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STACKED

books

  • STACKED
  • About Us
  • Categories
    • Audiobooks
    • Book Lists
      • Debut YA Novels
      • Get Genrefied
      • On The Radar
    • Cover Designs
      • Cover Doubles
      • Cover Redesigns
      • Cover Trends
    • Feminism
      • Feminism For The Real World Anthology
      • Size Acceptance
    • In The Library
      • Challenges & Censorship
      • Collection Development
      • Discussion and Resource Guides
      • Readers Advisory
    • Professional Development
      • Book Awards
      • Conferences
    • The Publishing World
      • Data & Stats
    • Reading Life and Habits
    • Romance
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  • Reviews + Features
    • About The Girls Series
    • Author Interviews
    • Contemporary YA Series
      • Contemporary Week 2012
      • Contemporary Week 2013
      • Contemporary Week 2014
    • Guest Posts
    • Link Round-Ups
      • Book Riot
    • Readers Advisory Week
    • Reviews
      • Adult
      • Audiobooks
      • Graphic Novels
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    • So You Want to Read YA Series
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Setting Many Scenes: YA Montage Book Covers

July 5, 2021 |

It was Tirzah, covering the Book Riot YA newsletter for me during my leave, who finally put to words the YA book cover trend I kept seeing over and over. But more than putting words to the trend, her roundup of montages on YA book covers made me understand precisely why these covers seem to blend together for me. Illustrated covers have that impact on me to begin with, but when so many also utilize the montage effect, they are really difficult for me to distinguish.

I suspect I’m not alone, and I’m curious how this plays out for readers seeking a book they know only by cover (“It’s blue and has a couple on it,” could be so many recent titles).

Tirzah’s roundup in the YA newsletter is a great one, and while there will be some repeats below, her look includes one I’ve not added here.

I’ve limited to YA montage book covers for books published in 2020, 2021, and those that are on the docket for 2022. I’d love to know if you can think of others that fit the pattern. Drop ’em in the comments. Descriptions are from Goodreads, though I have read a few of these books.

As you’ll notice: not all of these are illustrated, either!

YA book covers featuring the montage | YA books | YA book covers | YA book cover design

 

Montages on YA Book Covers

 

Anything But Fine by Tobias Madden

This Australian YA has a fun montage to kick off this (alphabetical) list. I dig the color story here, too. The US cover for this one looks quite different. No designer or illustrator information could be found for the Aussie cover. 

Luca is ready to audition for the Australian Ballet School. All it takes to crush his dreams is one missed step . . . and a broken foot.

Jordan is the gorgeous rowing star and school captain of Luca’s new school. Everyone says he’s straight – but Luca’s not so sure . . .

As their unlikely bond grows stronger, Luca starts to wonder: who is he without ballet? And is he setting himself up for another heartbreak?

 

 

Better Than The Movies by Lynn Painter

How meta is this montage of montages? Genius. The cover illustration is by Liz Casal. 

Liz Buxbaum has always known that Wes Bennett was not boyfriend material. You would think that her next-door neighbor would be a prince candidate for her romantic comedy fantasies, but Wes has only proven himself to be a pain in the butt, ever since they were little. Wes was the kid who put a frog in her Barbie Dreamhouse, the monster who hid a lawn gnome’s severed head in her little homemade neighborhood book exchange.

Flash forward ten years from the Great Gnome Decapitation. It’s Liz’s senior year, a time meant to be rife with milestones perfect for any big screen, and she needs Wes’s help. See, Liz’s forever crush, Michael, has just moved back to town, and—horribly, annoyingly—he’s hitting it off with Wes. Meaning that if Liz wants Michael to finally notice her, and hopefully be her prom date, she needs Wes. He’s her in.

But as Liz and Wes scheme to get Liz her magical prom moment, she’s shocked to discover that she actually likes being around Wes. And as they continue to grow closer, she must reexamine everything she thought she knew about love—and rethink her own perception of what Happily Ever After should really look like.

 

 

Don’t Hate The Player by Alexis Nedd

A lot of the elements of this cover montage remind of the hardcover of Eric Smith’s Don’t Read The Comments. Like the previous cover on this list, the illustration is by Liz Casal. 

By day, Emilia is a field hockey star with a popular boyfriend and a mother obsessed with her academic future. But by night, she’s kicking virtual ass as the only female member of a highly competitive eSports team. Emilia has mastered the art of keeping her two worlds thriving, which hinges on them staying completely separate.

When a major eSports tournament comes to her city, Emilia is determined to prove herself to the male-dominated gaming community. But her perfectly balanced life is thrown for a loop when a member of a rival team—Jake—recognizes her . . .

From an exciting new talent, this sweet and charming YA romance will win the hearts of gamers and non-gamers alike.

 

Hello Now by Jenny Valentine

A photographic montage, this time featuring people jumping from a cliff over the sea, ending with just a single person in the last scene. Dana Li is the cover artist. 

Jude’s life is upended when his mother loses her job and moves them to a little town by the sea to live with Henry Lake–an eccentric old man with rooms to rent. Henry is odd, the town is dull, and worst of all, Jude feels out of place and alone.

So when Novo turns up in the house across the street, dressed all in black and looking unbearably handsome, Jude’s summer takes an immediate turn for the better. But Novo isn’t all that he seems to be–or maybe he’s more than Jude can possibly understand. Novo is a time traveler, someone who wakes up in different places and at different points in time with utter regularity. He knows that each Now is fleeting, that each moment is only worth the energy it expends on itself, and that each experience he has will be lost to him before long.

