Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish. Each week they will post a new Top Ten list that one of their bloggers over at The Broke and the Bookish will answer. Everyone is welcome to join.
The topic for this week is: Top Ten Cover Trends I Dislike…
I think by the time I’m annoyed by a persistent trend in covers – the trend is almost over anyway. There have been some I’ve liked, a lot that feel a little too prevalent. I don’t actually dislike any of these covers – on their own they are lovely. Some even really fit the series and I couldn’t think of anything better. But when you put them up against so many others which all seem to fit into the same trend – it’s a bit too much.
1. Covers featuring people’s backs…
2. Gorgeous gowns which usually have little to no relevance to the novel
Covers featured here from left to right (links take you to the book’s page on goodreads):
Illuminate | Shatter Me | Unearthly | Everneath | The Girl with the Steel Corset | Fallen | The Selection
3. Elegant dead or dying girl
Covers featured here from left to right (links take you to the book’s page on goodreads):
After Obsession | Haven | Frozen | The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer | The Dead-Tossed Waves | Abandon | Uninvited
4. People without heads/faces
Covers featured here from left to right (links take you to the book’s page on goodreads):
Blue Bloods | Intertwined | 13 Little Blue Envelopes | Need | I’d Tell You I Loved You But Then I’d Have To Kill You | The Summoning | City of Bones
Faces taking up most of the cover
Mostly black covers
Are there any cover trends you think have been over used? Any you adore and want to see more of?
I also hate the headless/partial body covers, big poufy dresses, dying girls, and closeups on faces. Other dislikes include mouth and crotch closeups. Seriously, why?
I had the one about dresses as well – they just crop up way too often. In general I’m not a fan of people on covers, to be honest. And the ones with headless girls are kind of strange.
I totally agree with all of these, especially the back thing though I never really thought about it until now. New pet peeve maybe? I just really don’t understand some of these trends…
x Ely
I’m not such a fan of the decapitation. It kind of…bothers me! I mean, headless people running around saving the world? Please. Just aim the camera a bit higher. 😉 I DO like pretty dresses, but I prefer when they mean something to the plot. Like Lilac actually wears the dress in These Broken Stars, and the dresses are a big deal in The Selection. But usually? It’s odd when the character wears a dress on the cover that she never wears in the book!
My TTT!
I don’t usually like dresses on covers, especially when they have nothing to do with the book. I’m sure there are some cases where dresses work well, but I can’t think of any =)
I’m not sure how I feel about people without heads on covers. I like the covers for the Gallagher Girls series, but that might have more to do with the typography and the actual story. I can’t say I like any of the other covers you featured in the headless section though.
Great post! Here’s my TTT
ICK I don’t think I like any of those cover trends either (except pretty clothes… I am a sucker for pretty clothes, not necessarily dresses though). But I never realized how many backs are on YA covers!! Weird!! And dead/dying girls… BLAH!! I like creativity!!
My TTT
The dresses are so common now on covers. It’s getting really boring now! I love your list this week! We have a lot of the same likes and dislikes!
It is kind of funny when you put them together
I’m still on board with the backs of people but the cut off heads you’re showing are really awful! I like some where we only see a part of a person but those would definitely not make me want to read them! And the elegantly dying girl is just creepy! Great choices!
Elegantly dying girls annoy me. Can’t you find any live cover models? Oh wait, that’s right, they all died by decapitation. No wonder. Hehe. Anyway, I agree with a lot of your dislikes. I do like pretty gowns, but it does annoy me when it’s only for the cover and the dresses aren’t related to the book at all.
Quite a few on your list made my list. Elegantly dying girls — you know, I never pick those books up to read….guess that is a dislike for me…
My list:
http://fortheartofit.blogspot.com/2014/06/top-ten-tuesday-cover-trends.html
YES to the big dresses! Those covers tend to put me off because they never have anything to do with the story :/
Mands @ The Bookish Manicurist