Cover Snark (46): You Can Always Tell If a Book's New Adult

Welcome to Cover Snark, where the people are snarky and the covers quiver in fear. Since I don't write many snarky book reviews here on A Reader of Fictions, Cover Snark is my outlet. If you click on the title of the book, where possible, I've linked to Goodreads. Clicking on the cover itself will show you the cover in a larger size, in most cases. Feel free to love covers I hate and vice versa. Let me know your thoughts in the comments!

Commenting pro tip: The easiest way to comment on such a long post is to open the post in two windows (really easy if you use Google Reader). Comment in one and scroll the covers in the other. That's actually how I comment on other people's reviews too. I can't remember all my comments by the time I get to the box!

Shiny and New:

1. Spirit (Elemental #5) - Shauna Granger

Thoughts: Well, this is better than the others in the series, so I'll give them that. The fonts are okay, too. The wings could be worse. Still, this is boring.

2. The Truth About Letting Go (The Truth #2) - Leigh T. Moore

Thoughts: The Truth about Hippies.

3. In Too Deep - Michelle Kemper Brownlow

Thoughts: Very good for an indie, though it reminds me of a lot of dark contemporary covers. I do really love the font.

4. Pretending He's Mine (Caught Up in Us #2) - Lauren Blakely

Thoughts: Sex in the Pepto Bismol City.

5. Time After Time (Time Between Us #2) - Tamara Ireland Stone

Thoughts: Am I the only one who thinks this looks like a weepy contemporary from the 90s.

6. Tied (Fire Born #1) - Laney McMann

Thoughts: I'm not a big fan of the gargoyle thing in the foreground, but the rest of this is awesome.

7. Imitation - Heather Hildebrand

Thoughts: Liar + Starters = Imitation.

8. The Trap (The Hunt #3) - Andrew Fukuda

Thoughts: I'm not a big fan of the redesign for these, but I think this is the best of the lot so far. Looks like they even pulled a photo from the shoot the original hardcover used.

9. The Activist (Theodore Boone #4) - John Grisham

 

Thoughts: SNORE. Unless those are zombies in the background, but I doubt that.

10. The Lives of Tao - Wesley Chu

Thoughts: Pretty cool cover. I'm not sure what's going on, but I'm definitely curious!

11. The Unbound (The Archived #2) - Victoria Schwab

Thoughts: The sequel to The Archived comes with prettier colors and the One Ring in silver. Nice.

12. Emancipating Andie - Priscilla Glenn

Thoughts: The first of the obviously new adult books. I'm guessing this will put the MAN in EMANCIPATING.

13. Beneath - Cambria Hebert

Thoughts: Holy crap, this is shitty. Look at those wings! And the butterflies! And 'Heven.' A world of no.

14. The Living - Matt de la Pena

Thoughts: Fun fact: images of hands reaching up to be saved from drowning always makes me think of the DuckTales episode where Scrooge McDuck is drowning in his money.

15. Sorrow's Knot - Erin Bow

Thoughts: Ooh, a POC. A bit weird that she's playing cat's cradle, but okay. Also, I'm super uncomfortable with this tiny, white hands going for her shoulders.

16. The Registry - Shannon Stoker

Thoughts: Curious about the fact that she's wearing a veil. The tagline passes muster. Otherwise, eh.

17. Wait for You - J. Lynn

Thoughts: I've said this before, and I'll probably keep saying it until it stops being a thing: what is the goddamn point of using a pseudonym if you put your other writing name on as well? And, in this case, the pseudonym is tacked on as an afterthought. Also, obviously new adult.

18. Gold (Bandia #2) - Talia Vance

Thoughts: The first in the series had a pretty cover at least. This looks a little too much like The Lion King for a paranormal romance. Her kingdom is probably everything the light touches.

19. It Was You - Anna Cruise

Thoughts: Their future's so bright, they have to wear shades.

20. Tumble & Fall - Alexandra Coutts

Thoughts: Someone told me this is just like a scene in Armageddon, which is hilarious, though I don't remember it. In other news, I love it. Shiny AND I want that dress.

21. Emma: Wild and Wanton Edition - Micah Persell

Thoughts: Oy. Yet another one. Apparently, Emma's going to sex Knightley in the sky. That's legit.

22. Where the Stars Still Shine - Trish Doller

Thoughts: This is pretty, but it looks like a Sarah Addison Allen cover, not so much a YA. That's not bad necessarily, but it is surprising.