But Jude and Novo form a bond that shifts reality for both of them. Unlike anything he’s ever experienced, Jude begins to question what forever really means–only to find out that Novo knows that forever isn’t real. And when things go horribly wrong, he and Novo are faced with an impossible question that may change both of their lives irreparably–what is worth sacrificing for love?

 

Meet Cute Diary by Emery Lee

I dig the characters hanging out on top of the letters, as though they are seats. There’s less of a cohesive story here — maybe there’s not one at all — but the design certainly feels like a montage. Cover designed by Erin Fitzsimmons and illustrated by Mariana Ramírez.

Noah Ramirez thinks he’s an expert on romance. He has to be for his popular blog, the Meet Cute Diary, a collection of trans happily ever afters. There’s just one problem—all the stories are fake. What started as the fantasies of a trans boy afraid to step out of the closet has grown into a beacon of hope for trans readers across the globe.

When a troll exposes the blog as fiction, Noah’s world unravels. The only way to save the Diary is to convince everyone that the stories are true, but he doesn’t have any proof. Then Drew walks into Noah’s life, and the pieces fall into place: Drew is willing to fake-date Noah to save the Diary. But when Noah’s feelings grow beyond their staged romance, he realizes that dating in real life isn’t quite the same as finding love on the page.

In this charming novel by Emery Lee, Noah will have to choose between following his own rules for love or discovering that the most romantic endings are the ones that go off script.

 

The Night of Your Life by Lydia Sharp

The polaroid photos tell the story in a clever take on the montage. No cover designer found — this is turning into a major pet peeve of mine. If it’s on the inside flap of the book, it could be put right on the publisher’s information page for the book. 

JJ is having the worst prom ever… over and over again.

All year, JJ’s been looking forward to going to prom with his best friend, Lucy. It will be their last hurrah before graduation—a perfect night for all their friends to relax, have fun together, and celebrate making it through high school.

But nothing goes according to plan. When a near-car crash derails JJ before he even gets to prom and Lucy can’t figure out what happened to him, things spiral out of control. The best night of their lives quickly turns into the worst.

That is… until JJ wakes up the next day only to find that it’s prom night all over again.

At first, JJ thinks he’s lucky to have unlimited chances at perfecting the night of his life. But each day ends badly for him and Lucy, no matter what he does. Can he find a way to get the perfect prom he’s always wanted and move forward into the rest of his life?

 

The Night When No One Had Sex by Kalena Miller — September 7, 2021

Here’s another prom-themed YA with a montage cover, though this one takes it in a very different direction. The colors and style here make it stand out a bit more, even though it does a really similar thing to the others. No designer information found.

It’s the night of senior prom, and eighteen-year-old Julia has made a pact with her friends. (Yes, that kind of pact.) They have secured a secluded cabin in the woods, one night without parental supervision, and plenty of condoms. But as soon as they leave the dance, the pact begins to unravel. Alex’s grandmother is undergoing emergency surgery, and he and his date rush to the hospital. Zoe’s trying to figure out how she feels about getting off the waitlist at Yale–and how to tell her girlfriend. Madison’s chronic illness flares, holding her back once again from being a normal teenager. And Julia’s fantasy-themed role play gets her locked in a closet. Alternating between each character’s perspective and their ridiculous group chat, The Night When No One Had Sex finds a group of friends navigating the tenuous transition into adulthood and embracing the uncertainty of life after high school.

 

The Quantum Weirdness of the Almost-Kiss by Amy Noelle Parks

The montage on this one flips around as you move down the cover, and the way that the title is built into boxes with space between them really gives your eye the ease in seeing how the relationship plays out. Cover design and art direction by Hana Nakamura. 

Caleb has always assumed that when she was ready for romance, Evie would choose him. Because he is her best friend, and he loves her, and he has almost kissed her 17 times… 

Seventeen-year-old Evie Beckham has never been interested in dating. She’s been fully occupied by her love of mathematics and her frequent battles with anxiety (and besides, she’s always found the idea of kissing to be a little bit icky). But with the help of her best friend and her therapist, Evie’s feeling braver. Maybe even brave enough to enter a prestigious physics competition and to say yes to the new boy who’s been flirting with her.

Caleb Covic knows Evie isn’t ready for romance but assumes that when she is, she will choose him. So Caleb is horrified when he is forced to witness Evie’s meet cute with a floppy-haired, mathematically gifted transfer student. Because Caleb knows the girl never falls for the funny best friend when there’s a mysterious stranger around, he decides to use an online forum to capture Evie’s interest. Now, he’s got Evie wondering if it’s possible to fall in love with a boy she’s never met.

 

Radha and Jai’s Recipe for Romance by Nisha Sharma — July 13, 2021

The colors and energy of this cover are electric. It screams fun, flirty, and delicious! Even though I’m not usually a fan of mixed fonts for titles, especially when the cover is already busy, it works here. Justine Poulter is the cover artist. 

Radha is on the verge of becoming one of the greatest Kathak dancers in the world . . . until a family betrayal costs her the biggest competition of her life. Now, she has left her Chicago home behind to follow her stage mom to New Jersey. At the Princeton Academy of the Arts, Radha is determined to leave performing in her past, and reinvent herself from scratch.

Jai is captain of the Bollywood Beats dance team, ranked first in his class, and an overachiever with no college plans. Tight family funds means medical school is a pipe dream, which is why he wants to make the most out of high school. When Radha enters his life, he realizes she’s the exact ingredient he needs for a show-stopping senior year.

