome imprint that it is decided to listen to the readers and redesign the cover for The Immortal Rules, and in doing so revamped (no pun intended) the book series covers as a whole! Let's go ahead and compare the change.

                                                                  Original Cover

                                                                    New Covers

Original Cover: All those fans that complained that the cover model wasn't Asian? Yep, they were right. WHITE WASHING. I mean, how hard can it be to find an Asian model? Asian models don't get enough representation as it is! Publishers should be taking advantage of every opportunity they can to highlight diversity. Other than the lack of an Asian model, this cover is WAY too paranormal romance-esque to me. I honestly felt awkward reading this in public because the cover made this book look like a cheap Twilight knock-off instead of the badass vampire centered dystopian it is. I do like that the cover shows a lot of important aspects to the story (like the blood tear) but other than that I'm not really a fan.

New Covers:  Now here's the thing. I like these new covers, I really do, but you'd think that if they bothered to go to all the trouble to redesign the look for the series they'd come up with something a little more, I don't know, eye-catching? One of the problems with the first cover was that it just faded away into a sea of paranormal books. It seems to me that the same thing will happen with these covers, except they'll just be fading away altogether. There's nothing that really makes them stand-out, except that they're super simplistic if you can call that standing out. On top of that WHY CHANGE THE COVER BECAUSE OF WHITE WASHING COMPLAINTS AND THEN NOT FIX THE PROBLEM?!?! Okay, so I know that Julie Kagawa said on her blog that they've gotten a new Asian model and that she'll be featured on the cover either on the inside flap or on the back, but seriously you couldn't put her on the front cover of the book? How hard would that have been?

So who wins? I'm giving it to the new designs. The old cover gave off way too much of a paranormal vibe, and even though it did have some good tie-ins to the story, it totally white washed the main character. The new covers may be a tad on the bland side, but they have a nice classic simplicity to them and they definitely feel more dystopian. The white washing problem is still a bit iffy to me since the Asian model isn't being featured very prominently, but I do think it's a step in the right direction!

Which cover for the The Immortal Rules do you like best? Be sure to vote in the poll below and sound off in the comments about why you made your decision!

Have a suggestion for a future cover comparison? Leave it in this form!

Julia :)

Cover Comparisons: A Wrinkle In Time Edition

COVER COMPARISONS IS BACK GUYS!!!!

Awhile back I was writing up a post and one of the things I needed for it was a picture of the cover for A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle. When I went searching for a cover I discovered that A Wrinkle in Time has had a BAJILLION covers. Some great, and some downright hilarious. Of course once I saw all these covers I knew I had struck cover comparison gold. If you have ever wanted to see all of the Wrinkle in Time covers in one place THIS IS YOUR LUCKY DAY! Let's get the cover comparison started!

                    A                            B                           C                           D                          E

                    F                          G                             H                           I                            J

Under normal circumstances I would tell you guys what each cover is (aka: foreign cover, paperback cover, etc.) but there are so many covers for AWiT and most of them are ancient that I decided not to bother figuring out which one is which. So as a replacement I have given each cover it's own letter. Sorry if you wanted to know what each cover was exactly. I do not know. :P

Cover A: I am definitely a fan of this cover. I think it's the newest design and it shows. It's got great artwork, it's really eyecatching, and gives off that classic children's book vibe. I love it.

Cover B: This has got to be the funniest cover for AWiT. I just can't look at this cover and take it seriously. I mean why is a rainbow coming out of the back of the pegasus/centaur thing? WHY?!?! That in combination with the pastel color scheme and flowers makes this the most unintentionally hilarious cover ever. It's just bad but in the best of ways. XD

Cover C: This is cover is another weird one. It's giving off some dark sci-fi vibes which is alright except for the fact that this is a children's book and this cover does not look child friendly. I imagine my 10 year old self would have both been intrigued and creeped out by the red eyed alien looking thing on this cover. I would also have never picked it up because if my mom found it she'd probably think it was too dark for me. :P

Cover D: Seriously, what is up with the flying centaur things on these covers? I realize that they are an important part of the story, but more important than the main characters? *shakes head* This one makes AWiT look like some sort of Grecian retelling. I am not a fan.

