The Friday Face-Off was created by Books by Proxy, where each week bloggers can showcase books with covers centered around a weekly theme. You can visit Lynn’s Books for a list of upcoming themes. Join in the fun each Friday by finding a book whose cover is based on the theme!
This week’s theme: Sorrow – A cover that makes you feel sad.
Well, I did struggle a bit to find a “sad” cover, so instead I decided to pick a book I read a LONG time ago that made me cry, it was extremely sad. The Child Garden by Geoff Ryman was written in 1989 and I don’t remember exactly what year I read it, but it was way before my blogging days. It was a very hard book to get through, although I don’t remember specifically why. I do remember being extremely glad that I finished it, because it’s one of those books that you may not enjoy at the time, but looking back it was worth it. If that makes any sense, lol. There is one cover that has a sad looking character on the front, and the others are sort of just OK? But take a look and see for yourself:
UK edition 2005 | U.S edition 1990 | German edition 20018
Spanish edition 2007 | Small Beer Press (U.S.) edition 2011 | German edition 1992
Orb Books edition 1994 | Voyager edition 1999 | Polish edition 2000
I feel kind of meh about most of these, so my pick is (IMO) the best overall design.
Some books really stick with us! 🙂 I like the cover of the UK edition, it almost has a prehistorc look with all the frns…
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I’ve never come across this one, Tammy – and like you I don’t read many truly sad books if I can avoid it, these days. My favourite is the Spanish edition, the outline of that child looking down in abject despair tugs at my heart without tipping into sentimentality and it is also brightly coloured and eye-catching which is a nifty combination. Great choice!
I like the Voyager 1999 version the best. It’s graphic and different from the rest. I’m okay with sad books as long as there is a thread of hope at the end.
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After checking the synopsis for this book, since it’s new to me as a title, I think that the 2005 UK edition and the 1994 Orb edition represent better its story: I like the soft colors of the first and the definite post-apocalyptic mood of the second…
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Oh man it’s hard to pick a cover I like best out of these but I have to go with the one you picked too I think. 🙂
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I have no idea what to think of this based on such a variety of covers… My favorite is the German one though. 😉
Your choice was my favorite, too.
Not heard of this book but I must agree as far as covers go the one you picked is the better one.
It’s great when a book impacts you that way. I have to admit that I am kind of partial to the one with the bear, but then I’m not sure what the book is about so I don’t know if the bear ties into it or not.
These covers really are so different from one another, Tammy! I like the one you chose best too. I can see why choosing a sad cover could be hard! The only thing I can think of is A Little Life?
Oh wow, a book that makes one cry are truly special – really speaks to the skill of the author! I like your choice and the Polish edition.
This one is new to me. For covers I guess I’d pick the UK edition, kind of simple but I like it. As with a previous post, this one reminded me of a movie, this time an anime. I didn’t have exactly the same feeling of it you had of this book, but it was a feelign where I thought it was an incredibly well done, very powerful, and extraordinarily sad movie, one I thoroughly enjoyed… but I didn’t feel any desire to watch it again. It just took too much out of me at the time. Maybe one day I will. It was called Grave of the Fireflies, and was about a couple of young childen, siblings, stranded alone, trying to survive World War II in Japan as their village is fire bombed. I get chills just thinking back on it.
I can’t think of a sad cover either so I think you did well to go the route you did. It’s interesting how different these are from each other. Your pick is my favorite as well. I like the clock and the coloring.
I struggled with this one – what on earth was I thinking! Anyway, moving swiftly on… I’m oddly drawn to the cover with the huge bear.
Lynn 😀
These are all really different covers! I like the one you went with, the color stands out to me.
I like the Small Beer Press (U.S.) edition 2011 best and then the one you like! Great choice 😀