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 in the comments, but please do not @ an author on Twitter because of anything you’ve seen here. Let’s keep it kind.

Shiny and New:

1. Branded (Inked #2) - Eric Smith

Thoughts: Such a cute cover. Auggie the corgie deserves no less. Wait, Eric Smith. I meant Eric. (No, I meant Auggie.)

2. Unknown - Wendy Higgins

Thoughts: Reasons they thought this was a good cover to go with are unknown.

3. Romeo & What’s Her Name - Shani Petroff

Thoughts: Wait, I know this. It was Rosaliet, right?

4. Duels & Deception - Cindy Anstey

Thoughts: Pardon me: I need to go listen to “Ten Duel Commandments” and sob a bit.

5. If I Fix You - Abigail Johnson

Thoughts: I mean, like I don’t think they plan to fix the Liberty Bell so some things are meant to stay broken.

6. Eternal Sacrifice (Mortal Enchantment #4) - Stacey O’Neale

Thoughts: PLS BUY THIS, MORTAL INSTRUMENTS FANS.

7. Daughter of Winter (Fairy Queens #3) - Amber Argyle

Thoughts: Love the castle, but I’m not sure what’s up with the animals that look they’re out of the Sims or something.

8. The Immortal Throne (Into the Dark #3) - Bree Despain

Thoughts: Just take a moment and admire how convincingly they’re photoshopped into that forest.

9. Look Past - Eric Devine

Thoughts: Really sick of this as a cover design. IT HAS BEEN DONE, PEOPLE.

10. The Stand-In - Steve Bloom

Thoughts: This cover isn’t so PROMising.

11. Starfall (Starflight #2) - Melissa Landers

Thoughts: Looks like Star Wars in hyperdrive. That’ll do.

12. The Midnight Star (The Young Elites, #3) - Marie Lu

Thoughts: By far my favorite cover in the series, though it does look a little bit like Peter Pan’s going to be taking a ski vacation.

13. Stalking Jack the Ripper - Kerri Maniscalco

Thoughts: I’d like it a LOT more without the douchey “presented by James Patterson” banner.

14. A Torch Against the Night (An Ember in the Ashes #2) - Sabaa Tahir

Thoughts: It’s not safe in the mines of Moria, guys.

15. Wayfarer (Passenger #2) - Alexandra Bracken

Thoughts: I really dislike that font color on the purple background and I also feel concern for the poor birds trapped outside.

16. Caraval (Untitled #1) - Stephanie Garber

Thoughts: No matter how many times I see this title, I always expect this book to be about a cruise line. CARAVAL CRUISE LINES, where everything’s only a game!

17. Crystal Crowned (Air Awakens #5) - Elise Kova

Thoughts: THESE COVERS. Representing for how amazing covers for self-published books can be.

18. Beautiful Broken Girls - Kim Savage

Thoughts: Is she bathing in milk?

19. Tales of the Peculiar - Ransom Riggs

Thoughts: Loooooooovely. And just in time to swoop up all the buzz the movie will generate, I’ll bet.

20. The Edge of Everything - Jeff Giles

Thoughts: Some fake flames and white on white before Labor Day. FOR SHAME.

21. Our Own Private Universe - Robin Talley

Thoughts: Adorable f/f cover but this filter makes me think sad times are ahead despite the fluff-sounding tagline.

22. Traveler (Traveler #1) - L.E. Delano

Thoughts: Man, I love that Passenger cover too.

23. The Hawkweed Prophecy - Irena Brignull

Thoughts: So creeped out by that bird.

24. Midnight Hour (Shadow Falls: After Dark #4) - C.C. Hunter

Thoughts: Damn Christina crack cover. I know it’s completely unoriginal but so pretty.

25. Nice Girls Endure - Chris Struyk-Bonn

Thoughts: This title perfectly explains why I love being a bitch. Fuck enduring. You don’t have to endure shit, nice girl.

26. Wintersong - S. Jae-Jones

Thoughts: Beauty and the Beast feels, anyone?

27. A Shadow Bright and Burning (Kingdom on Fire #1) - Jessica Cluess

Thoughts: I’d say the designers rose to the occasion.