With careful choreography, both Radha and Jai will need to face their fears (and their families) if they want a taste of a happily ever after.

 

Sunny G’s Series of Rash Decisions by Navdeep Singh Dhillon — February 8, 2022

Speaking of fun and energetic covers, this 2022 fits into the trend, too. I love the dancing, the skating, the enjoying a meal, and, of course, the motorcycle/moped ride going on. This is also a prom night rom-com, alongside a couple of other titles on this list. Illustrated by Salini Perera and designed by Jessica Jenkins. 

Sunny G’s brother left him one thing when he died: his notebook, which he’s determined to fill up with a series of rash decisions. Decision number one was a big one: He took off his turban, cut off his hair, and shaved his beard. He doesn’t look like a Sikh anymore; he doesn’t look like himself anymore. He put on a suit and debuted his new look at prom, but apparently changing his look doesn’t change everything. Sunny still doesn’t fit there, and all he wants to do is go to the Harry Potter after-party, where his best friend, Ngozi, and their band were supposed to be playing a show tonight.

Enter Mindii Vang, a girl he’s never met before but who’s about to change his life. Sunny and Mindii head off on an all-night adventure through their city–a night full of rash, wonderful, romantic, stupid, huge decisions.

 

Tell It True by Tim Lockette — September 21, 2021

Take a moment with this one to find the montage (maybe they buried the lede here–ha!). It’s a clever take on the design trend, and the way the title font is woven into the cover image makes it really pop. No designer or illustrator information found.  

Lisa Rives had higher expectations for sophomore year. Her beauty queen mom wonders why she can’t be more like other 15-year-old girls in their small Alabama town. Lisa’s Dad, well, she suspects he’s having an affair with a colleague at his top-secret job. Her friend Preethy seems to be drifting away, and Lisa spends her schooldays dodging creepy boys and waiting to graduate. Then she finds herself in charge of her high school newspaper, which is the last thing she wanted–school newspapers are for popular kids and club-joiners, not outcasts like her, and besides, the stories are never about anything you actually want to know. But after accidentally tipping the scales in the school election, then deciding to cover a real story–the upcoming execution of a local man charged with murder–and becoming a surprise news story herself, Lisa learns some hard lessons about friendship and truth-telling. As Lisa navigates the dilemmas, challenges, and unintended consequences of journalism, she finds her life–and her convictions–changing in ways she couldn’t have imagined. Tell It True is a sometimes hilarious, sometimes devastating, always relatable coming-of-age story about the importance of speaking the truth in a world of denial and fake news.

 

When You Were Everything by Ashley Woodfolk

I love this one, especially for how well it ties into the story about a friendship breakup. We have best friends. We have a clear argument. We have just one girl remaining. The fonts for the tag line, the title, and the author are integrated smoothly, without taking away from the montage. Illustration by Bex Glendining and design by Angela Carlino. 

You can’t rewrite the past, but you can always choose to start again. 

It’s been twenty-seven days since Cleo and Layla’s friendship imploded.

Nearly a month since Cleo realized they’ll never be besties again.

Now, Cleo wants to erase every memory, good or bad, that tethers her to her ex–best friend. But pretending Layla doesn’t exist isn’t as easy as Cleo hoped, especially after she’s assigned to be Layla’s tutor. Despite budding new friendships with other classmates—and a raging crush on a gorgeous boy named Dom—Cleo’s turbulent past with Layla comes back to haunt them both.

Alternating between time lines of Then and Now, When You Were Everything blends past and present into an emotional story about the beauty of self-forgiveness, the promise of new beginnings, and the courage it takes to remain open to love.

Filed Under: book covers, cover design, cover designs, ya fiction, Young Adult, young adult fiction

Orange Is The New YA Book Cover Color in 2021

December 21, 2020 |

As I scrolled through YA book covers for 2021, I was looking for trends to highlight and it struck me: there are a good chunk of YA book covers in the new year where the primary color is orange. Orange hasn’t gotten the cover love it deserves, and every time I passed one of the covers by, I paused to admire it. It’s a catchy color and really pops both on screen and on shelves.

Take a gander at the world of 2021 YA books featuring a big dose of orange. As always with cover trend posts, since not everything that’s hitting shelves in the new year has had a cover revealed, so chances are there may be more (please!). If I’m missing any 2021 YA book covers with a major orange theme, drop ’em in the comments!

Descriptions are from Goodreads, as are the covers themselves. I tried to find the designers for the covers but that information is so difficult to find. Here’s a regular plea for authors to credit the cover designers on your website. It’d be great if publishers would do the same.

2021 YA Books with Orange Book Covers | book covers | book design | YA book covers | YA books | YA books 2021

2021 Orange YA Book Covers

 

Blade of Secrets by Tricia Levenseller (first in a series, May 4)

A teenage blacksmith with social anxiety accepts a commission from the wrong person and is forced to go on the run to protect the world from the most powerful magical sword she’s ever made.

Eighteen-year-old Ziva prefers metal to people. She spends her days tucked away in her forge, safe from society and the anxiety it causes her, using her magical gift to craft unique weapons imbued with power.

Then Ziva receives a commission from a powerful warlord, and the result is a sword capable of stealing its victims’ secrets. A sword that can cut far deeper than the length of its blade. A sword with the strength to topple kingdoms. When Ziva learns of the warlord’s intentions to use the weapon to enslave all the world under her rule, she takes her sister and flees.