23. A Cursed Embrace (Weird Girls #2) - Cecy Robinson

Thoughts: Seriously, what is up with putting a First Time in Print sticker on newly released books? It would make sense if it had been an ebook first, but I don't think that's the case. Also, does anyone really care whether a book has been in print before? Pretty good PNR cover, but that bothers me.

24. The Fiery Heart (Bloodlines #4) - Richelle Mead

Thoughts: The more fiery the heart, the more awkward the hair and expressions. I think I will keep my heart nice and icy.

25. Blood Roses (Blackthorn #2) - Lindsay J. Pryor

Thoughts: Okay, now that is a good tagline. The rose background is interesting too. However, I do not like the way she's wearing the series info like an outsized tiara.

26. Knotted Roots - Ruthi Kight 

Thoughts: The first surprise for Roxie will be how many kinds of poop she can get on her heels walking around the farm.

27. Escapement (The Neumarian Chronicles #1) - Ciara Knight

Thoughts: Self-pubs, this is what you should be aspiring to. This is BADASS. Nice work. I really love the font and the city. Less wild about the girl in chains, but she's decently photoshopped, so it's not a huge issue.

28. Fearless - Mike DeLosso

Thoughts: Fearless is exactly how I DON'T feel when I look at this cover. This has a very Firestarter sort of vibe.

29. One Week Girlfriend (Drew + Fable #1) - Monica Murphy

Thoughts: Ugh. I can just tell I would hate this. *shakes fist at New Adult*

30. Rebel Spring (Falling Kingdoms #2) - Morgan Rhodes

Thoughts: I want this to be a Little Red Riding Hood retelling, but I doubt that. Also, I'm not digging that font. The S looks really lame.

31. No Good Duke Goes Unpunished (The Rules of Scoundrels #3) - Sarah MacLean

Thoughts: I really hope the blurb won't really be running up the side. Also, I think there's way too much green happening here. I could better admire the fancy dress if the stairs and bannister weren't also green.

32. Zombies: Shambling Through the Ages - Steve Berman, ed.

Thoughts: Purple and orange is a bold color combination. The perky tagline is a bit out of place. One-eyed zombie is fittingly creepy.

33. Fire with Fire (Burn for Burn #2) - Jenny Han & Siobhan Vivian

Thoughts: A lot like Burn for Burn's cover. Their clothes are ... interesting.

34. Gideon Smith and the Mechanical Girl - David Barnett

 Thoughts: Oooh, steampunk train. Love it.

35. Cave of Wonders (Infinity Ring #5) - Matthew J. Kirby

Thoughts: So cheesy!

36. I'll Be Seeing You - Suzanne Hayes & Loretta Nyhan

 Thoughts: I had this pegged as Christian fiction, but apparently it's WWII fiction. Boring cover.

Cover Battles:

1. Dare You To (Pushing the Limits #2) - Katie McGarry

US vs. UK: Ummm, UK, what are you thinking with the red? That font is the worst. It's like the puffy paint the popular seniors decorate their cars with at graduation. Just no. Winner: US.

2. Throne of Glass (Throne of Glass #1) - Sarah J. Maas

Hardback vs. Paperback: Well, the good folks at Bloomsbury obviously figured out that the illustrated UK cover kicked their cover's butt. What's odd is that they made the background darker. I still prefer the UK cover, but the paperback is vastly better than the hardcover. Winner: Paperback.

3. Rising Darkness (Game of Shadows #1) - Thea Harrison

US vs. UK: Huh. Well, I really don't love either, but, though it looks crazier, I think the UK cover looks a bit more put together, like more work into it. Winner: UK.

4. Unchained (Nephilim Rising #1) - J. Lynn

Original vs. Redesign: Looks like they're going for more of a sexy vibe, and less of a cutesy one. Neither one really appeals to me. The new one's a bit cleaner, but I hate those wings. Winner: Neither.

WTF of the Week:  

1. Heart's Desire - Lindsey Edwards
 
Thoughts: Is their love strong enough to survive a shitty cover and a missing apostrophe in the title?

2. Exposure - Christina Mobley

 Thoughts: Lightning gives you 80s hair.

3. Tentacles - Ifo Oshun

Thoughts: There's totally a kink about this in Japan. Aren't you glad to know that?

Outstanding Cover of the Week:

Tumble & Fall by Alexandra Coutts

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