28. The Hammer of Thor (Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard, #2) - Rick Riordan

Thoughts: Anyone else sick of all the white males on these covers? At least it looks like Magnus just got punched on the face.

29. Zenith (The Androma Saga #1) - Sasha Alsberg & Lindsay Cummings

Thoughts: This looks like icy blue jeans.

30. Windwitch (The Witchlands #2) - Susan Dennard

Thoughts: Badassery worthy of Sooz!

31. Carve the Mark (Untitled Duology #1) - Veronica Roth

Thoughts: Gorgeous cover for Divergent in space.

32. The Bone Witch (The Bone Witch #1) - Rin Chupeco

Thoughts: Can I get a YASSSSSSSS?

33. Not So Much, Said the Cat - Michael Swanwick

Thoughts: Look at that adorable angry cat. I’m so happy.

34. Six Wakes - Mur Lafferty

Thoughts: One guy getting sexually molested by the title.

35. The Education of Margot Sanchez - Lilliam Rivera

Thoughts: I wish Margot could educate me about how she keeps her curls so frizz free.

36. The Dream Quest of Vellitt Boe - Kij Johnson

Thoughts: Cats are essential to dream-quests, because they are very excellent at sleeping.

37. Assassin Queen (Majat Code #3) - Anna Kashina

Thoughts: I’d never heard of this series but badass lady assassin; you have my attention.

38. Jess, Chunk, and the Road Trip to Infinity - Kristin Elizabeth Clark

Thoughts: I don’t love the title but this cover is perfection.

39. Holding Up the Universe - Jennifer Niven

Thoughts: Are we holding up the universe with dominoes?

40. The Cilantro in Apple Pie - Kimberley Nadine Knights

Thoughts: That sounds like such a gross baking decision but I will reserve my judgment until someone gives me some pie.

Cover Battles:

1. Hotel for the Lost - Suzanne Young

US Hardback vs. US Paperback: Once you check in, you can’t check out. These look like VASTLY different books; I wonder which is more indicative of the actual novel.

2. The Graces (The Graces #1) - Laure Eve

US vs. UK: Ew. Feathers, ribbon, and seashells. Why. Just why.

3. Delirium (Delirium #1) - Lauren Oliver

US 2011 Hardback vs. US 2012 Paperback vs. US 2016 Paperback: This is something I don’t get to say enough: big fan of this redesign.

4. Pandemonium (Delirium #2) - Lauren Oliver

US Hardback 2012 vs. US 2016 Paperback: I mean, look at that detail.

5. Requiem (Delirium #3) - Lauren Oliver

US 2013 Hardcover vs. US 2016 Paperback: And these color combos.

6. Delirium Stories: Hana, Annabel, Raven, and Alex - Lauren Oliver

US 2013 Paperback vs. US 2016 Paperback: A new story and a non-horrible cover! Weeeee!

7. The Lost & Found - Katrina Leno

US Take 1 vs. US Take 2: Third time’s the charm?

8. The Devourers - Indra Das

India vs. US: Gorgeous as the US cover is, the Indian cover gives it a run for its money.

9. Radiance - Catherynne M. Valente

UK Hardback vs. US Paperback: This is like A Clockwork Orange kinda nightmare.

10. The Gradual - Christopher Priest

UK vs. US: Slight preference for the cloudy purple mountain tops of the UK cover, but they’re both pretty cool.

WTF of the Week:

WTF of the Week began as a special category for one cover I saw, but was so popular it became a recurring feature. Here, I highlight covers, both new and old, that I’ve found, which, upon viewing, made me either snort or say something along the lines of “Dear God, what is that thing?”

1. Don’t Look at Me: A Child’s Book about Feeling Different - Doris Sanford

Thoughts: Happy to.

2. Operating System (The System #3) - Andrea Ring

Thoughts: Rage-pooping baby nightmare fuel.

3. Alan, Fay & Demona (Preludes of Prism #1) - Synful Desire

Thoughts: Here it is, my nightmare. Also, ick, the phrase synful desire should never be anywhere near a baby picture. Even a demon baby. Also SYNFUL. HARD PASS.

Related Posts