Joined by a distractingly handsome mercenary and a young scholar with extensive knowledge of the world’s known magics, Ziva and her sister set out on a quest to keep the sword safe until th

 

Bones of a Saint by Grant Farley (March 2)

Fifteen-year-old RJ Armante has never known a life outside his dead-end hometown of Arcangel, CA. The Blackjacks still rule as they have for generations, luring the poorest kids into their monopoly on petty crime. For years, they’ve left RJ alone…until now.

When the Blackjacks come knocking, they want RJ to prey upon an old loner. But RJ is at his breaking point. It’s not just about the gang who rules the town. It’s about Charley, his younger brother, who is disabled. It’s about Roxanne, the girl he can’t reach. It’s about the kids in his crew who have nothing to live for. If RJ is to resist, he must fight to free Arcangel of its past.

 

 

 

 

The Chariot at Dusk by Swati Teerdhala (third in a series, June 29)

A queen at last. An empty palace. A kingdom to save.

Esha is reeling from Kunal’s betrayal, but she has a kingdom to rule from behind a thin smokescreen—pretending to be Princess Reha while she sends her most trusted soldiers to collect Reha and Kunal by any means necessary. Traitors, after all, must be punished.

But the Yavar are attacking from every front—tracking down Kunal and Reha in the remote mountains, kidnapping Harun—in search of legendary artifacts that will give them the power to break the precarious janma bond and release the destructive magic back into the lands.

Now that the race is on to find the missing artifacts, Esha must put aside her rage and work with Kunal again—but can she find the strength to forgive him, or will the Viper have her revenge at any cost?

In the final book of Swati Teerdhala’s epic fantasy trilogy, the lands’ fate, their people’s livelihoods, and the bond that sustains their world all depend on what Kunal and Esha can offer—to the gods and to each other.

Cover Design: David Curtis; Illustrator: Michael Marsicano.

 

Fire With Fire by Destiny Soria (June 8)

Dani and Eden Rivera were both born to kill dragons, but the sisters couldn’t be more different. For Dani, dragon slaying takes a back seat to normal high school life, while Eden prioritizes training above everything else. Yet they both agree on one thing: it’s kill or be killed where dragons are concerned.

Until Dani comes face-to-face with one and forges a rare and magical bond with him. As she gets to know Nox, she realizes that everything she thought she knew about dragons is wrong. With Dani lost to the dragons, Eden turns to the mysterious and alluring sorcerers to help save her sister. Now on opposite sides of the conflict, the sisters will do whatever it takes to save the other. But the two are playing with magic that is more dangerous than they know, and there is another, more powerful enemy waiting for them both in the shadows.

Cover Design: Mary Claire Cruz; Illustrator: Viv Tanner. 

 

 

List of Ten by Halli Gomez (March 2)

Ten: three little letters, one ordinary number. No big deal, right? But for Troy Hayes, a 16-year-old suffering from Tourette Syndrome and Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, the number ten dictates his life, forcing him to do everything by its exacting rhythm. Finally, fed up with the daily humiliation, loneliness, and physical pain he endures, Troy writes a list of ten things to do by the tenth anniversary of his diagnosis—culminating in suicide on the actual day. But the process of working his way through the list changes Troy’s life: he becomes friends with Khory, a smart, beautiful classmate who has her own troubled history. Khory unwittingly helps Troy cross off items on his list, moving him ever closer to his grand finale, even as she shows him that life may have more possibilities than he imagined. This is a dark, intense story, but it’s also realistic, hopeful, and deeply authentic.

 

Cover Design: Elizabeth Lindy. 

 

Once Upon a Quinceañera by Monica Gomez-Hira (March 2)

Carmen Aguilar just wants to make her happily ever after come true. Except apparently “happily ever after” for Carmen involves being stuck in an unpaid summer internship! All she has to do is perform! In a ball gown! During the summer. In Miami.

Fine. Except that Carmen’s company is hired for her spoiled cousin Ariana’s over the top quinceañera.

And of course, her new dance partner at work is none other than Mauro Reyes, Carmen’s most deeply regrettable ex.

If Carmen is going to move into the future she wants, she needs to leave the past behind. And if she can manage dancing in the blistering heat, fending off Mauro’s texts, and stopping Ariana from ruining her own quinceañera Carmen might just get that happily ever after after all.

Cover Design: Corina Lupp; Illustrator: Isabela Humphrey.

 

Playing With Fire by April Henry (January 19)

Natalia is not the kind of girl who takes risks. Six years ago, she barely survived the house fire that killed her baby brother. Now she is cautious and always plays it safe. For months, her co-worker Wyatt has begged her to come hiking with him, and Natalia finally agrees.

But when a wildfire breaks out, blocking the trail back, a perfect sunny day quickly morphs into a nightmare. With no cell service, few supplies, and no clear way out of the burning forest, a group of strangers will have to become allies if they’re going to survive. Hiking in the dark, they must reach the only way out―a foot bridge over a deep canyon―before the fire catches them.

 

Cover Design: Mike Burroughs.

 

 

Prepped by Bethany Mangle (February 23)

Always be ready for the worst day of your life.

This is the mantra that Becca Aldaine has grown up with. Her family is part of a community of doomsday preppers, a neighborhood that prioritizes survivalist training over class trips or senior prom. They’re even arranging Becca’s marriage with Roy Kang, the only eligible boy in their community. Roy is a nice guy, but he’s so enthusiastic about prepping that Becca doesn’t have the heart to tell him she’s planning to leave as soon as she can earn a full ride to a college far, far away.

