The Best and Worst of Covers (8)

Every Saturday, I post one book cover I love and one cover I dislike of books I've read. I include information for each book: the edition, summary, publisher, number of pages, reading level, and my thoughts of the cover. I've decided against using the word "hate" because it's a very strong negative word. Since I don't really hate the covers, I dislike some of them, so I'll be using "dislike" instead. This week the cover I love is Cleopatra's Daughter by Michelle Moran, and the cover I dislike is The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants by Ann Brashares. The book summaries are from Amazon.

The Cover I Love: 
Title: Cleopatra's Daughter
Author: Michelle Moran
Publisher: Crown
Publication Date: September 15, 2009
Pages: 448
Edition: Hardback
Reading Level: Young Adult/Adult

Summary:
After the death of their parents, twins Alexander and Selene and younger brother Ptolemy are in a dangerous position, left to the mercy of their father's greatest rival, Octavian Caesar. However, Caesar does not kill them as expected, but takes the trio to Rome to be paraded as part of his triumphant return and to demonstrate his solidified power. As the twins adapt to life in Rome in the inner circle of Caesar's family, they grow into adulthood ensconced in a web of secrecy, intrigue and constant danger. Told from Selene's perspective, the tale draws readers into the fascinating world of ancient Rome and into the court of Rome's first and most famous emperor. Deftly encompassing enough political history to provide context, Moran never clutters her narrative with extraneous facts. Readers may be frustrated that Selene is more observer than actor, despite the action taking place around her, but historical fiction enthusiasts will delight in this solid installment from a talented name in the genre.

Thoughts of the Cover:

The cover of Cleopatra's Daughter is just so beautiful! I love the way the woman looks and how she's dressed. All the colors go so well together, and the bottom gold border is very nice and shiny when you see it physically in your hands.. The reds and golds make the cover look so perfect and very royal. It is the perfect cover to such an amazing book. I'm so close to finishing and can't wait to know the ending! My review should probably be up sometime tomorrow. The paperback doesn't come out for a while, actually it doesn't even have a release date yet, but it's cover is so gorgeous. All the gold is what makes these covers so great and beautiful. I highly recommend reading it!

The Cover I Dislike:
Title: Sisterhood of the Traveling of the Pants
Author: Ann Brashares
Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: March 11, 2003
Pages: 336
Edition: Paperback
Reading Level: Young Adult
 
Summary:
They were just a soft, ordinary pair of thrift-shop jeans until the four girls took turns trying them on--four girls, that is, who are close friends, about to be parted for the summer, with very different sizes and builds, not to mention backgrounds and personalities. Yet the pants settle on each girl's hips perfectly, making her look sexy and long-legged and feel confident as a teenager can feel. "These are magical Pants!" they realize, and so they make a pact to share them equally, to mail them back and forth over the summer from wherever they are. Beautiful, distant Lena is going to Greece to be with her grandparents; strong, athletic Bridget is off to soccer camp in Baja, California; hot-tempered Carmen plans to have her divorced father all to herself in South Carolina; and Tibby the rebel will be left at home to slave for minimum wage at Wallman's.

Over the summer the Pants come to represent the support of the sisterhood, but they also lead each girl into bruising and ultimately healing confrontations with love and courage, dying and forgiveness. Lena finds her identity in Greece and the courage not to reject love; Bridget gets in over her head with an older camp coach; Carmen finds her father ensconced with a new fiancée and family; and Tibby unwillingly takes on a filmmaking apprentice who is dying of leukemia. Each girl's story is distinct and engrossing, told in a brightly contemporary style. Like the Pants, the reader bounces back and forth among the four unfolding adventures, and the melange is spiced with letters and witty quotes.

Thoughts of the Cover:
The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants book cover could have been a lot more attractive. The pants used on the cover are actually pretty ugly and very plain. Also, the colors aren't really the greatest either; they are pretty dull. The book, however, is a great read and very funny. The only thing I really like the about the cover is that the background has all their names in this shiny color which looks pretty cool when you pick it up. The movie paperback cover is pretty cute, and a lot better than the original cover. The movie is really good, and the actresses who played the best friends were perfect. I wish the cover could've been almost as great as the book.

What are your thoughts on these covers?