Cover E: Honestly, I don't know what to say about this one other than that it's weird and the woman holding the orb is giving me creeper fortune teller vibes.... >.<

Cover F: Now this one I like! Kid me would have thought it looked boring as heck, but young adult me looks at it and says "Yes! Now that is a classic I would want on my shelf." It's simplistic, the color scheme is nice, and it doesn't have any flying centaurs. WIN ALL AROUND!

Cover G: I think this is probably the cover I've seen the most for AWiT. It's definitely the most kid friendly. The illustration is cute and whimsical which is funny considering how dark some of the other covers are. However, I honestly think this cover is a better representation of the story. I'd definitely be fine with having this cover on my shelf.

Cover H: This cover is so old school it hurts. The hot pink, the awkward illustrations of the kids, EVERYTHING. I'll just bury the image of this cover away in the recesses of my mind and forget it ever existed....

Cover I: YES! Another classy cover! This one is basically the same as Cover F except a different color. I actually feel like the turquoise and blue color scheme of F was better though because it gave off a darker vibe than the orange. That's just my personal opinion.

Cover J: Now this one is actually quite interesting. It's so artsy, which is kind of strange to see on a book cover, but I really like it. The galaxy is really awesome and coloring in general on the illustration is great. Big thumbs up for this one!

So who wins? Honestly this one is kind of a toss up for me. Some of these are downright awful *cough* most of them *cough* but some are actually quite good. Overall I've got to give it to Cover A, but Cover F and J are favorites too. I also have to give mad props to Cover B for being so bad it's good. 

Which cover of A Wrinkle in Time do YOU like best? Be sure to vote in the poll below and sound off in the comments about why you made your decision.

Thus ends another edition of Cover Comparisons! If you have any suggestions for future books leave them in this form here.

 I hope everyone has a fantastic Saturday! :D

Julia

Cover Comparison: Jackson Pearce Edition

Time for another installment of Cover Comparisons! This week is yet another series redesign post. I've been on a sort of series redesign kick lately. I hope you guys don't mind. :P

Today we're looking at the different covers for Jackson Pearce's Fairytale Retellings series. This redesign happened with the release of the cover for Fathomless. Let's check out the two different sets of covers.

                                                               Original Covers

                                                                    New Covers

Original Covers: I think the look of these covers is great. The art is gorgeous and it fits the stories perfectly. Whoever designed these is genius. On top of that I just love that these covers really stand out. I feel like more publishers need to go the art route instead of always having to use stock photos like most YA covers these days.

New Covers: I honestly don't have much of an opinion on these covers. I don't like them, but I don't dislike them either. They're just so boring and sterotypical YA to me. Sisters Red is the only one I find mildly intriguing because it's got the axe and red/black color scheme going on which is giving it a cool creepy vibe. Sweetly and Fathomless are both just meh to me. It would have been nice to see what kind of art they could have come up with for Fathomless since it's a retelling of The Little Mermaid and all. That would have been cool. Oh well.

So who wins? I definitely prefer the original covers. I just love the art and I feel like it captures the magical fairytale nature of the stories while also being hip and modern. Of course the art style isn't for everyone so I can see why they decided to redesign the covers with a more classic YA look. I just wish they could have been a bit more original.

Which set of covers for Jackson Pearce's Fairytale Retelling's series is YOUR favorite? Be sure to vote in the poll below and sound off in the comments about why you made your decision!

Have any suggestions for future cover comparisons? Leave them in this form!

Julia :)

Cover Comparison: Across the Universe Edition

Guess what guys? There was another crazy out of the blue series cover redesign this week! YAY! :P #Sarcasm

A big thanks to Vivian from Confessions of a Vi3tbabe for giving me the heads up on this cover change!

