Top 5 Wednesday | Disappointing Eye Candy

As always, I'm throwing a twist on this topic. My list is composed of 4 books that have beautiful covers and not-so-beautiful insides and one series that is absolutely lovely but has covers that are, eh, disappointing (because I couldn't really come up with five legitimate answers).

Beautiful Covers, Meh Reads


4. Half Bad by Sally Green

• I read this book specifically because of the cover. There was something about the red and the grey and the oil-like quality of the colors that just really called out to me. Sadly, this book was really not as good as the cover. 

3. Tumble & Fall by Alexandra Coutts

• I don't always like covers with people on them, but this is one that I thought was well done. I liked the bursts of light and the giant ampersand commanding my eye. This book was just not good though. The most exciting thing about it was probably, well, the cover.

2. Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard

• As I have talked about a couple of times on this blog, I didn't initially dislike Red Queen. I still don't think it is a horrible book. It hasn't left an impression on me as time has passed. The overwhelming familiarity of it all is what I remember of it now. I think I will still continue on with the series (with much less fervor) and, I have to admit, the covers are stunning in their striking simplicity. 

1. The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater

• I wish this series had ugly covers. That's how much I dislike this series (irrationally, I'll admit, as I've only read the first book). It pains me because, as much as I dislike The Raven Boys, I can't help but swoon over its (and the rest of the series') cover every time I see it. The art style is so stunning to me and nothing looks muddled or dirty despite there being a lot of dark colors. It's a shame, really. If only I enjoyed the inside as much as the outside.

Eye Candy Insides, Disappointing Outsides


1. The Fire and Thorns trilogy by Rae Carson

• As you know, I recently read and adored this series. These covers, though. We need to talk about these. The cover for Carson's newest book, Walk on Earth a Stranger, is absolutely stunning, yet these ones leave me disappointed. The face in the Godstone is just not working out for me (and it looks like a different model each time), and the backgrounds are too cluttered for my tastes. I do appreciate that the third book's coloring and design reflects the conditions the characters were in, though. Ah, well. Beggars can't be choosers.