Cover Review: The Ghost and the Goth

Cover Crazy is a weekly meme hosted by Tawni at The Book Worms where a beautiful cover is featured each week for all of us to admire. I am going to use my Cover Crazy posts as an opportunity to review a book cover I love or review any cover (even the ones I don't love) from a book I've read. This week's Cover Crazy is for:  

The Ghost and the Goth by Stacey Kade

This cover is both misleading and absolutely perfect. The model portraying Alona is perfect. She looks exactly how I picture Alona, from her blond hair and pretty face to her exactly right gym uniform. The transparency and slight glow around Alona are such a good call and makes it clear that she’s the ghost in this story.

Will isn’t quite as perfect for me, but he works well enough. I didn’t really get the vibe that he’s all that “Goth” from his description in the book. He seemed more of a loner than a Goth. The wristband he’s wearing works well enough I guess, but the rest of his outfit is perfect. The hood on his head is an especially good touch. The only thing missing are a pair of ear buds.

It annoys me so much when cover models don’t look anything like the characters, but it is clear that whoever designed this cover was very familiar with the characters. Not only do they look as they should, but their facial expressions and body positions are equally perfect. This isn’t a scene from the book, but it so easily could be. It is so like Alona to flirtatiously drape her legs across Will’s lap and give a snarky knowing smile. Will spends most of the book trying to isolate himself and exasperatedly brush off Alona.

While we’re not really given any indication of the plot with this cover, we also sort of are. None of the events are shown, but it is the hate-turned-love relationship between Will and Alona that really steals the show in the book. It is fitting, then, that the cover focuses on the two of them and captures the essence of their dynamics.

The background and colors give a light, bright feel to the book that is both fitting and a little deceptive. There is an upbeat, light feel throughout the whole book, but it also does deal with weightier issues that are not even hinted at with this cover. Even though there are those issues, the overall feel isn’t heavy, so I think it’s still appropriate for the cover to be airy.

I’m also torn on the title font. I love the contrast between the “Ghost” and the “Goth.” Here again the clashing personalities and relationship between Will and Alona takes center stage, as it should. The only thing I don’t like is that the fonts and colors used are sort of misleading for the characters. The “Ghost” font has an almost angelic feel to it, which is so far from Alona’s personality it’s actually funny. Will’s “Goth” font has a devilish flair that is far more suited to Alona than Will.

I do like the color balance with the red in “Goth” diagonally placed across from Alona’s red gym shorts. It ties the cover together well and balances my eye. That pop of red on her gym shorts might have drawn my eye to her butt, which is a little awkward. Having the red at the top and bottom like this forces my eye to focus on the space between, which is Will and Alona. This is exactly where my eye should be drawn, so the colors are extremely effective.

I loved this book and highly recommend it. You can read more of my thoughts in my The Ghost and the Goth review.

What do you think about this cover?
Do you like it? Dislike it? 
Does it make you want to read the book?

Interested in covers? 
Be sure to check out another Cover Crazy post by Gina from My Precious.

 

Previous Cover Crazy posts:

Delirium

More of my Cover Crazy posts

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Review Comparison Submissions (5.1)

Review Comparison Shakeup!

I'm going to try something a little different for the next Review Comparison (after Firelight). Instead of picking the book myself, I'm going to ask YOU to pick the book for me!

What is a Review Comparison? 

• I read a bunch of reviews and list some of the pros and cons mentioned about the book. 
• I link to the full review so readers can get a chance to see different views about a book.
• Click here to view previous review comparisons. 

So what book would you like to see featured in the next Review Comparison? 

Fill out THIS FORM HERE to let me know what book you'd like to see featured next!

You do not have to have written a review for or read the book you are suggesting. 

If you want to suggest more than one book, just fill out the form multiple times with your other suggestions.

Please don't fill out the form more than once per book suggestion. (That is, if you really want a particular book, please don't fill out the form a zillion times suggesting that book to try to make it look more popular).  

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Book Review: Warped by Maurissa Guibord

Warped by Maurissa Guibord

Release Date: January 11, 2011
Publisher: G. P. Putnam’s Sons  

Pages: 352

Received: Library

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars 

Goodreads Page

Summary

From Goodreads:

Tessa doesn't believe in magic. Or Fate. But there's something weird about the dusty unicorn tapestry she discovers in a box of old books. She finds the creature woven within it compelling and frightening. After the tapestry comes into her possession, Tessa experiences dreams of the past and scenes from a brutal hunt that she herself participated in. When she accidentally pulls a thread from the tapestry, Tessa releases a terrible centuries old secret. She also meets William de Chaucy, an irresistible 16th-century nobleman. His fate is as inextricably tied to the tapestry as Tessa's own. Together, they must correct the wrongs of the past. But then the Fates step in, making a tangled mess of Tessa's life. Now everyone she loves will be destroyed unless Tessa does their bidding and defeats a cruel and crafty ancient enemy.