So the series that got a cover redesign this week was the Across the Universe Trilogy by Beth Revis. This particular change is really sad for me because I loved the original covers. I LOVED THEM TO PIECES. And these new covers? Yeah, I'm not digging them. Let's look at the two sets shall we?

                                                                 Original Covers

                                                                   New Covers

Original Covers: Like I said earlier I LOVE these covers. Across the Universe is one of my favorite covers ever and I love how they designed two separate covers for the hardback design. Sure, it makes the book slip out of the cover like crazy but it's still awesome. :P Even the redesigned paperback cover is pretty, albeit not as pretty as the original. I also really like the A Million Suns cover. Whoever designed these did such a great job of making the cosmos absolutely gorgeous. It's just so otherworldly and AWESOME. I feel like these covers portray the essence of the series, are really elegant, and they also stand out next to other YA titles. Honestly, I want these books on my shelf for the sole reason of them being so beautiful. :D

New Covers: When I first saw these covers my mouth fell open in shock and I internally weeped for the death of the original series cover designs. LOOK AT THEM. They aren't nearly as stunning as the original covers and on top of that they look like every other generic sci-fi/dystopian trilogy out there. Plus, is it just me or do these covers totally have the same vibe as covers for middle grade book series ala Artemis Fowl? I understand that the point of these new covers is to appeal to a wider audience *cough* boys *cough* but did they really have to do this with the final book in the trilogy? Isn't this trilogy already fairly successful? Why couldn't they have released Shades of Earth in hardcover with something based off the original cover designs and then released these later for a new set of paperback editions? I just don't understand. :( Now everyone's sets of Across the Universe and A Millions Suns won't match with Shades of Earth. THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE PENGUIN! :P

So who wins: Definitely the original covers. They're unique, absolutely gorgeous, and totally eye catching. I wish more YA covers could look like this! The new covers are okay, but they pale in comparison to the originals. They're generic and, in my opinion, they don't give off the right vibe for the trilogy. They seem a bit too dystopianesque. :/

Which set of covers for the Across the Universe trilogy do YOU like best? Be sure to vote in the poll below and sound off in the comments about why you made your decision!



Have any suggestions for future cover comparisons? Leave them in this form!

Julia :)

Cover Comparison: In which get a wee bit ranty over Sean Griswold's Head

While getting info for my WoW post this past week I saw that Lindsey Leavitt's awesome debut novel Sean Griswold's head is getting a new paperback cover design. Once I saw it I knew that I HAD to feature it for cover comparisons this week. The change is.... well take a look for yourself.

                                            Original Cover             Paperback Cover

Original Cover: Okay so as cheesy as this cover is I actually really like it. I love the fact that you only see the back of the cover models head to perfectly coincide with the book title and I also love his striped jacket. It may sound weird but I'm not gonna lie there is something terribly attractive about the back of a guy wearing an awesome striped hoodie. :P On top of the good cover model I am also totally digging the font choice. I feel like this cover is a fair representation of the book and it definitely captures it's quirky qualities and humor!

Paperback Cover: OH MY GOSH. Are they seriously replacing the original cover with this new monstrosity?! Excuse me while I go cry in a corner over what once was...

Okay so maybe I'm being a bit dramatic but seriously look at this new cover. Ewww. Just eww in every way shape and form. I had my doubts about picking up SGH in the first place but if this had been the original cover it would have sealed it's fate in my mind once and for all. I mean look at it. Where is the quirkiness? Where is the cheesiness? Where has the "this is a lighthearted contemporary with some great humor" vibe gone?!?! FOR THE LOVE OF SEAN GRISWOLD'S HEAD PLEASE BRING IT BACK!!!! I just can't with this cover. The color scheme is all over the place (green and purple with hot pink accent letters. What?!), the cover models are being all "cutesy" and romantical, and it just screams "I'm a soft and sweet romance novel" WHICH SEAN GRISWOLD'S HEAD IS NOT! It is SO much more than that. *sigh*

So who wins: No question about it the original cover takes home the gold. It may be cheesy but it totally captures the right essence for SGH and it's unique enough to not fade away into the sea of stereotypical looking contemporary novels. The new paperback cover on the other hand is terrible. JUST TERRIBLE. *shakes head*

Which cover of Sean Griswold's Head is YOUR favorite? Be sure to vote in the poll below and sound off in the comments about why you made your decision!

