Cover Reveal Roundup (11)

Welcome to my weekly Cover Reveal Roundup, where we judge books solely by their covers. I've thought about adding blurb-like info, and, you know what, I don't want to. However, I always link to Goodreads, so click on the title of the book to learn more. Feel free to join me on the lofty throne of judgment in the comments.

Out of the Easy - Ruta Sepetys

Thoughts: I approve. The colors are rich, and the cover isn't like any I've seen before. I have no idea what this is about, but I definitely want to read it, especially since Between Shades of Grey (no relation) was amazing. Could this perhaps be about gilded cages?

OCD Love Story - Corey Ann Haydu

Thoughts: Well, this will DEFINITELY stand out on the shelves. Although this burns my retinas, I think I do like it. I like that it's doing something different, and that the font makes it look like it really could be a page of someone's notebook. 

Hattie Ever After (Hattie #2) - Kirby Larson

Thoughts: I haven't read Hattie Big Sky, but I kind of want to with how freaking adorable this new cover is. I love the muted colors, and the crispness of it. I also love that they managed to make it look modern, but also hearken back to the now slightly dated cover. Awesome job.

Breaking Point (Article 5 #2) - Kristen Simmons

Thoughts: I don't like this one quite so well as the first cover, but I think it's still super cool. I like that we've now come into the city that we could see for afar, and everything is even darker, dirtier and more awful. It's a great progression. The two kids are also closer together and (maybe) holding hands. Very cool.

Inherit - Liz Reinhardt

 Thoughts: I don't blog about too many Indie covers in this roundup, mostly because I'm just not interested in the book or the cover. I stumbled across this one and it looks interesting in both respects, so it earned a place in the round up. Look how shiny it is! With some cool font! Also, diversity ahoy!

Cover Battle: Breathe - Abbi Glines

Thoughts: Another indie title, but I love when they fail and try again. It would be better to do it right the first time, but I like that they acknowledge their mistakes and try again. Well, the first cover is awful. There's no doubt about that. I'm not loving the new one either, but the coloring and the title treatment are great. Otherwise, their strategy seems to have been, more roots and less food for the female model, spikier hair for the male model, and generally more nakedness.

The Language Inside - Holly Thompson

Thoughts: Simple and classy. I like it. This is exactly how I sit when I look out the window of a train or airplane. I like that this girl really looks like a teen and not a super stylized model. Her expression definitely makes you want to know what's happened to her and where she's going...or what she's leaving behind. 

The Madman's Daughter - Megan Shepherd 

Thoughts: Everyone will no doubt be shocked to learn that I love this. I like the crispness of the colors and the way the girl stands out from the muted background. I like that she looks a little bit crazy or that she's trying to escape from her life, from its trappings (the dress). Is she going for a swim in the buff? Is she bathing? Is she going to commit suicide? This opens up so many questions for me as a viewer, and I definitely want to find out. What I do not like is the title or author name treatment.

 Prophecy (Prophecy #1) - Ellen Oh

Thoughts: This is very much what publishers like to do to epic fantasy covers. I like the blue, but I am getting sick of the context-less gem stones. I still want to read it like burning, but I'm really not impressed by this cover.

The Rising (Darkness Rising #3) - Kelley Armstrong

 

Thoughts: Pretty and matches the rest of the series. Looks like the same model from the second cover at least. She has very shiny hair.

All the Broken Pieces - Cindi Madsen

Thoughts: Were I cover designer, which I'm totally not, I would probably not have gone with a face for this cover. I might have opted just got some broken glass or something, arranged stylistically. This cover is really creepy, with the two halves of the face. What bugs me is that the two halves are completely different and come together awkwardly, except for the nose and mouth. What are the odds of that? 

Taken (Taken #1) - Erin Bowman

Thoughts: This is another cover that makes me wonder just what is going on. That tree is stealing the K! Oh noes! There are cool things happening with reflections. Those buildings are cray. There's a dude on it, but I didn't laugh hysterically, which is rare. What I really like about this cover, though, is the colors. They're gorgeous and the transitions are done well.

Hidden (House of Night #10) - P. C. & Kristin Cast

Thoughts: These covers are perfect for the stories therein, which is probably why I loathe them with every fiber of my being.

Blood-Kissed Sky (Darkness Before Dawn #2) - J. A. London

Thoughts: What's cool about this cover is that it really matches the cover for book one. They do a great job making the series look. It's not the same dress, but the whole feel is the same. The clouds have gotten darker, and a bit more fake-looking behind her. I have to say, though, this cover reminds me heavily of the cover for Carolyn MacCullough's Always a Witch. They even both have the birds.

The Nightmare Affair - Mindee Arnett

 Thoughts: It's very cute for a middle grade, but might be a miss with the young adult crowd it's aimed at. We'll see. The cover reveal post included a number of iterations of the cover, which is pretty cool, if you have an interest in the thought process behind this.

Story's End (Storybound #2) - Marissa Burt

Thoughts: LOVE, LOVE, LOVE. I adores Storybound's cover, and this is so awesome. I love that they capture both of the main settings of fairy tales: the woods and castles. I also love that they're clearly a pair because of the font and the positioning, but that they are also VERY distinct, not just because of color. Notice that the ornate detailing on the side is different. So cool.

Everbound (Everneath #2) - Brodi Ashton

Thoughts: I am disappoint. Mostly, I think it's the fact that I don't like this dress and it's swirlies nearly so much. I think that having the dress in a different color added variety and contrast to the cover that Everbound is lacking. It also really bothers me that the model has very obviously changed. Is she supposed to be someone else? Also, what is up with that salmon-colored background? Yuck.

Cover Battle: Sisters Red (Fairytale Retellings #1) - Jackson Pearce

 Original vs. Redesign: *throws all the things, especially that damn shiny hatchet* Here's the thing. If I look just at the new cover without any preconceptions, is it the worst ever? No. I like the color and the font treatments. I do think the sun rays coming out and shining on the ax are a bit absurd, and I think the book looks a bit middle grade for the darkness it contains. Unfortunately, the original cover for Sisters Red is perhaps my favorite book cover OF ALL TIME. Everything about it is amazing, and it fits the content PERFECTLY. They had original eye-catching covers for this series and completely blew it with this redesign. *WEEPS BUCKETS OF TEARS AND CLUTCHES HARDCOVER WITH ORIGINAL DESIGN*

Unravel Me (Shatter Me #2) - Tahereh Mafi

Thoughts: Why? WHYYYYYY? Seriously. Why take a pretty cover and redesign it into something ugly, which, so far as I know, doesn't make any more sense with the plot. Even worse, I think this Unravel Me cover is worse than the one for Shatter Me. Ugh. Note that the eye (which is smaller for some reason) is now crying. Awesome. Because the first book's redesigned cover was not melodramatic enough! All of the creepy tree-lashes are white now, as are the birds, meaning that this cover is even less visually interesting. The title treatment is ALSO smaller. For no reason. The author's name and the title have been moved up. The blurb-y bits at the top have been moved down. What the hell? Why not make them match at least? *gives up*

Coolest Cover of the Week: Story's End - Marissa Burt