Review

Disclaimer

I read this book the week my dog died so I was pretty out of it. It would have taken a 5 star book to pull me out of my head and into the book and, unfortunately, Warped wasn’t up to the task. My enjoyment was a 3 star rating, but I’m pretty sure I would have enjoyed it more (though not completely) in other circumstances so I’m bumping it up to a 3.5. I contemplated not even reviewing this one, but I decided to do a shorter review instead.

I want more than what I got

So much of this book was so close to being magical, but it just missed the mark. The plot was good and fun, but it never fully captured my interest. I loved the parts set inside the tapestry and in the past, but the scenes set in modern times seemed to lack a certain spark. Unfortunately, most of the book takes place in modern times and we’re only given tantalizingly brief glimpses into the past.

The pacing was ok with things moving along but never feeling rushed. I would have liked maybe a little more actual action, but this level of action would have been fine if I had connected with the characters more. While it seems like a unicorn book, it isn’t really. At least, not how I was expecting.

The main character Tessa was just ok for me. She didn’t irritate me, but she didn’t endear herself to me either. She just seemed bland. I felt like I never really got to know her and as a result she’s largely forgettable (very low score on the WWMCD test). Almost my entire positive and lasting impressions of her come from the flashbacks to the past, though the connection between her lives felt underdeveloped and a little confusing. Her best friend seemed like a much more dynamic character.

Will was better, and I admit I did find him charmingly attractive, but there was also something that kept me from completely swooning. I’m not sure what it is. He has all the right features that should leave me in a puddle, but…he felt a little underdeveloped? Something pretty major happens to him, but I don’t think the impact of this even is really reflected on his personality as much as it should have been.

The book is told in the third person, but follows Tessa’s perspective. Perhaps if the book had been written in the first person with Tessa narrating I might have felt more connected to her. I felt so distant from her and her emotions. Since Will is shown primarily through Tessa’s eyes, I think also I felt disconnected from him because I felt so disconnected from Tessa.

All is not lost

Where Tessa is a shadow of a character, the Norn were overflowing with mythical realism. The Norn, or the Fates, are the three beings who create, weave, and sever the threads of life. Their scenes were striking in their vivid imagery and characterization. For me, they stole the show. Fans of myths and fairy tales will probably appreciate Guibord’s handling of these scenes. Even her writing style shifts to create a timeless and mythical feel. Whereas I have a very hazy image of Tessa, the Norn are crystal clear in my mind.

I found the villain in the story equally fascinating. Her back story makes her a much more developed and human character than Tessa. I felt compassion for her, while still fully recognizing and appreciating her corruption. This was a character with depth, though the revelation of that depth came a little later on in the story than I would have liked. She spends much of the earlier parts of the book coming across like a stock villain.

All in all

Refreshingly, this is a standalone with a satisfying ending. Warped is a good debut that shows a lot of promise. My expectations were admittedly high (I was hoping and praying that this would be *that* book), and they were not met. In time though, Maurissa Guibord does seem to have the potential to write *that* book and I will definitely be keeping an eye out for what she writes next.

 Explanation of rating system: Star Rating Key 

This book satisfies the following challenges: 

• 2011 Debut Author Challenge
• Most Awaited YA Releases Challenge
• Library Reading Challenge

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Recap 4/9 to 4/15

In case you missed anything, here's a recap of what was posted Saturday, April 9th through Friday, April 15th. 

Reviews

All Just Glass by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes
Toads and Diamonds by Heather Tomlinson
Cover review: Artist Spotlight on Fernanda Brussi

(Click on the links to go to my reviews)

Memes

In My Mailbox

Cover Crazy

Features

Spotlight List: Short Story Authors

What's Your Status?

A meme created by Zakiya from Butterfly Feet Walking on Life where we recap our reading week. Feel free to visit her site and link up your own What's Your Status Posts. Here's how my week went:

Finished

The Fourth Stall by Chris Rylander
(Click on the link to go to Goodreads)

I liked this book a lot. At first I had to really push myself to read it, but before I knew it I was hooked.

Currently Reading

 

The Liar Society by Lisa and Laura Roecker
(Click on the link to go to Goodreads)

Did Not Finish

Ravenwild by Peter J. Plasse

Page 15/494

Received: Review copy from illustrator 

As you can see, I didn't get very far. I love high fantasy, so I was really looking forward to reading this book. The element of time travel was an added bonus, and I started reading this shortly after getting a copy in the mail. Unfortunately, I couldn't get very far. For me, the problem was the writing. I honestly had trouble understanding a lot of sentences. In most cases I could eventually figure out what the author meant, but it took more work than I am willing to put in. I only read fifteen pages, but I was reading for about a half hour (almost four times the amount of time 15 pages would normally take me to read).