Have any suggestions for future cover comparisons? Leave them here!

Julia :)

Cover Comparison Summer Lovin' Edition [2]

Time for another Summer Lovin' Edition of cover comparison! Since last week I posted my review of the amazing Amy and Roger's Epic Detour I figured this week I should feature it for a comparison. This one will be interesting because the covers REALLY contrast. Let's check them out!

                                                 US Cover                        UK Cover

US Cover: So like I said in my review this cover kind of turned me off the book at first because it just screams "I'm a cheesy lovey dovey romance novel." I know. I'm pathetic. I judge books by their covers. But that's beside the point. The point is other than that the cover is okay and a fair representation of the book. Well except that it's really not a romance... But I LOVE the font. Seriously, the font of this book is quite possibly my favorite book title font ever.

UK Cover: I have mixed feelings about this cover. On one hand I love the super creative graphic design nature of it but on the other hand I just don't like the color scheme. At all. I'm not a pink girl and I think the color doesn't capture the freedom and open road vibe of the story itself. I wish it was bluer. But that's just me. And greener. And more naturey. But that's just me. :P

So who wins? This is such an interesting comparison because the covers do contrast so much. One is kind of the classic YA picture format and the other is the creative graphics and illustrations format. Personally I've gotta give it to the US cover. The font alone wins this comparison. I like the UK cover but the color scheme feels off to me when compared with the actual story.

Which cover of Amy and Roger's Epic Detour do YOU like best? Be sure to vote in the poll below and sound off in the comments about why you made your decision! It'll be interesting to see which cover wins out: the classic stock photo one or the unique illustrated one.




Julia :)

Cover Comparisons: Shatter Me Edition

Less than a week after I posted about books getting mid-series cover makeovers HarperTeen reveals a redesign for the cover of Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi and tells everyone that they're going with this new style for the rest of the series. If you want to read all the details on why they did it and what not you can head on over to Tahereh Mafi's blog post about it here. Anyway, I am literally shaking my head at the irony of this. It's not that it's a bad thing! I just find it hilarious. Anyone else find this hilarious and ironic? XD

I know I said that I was gonna be doing summery books for cover comparisons but I just HAD to do Shatter Me this week. Don't worry next time will be another summer lovin cover comparison! Provided of course there are no more crazy cover redesigns this week. :P

Anyway on with the comparison!

                                             Original Cover                     New Cover

Original Cover: Honestly this cover never did much for me. When it was first revealed and everyone else was going all gaga over it I was thinking it was just sort of meh. In my eyes it falls into the "girl wearing a pretty dress but doesn't actually have much to do with the story" cover category. However I DO like that the cover is shiny. OH SO SHINY. So all the applause for the shininess factor! I also love the slashed title and all the different fonts. All in all this cover is quite visually appealing. I just wish it had more of the essence of the story.

New Cover: Oh man. People are probably gonna hate me for this but I am not digging this cover. First of all: NO MORE SHININESS?!?! *sniff* That was my favorite part of the original cover! Secondly: Why two colors for the title font? I feel like the cover would have looked better and felt more cohesive if they made the title font all white. And lastly, please educate me since I seem to be missing something, but what is the importance of the eye? And it's creepy ass tree lashes and random one section of ice lashes? Or is that water? And did I miss something in the story that involved eyes being important? Because the metaphor is totally lost on me. >.< Overall this cover is okay. I guess it's pretty. But I feel like there's just too much going on at once and the cyclopesque eye factor is CREEPING ME OUT! O.O

So who wins: I've gotta give it to the original cover. It's got the shininess factor and I love the slashed font. Plus the color scheme isn't all over the map which makes it a lot more visually appealing and cohesive than the new one. At least in my opinion. I've heard a lot of people saying that the new cover really portrays the book better and honestly I don't get that but I also didn't fall in love with Shatter Me in the same way others did so maybe that's why I don't feel the same connection to they feel.

