Lois Duncan: you’ve read her work. Her thrillers were core to my teenage reading years, and it was at that time that film makers produced I Know What You Did Last Summer, as well. Let’s talk a walk down memory lane and check out some of her covers past, present, and remastered.

A Git of Magic, published in 1960. I think this is the original cover. WHAT is with the person in the background — are they dancing? levitating? having a seizure?

Here are a couple of different renditions, with the signature style of her newer covers featured last:

Season of the Two – Heart published in 1964. Definitely fits what the aesthetic of the 1960s young adult book was, right down to the color tones.

Point of Violence published in 1966. I love the crime club selection style here, as it really does set it apart — you know other books in that time period had similar covers if they were crime selections. That sort of cover work really aids in reader advisory. I sometimes wish we still had this sort of visual aid (we do in some ways but not like this!).

1966 also brought us Ransom. This one underwent a title change, as well. It is also known as Five Were Missing.

This one’s been redesigned a couple times. The first stands out, fits with the aesthetic of Duncan’s other titles, and screams thriller with its tag line. I might have to say the second redesign is kind of hokey. It reminds me of a Buffy the Vampire Slayer cast shot.

1973 brought us When the Bow Breaks. This is one that again fit with the books I’ve seen or had from the 1970s.

Of course, what would a Duncan retrospective be without this 1973 classic?

That is our original cover for I Know What You Did Last Summer.

Film style, of course.

I love this one! Talk about spooky.

Killing Mr. Griffin came to us in 1978, and it, too, got the movie treatment.

I think the last one’s my favorite. I like how similar they all are, but they each still provoke just a little bit of a different feeling.

Let’s move on to the 1980s. Duncan brought us these titles in that decade:
1981’s Stranger with My Face. I love this cover. It is so 1981 — think about how much this is reminiscent of the original Sweet Valley series!
I love this one. This is the first title of Duncan’s that really looks like something other than a white girl/boy.

1985 brought us Locked In Time, featuring a cover model who looks about 35. But this one, too, has gotten a few make overs.

She looks much older than teen aged, too, doesn’t she?

1989 brought us Don’t Look Behind You. This one SCREAMS 1980s and teenage thriller. A red corded telephone transports us back to such an innocent era, doesn’t it?

And finally, we’ve reached the 1990s.

I really like all three of these. The crystal ball and snow globe images are eerie.

Duncan hasn’t written much for the teen group in the 2000s, as Hotel for Dogs is aimed at a younger crowd. However, as you have seen, many of her books have been repackaged over and over. These have incredible staying power, and it has been smart of the publishers to redesign the covers to fit the ever-changing aesthetics of our culture.

Do you have a favorite here? I think mine might be the incredibly cheesey 1989 Don’t Look Behind You. I bet it would still circulate like crazy with that cover!