Then a devastating accident rocks Becca’s family and pushes the entire community, including Becca’s usually cynical little sister, deeper into the doomsday ideology. With her getaway plans thrown into jeopardy, the only person Becca can turn to is Roy, who reveals that he’s not nearly as clueless as he’s been pretending to be.

When Roy proposes they run away together, Becca will have to risk everything—including her heart—for a chance to hope for the best instead of planning for the worst.

Cover Design and Illustration: Rebecca Syracuse. 

 

Radha & Jai’s Recipe for Romance by Nisha Sharma (July 13)

Radha is on the verge of becoming one of the greatest Kathak dancers in the world . . . until a family betrayal costs her the biggest competition of her life. Now, she has left her Chicago home behind to follow her stage mom to New Jersey. At the Princeton Academy of the Arts, Radha is determined to leave performing in her past, and reinvent herself from scratch.

Jai is captain of the Bollywood Beats dance team, ranked first in his class, and an overachiever with no college plans. Tight family funds means medical school is a pipe dream, which is why he wants to make the most out of high school. When Radha enters his life, he realizes she’s the exact ingredient he needs for a show-stopping senior year.

With careful choreography, both Radha and Jai will need to face their fears (and their families) if they want a taste of a happily ever after.

 

Sisters of the Snake by Sasha and Sarena Nanua (first in a series, June 15)

A lost princess. A dark puppet master. And a race against time—before all is lost.

Princess Rani longs for a chance to escape her gilded cage and prove herself. Ria is a street urchin, stealing just to keep herself alive.

When these two lives collide, everything turns on its head: because Ria and Rani, orphan and royal, are unmistakably identical.

A deal is struck to switch places—but danger lurks in both worlds, and to save their home, thief and princess must work together. Or watch it all fall into ruin.

Deadly magic, hidden temples, and dark prophecies: Sisters of the Snake is an action-packed, immersive fantasy that will thrill fans of The Crown’s Game and The Tiger at Midnight.

 

Cover Design: Chris Kwon; Illustrator: Fatima Baig. 

 

The Tragedy of Dane Riley by Kat Spears (June 22)

Dane Riley’s grasp on reality is slipping, and he’s not sure that he cares. While his mother has moved on after his father’s death, Dane desperately misses the man who made Dane feel okay to be himself. He can’t stand his mother’s boyfriend, or the boyfriend’s son, whose favorite pastime is tormenting Dane. Then there’s the girl next door: Dane can’t quite define their relationship, and he doesn’t know if he’s got the courage to leave the friend zone.

An emotional novel about mental health, and dealing with grief and growing up, The Tragedy of Dane Riley is the story of a teenager looking to make sense of his feelings in the wake of tragedy, and finding the strength he needs to make life worth living.

 

 

 

Untethered by KayLynn Flanders (series, July 20)

Although King Atháren’s sister, Jennesara, saved Hálendi from the Gray Mage, the reprieve came at a steep price–the life of their father. Now Ren rules over a divided kingdom, with some who want him dead, and a Medallion that warns of worse trouble brewing in the south.

As second born, Princess Chiara is the perfect Turian royal–perfectly invisible. She longs to help restore peace on the Plateau, but with no magic and no fighting skills, she doesn’t stand a chance against a mage. So when a member of the Turian royal family goes missing and Chiara finds a clue about the rumored resting place of the mages’ long-lost artifacts, she decides it’s time to be seen.

As Ren’s and Chiara’s paths cross, they find the depth of the mages’ hold on the Plateau is more powerful than anyone suspected, and that they must learn to trust themselves, and each other, before the mages retrieve their artifacts and become too powerful to ever defeat.

 

Cover Art: Alex Dos Diaz; Cover Design: Regina Flath

 

Where The Rhythm Takes You by Sarah Dass (May 11)

Seventeen-year-old Reyna has spent most of her life at the Plumeria, her family’s gorgeous seaside resort in Tobago. But what once seemed like paradise is starting to feel more like purgatory. It’s been two years since Reyna’s mother passed away, two years since Aiden—her childhood best friend, first kiss, first love, first everything—left the island to pursue his music dreams. Reyna’s friends are all planning their futures and heading abroad. Even Daddy seems to want to move on, leaving her to try and keep the Plumeria running.

And that’s when Aiden comes roaring back into her life—as a VIP guest at the resort.

Aiden is now one-third of DJ Bacchanal—the latest, hottest music group on the scene. While Reyna has stayed exactly where he left her, Aiden has returned to Tobago with his Grammy-nominated band and two gorgeous LA socialites. And he may (or may not be) dating one of them…

Inspired by Jane Austen’s Persuasion, Where the Rhythm Takes You is a romantic, mesmerizing novel of first love and second chances.

Cover design: Jessie Gang and Alison Donalty; Illustrator: Kingsley Nebechi. 

Filed Under: book covers, cover design, cover designs, ya fiction, Young Adult, young adult fiction

Fat Girls on 2021 YA Book Covers

November 2, 2020 |

Although we’re far from seeing all of the covers of 2021 YA books, it’s been really promising so far. The representation is far more reflective of today’s teens. There is, as always, more room for improvement, but the strides forward are worth pausing to reflect upon.

One area that’s gotten better but is still lacking is the representation of fat teens — and specifically fat girls — on book covers. It shocks me to see casts of characters on a cover, be them illustrated or a photo, and not one of them is not thin. One in five teens is considered obese by CDC guidelines, which are wildly flawed, but that number is a point of reference for how unrepresentative YA book covers and stories about fat teens are.

