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!

Please note that you should by no means contact the author if you do not like their cover; they likely have ZERO control. Feel free to express opinions of the covers in the comments, but please do not @ an author on Twitter because of anything you’ve seen here.

Shiny and New:

1. A Treacherous Curse (Veronica Speedwell #3) – Deanna Raybourn

Thoughts: Every time I see these covers, I want to fork over all my money.

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I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

The Great Treehouse War by Lisa Graff
Narrator: Ariana Delawari, Stephen Barbara, Brandon Beatty, Aaron Blank, Scott Brick, Cassandra Campbell, Danny Campbell, Karen Dziezonski, Andrea Georges, Benny Goldmintz, Ryan Graff, Michael Crouch, Kaleo Griffith, Lorna Henry, Sarah Jaffe, Ashley Kooblall, Nick Martorelli, Emily Parliman, Richard Romaniello, Amy Rubinate, Jennifer Rubins, Jill Santopolo, Robbie Daymond, Rebecca Waugh, Julianna Wilson, Lauren Fortgang, Felicia Leicht, Sunil Malhotra, Kathleen McInerney, Cassandra Morris, Tara Sands
Length: 4 hours
Published by Listening Library on May 16, 2017
Genres: Contemporary, Humor
Format: Audiobook
Source: Publisher
Amazon • The Book Depository • Audible
Goodreads

Kids vs. parents! An epic treehouse sleepover! An awesome group of friends! An exciting new book from National Book Award finalist Lisa Graff.

Winnie's last day of fourth grade ended with a pretty life-changing surprise. That was the day Winnie s parents got divorced, the day they decided that Winnie would live three days a week with each of them and spend Wednesdays by herself in a treehouse smack between their houses, to divide her time perfectly evenly between them. It was the day Winnie s seed of frustration with her parents was planted, a seed that grew and grew until it felt like it was as big as a tree itself.

By the end of fifth grade, Winnie decides that the only way to change things is to barricade herself in her treehouse until her parents come to their senses and her friends decide to join her. It s kids versus grown-ups, and no one wants to back down first. But with ten kids in one treehouse, all with their own demands, Winnie discovers that things can get pretty complicated pretty fast! Even if they are having the most epic slumber party ever.

In the newest novel by beloved National Book Award finalist Lisa Graff, kids have turned the tables on their parents, and all the rules have been tossed out the window. But does Winnie have what it takes to hold her ground and keep everyone happy?

This story, with a pitch-perfect middle grade voice and zany yet poignant situation, is perfect for fans of Sharon Creech, Louis Sachar, and Jack Gantos.

In no way is The Great Treehouse War something I would ordinarily read, but the full cast narration excited me, so here I am. As expected, The Great Treehouse War was a bit too young for me to fully appreciate, but it was a cute listen.

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I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

The Go-Between by Veronica Chambers
Narrator: Karla Souza
Length: 5 hrs, 30 mins
Published by Listening Library on May 9, 2017
Genres: Contemporary
Format: Audiobook
Source: Publisher
Amazon • The Book Depository • Audible
Goodreads

Fans of Jane the Virgin will find much to love about this coming-of-age novel from bestselling author Veronica Chambers, who with humor and humanity explores issues of identity and belonging in a world that is ever-changing.

She is the envy of every teenage girl in Mexico City. Her mother is a glamorous telenovela actress. Her father is the go-to voice-over talent for blockbuster films. Hers is a world of private planes, chauffeurs, paparazzi and gossip columnists. Meet Camilla del Valle Cammi to those who know her best.

When Cammi s mom gets cast in an American television show and the family moves to LA, things change, and quickly. Her mom s first role is playing a not-so-glamorous maid in a sitcom. Her dad tries to find work but dreams about returning to Mexico. And at the posh, private Polestar Academy, Cammi s new friends assume she s a scholarship kid, the daughter of a domestic.

At first Cammi thinks playing along with the stereotypes will be her way of teaching her new friends a lesson. But the more she lies, the more she wonders: Is she only fooling herself?

Based on the chilly reception The Go-Between is receiving, this may be one of those instances where the audiobook makes all the difference. Souza’s narration is delightful and engaging, and I enjoyed the heck out of listening to this book.

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I received this book for free from ALA in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

It's Not Like It's a Secret by Misa Sugiura
Published by HarperTeen on May 9, 2017
Genres: Contemporary, Romance
Pages: 400
Format: ARC
Source: ALA
Amazon • The Book Depository • Audible
Goodreads

Sixteen-year-old Sana Kiyohara has too many secrets. Some are small, like how it bothers her when her friends don’t invite her to parties. Some are big, like that fact that her father may be having an affair. And then there’s the one that she can barely even admit to herself—the one about how she might have a crush on her best friend.

When Sana and her family move to California she begins to wonder if it’s finally time for some honesty, especially after she meets Jamie Ramirez. Jamie is beautiful and smart and unlike anyone Sana’s ever known. There are just a few problems: Sana’s new friends don’t trust Jamie’s crowd; Jamie’s friends clearly don’t want her around anyway; and a sweet guy named Caleb seems to have more-than-friendly feelings for her. Meanwhile, her dad’s affair is becoming too obvious to ignore anymore.

Sana always figured that the hardest thing would be to tell people that she wants to date a girl, but as she quickly learns, telling the truth is easy… what comes after it, though, is a whole lot more complicated.

DISCLAIMER: I read the ARC version of It’s Not Like It’s a Secret that I got at ALA. My reviews is based solely upon this. It is my understanding that changes were made for the finished copy, but I’m not sure how many or precisely what they would be. Be aware that this commentary is for the ARC alone and some may not apply to the finished version of the book. All quotes are also from the ARC and may have been changed.

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I received this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

The Broken Ones by Danielle L. Jensen
Series: The Malediction Trilogy #0.6
Published by Angry Robot on June 6, 2017
Genres: Fantasy, Romance
Pages: 320
Format: eARC
Source: NetGalley
Amazon • The Book Depository • Audible
Goodreads

A prequel to the USA Today bestseller and Goodreads Choice finalist Stolen Songbird (The Malediction Trilogy).

Below Forsaken Mountain, a plot is being hatched to overthrow the tyrant king of Trollus, and Marc is the right-hand man of its leader. His involvement is information more than one troll would kill to possess, which is why he must keep it a secret from everyone, even the girl he loves.

After accidentally ruining her sister’s chance to become queen, Pénélope is given one last opportunity by her father, the Duke d’Angoulême, to make herself useful: she must find proof that the boy she’s in love with is conspiring against the crown. If she fails, her life will be forfeit.

Marc and Pénélope must navigate the complex politics of Trollus, where powers on all sides are intent on using them as pawns, forcing them to risk everything for a chance at a life together.

Except being together may turn out to be the greatest risk of all.

I’d have read this series a bit earlier than now, except that just as I was going to get started, this prequel novel was announced, so I decided to wait. If you’ve not already started the series, I’d recommend reading this in series order rather than publication order, because I don’t think I would have wanted to go back and read this after reading even just book one.

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