I Always Judge a Book by Its Cover

I Wore the Ocean in the Shape of a Girl by Kelle Groom. This cover is lovely, and not just because of its fantastic title. The graceful, unraveling blue scarf (or perhaps ribbon) creates an intense contrast against the billowing, stormy clouds in the background. The photography is beautiful, touched just right with an effect that is somehow both sharp and hazy, an eye-popping combination that is very popular right now. The bright blue of the scarf is gorgeous and likely symbolic of two words in the title: “ocean” and “shape.” The delicate, curly typography weaved into the scarf adds just the right feminine appeal for the memoir detailing a woman’s descent into alcoholism. This design is both aesthetically stunning and incredibly effective at creating visual (and textual) allegory.

Readers’ Average Rating: B

The Psychopath Test by Jon Ronson. This is a pretty risky cover, but the designers pulled it off. Why risky? Because viewers have to adjust to two very different color schemes and two very different themes simultaneously. On the left side you have formal, bordered black and white parchment, complete with standard serif text and the stagnant image of a rabbit. Yet this side appears to have been ripped away to reveal the invading right side, which boasts psychedelic colors, shredded typography, funky texture, and a ferocious leopard, apparently out to eat the rabbit. It isn’t quite an inversion, but close. Yet this Jekyll-and-Hyde design speaks to the “madness” within the pages, which is somewhat unsurprising given the title. Rarely do we see covers with such outrageous contrast, but the risk is ultimately one worth taking.

Readers’ Average Rating: B+

The Time-Traveling Fashionista by Bianca Turetsky. The artwork here is gorgeous. YA titles often have dazzling cover designs, but rarely through illustration, as is the case with this novel. The most stunning part of the cover is of course the dress, which is awash in sparkles, texture, and bounce. It is so grand that it seems to be wearing the girl, rather than the girl wearing it. The girl herself is clearly depicted as illustration, but it works terrifically with the dress and the background of subtle creams and pink baubles. The typography within the dress is fun, feminine, and fitting for such an interesting title. The black of the font does well to remind us of the other black accents, like the girl’s hair and stockings. This is a marvelous design that perfectly eludes to a girl’s journey through time and fashion.

Readers’ Average Rating: B+

One of Our Thursdays is Missing by Jasper Fforde. I love absurdity, especially when it’s found on a book cover. This sequel’s design raises more questions than it answers, which seems perfectly appropriate given the novel’s title. The blue background is streaked in light beams that reach up and spread across the title. The title itself is blurred and evidently part of the background, which is an unusual and bold move. The author’s title, on the other hand, is commanding with its bright yellow and serif facade. What I like best about the design is the visual scene—a bookshelf containing old paperbacks on the precipice of a fall, followed by a Norman Rockwell-type illustration of a woman who actually is falling. Evidently, the books have upset her of her spot on the shelf. The scene does an excellent job of alluding to the literal and metaphorical literary world of the story.

Readers’ Average Rating: B+

The Story of Beautiful Girl by Rachel Simon. Although it is not necessarily the visual element one notices first when looking at this cover, I most enjoy the way the titles of the novel are made of colorful gradients—reds, pinks, oranges, yellows all fading together. The typography itself is very elegant and fitting of a story whose words center around a “beautiful girl.” The sparse, elongated curve of a letter, an “N” here, an “R” there, brings something subtle yet dainty to the design—much like the silhouetted woman herself. She is not, however, completely shadowed in, and her side profile manages to emit a sense of vulnerability and strength at once. The stray curls of her hair fall in line with the elegant curled typography. These visuals triumphantly convey the title character, a woman who, though considered “disabled,” finds a way to love and be loved in return.

Readers’ Average Rating: A-

Girl Wonder by Alexa Martin. This cover is a great example of how typography can “make” a design. Undoubtedly, the best part of the cover art here is the wonderfully flowing and elegant font for the novel’s title. The girl’s pink and blond hair blows back from her hidden face as though by a strong wind, and the title seems to curve and stretch back right with it, nestled in a colorful setting. The bright pink of the girl’s hair is also oddly attractive, both for its contrast against the large white title and its eye-popping saturation. The typography of the author’s name sticks with the color scheme and is very understated, as is appropriate next to the grandeur of the other title. The design shouts drama, youth, and femininity—perfect for a young woman’s high school tale.

Readers’ Average Rating: B+

Heart of the City by Ariel Sabar. I love New York, so it’s no surprise I love this cover. Part grunge, part classic Big Apple dedication, the design captures the unique persona of its subject matter: love in a city as anonymous as New York. Anyone can spot the familiar “I <3 NY” logo through use of the American Typewriter font and large red heart. I like that only a magnified chunk of this logo makes its way to the cover, with the red heart encasing the appropriate book title. This part of the cover looks to be a page torn out of an old book, and rests atop what appears to be a peeling, painted facet that could reside in practically any alley in the city. Whether you see it as city grunge or tribute to real-life New York romances, you have to admit this is a design worthy of such a city.

Readers’ Average Rating: B

Jane’s Fame by Claire Harman. Is there anything more lovely than a stack of books? I think not, and this cover proves it. The baby blue background sets the design in a calming, comfortable environment, much like Jane Austen’s prose. The stack, comprised of books both old and tattered and new and fresh, is a wonderful tribute to the classic author, one that symbolizes her success through many years. The china dish on top that holds the elegant little teacup (embroidered in Austen-esque accents) and cookie of some kind tops off the pleasant visual. I especially enjoy the many different typefaces used for the subtitle, which are stamped into the bottom edges of the books. All of the fonts are classic and bold except for “Jane Austen,” which retains a more delicate, feminine design.

Readers’ Average Rating: B+

666 Park Avenue by Gabriella Pierce. A fun design for a fun title, I always say. (Not really, but it makes sense.) I love the simple color scheme of the cover: black, white, shades of grey, and splashes of yellow-green. The fancy and glamorous gate in the background channels Park Avenue to perfection. The title sits in a black bar, as though a sign on the gate, which is also clever. The title typography is gothic and sophisticated, just like the supposed subject matter of the book. What I most enjoy about the design is the spray of leaves and vines falling into the illustration from the upper left corner, both black and colored. If you look closely, you can see that some of the black leaves are in fact bats—hinting at witches, perhaps?

Readers’ Average Rating: B

There’s Cake In My Future by Kim Gruenenfelder. In honor of National Women’s Day, I thought I’d pay homage to this delightful design. Don’t get me wrong—I think there’s  more to a woman’s life than what the little dangling trinkets represent. The pale purple background of the cover sets a feminine tone that is not too overt. The woman’s hand and her bright, eye-catching pink nails do well in drawing viewers to an organic and life-size visual. The title typography is appropriately girly, but also tasteful. I must admit, I most enjoy the clever display of the silver trinkets dangling from the blue ribbons, symbolizing marriage, children, and ultimately hard work. Showing this hand reach so longingly for what is supposedly intended for a woman, as though it is just out of grasp, is a perfect setup for this chick lit about three women who aren’t content to take a bite out of society’s cake just yet.

Readers’ Average Rating: B+