When it comes to books, we’re often told not to judge them by their covers. Let’s be honest, we all do. And depending on where you live, that judgment can look very different. UK and US publishers frequently release the same title with dramatically different designs. I got the inspiration for this post from stumbling across a blog post from The Infinite Library. So in this post I will be deciding which cover I like the most from the UK and US covers being side by side. The UK cover will be on the LEFT and the US cover will be on the RIGHT. Why not join in and let me know in the comments which ones you prefer! (Please note: this post is purely for the covers–I probably haven’t read the majority of these but I have heard of them.)
The Chestnut Springs Series by Elsie Silver
*I have read these* This was a tough one to decide between because I actually really like both–the colours and the fonts. I do prefer the white text for the authors name on the US cover rather than the colours used on the UK covers. Although I do love a cursive font on the UK covers, I like how striking the US ones are.
MY WINNER: US covers
The Midnight Library by Matt Haig
*I haven’t read this* Another tough one to decide between. I really like the bigger font on the UK cover with the simple building underneath. I also really like the different graphics on the US cover. Due to not reading this book I can’t say whether the graphics on the US cover relate to the story but I do like them nonetheless. I also prefer the bolder blue colour on the UK cover as it makes the yellow font pop more.
MY WINNER: UK cover
The Hating Game by Sally Thorne
*I haven’t read this* I think it took me less than a second to decide which one I preferred. I really dislike the US cover, I think it looks too cartoonish and I also really dislike the font. I really like the more pastel blue/green used on the UK cover and the pastel yellow for the font. The little scribbles above the people I find comical. I had this on my TBR for ages before deciding to unhaul it but I do like the cover a lot (I actually think I bought it because of the cover originally).
MY WINNER: UK cover
They Both Die at the End by Adam Silvera
*I haven’t read this* This one was such a hard decision to choose between. I absolutely love the striking orange cover on the UK cover and I think the hourglass is a really cool idea. However, I really like the night-time vibes on the US cover. This is another one I had on my TBR for ages before deciding to unhaul it. I honestly don’t think I can choose between these two…
MY WINNER: Both covers
Normal People by Sally Rooney
*I haven’t read this* Not a hard decision at all for me. I will say that I do like the red used on the UK cover but the tin makes me feel weird… The half and half colours on the US cover is really cool and I like the outline of the people’s faces. I also prefer the black font on the US one compared to the white on the UK cover.
MY WINNER: US cover
The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett
*I haven’t read this* This is another one that I decided on straight away as soon as I looked at them side by side. I absolutely LOVE the colours used on the UK cover. Don’t get me wrong, the colours are cool on the US cover but I just love how the UK ones look together. I also like how you can see the outline of the people more clearly on the UK cover in comparison to the US cover. I think the colour of the font is much clearer on the UK cover but I do like the cleverness of the blurring on the US cover to show a vanishing effect.
MY WINNER: UK cover
Gallant by V.E. Schwab
*I haven’t read this* Another easy one to decide between. I love the gothic vibes the UK cover is giving off– the flowers, the vines and the black and red font. The US cover is still quite nice but I don’t think it’s a striking as the UK cover.
MY WINNER: UK cover
Loveless by Alice Oseman
*I haven’t read this* This was a tough one to decide between but I think I have made my decision after much pondering. I do really like the graphic art style on the US cover but I think the simplicity of the UK cover wins. I love the striking purple colour along with the cursive black font. I feel like the US cover definitely gives the teenage/Young Adult vibes but I prefer the UK cover.
MY WINNER: UK cover
The Paris Apartment by Lucy Foley
*I haven’t read this* Is it bad to say that I don’t really like either of these covers…? They have a few good things about them but overall I just don’t like them. I think the shadow of the Eiffel Tower coming out of the door on the UK cover is very clever but the black, white and yellow is boring. I like the purple font on the US cover but I’m not a fan of the picture of the apartment in the background. I don’t think I can really choose between either…
MY WINNER: Both covers
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid
*I have read this* This one is such a tough decision to make because they are very similar. I love the green dresses on both covers as well as the fonts used. I do like that UK one is slightly different with a reddish brown background but I still think the green background works on the US cover. I think I’m going to have to give this one a tie because I really like them both.
MY WINNER: Both covers
And that leads us to the end of round 1! Time to see the final scores…
UK COVERS: 8 Points
US COVERS: 5 Points
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