Misleading Book Covers #2
Another fun round of misleading book covers. At least 90% of what I choose to read is based on the cover of the book and sometimes I wonder just what the author/publisher was thinking…
Optimists Die First by Susin Nielsen
What I thought it was going to be about
I was pretty sure this was going to be a thriller or at least a murder mystery. I was looking forward to a bunch of hapless, naïve fools (maybe from a knitting club?) charging off to their death… like the supposed ending of the poor Dodo.
What it’s actually about
A rather more sedate YA contemporary about a girl too afraid to take chances and the boy who inspired changes in her life.
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Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty
What I thought it was going to be about
I was hoping for a retelling of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory with exploding candy, but I guess I should have realised from the title that was one of the big lies.
What it’s actually about
It’s a suburban ‘behind the scenes’ story with explosive secrets *suddenly realising why the lollipop is exploding*, and evil undertakings.
PS: to those who have watched the miniseries without reading the book – go back and read it, it’s really worth it!
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Ketchup Clouds by Annabel Pitcher
What I thought it was going to be about
A massacre where a murder of crows descends on the pile of blood-splattered corpses… or maybe a red cloud at night as in a shepherd’s delight…?
What it’s actually about
A sad, but with unexpected humour, the story is about a lonely, insecure girl who corresponds via letters with a stranger on death row. He just happens to be an older man (yes I thought it was creepy too).
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Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson
What I thought it was going to be about
Drowned girls under the ice on a frozen lake – maybe a mass suicide? Or very cold and somewhat creepy mermaids…
What it’s actually about
A YA contemporary about two girls with anorexia competing with each other to be the thinnest.
It’s relatable, emotional, horrifying and I loved it.
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Dying to Know You by Aidan Chambers
What I thought it was going to be about
This cover really threw me totally off! I was expecting a friendship/romance, possibly a fatal one like Romeo and Juliet, and surely somehow the goldfish were involved? Maybe they are poisonous…
What it’s actually about
A YA contemporary featuring a dyslexic boy who persuades an author to write his love letters.
I really liked the way dyslexia was handled positively with sensitivity and respect.
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Little Monsters by Kara Thomas
What I thought it was going to be about
Really badly behaved children whose babysitter tried out staring them before wiping them out one by one… *suddenly realising that murder is on my mind – should I be worried?*
What it’s actually about
Toxic high school friendships, jealousy, disappearances and a whole bunch of lies.
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How to Save a Life by Sara Zarr
What I thought it was going to be about
A lonely girl left behind by the winter girls and is about to throw herself into the water to join them.
What it’s actually about
Complex family relationships and adoption.
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Midnight at the Electric
What I thought it was going to be about
I was so wrong about this one! I was expecting a carnival or night circus, possibly magical or haunted…
What it’s actually about
This was a really odd book that combined sci-fi and historical fiction and seriously lacked the carnival atmosphere.
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Zebra Forest by Adina Rishe Gewirtz
What I thought it was going to be about
A cottage on the edge of a dark scary wood where predators are stumped by the characters camouflaging ability – you know like zebras stripes… Perhaps a Hansel and Gretel retelling?
What it’s actually about
This children’s book stars adventure, escaped fugitives and family secrets.
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The Secret History of Us by Jessi Kirby
What I thought it was going to be about
Again with the drowning. A girl who drowned her friend and is just having a relaxing moment with their memories while waiting to make sure the body stays down.
What it’s actually about
A girl with amnesia following a car accident.
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Olivia @ The Candid Cover
You are the best! I have such a beef with covers that do nothing for the plot. Optimists Die First is definitely one that gives off a completely wrong vibe, for sure. Maybe I will give some of these others another chance now that I know what they are really about. 🙂
Grace Louise
Ooooh I have Ketchup Clouds on my shelf but haven’t got around to reading it yet – definitely one to pick up soon! Lovely post Hun 🙂
Grace Louise || http://www.gracelouiseofficial.blogspot.co.uk/
Tasya @ The Literary Huntress
When I first saw Wintergirls, I thought it was a horror novel too about a girl drowned in an icy lake and came back killing other girls… it’s just perfect for a horror cover!
crushingcinders
😂 It would be prefect for a horror novel.
Lindsey van Heerden
Loved your comments! Some intriguing books …
Kimberly Sabatini
I love these posts!!!! And Midnight at the Electric messed me up. Twice. I just started to get into the futuristic story and then bam! I was in the past. While I liked the book, I struggled with the mixed messages and how things jumped around. Still glad I read it though. <3