Book Wars a weekly feature hosted between two book review blogs – A Life Bound By Books & Much Loved Books!
It’s a fact that book lovers know all about the covers of the books they covet. Often when a title is released here in the US, it’s sometimes vastly different across the pond in the UK. So, Michelle from Much Loved Books and I have come together to create Book Wars to talk about the difference in covers when it comes to the US vs. UK versions. We hope from time to time authors will chime in with their thoughts as well. We welcome everyone to comment and share their thoughts too! The more the merrier! Book Wars is a new feature for both of us which we hope to post every Monday, while we get it up and running this is subject to change as we participate in other features or tours we have committed to prior to setting up Book Wars.
Also, there's a poll at the bottom of the post that we'd love to hear your input for the two covers! Tell us which one YOU love the most.
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| Left - US cover. Right - UK cover. |
Author: Veronica Roth
Publisher: US - Katherine Tegen Books, 487 Pages (January 1st, 2011), UK - HarperCollins Children's Books, 489 Pages, (February 2nd 2012),[original publication date May 3rd 2011]
Add to: Goodreads USA Version, Goodreads UK Version
Order online here: USA: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, The Book Depository, UK: Amazon UK, Waterstones, W H Smith, The Book Depository
Synopsis: In Beatrice Prior's dystopian Chicago world, society is divided into five factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue--Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). On an appointed day of every year, all sixteen-year-olds must select the faction to which they will devote the rest of their lives. For Beatrice, the decision is between staying with her family and being who she really is--she can't have both. So she makes a choice that surprises everyone, including herself.
During the highly competitive initiation that follows, Beatrice renames herself Tris and struggles alongside her fellow initiates to live out the choice they have made. Together they must undergo extreme physical tests of endurance and intense psychological simulations, some with devastating consequences. As initiation transforms them all, Tris must determine who her friends really are--and where, exactly, a romance with a sometimes fascinating, sometimes exasperating boy fits into the life she's chosen. But Tris also has a secret, one she's kept hidden from everyone because she's been warned it can mean death. And as she discovers unrest and growing conflict that threaten to unravel her seemingly perfect society, Tris also learns that her secret might help her save the ones she loves . . . or it might destroy her.
About the author:Find Veronica Online:
Veronica Roth is from a Chicago suburb. She studied creative writing at Northwestern University, and wrote DIVERGENT (Katherine Tegen Books, May 2011) and INSURGENT (May 2012). The third and final book in The Divergent Trilogy, ALLEGIANT, will come out on October 22, 2013. In the meantime she will spend endless hours browsing Wikipedia in her pajamas as she eats corn flakes. (Or some other kind of bland breakfast cereal.)
Website/Blog | Twitter | Facebook
Let the Wars Begin: Its now time to make our decision, let's see what we think about the covers and pick our favorite cover.
Lisa Gosh, when Michelle and I started talking about this feature I didn't realize how hard this might be. They are both so different yet fit the story both in their own ways. The US cover has the faction symbol and gives an over all feel of of things brewing under the surface of the city. The UK cover give the impression of just how alone the girl is and the birds... of freedom. These are just my impressions of the covers based on what I see and what I know of the story. If you haven't read them, you SHOULD! So, now the hard part. Choosing a cover. I'm going to have to choose the US cover this time. If the UK cover would have been done in different colors it might have given the US version a run for it's money in which is MY favorite version.
So, US for me this round.
Want to know what I thought of the book? Check out my review for: Divergent
So, US for me this round.
Want to know what I thought of the book? Check out my review for: Divergent
Michelle
I love both of these covers. The USA cover has the faction symbol on the front, and in the background a city and you can see how it all links together with the story. The UK one though has the city in the background but also the ravens, which for those of you who have read the series, if you haven't then you need to, know where this connection comes from and its symbolisation. It also feels like the person on the cover is alone, which also links in with the story. If I have to choose my favourite cover I'm going to stick to my roots and pick the UK cover
VOTE for YOUR favorite cover of Divergent NOW!
FTC Disclaimer: I have NOT been compensated at all in any way or means for sharing this promotional post.
I picked US for this round. The UK cover is nice and does fit the story but I think US cover is more appealing to both male and female readers while the UK cover might not be as appealing to male readers (to me it could be a contemporary novel) which would be fine with if this was a kind of book that I think would mostly appeal to female readers like Wicked Lovely or Across the Universe but I think Divergent (at least the first book as I haven't read the second yet) would be something both male and female readers would enjoy so I think the US cover might do a better job at attracting a wider audience.
ReplyDeleteArtistically, I like the UK cover better, but I voted for the US because I think it's a little more distinctive. Yes, it takes the Twilight/Hunger Games approach of having a single large symbolic object (though with more of a background), but it is a distinctive object, at least.
ReplyDeleteI prefer the US cover though I don't know if that's just because it's what I'm used to seeing.
ReplyDeleteThis is such a good idea!! I never knew that books over the world have different covers! I've never even seen the UK cover before! I really like this meme and hope to join in next time!
ReplyDeleteBut I have to say I like the US version more. I feel as if it's more bold than the UK version. It stands out, which is what made me pick up these books in the first place. I'm sticking to what I know as well. :)
-Kayl @ Kayl's Krazy Obsession