Wednesday, May 10, 2017

I Judge Books By Their Covers: Exit West


"Exit West," while not quite what I had expected going in, was one of the most unique books I've read so far this year, combining Middle East conflict, magical realism and a romantic relationship. (Here's my review.) Which cover do you like better?

U.S. // U.K.

The U.S. cover is so pretty! I love the shades of blue and purple and the almost finger-painted look of the font. And the slanted words convey movement of some sort, which does tie into the story. But... it doesn't really have anything going on. There's no picture, no indication whatsoever of what the novel is about. And, while gorgeous, the blue shades remind me of outerspace -- not a civil war in an unnamed Middle East country.

The U.K. cover is kinda bland at first glance, but gets more interesting the more you look at it (not necessarily a good thing for a book cover -- it needs to catch the eye immediately). That geometric font, though -- I love it! And I like the pop of red, though perhaps it would be more visually appealing if the background were black instead of that taupe-y color. I also like the suggestion of a doorway that also looks like a piece of paper being pulled back -- again, something that fits with the story.

This is a tough choice as neither cover is hideous but neither is really just right either. However, if we're going just off which one would most grab my interest on a bookshelf, I'd have to choose the U.S. cover.

3 comments:

  1. I gravitate towards the US on based on the color and font. I am not sure I get a civil war in the middle east vibe but I would probably pick that one up over the UK cover.

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  2. I think I like the UK version for some reason although I'm not quite sure. Although I have to admit, I probably wouldn't pick it up to read either way.

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  3. I think the US cover makes it look more like a YA book. I agree that neither cover is that great, but I'd pick up the UK one before the US one.

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