I had a lot of trouble parsing the sentences and this significantly slowed my reading. Sentences are extremely long (sometimes a single sentence makes up an entire paragraph), pronouns often left me confused as to who exactly was being referenced, and there were some punctuation problems. As a result, I was continually jolted out of the story by the writing style. If you don't have trouble with the writing and the plot sounds interesting to you, then you might still want to give Ravenwild a try. From what little I did read, the plot was interesting and seemed like it was headed in a good direction. Unfortunately I will not find out for certain as I will not be reading further.

Two Moon Princess by Carmen Ferreiro-Esteban
Page 76/319
Received: Review copy from NetGalley and Tanglewood Press

I so wanted to like this book but it just wasn't working for me. I wasn't feeling the main character at all. I started out with high hopes, but she quickly became a character that annoyed me all the time. I don't know if the point is that you're supposed to find her annoying now because she'll grow and learn as the story progresses, but I just couldn't take another minute with her. She was too impulsive and selfish for my tastes. I've been a very restless reader after coming off the high of a trifecta of awesome last week. The bar was set high and Two Moon Princess just wasn't doing it for me.

I was also put off a little by the writing style. Does anyone know if this is a translation? It has that almost overly formal feel where the English is sort of *too* proper and so it feels stiff. I don't know, maybe it's just me. Whatever the reason, I realized I wasn't enjoying the book at all and I was only reading because I was hoping for something better. It wasn't happening, so I DNF-ed. Maybe I'll try picking it up again at some point when I'm less picky.

The Near Witch by Victoria Schwab

Page 18/288

Received: Review copy from NetGalley and Disney-Hyperion

I only read a few chapters, but I was loving this book. I just don't feel like reading on my computer right now. My eyes are bugging me, holding the computer is annoying me, and I haven't had much time to read at home. I don't like reading a tiny amount and then having to leave the book unread for days at a time, which is exactly what was happening. I will definitely be picking this book up again just as soon as I have more time to read at home and can deal with reading on my computer. 

 

Miss anything last week? Click here to read a Recap. 

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Spotlight List: Short Story Authors

Spotlight is a feature I do where I pick a topic or theme and then highlight some books that fall into that theme.

Short Story Authors

At a time when bookshelves are practically overrun with series, it is good to remember the writers who excel at brevity. When it comes to short stories, I’m usually very picky. Most of the short stories I have read have been absolutely awful. The following authors are, in my opinion, among the best short story writers ever. Their tiny stories rival even the best novels.

Daphne du Maurier

Goodreads Page

I have only read two of her short stories, but they made such an impact on me that I have to include her in the list. One of the stories, “The Old Man,” is extremely short but includes characters I care for and du Maurier’s trademark gift for creating a setting that leaps off the pages. The second story is the real reason I feel compelled to include her name here: “The Birds.” The Hitchcock movie is good, but, if you can believe it, it lacks the dread and sheer fright of the short story. In comparison, Hitchcock is an optimist. I enjoyed the movie, but it didn’t leave any impact on me. After reading the short story, I’ve never looked at a bird the same way since. Absolutely chilling.

  

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

Goodreads Page

You might be surprised to hear me say this, but if I could marry a fictional man, Sherlock Holmes would be a definite consideration. Conan Doyle has created a character so complete and so alive I ofte n have to remind myself that Holmes is a fictional character and not an historical figure. Each of the Sherlock Holmes short stories contains an absorbing mystery that never fails to suck me in, even when I’ve read them already. 

Ray Bradbury

Goodreads Page

Bradbury is the author I always recommend to people who want to read science fiction but actually hate science fiction. His stories are vibrant and contain situations that stun, horrify, tickle, and endear. While his setting is often futuristic and properly classified as science fiction, they are never bogged down by lengthy descriptions of gadgets and technology. Each story is complete with a beginning, middle, and ending and a pacing that steadily builds to the often shocking conclusion. Try his collection The Illustrated Man for a top notch collection of short stories.

Edgar Allan Poe

Goodreads Page

Spooky and horrifying, these short stories showcase Poe delighting in the macabre. Humanity’s baser tendencies and emotions are put on display to great effect. Memorize these tales for when attending sleepover parties or camping trips and I guarantee you will be both hailed as a scary story genius and despised for terrifying everyone. Even Bradbury thinks you should read these stories (see Bradbury’s excellent short “Usher II”).

 

Rod Serling
Goodreads Page        

Best known as the host of the excellent television series The Twilight Zone, Serling actually wrote many of the episodes himself and turned those into short stories that are equally amazing. Fans of dystopians would do well to check out Serling’s collections from the Twilight Zone. All of those themes and stories you thought were so original? (Ahem, Uglies series I'm looking at you). Serling did ‘em first. A champion against censorship, Serling delighted in taking a psychological look at people and exposing what he saw. These are stories that will hit you hard and make you think, which is doubly amazing when you consider how short they are.   

 

Who are some of your favorite short story authors? Please feel free to share in the comments. I'm always on the lookout for suggestions!

Looking for more Spotlight Lists?

Classics that are Actually Fun to Read

Gothic Fiction, part II: YA Gothic Fiction, part 1

More Spotlight Lists

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