Which cover of Shatter Me do YOU like best? Be sure to vote in the poll below and sound off in the comments about why you made your decision!

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Have any suggestions for future cover comparisons? Leave them in this form!

Julia :)

Cover Comparison: Summer Lovin' Edition [1]

Since summer is upon us I thought it would be great to feature some summery reads for cover comparisons! Hence: Summer Lovin' Edition! I'll be attempting to do this all summer long but we'll see if I run out of summery books and covers for me to compare. I don't think I will but ya never know. What do you guys think of this idea? Like it? Hate it? Let me know! Anyway, on with the comparison. :D

So this week I was going through my blog reader when I stumbled upon a picture of the UK cover for We'll Always Have Summer by Jenny Han. It was a total double take moment guys. Seriously I didn't even know this series had alternate covers. Of course once realizing they did I knew that I HAD to do a cover comparison for them especially since summer is basically upon us! So here it is: The cover comparison showdown between the US and UK covers of The Summer Series by Jenny Han!

                                                                  US Covers                                                      

                                                                  UK Covers


US Covers: I love the beachy/summery feel of these covers. The whole white background with pastels color scheme works really well and I think the font choice is perfect. However I do think that the best cover was The Summer I Turned Pretty and that INSWY and WAHS don't work as well. They just feel a bit more blah to me. Maybe it's because they don't have the sun glare like the first one? I don't know. One last thought: Am I the only one who noticed that even though Conrad (the older brother) is supposed to be brunette and Jeremiah (the younger brother) is supposed to be blonde the cover models don't match up age wise? I mean the blonde is clearly older than the brunette so it's like they switched them around. That always bugged me. :P

UK Covers: I love, love, LOVE these covers! I've noticed that UK covers tend to be a bit more stylized than US covers (especially with contemporary novels) and it totally works for this series. The simplicity of the design and colors are just gorgeous. I especially like that they chose different objects for each cover. First flowers, then hearts, and finally horseshoes and wedding bells! I'm not really sure why horseshoes (is there something important I'm forgetting about the series?) but I think it's cool nonetheless. The one thing I don't really care for is the tag lines. They sound like they belong with some super cheesy soap opera or something. Especially the one for It's Not Summer Without You. Can't you just imagine some horrible voiceover saying: "One Girl, Two Brothers, WHICH WILL SHE CHOOSE?!?!" while some terrible overdramatic music plays in the background? Yeah, I'm cringing too. >.<

So Who Wins? This is a tough one because honestly like both sets of covers but I think the UK covers just barely eek out a win. They're artistic and beautiful while still giving off that nice summery vibe. They aren't as beachy as the US covers which is a bummer (especially since the beach is such an important part of the summer series) but oh well. You can't have everything right?

Which set of covers for The Summer Series is YOUR favorite? Be sure to vote in the poll below and sound off in the comments about why you made your decision!


Do you have any suggestions for future cover comparisons? Leave them in this form!

Julia :)

Cover Comparison [30]

Cover Comparison is back guys! This week we're taking a look at the covers of The Heist Society by Ally Carter. Let's get started.

                                                  US Cover                     UK Cover


US Cover: To me this cover feels like it's trying really to hard to be cool and sophisticated but instead it comes off as a bit cheesy. It's got the model doing the whole smirky side grin plus the reflection of a painting in the sunglasses. And I haven't noticed it till now but what the heck is up with the light reflecting off the middle left of the sunglasses? *shakes head* However I do think this model has a great Kat look to her and I love the font they chose. Thumbs up on those fronts.

UK Cover: Okay so as much as I don't care for the US Cover of The Heist Society the UK Cover is even worse. Oh gosh don't get me started on this one. It literally makes me cringe just looking at it. >.< The model is all wrong and why they chose to do three different font colors is beyond me. Honestly I think it looks like a slapped together photoshop job that someone would do if they were entering a cover recreation contest and not like an official cover at all. Just bad.

