2000s YA Cover Changes

In a recent YA mid-series cover change, the former covers were VERY well-received by readers. This article on Bustle called them “stunning” and said they evoked “epic ballgown envy.” Here’s what they looked like:

You may have seen the new covers, but if not, here they are:

 

What? I know I’m not the only one who thinks that they look a whole lot like the covers to another, very popular YA series:

 

Publishing is a business and sales are the goal. In a way-back-from-2009 blog post, Sarah Rees Brennan talked about the whys of cover changes.  Her bottom-line conclusion is that cover changes are an attempt to increase sales. Sometimes covers are changed to improve a cover that’s disliked, and other times they are changed to appeal to a different audience.

I guess that second thing is what’s happening here. I prefer the old covers. I think they better reflect the fact that Kestrel, the main character, is more the wear-a-ballgown-and-fight-with-her-wits kind of girl than the sword-brandishing-assassin kind of girl.  I’m sad that the beautiful red dress cover that was revealed with huge fanfare back in May

has been replaced by this new cover

This third cover is my least favorite. And it’s a little weird to me that a book with a title like “The Winner’s Kiss” was matched with a cover that shows a girl in a tunic standing in front of an explosion like some female sidekick in an adventure movie.  A character that, with her side-braid and post-apocalyptic outfit, looks like a combination of Katniss and Clarke.