Thursday, October 27, 2011

Judge a Book by Its Cover - Secondhand Charm


In Judge a Book by Its Cover posts, I compare different covers for the same book, and judge which cover, in my opinion, best fits the book, either because it is the cover I'd be most likely to pick off the shelf or because it fits the style, mood, or plot of the book. I'd love to hear your opinions on these covers. I choose books for Judge a Book by Its Cover by randomly scrolling through my Goodreads library, or by reader suggestions (click for the form).


For today's Judge a Book by Its Cover, I'm comparing the two covers of Secondhand Charm, by Julie Berry. Click on either image for a larger view.

Cover No. 1

Cover No. 2

Cover No. 1: I like this cover because it captures a bit of the whimsy and loveliness of the tale, and because it features the charm that plays a large part in the story and which inspires the title of the book. The entire cover says "nice, light book" to me, yet I want to know more about the snake. Why a snake? On the other hand, it's not a very eye-catching cover, and I might pass it by in a bookstore. It's intriguing, but it doesn't make me need to pick it up. Also, the model is very ordinary-looking, nothing special. I feel like this cover could have been great with a little tweaking, but it doesn't quite get there.

Cover No. 2: This cover is overall far more appealing to me, but it doesn't necessarily capture the mood of the book. The girl appears to be running away from something, which I don't really understand, and there is no sign of the charm in the title as there is in the first cover. However, the general design of the second cover it much more attractive. I really like the swirls on the side and the way the title is formatted, although I think the formatting for the author's name could have been different.  Generally, I like this second cover better, but it doesn't necessarily fit the book.

Which is your favorite? Judge this book by its cover!

Want to suggest a book for Judge A Book by Its Cover? Click Here for the form!

2 comments:

Small Review said...

This is a tough one. I'm inclined to say I prefer the second one, but I don't think it gives off enough of a fantasy vibe, whereas the first one does. I haven't read the book, but I do always like it when the cover reflects the story.

Pica said...

I agree with you. Both are nice, but neither are wonderful. I'm tempted to make a new cover for this one like I did for Witch Dreams.

LinkWithin

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...