WTF Wednesday | 5 WTF YA Book Covers

Hello gentle friends and welcome back to my fortnightly fun called WTF Wednesday! Today’s topic is one so many people have previously discussed (including myself, especially being a design student) and that’s – BOOK COVERS.

I’ve seen videos of some of the worst and some of the best, and I’m personally loving the latest book cover trends. If you’d like to see a full post about book cover trends (similarly to my YA Book Trends blog post you can find Here), let me know in the comments below 😀

Today, I’ve got 5 smashing book covers, which I have no doubts you have seen in this stratosphere, that have personally made me contemplate as to wtf they were doing. Some…don’t really make much sense and some are just plain ridiculous. Let go through the list, shall we?

1. City of Bones by Cassandra Clare

Looking back at my initial love for this series, I can totally imagine now the random thoughts my parents had when they would see me reading this book where the cover is just a freaking CHEST.  A manly naked chest with random glowing tattoos, who’s been beheaded somehow and still glows more than Edward on a summer afternoon. It screams a little weird to me now, don’t know about you guys, but I’ll be buying my children a different edition. Maybe something less naked that actually gives some clues to what the book is about.

2. Twilight by Stephenie Meyer

One of my first obsessions after High School Musical, Twilight is something I still hold dear to me despite how much I laugh when watching the movies repeatedly. I think the cover of Twilight is something every fan and non-fan has at least contemplated at least once. WHO THE FRIDGE has ANY idea as to why the cover is some pale somebitch holding a random red apple. Oh, no…was Twilight supposed to be a retelling of snow white?? I’ll be honest, I mostly feel bad for the actors who had to take over 30 takes to get that apple scene in the movie. Bella was clumsy af while making edible art in that cafeteria, just sayin’.

3. Fallen by Lauren Kate, or Unearthly by Cynthia Hand or The Selection by – OKAY IT’S THAT MISERABLE GIRL IN A PRETTY DRESS BOOK COVER TREND.

The Fallen series used to be one of my favourite book covers because the girl is so pretty and has all these cool old fashioned dresses with hella long skirts – but when you start to see so many books with nearly identical covers and themes…what did it actually say about the book? Are they all the SAME? WTF is up with that??

“OH. My life is a MESS. My boyfriend turns out to be a fallen angel but this cute guy I’m friends with at my boarding school is also super cute and I might be interested in him too. My life is so horrible though because that cute guy might be a vampire, or demon! or werewolf *gasp* or both! They both brood so much, sometimes I get them confused. OMG but what will I wear to the prom??? Maybe the secret inherited super power within me or my past self (cause I’m obviously a reincarnated soul) can help me choose a dress and save the world at the same time.”

4. I spy with my little EYE – Shatter Me by Tareheh Mafi and more.

So they say that eyes are the windows to the soul. If only we could see the soul and read the blurb of a book when the cover is simply one gigantic eye. This is another trend that just gets a bit boring after a while, like most trends, when severely overused. What might the eye on the cover convey exactly? Ooh she’s got pretty purple eyes and frosty lashes, hello a winter queen! – who actually knows?? If anyone guessed ANYTHING from the covers of some of these books, please tell me what I’m missing cause all these eyes are pretty weird and random to me!

5.  The Summer I Turned Pretty Bitchy by Jenny Han.

I hope I don’t cause any offence to the model on this cover but if that isn’t a prime example of a resting bitch/I smirkin’ hate you face, idk what is. She doesn’t look like she’s turned pretty happy…or is this before she’s turned pretty? What’s with the gang of boys behind her? Either way, she looks kinda hangry, almost like the stereotypical popular queen who bullies the protagonist in YA books and movies. HANG ON. Is that Augustus Waters on her left? Well, yknow I consider this cover a little WTF. Does she look hangry to you? Let me know, I hope Augustus doesn’t give her grief with his driving skills in this book. Either way, this book cover could be so much better.

–

And that’s 5! What did you think of this list? Do you have any other WTF covers on the top of your head? And let me know if you’d like a full Book Cover Trends blog post cause I’d be down for that.

Until next time,

xx Tracy

PS: Yes. The Nick Young meme is my official featured image for this WTF Wednesday Post Series/Meme…for now. TEEHEE.