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 UK, it’s sometimes vastly different across the pond in the US. 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!
Before we get to this weeks Book Wars, we have a winner to announce. The Book Wars winner for U To Me by: M. Leighton is... the US cover!!! Thank you to everyone who voted for both books, and for picking a winner.
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 - Right: UK |
Author: Sophia Bennett
Publisher: US - Scholastic Inc, 336 Pages, (March 1st 2013), UK - Chicken House Books, 328 Pages, (March 1st 2012)
Add to Goodreads: The Look USA | The Look UK
Order online here: USA: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, The Book Depository UK: Amazon UK, Waterstones, W H Smith, The Book Depository
Synopsis: Can she be a supermodel and a super-sister? She finds her answer in just one look.
Two sisters, both beautiful in different ways: Fifteen-year-old Ted has got "The Look." That's what the scout for the modeling agency tells her, and she can't believe her luck. But just as Ted's jet-setting off on her new career, Ava is diagnosed with cancer. Can Ted be a supermodel and a super-sister? Or will she have to choose between family and fame? With their worlds turned upside down, the girls have to look past appearances, look deep inside, to figure out what really matters.
About the author:
I’ve wanted to be a writer since early childhood. Either that or an air hostess (great uniform), Olympic gymnast (also great uniform) or a playwright. I would have liked to be a top fashion designer, but my stick figures, despite years of practice, were never going to make the cover of Vogue.
I wanted to be a writer so much that I didn’t dare actually do any serious writing for many years. Instead, I got a couple of literature degrees. Reading was so much easier than writing. Then I was an earring packager, tour guide, lobbyist, management consultant, web project manager and many other fun things that are now known as my ‘gathering material’ phase. As opposed to my ‘sitting down and doing it’ phase, which is what I’m happily in now.
Over those years, I also acquired a husband, four children and a house near Wandsworth Common, where there are trees, ducks and swans and you’d hardly know you were in South London, except that I happen to have loyalty cards for at least six nearby excellent cappuccino joints.
I’ve written for The Times and The Guardian, and also four unpublished detective stories, but my breakthrough was winning The Times/Chicken House Children’s Fiction competition with Threads. It’s about fashion, celebrity watching, being a teenager in London, conflict survival and, above all, friendship. Basically, it’s my manifesto and I’m amazed and thrilled that the likes of Barry Cunningham, Amanda Craig, David Almond and Jonathan Douglas liked it, understood it and didn’t think it was too weird.
I’ve also written two sequels to Threads – Beads, Boys & Bangles, and Sequins, Stars & Spotlights. My latest book, The Look, is about a girl who's scouted as a model and has to choose between fame and family.
Occasionally, people ask me what my advice would be to aspiring writers. Check out my writing tips page, on my website. Write every day, and rewrite even more. Follow your heart.
I did, and it got me here. Yay!
Find Sophia Online: Website | News | 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.
Sophia
The UK cover of The Look is one of my favourites. I think it's strong, it was fun to develop with Steve, my illustrator, and I had more input into it (I think!) than any of the others. I love the strong expression in the model's eyes and the bright use of colour against the pale skin. Of all my book covers, it's the one that's been taken on the most by other countries, too, and booksellers tend to like it.
The US cover was a bold idea, and very brave to use the shaved head for the Ava side (they are two different girls, in case you were wondering). I like that aspect of it a lot. But the lavender colour and the title down the middle didn't work so well for me. If they'd just gone with the Ava side ... well, that's a cover I'd still love to see.
Lisa Today we're voting on another book that's new to me and just reading the synopsis I'd love to check this one out. As far as the covers go... the US one looks like it fits the story extremely well. How it gives you a chance to see the face of both sisters. The UK cover looks so smooth and flawless and from what this story looks to be I'd say it's anything but. For me this week I think my vote is going to the US version based on the fact that for someone who hasn't read the title yet it looks like it fits the story pretty spot on. My vote is US, what's yours? Vote below!
Michelle
I have the UK version waiting to be read, and I love how dramatic it is and how you are drawn to her face, her eyes and how piercing they are. I love how the US have gone in a completely different direction and has made it more dramatic in a different way, making you think about the cover and it's meaning. I love the shaved head effect and how they have two different versions on the cover.
My vote this week goes to the USA version for how dramatic it is and how it really makes you think about the book and what it means.
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