Cover to Cover: Sisters Red

After a very long while of no Cover to Cover features, I've decided to do it again for a book I just read: Sisters Red by Jackson Pearce. You can see my review on Goodreads. :)

I've decided to do it a bit different this time. Brianna at the Book Nook, liked the idea and decided to give it a try as well. However, Brianna separated her thoughts and gave points to certain categories. I thought this was a great idea, however, I have created different categories than her. Each category will be marked out of 10.

The first cover here is the mass market paperback, though the cover is the same for hardcover, minus the quote at the top. I really love this cover. The characters are portrayed clearly but artistically on the cover, unlike many YA covers now that simply feature a beautiful girl's face staring at you. The plot is also portrayed by showing the Fenris clearly on the cover. The closeness of the two girl's faces also symbolizes their thought of sharing a heart expressed in the book. I think the graphics on this cover are some of the best I've ever seen. The incorporation of red, to represent the title, and black and white creates a striking cover and very nice balance. I really love the way there are two images flawlessly fitted into the other, almost like an optical illusion. The typography and placement of print on the cover is well done. The title, Sisters Red, is eye-catching but not overdone, with the first letter of each word being the focal point. The font chosen really represented that fairytale concept I was thinking of. I also like the use of white for the author's name, and the awesome quote at the top to tie in the colours. The cover is definitely one of the most original I have seen, focusing on beautiful illustrations rather than ball-gowns and photography which is very popular recently. The only thing lacking a little is the connections to the story, because though it does represent it in some ways, it is more generic things. Here come the scores!

Originality: 10
Graphics/Photography: 10
Typography: 9
Story Connections: 7
Total: 36/40

The next cover I've chosen is the newer paperback version. I love the typography on this cover! The way the blood red kind of transitions into orange is really neat, as if the sunlight is touching it. The font itself is beautiful and also reminds me of fairytales, and, though it is big and flashy, does not overwhelm any other aspects of the cover. The photography skills are very good, especially the background pictures of the sunlight and forest. However, that brings me to the point that photography is so common! You see it all the time on YA covers now, so it begins to lack in originality. Finally, the connections to the story are definitely apparent. The axe is what Scarlett uses to hunt the Fenris. Though people who have not read the book may not realize it, but the sunlight actually has significant meaning. In the novel, there is a time when they talk about a metaphoric story about a cave and facing the sunlight, so that was a really cool touch to the cover. That being said, it's missing a Fenris! I feel like there should be some incorporation of one of the werewolves, seeing as the quote on the cover talks about it! I think a cool addition would be maybe a pair of ochre eyes or something. 

Originality: 6

Graphics/Photography: 7

Typography: 9

Story Connections: 8

Total: 30/40

And here is the final cover! This cover is in German, and the words "Blutrote Schwestern" is roughly translated to Blood Red Sisters. I really like the image on this cover. The billowing red cloaks mixed in with the fog floating off the ground and the dark forest really sets the mood for the novel. Being a bit of a dark book at times, this cover did a great job of capturing that tone. I also love how the cloaks add a hint of pop to the otherwise dully coloured cover. However, I still don't see a Fenris! The photography skills and angles, again, are very nicely done. The moon and the fog add really nice touches, but like the last cover, loses more of the originality factor. I am delighted again though, that no faces are shown, which does make it different from other covers. It seamlessly involves the characters without taking away your chance to imagine the characters for yourself. I have to say, the typography on this cover though is a bit disappointing. To me, it's a little bit blah. Not eye-catching at all, though the rest of the cover is. The portrayal of the characters, Scarlett and Rosie, connects to the storyline, as well as the fact that they are off hunting in the woods, which is essentially what the book centres around. But the story centres around the Fenris too, and as mentioned before, I see none. 

Originality: 7
Graphics/Photography: 9
Typography: 5
Story Connections: 9
Total: 30/40
Bonus: 1

And the winner is... drumroll please... The first cover, the mass market hardcover and paperback! This cover won out for it's superb graphics and originality, while still connecting to the plot. There is, however, a tie for second place! In the event of a tie, I will give a bonus mark to the cover I personally believe may have upped the other or of personal preference. That being said, the winner of second place is the German cover, earning this position because of it's amazing portrayal of the storyline, little details, the way the red of the characters really popped, and finally, it's dark mood. Pulling into last place is the newer paperback cover, still earning a very respectable 30 points for it's great photography and typography.

Thanks for reading! Let me know if you want me to do more of these, and be sure to leave your thoughts on these covers in the comments!