book info: on sale: now copy from: public library pages: 348 review written: 21.12.17 originally published: 2009 edition read: Penguin NAL 2009 title: Rooftops of Tehran author: Mahbod Seraji In a middle-class neighborhood of Iran's sprawling capital city, 17-year-old Pasha Shahed spends the summer of 1973 on his rooftop with his best friend Ahmed, joking around one minute and asking burning questions about life the next. He also hides a secret love for his beautiful neighbor Zari, who has been betrothed since birth to another man. But the bliss of Pasha and Zari's stolen time together is shattered when Pasha unwittingly acts as a beacon for the Shah's secret police. The violent consequences awaken him to the reality of living under a powerful despot, and lead Zari to make a shocking choice... my thoughts: This book was first published in 2009 and I remember adding it to my list around that time but never actually reading it since I preferred checking out library books to ...
Who Wore it Better is an original meme I brought with me from Drugs Called Books. In it, instead of discussing fashion or cloths, we discuss book covers from different countries, and who has the best cover. The meme is co-hosted with the lovely Amanda and Stacie from Beautiful Bookish Butterflies and will be featured on her blog every other week, so check her out as well!
This week we're taking a look at Uglies by Scott Westerfeld. I admit, this is one book I never considered reading because of the covers. And after looking at most of them, I realized this is one badly designed book! I'm going to do this in batches, because I kind of couldn't resist showing you most of them. I don't know, I guess I enjoy ranting to the point of being kind of sadistic about it.
THE FACES SECTION
So, it looks like most of the foreign covers decided to follow in the footsteps of the English cover. The Same English cover that is the sole reason I can't make myself read this book - that awkward cut of the face, the weird greenery that fells to me like it has absolutely nothing to do with the plot...
The Italian did a little better with the same photo, but still... why do we have a girl skulking in the bushes? It doesn't exactly matches the synopsis - which is all I have to go by, so if it does fit the book feel free to tell me!
The only covers here that seem to match the synopsis are the Korean and Romanian. The Korean because this is a pretty doll. Dolls are not real, same as the prettiness of the Pretty world. And it looks good, so all the better.
The Romanian because it shows a planned plastic surgery, which seems inline with the synopsis, even though I still don't really like it.
The rest are all creepy frontal images (with a guy thrown in there for good measure).
At least the Serbian adds a vibe of danger and whatnot to an otherwise really boring batch of covers.
I will be honest, though - I am biased because I'm kind of against just faces on covers. I don't think there's one I really liked (and I'm almost sure I've never liked a frontal face)
THE OTHER (Mostly English)
Okay, so this is more like it. I admit, the only one cover here I'm familiar with with is the English 3. I've never really liked it, same with the English cover in the Faces Section.
I'm really sad I haven't seen the English and English 2 around more. the English 1 is pretty unique and interesting. First, you have those "cut here" arrows, than there are the dolls body parts with no heads in a surgery tray. There is something really creepy about it despite the soothing blue background, and it really seems to fit with the synopsis.
The English 2 is just pretty cool. It gives movement and action to the cover - like an action movie poster. It makes the book look really interesting and engaging, unlike most of the other covers here and in the former batch which make it just look really boring.
The forth English cover is kind of bad. I would actually really like it if there wasn't that effing eye in the title. I mean, it's pretty cool - the E dripping like blood from a surgery knife, which is again inline of the synopsis. But the eye just ruins it for me.
Then come the foreign covers - Now, I know what you're thinking. The Portuguese cover is definitely a face, but it's also quite clearly other. I mean, it looks like a bad cover for a vampire story. NOTHING in it even remotely fits the synopsis! That is SO frustrating. Also, it's just plain bad.
The Chinese one is alright. It's also kind of a face, but the plastic surgery element is much stronger. Based on this cover alone, though, I'd think we're talking about someone changing their identity here, and not a place where people become artificially Pretty.
Then we're left with the Polish. I don't know what's going on here, but it sure is intriguing. I found myself staring at this cover a lot. It's kind of vibrant, with the colors (which none of the other covers make use of), especially on the monochromatic background. Then there is the Shia LaBeauf brown paperback on her face, which also makes me think of an outcast, and she appears to be running. All in all, this is the type of cover that is definitely interesting.
My favorite? None. There is not one cover here that will make me actually buy the book, even though there are some interesting covers...
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