That all said, what’s positive is how many of the fat teens on YA book covers in 2021 are teens of color. It’s a double win for representation.

Though this roundup focuses on fat female-appearing teens specifically, it was pretty apparent that fat teen boys on YA book covers for next year are even more rare.

I’ve pulled these descriptions from Goodreads, and determination on what makes for a “fat girl” is my own subjective decision. My rule of thumb is that these teens are much curvier than their counterparts or are clearly carrying more fat on their bodies. Of course, if you know of other 2021 covers that have been revealed so far that showcase fat teen girls, I’d love to hear about them in the comments.

My fingers are crossed we see more as more covers are finalized.

Fat Girls on 2021 YA Book Covers (So Far!)

 

Fat Chance, Charlie Vega (February 2)

Charlie Vega is a lot of things. Smart. Funny. Artistic. Ambitious. Fat.

People sometimes have a problem with that last one. Especially her mom. Charlie wants a good relationship with her body, but it’s hard, and her mom leaving a billion weight loss shakes on her dresser doesn’t help. The world and everyone in it have ideas about what she should look like: thinner, lighter, slimmer-faced, straighter-haired. Be smaller. Be whiter. Be quieter.

But there’s one person who’s always in Charlie’s corner: her best friend Amelia. Slim. Popular. Athletic. Totally dope. So when Charlie starts a tentative relationship with cute classmate Brian, the first worthwhile guy to notice her, everything is perfect until she learns one thing–he asked Amelia out first. So is she his second choice or what? Does he even really see her? UGHHH. Everything is now officially a MESS.

A sensitive, funny, and painful coming-of-age story with a wry voice and tons of chisme, Fat Chance, Charlie Vega tackles our relationships to our parents, our bodies, our cultures, and ourselves.

 

How Moon Fuentez Fell in Love With The Universe by Raquel Vasquez Gilliland (August 10)

When her twin sister reaches social media stardom, Moon Fuentez accepts her fate as the ugly, unwanted sister hidden in the background, destined to be nothing more than her sister’s camerawoman. But this summer, Moon also takes a job as the “merch girl” on a tour bus full of beautiful influencers and her fate begins to shift in the best way possible.

Most notable is her bunkmate and new nemesis, Santiago Phillips, who is grumpy, combative, and also the hottest guy Moon has ever seen.

Moon is certain she hates Santiago and that he hates her back. But as chance and destiny (and maybe, probably, close proximity) bring the two of them in each other’s perpetual paths, Moon starts to wonder if that’s really true. She even starts to question her destiny as the unnoticed, unloved wallflower she always thought she was.

Could this summer change Moon’s life as she knows it?

 

Love Is A Revolution by Renée Watson (February 2)

When Nala Robertson reluctantly agrees to attend an open mic night for her cousin-sister-friend Imani’s birthday, she finds herself falling in instant love with Tye Brown, the MC. He’s perfect, except . . . Tye is an activist and is spending the summer putting on events for the community when Nala would rather watch movies and try out the new seasonal flavors at the local creamery. In order to impress Tye, Nala tells a few tiny lies to have enough in common with him. As they spend more time together, sharing more of themselves, some of those lies get harder to keep up. As Nala falls deeper into keeping up her lies and into love, she’ll learn all the ways love is hard, and how self-love is revolutionary.

In Love Is a Revolution, plus size girls are beautiful and get the attention of the hot guys, the popular girl clique is not shallow but has strong convictions and substance, and the ultimate love story is not only about romance but about how to show radical love to the people in your life, including to yourself.

 

Speak For Yourself by Lana Wood Johnson (June 1)

Girl meets boy. Girl likes boy.
Girl gets friend to help win boy.
Friend ends up with crush on boy…

Skylar’s got ambitious #goals. And if she wants them to come true, she has to get to work now. (At least she thinks so…) Step one in her epic plan is showing everyone that her latest app is brilliant. To do that, she’s going to use it win State at the Scholastic Exposition, the nerdiest academic competition around.

First, she’ll need a team, and Skylar’s not always so good with people. But she’ll do whatever it takes to put one together … even if it means playing Cupid for her teammates Joey and Zane, at Joey’s request. When things get off to an awkward start for them, Skylar finds herself stepping in to help Joey. Anything to keep her on the team. Only, Skylar seems to be making everything more complicated. Especially when she realizes she might be falling for Zane, which was not a #goal. Can Skylar figure out her feelings, prove her app’s potential to the world, and win State without losing her friends–or is her path to greatness over before it begins?

 

Filed Under: book covers, cover designs, fatness, ya fiction, Young Adult, young adult fiction

YA Cover Updates: The Reissue/New Edition Looks For Favorite Reads

October 5, 2020 |

Packed into my list of cover changes to highlight in the coming months are a number of YA books which have been staples in the category for a while or are books that didn’t quite land with audiences when they were first published — as you’ll see, many of them are by and about characters of color — that are getting new looks. These reissue editions are meant to entice new readers or encourage long-time fans to step into the backlist of favorite long-time YA authors. Let’s take a look at some of these YA reissue/new editions and talk about the new looks they’re getting.

Original packaging is on the left, while the new looks are on the right.

