Inspired by What She Reads, Pure Imagination Blog, and Stacked.
I admit I’m a book cover snob. Who isn’t though?
Book covers are the first thing that attracts readers to a book. A good cover can draw someone is, just as a bad cover can easily draw someone away. It can essentially make or break a book. Holy, Mother Cover! is where I showcase the book covers that stand out (or make me cringe), and discuss cover changes.
(A big special thanks to Georgie at What She Reads for bestowing me this fabulous name and to Charlotte at The Simple Tales for creating the beautiful feature banner you see before you.)
Cover Change: Carry On by Rainbow Rowell
I hope I’m not the only one who felt extreme disappointment when they saw the cover design of the Carry On hardcover. It left a lot to be…desired. The shadowed profile of the Simon and Baz? Meh. This cover is very disappointing to me. I wished for more, especially since the Fangirl cover design is absolutely gorgeous. I had hoped Carry On would be similar be just as awesome as Fangirl.
The paperback design is exactly what I hoped this cover would have! Look at that! A visual look of Simon and Baz! They’re cute, aren’t they? And you know who illustrated this paperback cover? The great Kevin Wada, who I absolutely adore. All watercolor and gorgeousness. I could stare at this cover all day.
Final Verdict: What cover do I like better? Paperback design! Kevin Wada’s art = love.
I LOVE the new paperback cover. I already own the hardcover, but the new cover is so much better so I’m planning to get that one too.
I absolutely adore the new cover! It’s so pretty. <3 I don't mind the old cover that much, but yes, if I had to buy one of these, I'd definitely go for the paperback. No question about it.
I love both, to be honest. I do love the paperback more.
The paperback looks fantastic. Eye-catching as heck. Haven’t read the book, but would marry the cover.
The paperback is the clear winner for me, it’s just so stunning! I’ll be buying it as soon as it’s released in May.
Wow, these covers are so completely different! I actually like the original hardback cover best, probably because it’s the one I’m used to and the one I associate with the novel. But the new one offers a whole different feel for the story.
I actually like the hardcover more. I liked the colour combo and the silhouettes. Not a fan of the new cover – just not my style and I might not have picked it up if it was a new author.
I’m loving the new paperback cover. Definitely more fun and eye-catching. I own the hard book but I’ll have to get the paperback too.
-Lauren
Let’s say I’m in a bookstore, I’ve never heard of Carry On or Rainbow Rowell and then I see that paperback cover sitting on a shelf. My eyes would just pass over it without giving it a second glance. Maybe I’ll admire the art for a second or two but I won’t bother picking it up to read the summary because the cover looks like one I’d see on a graphic novel. It’s eye-catching for sure, with the dragon and the two hot guys, but it doesn’t pique my interest one bit. But then again, I do have a preference for minimalistic covers ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Hmmm, I don’t really love either one. I would LOVE the paperback one if it was the cover for a Graphic Novel version of Carry On (which they should totally make) because that’s what it reminds me of. Or Middle grade– it just feels a little juvenile to me for some reason.
I LOVE the paperback design and wish I had waited until it was released. I bought Carry On despite not liking the hardback cover to round out my Rainbow Rowell collection, but it does leave a lot to be desired compared to her other covers.
Agreed! I was jumping up and down when I saw Kevin Wada’s art for Carry On. I could not be more excited about this cover change! I only wish they would re-release the hardcover with the new art!
I didn’t even realize that the hardback had their profiles on the cover, I always saw it as color blobs. Oops.
I’m kind of glad I’ve been slack when it comes to buying Carry On because now I can get that awesome paperbook cover! I love being able to visualise the characters. What would be super awesome is if there are some illustrations of epic scenes throughout by the same illustrator
I luvvvv the paperback cover! Seriously, the hardcover design looks quite horrible. It’s like they hired a third-grade kid to paint it.