So who wins? US Cover takes the crown here! It may be cheesy but the black white and red theme is great and the model they chose is perfect. The UK Cover is just way too cringeworthy.

Which cover of The Heist Society do YOU like best? Be sure to vote in the poll below and sound off in the comments about why you made your decision!

Edit: Some UK people have been saying that they haven't seen the UK cover before, only the US cover. After some research I think this cover might be the Australian one? I'm not sure but I do know it's a legit cover. :P

Have any suggestions for future cover comparisons? Leave them in this form!

Julia :)

Cover Comparison [29]

This week we're looking at the many covers of Blood Red Road by Moira Young! If you haven't yet read this awesome novel then you really should because it is a standout in the dystopian genre. Really: YOU NEED TO READ IT.

So back to the topic at hand. The cover comparison. Let's take a look at the contenders shall we?

                    Original US Cover        Paperback US Cover               UK Cover


Original US Cover: I love, love, LOVE this cover! It perfectly captures the harsh desolate desert setting of the book (and don't I know that well living in Arizona?) and the font and the way they did the color grading for it are AWESOME. Seriously this is one of my favorite covers EVER. So simple, but still so perfect.

Paperback US Cover: The first time I saw this cover was in the middle of WalMart and I seriously stopped and was like what the crap? What is this Dust Lands book I've never seen before? And then I realized it was Blood Red Road and I was like WHY ON EARTH WOULD THEY CHANGE THE ORIGINAL COVER TO THIS?!?! I don't know about you guys but this cover makes the book look almost like a sci-fi novel because of the font choice. And why oh why is Dust Lands bigger than the actual title? Plus I'm not a fan of the "better than The Hunger Games" quote. I mean keep it classy folks! There is no need to compare these books. They're both fantastic in their own ways. However I do like the covers color scheme.

UK Cover: I actually really like this cover. Saba's pet raven Nero plays a big part in the story and he basically kicks ass so it's nice to see him getting some cover recognition. I also really love the modern feel to the cover and the contrast of the black, red, and yellow against the white. It makes everything pop.

So who wins? My favorite is the original US cover. I JUST LOVE IT SO MUCH. The UK cover is pretty cool too but still not quite as cool as the original US cover. And the new paperback cover? Yeah, not fan. :/

Which cover of Blood Red Road do YOU like best? Be sure to vote in the poll below and sound off in the comments about why you made your decision!


Do you have any suggestions for future Cover Comparisons? Leave them in this form!

Julia :)

Cover Comparison: Uglies UK Edition [28]

The Uglies Trilogy by Scott Westerfeld has a TON of different covers. They just recently released new UK covers so I thought it would be perfect to compare them with the old UK covers! I had never even seen the original UK covers before I did this post. Both sets of covers are pretty interesting. Let's check 'em out!

Original UK Covers

New UK Covers

Original UK Covers: I don't know about you but these covers totally give me the heebie-jeebies. I mean the headless disassembled Barbie dolls? And then the creepy Barbie getting her waist measured? And then the last one is like a bloody razor or something? WAH?! I feel like the Uglies cover works pretty well and then the Pretties cover is okay but the Specials cover totally deviates. Why no more Barbies? Stick with the theme cover designers! 

New UK Covers: Anyone else sensing the new trend in UK covers of neon on black? No? Maybe it's just because these covers sorta of remind me of the UK covers for the Gone series. Anyway I like these covers. I really do. I'm a little iffy on the neon but overall it works and the use of the razors is really cool and creepy. Oh and the eyes. Don't get me started on the eyes.

So who wins? I'm giving it to the new UK covers. Both sets of covers do a pretty good job of capturing the essence of the series but the old UK covers don't really go well together. Like I said: Don't deviate from your themes cover designers! The new UK covers however match really nicely and they have a great creepy vibe to them. 

Which set of UK covers for the Uglies trilogy do YOU like best? Be sure to vote in the poll below and sound off in the comments about why you made your decision!