Illegal by Bettina Restrepo’s reissue isn’t exactly brand new, but I wanted to begin with this one because the reissue hit shelves in August 2019, when culturally, discussions of immigration really ramped up. It was the perfect timing to bring this book to the attention of YA readers, as it was a debut in 2011. The new and updated look follows what we’ve seen in terms of YA cover trends — it’s illustrated, and we know immediately that the main character is a girl of color — but it doesn’t necessarily convey the same sense of longing that the original cover does. But for today’s YA readers, I suspect that paperback is extremely appealing and the tagline, “We are all immigrants,” nicely conveys the essential nature of Nora’s story.

 

When I was working as a teen librarian, Helen Frost was a go-to for YA verse novels. I’m not sure whether that’s still the case or not, but I do think the decision to repackage her classic Crossing Stones this August with a new, fresh cover is a smart way to introduce her writing to a new generation of readers. It’s a far more compelling and contemporary cover in paperback, with bright colors, but it’s also quite clear that it’s a historical verse novel given the ways that the characters are dressed. Since it’s set and about the women’s suffrage movement, the choice for putting a strong-looking girl at the center and holding a flag cues the reader to the main character in a way that the somewhat removed, wistful looking girl in the original cover does not. A new tagline was added as well, which reads “Maybe you won’t rock a cradle. Some women prefer to rock the boat.” A definite cover upgrade timed well with the 100th anniversary of (white) women’s suffrage.

 

I could not love the new look of Cynthia Leitich Smith’s debut YA novel any more. The original cover feels a tiny bit dated, in so much as her style of dress is very early-2000s and the images that are behind her are black and white photographs (and that boy in one of the photographs also does a great job showcasing just how great early 00s was for style). The new look, which will be part of Leitich Smith’s inaugural line for her imprint Heartdrum, hits shelves February 9 and is beautifully contemporary and timeless. It’s illustrated, with a much larger font choice for the title and author, and the style of the girl’s clothing and hair give less clues as to when the book was written and published. I love that it looks like it’s a perfect read for younger YA readers, too, as I think Leitich Smith writes such great work for that emerging YA reader without watering down the big issues she seeks to convey.

 

Marie Myung-Ok Lee’s Finding My Voice is believed to be the first Asian American #OwnVoices novel for YA readers, and the fact it’s being reissued with such a beautiful, modern cover in December is an utter treat. The original book, published in October of 1992, has a very of-the-time cover. That was a few years before I was reading YA books, but I remember that style of cover being popular for chapter books at the time. It’s not bad nor spectacular but very 1992. What’s interesting and most noteworthy, though, is that Marie’s full-name is not on the cover. Rather, she’s Marie G. Lee, a moniker that doesn’t make her heritage front and center. We really only know that the main character in the story is Asian by the illustration. The new cover, though, highlights Marie’s full name, and it features an incredible illustration of a modern Asian American girl. Like with Leitich Smith’s book above, I’m especially happy to see that her style doesn’t date her, meaning that this design will likely look fresh and modern years from now. The title font is big and central, and the colorful stripes in the background make the cover pop. I don’t know about you, but I am so eager to get my hands on this reissue.

 

 

Coming June 1 next year is the five-year anniversary edition of Nina LaCour and David Levithan’s You Know Me Well. What I love about this set of covers is how much they tell you about the ways cover design and the push to see diverse characters on YA book covers has changed in just a short period of time. The initial cover is fine, but it’s very 2016 — it’s font drive, with an illustration that doesn’t really tell you much. If you didn’t know the authors and what they tend to write, you might not pick up the cues that this is a queer YA book by two leading queer YA authors (and yes, there are a lot of YA readers who wouldn’t!). But the paperback reissue is queer as queer can be, without reinventing the entire cover. The bridge is still there, the font for the title is still big and bold, but now you see all kinds of teenagers showing their pride. It’s beautiful and inclusive and tells the reader everything they’d want to know (though if I could nitpick, I’d note that there’s not a physical disability represented, which feels a bit like a missed opportunity given everything else this cover nails). I’m not usually a big fan of taglines, but this one here is a nice addition: “Kate’s in love with Violet. Mark’s in love with Ryan. The hard part comes next.” That hardcover is very much for grownups who are fans of the authors. The paperback? For readers who want queer YA.

 

What do you think? Favorites in the bunch? Are there any older or classic YA books you’d love to see recovered and repackaged?

Filed Under: book covers, cover designs, Cover Redesigns, Cover Trends, ya fiction, Young Adult, young adult fiction

Cover Makeovers: Fall 2020 YA Edition

July 6, 2020 |

It’s makeover season!

Although it’s still summer here in the northern hemisphere and will be until September, publishers have been putting efforts behind promoting and sharing their fall 2020 YA books. There are so many great new books, as well as great previously-published books getting their paperback editions.

Many paperbacks look similar to the hardcover, but in a softer, cheaper, and more portable form. But as happens in YA quite a bit, a number of books get a new look in their paperback form. Be it for marketing purposes, for better highlighting the mood and tone of the book, or to get it on fresh reader radars who may have missed it before.

Let’s take a look at some of the YA books getting new looks in paperback in the coming season.

As always, the original hardcover is on the left, while the paperback is on the right.

 

Spontaneous by Aaron Starmer

 

 

I hadn’t realized Starmer’s book wasn’t in paperback yet, since the hardcover came out in 2016. Perhaps because the book is in development for adaptation. The new paperback will hit shelves September 8.

The original hardcover really pops. The yellow background with the orange title and clever burst of the “o” in the font. It’s not super surprising to see that the John Green blurb takes up more real estate than the title and author name, and in addition, there’s a tag line which reads “a novel about growing up . . . and blowing up.” The ice cream truck is central, and the girl in the image says so much with her body language. She’s over the truck, but she’s also tough.

