Malinda Lo
Blog
Sep 23, 2009
Debut Books by Their Covers #7
In all the whirlwind of my own book launch I totally forgot to post this month’s Debut Books By Their Cover (here’s last month’s)! So today I’m going to catch up by doing all of August and September’s new books from the 2009 Debutantes. Here we go:
Prophecy of the Sisters (Little, Brown) by Michelle Zink
Twin sisters Lia and Alice Milthorpe have just become orphans. They have also become enemies. As they discover their roles in a prophecy that has turned generations of sisters against each other, the girls find themselves entangled in a mystery that involves a tattoo-like mark, their parents’ deaths, a boy, a book, and a lifetime of secrets.
Lia and Alice don’t know whom they can trust.
They just know they can’t trust each other.
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Check out my interview with Michelle Zink at the Enchanted Inkpot!
Lipstick Apology (Razorbill) by Jennifer Jabaley
When Emily discovers a mysterious apology left by her mother, moments before her tragic death, Emily sets out to decipher its meaning and rebuild her life.
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Q: Did you have any specific hopes about what your book cover would look like?
A: I didn’t really have any expectations, other than I wanted bright, girly colors – which I got!
Q: What’s your favorite part of your final book cover?
A: I love that it’s very cinematic. It almost looks like a movie poster to me and I love it.
Donut Days (Putnam) by Lara Zielin
Everything happens to Emma Goiner the same weekend that the Crispy Dream donut store opens in town, including how her best friend isn’t speaking to her, how a boy she’s known all her life is suddenly hotter than she remembered, and, oh yes, how her evangelical pastor parents may lose their church.
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“I didn’t have any initial cover expectations simply because I was nervous since the title, DONUT DAYS, doesn’t exactly scream ‘girl having a crisis of faith!’ I really gave Putnam’s creative group a run for their money, but the design they came up with is so totally fabulous! I think the female figure they picked has energy and personality in spades, and I know they hired a model to photograph, which makes me happy because she’s not a stock image. Added to that is the fact that the donut clouds are so completely adorable — and definitely my favorite part.” — Lara Zielin
The Brilliant Fall of Gianna Z (Walker) by Kate Messner
A 12-year-old girl has until the end of the week to finish her huge 7th grade leaf project, but she faces comic catastrophes (and real drama) at every turn.
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Q: Did you have any specific hopes about what your book cover would look like?
A: I originally pictures a photographic cover with bright fall leaves, but the photographic images the designers tried out just couldn’t capture the spirit of the book the way we’d hoped. When they hired illustrator Joe Cepeda to do the cover, I was thrilled, and I feel like his art absolutely captures the movement and color and spirit of the book.
Q: What’s your favorite part of your final book cover?
A: I love all the movement…the way the leaves are swirling. It really captures Gianna’s spirit and the spirit of the story.
Give Up the Ghost (Henry Holt) by Megan Crewe
A teen outcast who sees ghosts and uses the secrets they dig up to expose her fellow students’ deceits must choose between revenge and compassion when the popular student council V.P. comes to her for supernatural help.
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Q: Did you have any specific hopes about what your book cover would look like?
A: I really wanted a cover with a photograph or very realistic illustration–I didn’t feel something more stylized would work for the book. Happily, that’s just what I got!
Q: What’s your favorite part of your final book cover?
A: I have to just pick one? I absolutely adore the ghost whispering in Cass’s ear (which is a suggestion I made for the cover image!), as well as the contrasting blue and pink and the ghostly effect on the title.
Candor (Egmont) by Pam Bachorz
In a town where his father brainwashes everyone, Oscar Banks has found a way to secretly fight the subliminal Messages, but when he falls in love, he must choose whether to let Nia be lost to brainwashing—or to sacrifice himself.
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Q: Did you have any specific hopes about what your book cover would look like?
A: I wanted something that hinted at the brainwashing that goes on in CANDOR. So I was really happy to see the hot guy on the cover is wearing headphones–the brainwashing “Messages” are delivered via music.
Q: What’s your favorite part of your final book cover?
A: The intriguing hot guy on the cover. His eyes promise something, but warn you too. Perfect!
Jungle Crossing (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt) by Sydney Salter
The intertwining coming-of-age stories of two girls, one who reluctantly travels to Mexico with her family over summer vacation, the other an ancient Mayan royal stolen from her town and forced make the treacherous journey back home.
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Q: Did you have any specific hopes about what your book cover would look like?
A: I guess I pictured something green and jungly. But I’m glad that my art designer, Carol Chu, had a much bigger vision!
Q: What’s your favorite part of your final book cover?
A: I absolutely love the way the collage includes so many details mentioned in the book from Mayan sculptures, butterflies, storm clouds, carvings… The artist John Webster did a wonderful job!
My Invented Life (Henry Holt) by Lauren Bjorkman
A modern-day quasi-Shakespearean comedy about rivalry, deceit, and sisterly devotion, cast with characters of ambiguous sexuality.
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Q: Did you have any specific hopes about what your book cover would look like?
A: Well, I hoped I wouldn’t hate it. (I tend to keep my expectations low to avoid disappointment). And I wanted a photograph instead of an illustration.
Q: What’s your favorite part of your final book cover?
A: The expression on the tall girl’s face.
Hate List (Little, Brown) by Jennifer Brown
The story of the aftermath of a school shooting, told from the point of view of the shooter’s girlfriend.
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Q: Did you have any specific hopes about what your book cover would look like?
A: I don’t think I really had “hopes,” but envisioned something dark — definitely with black on the cover. I think I’d envisioned a notebook — the Hate List — on the cover, but not because I think it would be the best thing to have there. In the end, what my designer came up with is so much better than that.
Q: What’s your favorite part of your final book cover?
A: It is so striking. You can’t help but look at it.
The Espressologist (Farrar, Straus & Giroux) by Kristina Springer
Jane, a teen coffee barista, discovers the ability to matchmake customers based on their favorite coffee drinks.
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Q: Did you have any specific hopes about what your book cover would look like?
A: I was hoping there would be a cup of cappuccino with a heart in the foam.
Q: What’s your favorite part of your final book cover?
A: I love that there is a cup with a heart in the foam! They had the same idea. I also love the coffee rings on the inside of the cover.
Also new from the Debs:
I love these posts! The blurb for Prophecy of the Sisters is a great hook (I really enjoyed the book too). I think my favorite cover here is Candor, although I am also a big fan of the foam heart for The Espressologist!