Oh and I didn't show it for the cover comparison because from what I can tell there isn't a newly designed UK cover for Extras but the original UK cover for Extras is the creepiest of all. Check it out:

Ummm wow Barbie heads in a bottle? That is downright nightmare inducing. O.O

If you have any suggestions for future cover comparisons feel free to leave them in this form.

Julia :)

Cover Comparison [27]

I've been waiting to do this cover comparison for awhile and since Pandemonium was released a little over a week ago I finally can! Check out it's two different covers below:

                                              US Cover                      UK Cover

US Cover: I'm a BIG fan of the newly designed Delirium cover so of course I love the Pandemonium design to go with it. You can feel the ruggedness of this cover which works perfectly since Lena spends much of the story in the Wilds. And is it just me or does this cover just scream revolution? It's perfection.

UK Cover: While I think this cover is gorgeous in it's own right I feel like it doesn't really fit the story of Pandemonium. It's so surreal and dreamy and Pandemonium is not a surreal and dreamy sort of book. However I do love the quote on the cover.

So who wins? For me it's close but I've gotta give it to the US Cover because it fits the essence of the book better! Both covers are gorgeous in their own right but book cover/story parallels always have the upper hand for me. And can I just say that I love that both of these covers have orange as kind of the main color? Orange is my favorite color!

Which cover of Pandemonium is YOUR favorite? Be sure to vote in the poll below and sound off in the comments about why you made your decision!






If you have any suggestions for future cover comparisons feel free to put them in this form.

Julia :)

Cover Comparison [26]

This week's installment of Cover Comparison is all about Fury by Elizabeth Mills! I read this book last week and then stumbled across the UK cover while surfing the interwebs and I just knew I had to do a cover comparison for it. Especially since we all know how kickass awesome the original US cover is. Anyway, lets take a look at the two difference covers for Fury!

                                              US Cover                    UK Cover

US Cover: This cover is GORGEOUS. The red almost flame-like hair, the flowing font, all against a black background? So eye catching! I also love the way it gives off this sort of creepy vibe which is perfect since the story definitely has it's creepy moments.

UK Cover: I am just not feeling this cover. The color scheme is terrible (seriously? Red, black, and white?) and I don't know about anyone else but the image of the girl looks awkward to me. :/

So who wins: For me the clear winner is the US cover. It draws you in and is a great representation of the story itself. In fact part of the reason I read Fury was because the cover is so gorgeous! If I was living in the UK and saw Fury on the shelf there I don't think I would even have given it a second glance.

So which cover of Fury is YOUR favorite? Be sure to vote in the poll below and sound off in the comments about why you made your decision!




If you have any suggestions for future cover comparisons feel free to put them in this form.

Julia :)

Cover Comparison [25]

In just a few days (on February 28th to be exact) Veronica Roth's AMAZING dystopian novel Divergent is gonna be coming out in paperback and I thought what better way to celebrate than to do a cover comparison! So let's get this thing started.

                                               US Cover                    UK Cover

US Cover: I really, really love this cover! It's eye catching, dynamic and its got FIRE on it! I wish it was a bit more flashy in real life but even without any extra textures or sparkles this cover still stands out on a shelf! The tagline is awesome and I love the symbolism and the way it relates to the story. All in all a fantastic cover!

UK Cover: You guys may or may not know this but I am not a big fan of pink. It's just such a girly color and I am not a girly person. Now I know they tried to make this cover as gritty and non-girly as possible but it's still pink and therefore rubs me the wrong way. Plus it looks less like a dystopian and more like a paranormal. Oh and the teen angst vibe I'm getting from this is insane. I am just not a fan.

So who wins? I'm giving it to the US cover by a landslide. The pink hues of the UK cover don't even come close to comparing to it's epicness.

Which cover of Divergent do YOU like best? Be sure to vote in the poll below and sound off in the comments about why you made your decision!

If you have a suggestion for future cover comparisons feel free to leave them in this form.

Julia :)