In paperback, the ice cream truck is gone, as is whoever was standing beside the girl. Now she’s front and center, giving off the same vibe as in the hardcover. She’s tough and she’s over it, whatever “it” might be. The bubble is a clever little detail.

Missing from the paperback is the tag line, the standout color background, and clever font design for the title. The new color is more muted, as is the title. But the Green blurb is still present, though it blends into the background a bit more than before.

Either cover is fine. I’m not sure one is better than the other, nor does one draw me in more than the other as a reader. Perhaps the new cover is a hint at news of the adaptation coming soon?

 

Chicken Girl by Heather Smith

 

 

Chicken Girl! It reminds me a lot of Hot Dog Girl by Jennifer Dugan, of course, though rather than being a girl in a hot dog costume, it’s a girl in a chicken suit.

The hardcover doesn’t give any indication of that and, in fact, is kind of confusing all around. Is the girl actually a chicken? Does she raise chickens? The bright pink is fun, but the contrasting bright yellow feathers, as well as the black-on-yellow font for the book title and author name is a little challenging on the eyes (especially digitally).

In paperback, it’s a different story. We know exactly what the book is about: a girl who might be wearing a chicken costume, presumably for a job. The fact we don’t see a face of the girl is clever, especially paired with the tag line, which carried over from the hardcover: “Life can be a tough egg to crack.” The light pink with pastel yellow is much easier on the eyes. I love that the chicken head looks like it has an eye roll going on.

For me, this one is easy. The paperback is way more appealing and would make it pick it up. I suspect teens would feel similarly.

The paperback hits shelves September 8.

 

Everlost by Neal Shusterman (series)

 

 

Given the tremendous success in the last few years in Neal Shusterman’s career, it shouldn’t be any surprise one of his older series is getting a fresh look. It’s a good one, too!

Everlost looks perfectly creepy in hardcover, but it does feel like design that’s about a decade old. In no way is it bad, but it blends into so many other book covers of the time of its publication.

The paperback, on the other hand, feels fresh and contemporary. The cover also indicates it’s part of a trilogy, which is super helpful for readers and those who work with readers. Added to the paperback, in addition to a new — but still familiar — look, is that Shusterman is a New York Times bestseller. The title of the book gets a new font, with the second “e” getting a little special touch. Perhaps most noticeable is Shusterman’s name. What was once in the corner of the book is now front and center and takes up much more real estate.

I think both covers are effective and evocative, though the new paperback might edge out the original look a bit for me, if for no reason other than how fresh it feels.

You can grab Everlost in paperback September 8. All of the books in the trilogy will be getting the redesign, which is going to look so sharp on shelves.

 

Tithe by Holly Black (series)

 

 

 

Another series getting a whole new look is Holly Black’s “Modern Faerie Tale.” The originals, picked above, are dark and reminiscent of the YA fantasy which published around the same time (2004!). Think LJ Smith and the Vampire Diaries, among others. It’s really perfect for the series, and readers who are looking for dark fairy tales know what to pick up.

But the paperback design? It’s absolutely gorgeous. The books maintain the same feel, but they’ve been updated and modernized for today’s teen readers. The images pay homage to the classic covers, while also making clear these are still modern and relevant. Holly Black’s name is much larger now, and like with the Shusterman redesign, the series title is indicated on the front cover. The font is fresher, too.

For anyone with this series on your shelves at libraries or schools: this is your sign to update.

It’s not going to be surprising that I think the paperback redesign is a total win. The originals are great, but they’re of an era. The new looks are of this era.

The redesigned series will hit shelves October 20.

 

 

The Beauty of the Moment by Tanaz Bhathena

 

This cover redesign seems to be a classic of “what is the story about” variety. I love the hardcover. It’s eye-catching and unique. But what is it about? I love the brown model at the center, paired with the illustrated flora and fauna, as well as the swoopy script lettering of the title. There’s a tag line, too, which in digital rendering is super challenging to read: “Why fit in when you can stand out?” It’s a beautiful cover but it tells absolutely nothing of the story.

The paperback is a big change, though the illustrated girl definitely gives the same vibe about her as the model on the hardcover. It’s more clear that romance might be central to the story here, and even clearer is that the girl might not be entirely into it. It’s interesting that the background is of a skyline, which suggests an entirely different feel than the hardcover, featuring nature.

On paperback, the font is not noteworthy except for the thing that does make it noteworthy: it’s big! And rather than the author’s name being in all lower case letters, it’s now rendered in all uppercase. Both the title and author font stand out well on the muted-rainbow background.

The tag line has disappeared, but it’s been replaced with a blurb that explains the story so much better: “A titanium-strength love story.” In no way does the original suggest love story, but the paperback? Absolutely.

And interestingly, there’s a different cover for the Canadian edition of the book, which may be the inspiration for the new design in paperback:

 

This cover is a sheer delight. Look at the girl! Look at the boy who is trying so hard to be smooth with her! I love the elements of this one.

Both the paperback and hardcover are beautiful, but the paperback seems more true to the story itself. If only we had the choice of the Canadian edition because it’s especially good.

You can grab the paperback July 21.

 

 

What do you think? Which covers do you prefer? I’d love to hear your thoughts!

 

 

Filed Under: aesthetics, book covers, cover designs, Cover Doubles, Cover Redesigns, ya fiction, Young Adult, young adult fiction

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