Cover Awe: Depth, Tension, & More

Hey, all! Let’s look at some eye-catching covers!

That Summer Feeling by Bridget Morrissey. An illustrated cover of two young women. One is in the water and the other is sitting on a doc. They are in the shadow of some lush, green branches. The water is a beautiful blue and there's movement of sun through the trees and splashing in the water.

Cover illustration by Rebecca Mock

Sarah: I LOVE THIS COVER.

Claudia: That is great – lots of light play and movement!

Elyse: I think a lot of illustrated covers are flat and this one has a lot of depth and motion.

Carrie: The dappling is so unusual and makes all the difference in terms of motion and mood.

Verity and the Forbidden Suitor by J.J. McAvoy. A Black woman in a powder blue dress in a beautiful estate garden. She has a white shawl in her hands and a bejeweled headband. The garden behind her is dotted with purple and pink flowers.

EllenM: I love that shade of blue, I feel like we don’t see it on cover dresses very much!!

Amanda: It pairs well with the clear blue sky and purplish blue flowers.

Sarah: I am making undignified heart eyes at the headband and jewelry. This is gorgeous.

Immortal Longings by Chloe Gong. A cramped alleyway in a greenish hue. Red, glowing lanterns crowd the edges. A woman in red stands in the middle, a sword in her hand.

Cover illustration by Corey Brickley

Elyse: I love the perspective, the red/green contrast and how she’s slowly unsheathing her sword

Amanda: So excited for this one! Chloe’s books all have gorgeous covers, though of course, this is a UK cover.

Sneezy: I love that the cover uses every inch of itself to express tension instead of relying on just the sword. And my lord, the details like the exposed pipes, reflective concrete, the different textures. Combined with that perspective, it really feels like the city is poised to swallow her.

Sarah: “I love that the cover uses every inch of itself to express tension.” YES. Exactly that. None of the visual space is wasted and the perspective, that we are high above the figure below, makes me wonder if we are a witness or if we are the POV of whatever is causing her to draw that sword.

The Master and the Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov. An illustrated cover that is bisected diagonally by the title. In the top left is half of a face of a black cat who is smoking a cigarette. The bottom right section is a woman with black hair and red lips. Her eyes are hidden, but a tear rolls down her cheek.

Cover art by C.C. Askew

From Pam: Nothing to say. I just love it.

Amanda: Yes, love the art style! I remember seeing this one at the bookstore and always stopping to look at the cover.

Elyse: The detail work is gorgeous

Sarah: It’s so interesting. I’d pick this book up over and over, too!

 

Comments are Closed

  1. Star says:

    It’s always interesting when your inner assessment team fails to reach consensus. I don’t care for the Morrissey cover, but it does a fantastic job evoking the same vibe as the title, that sort of idyllic nostalgia from movies about teenagers in love set decades prior to the time of filming. I don’t like it, but I approve of it.

    The Gong, on the other hand, the inner assessment team unanimously agrees on: awesome cover.

  2. Jen says:

    I actually prefer the US cover for Immortal Longings, though that illustration is beautiful. I just CANNOT handle books having that Cruel Prince font anymore! Pick a new font!!

  3. denise says:

    These are all beautiful!

  4. Zuzus says:

    Is the cat smoking? I know they’re rebellious, but I thought they were smarter than that.

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