Sunday, June 20, 2010

Cover Critique: Torment by Lauren Kate


Let me preface this post by saying that my design critiques of these covers are in no way, shape or form a reflection on the author, the content or the publisher. I know the authors have very little, if any, control over the design. These are strictly my thoughts stemming from my design experience.

I heart this book cover. Big time. It makes the graphic designer in me very, very happy. I want my hair to look like this. I want this dress. I don't so much want to stand on a frozen lake with Hitchcockian birds circling ominously, but if that's what it takes to wear this dress, I'll take it into consideration.

Both this cover and the cover from her first novel, Fallen, are absolutely stunning. I love the use of a single image, as sometimes covers can get very busy trying to include all the little details from the book into one small space. This instead utilizes a very memorable, very haunting image, that despite it's cool colors, will still pop off the shelf.

And don't even get me started on this font. I adore this font. I adore this font so much I cyber-stalked it and bought it for myself (yes, I'm a dork, but I embrace it to the fullest extent). This font is gorgeous in it's simplicity, much like the image. It has an antique feel to it which suits the storyline, and the little flourishes off the serifs (such as on the "R" and "N") add extra visual interest. The overall look is elegant, eye catching and beautifully done. It very much makes me want to design book covers for a living:)

8 comments:

  1. The covers in this series are some of the most beautiful. They made my recent cover list! http://smashattackreads.blogspot.com/2010/06/book-covers-i-love.html

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  2. I agree with you: this cover is total eye-candy! I would buy the book just to look at the cover.

    It reminds me a little of Marion Zimmer Bradley's Mists of Avalon and I mean the original UK (not US) hardcover edition which was just so delectable, I used to spend hours gazing at it.

    Ok. Enough ranting from me. This book is going on my TBR list!

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  3. Thanks ladies! It's just gorgeous, makes me want to run to New York and beg to be a book designer!

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  4. I absolutely love this post, hehe ... you're too funny :D Oh, yeah, the cover's pretty awesome, too (",) ... but if the book isn't any better than Fallen, then *grrrrr*, lol.

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  5. Hey Bella!

    I'm hoping Torment is better than Fallen, I was a little frustrated with the first one. Too many questions, not enough answers!

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  6. I love this cover too! SO pretty!

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  7. These covers are v. gorgeous, I gotta agree. Me and Kay totally gawk at Fallen every time we pass it at the store, and sob that we're broke and the library has not seen fit to get this in yet. Horrors.

    We're taking bets on whether or not the cover model came from DeviantArt.

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  8. What is the font name? Where can it be bought? I LOVE THIS COVER!

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