When the ever-awesome Renee sent me a copy of Jaclyn Moriarty's A Corner of White all the way from Australia, I mentioned that the cover reminded me of something you'd find on adult women's fiction here in the US. I had a feeling the US publisher would do something completely different, and wouldn't you know...
So here are the AUS and US versions of A Corner of White, which is out in Australia and will be coming out this Spring stateside. Once again, I'm including the synopsis below, so you can vote just on cover appeal or on which one you think is suited to the story better - whatever you'd like. And interestingly this week, the synopses take very different approaches, too. So:
Which one did it better?
from the original AUS version:
Madeleine Tully lives in Cambridge, England, the World – a city of spires, Isaac Newton and Auntie’s Tea Shop.
Elliot Baranski lives in Bonfire, the Farms, the Kingdom of Cello – where seasons roam, the Butterfly Child sleeps in a glass jar, and bells warn of attacks from dangerous Colours.
They are worlds apart – until a crack opens up between them; a corner of white – the slim seam of a letter.
A mesmerising story of two worlds; the cracks between them, the science that binds them and the colours that infuse them.
Elliot Baranski lives in Bonfire, the Farms, the Kingdom of Cello – where seasons roam, the Butterfly Child sleeps in a glass jar, and bells warn of attacks from dangerous Colours.
They are worlds apart – until a crack opens up between them; a corner of white – the slim seam of a letter.
A mesmerising story of two worlds; the cracks between them, the science that binds them and the colours that infuse them.
and from the US version:
The first in a rousing, funny, genre-busting trilogy from bestseller Jaclyn Moriarty!
This is a tale of missing persons. Madeleine and her mother have run away from their former life, under mysterious circumstances, and settled in a rainy corner of Cambridge (in our world).
Elliot, on the other hand, is in search of his father, who disappeared on the night his uncle was found dead. The talk in the town of Bonfire (in the Kingdom of Cello) is that Elliot's dad may have killed his brother and run away with the Physics teacher. But Elliot refuses to believe it. And he is determined to find both his dad and the truth.
As Madeleine and Elliot move closer to unraveling their mysteries, they begin to exchange messages across worlds -- through an accidental gap that hasn't appeared in centuries. But even greater mysteries are unfolding on both sides of the gap: dangerous weather phenomena called "color storms;" a strange fascination with Isaac Newton; the myth of the "Butterfly Child," whose appearance could end the droughts of Cello; and some unexpected kisses...
This is a tale of missing persons. Madeleine and her mother have run away from their former life, under mysterious circumstances, and settled in a rainy corner of Cambridge (in our world).
Elliot, on the other hand, is in search of his father, who disappeared on the night his uncle was found dead. The talk in the town of Bonfire (in the Kingdom of Cello) is that Elliot's dad may have killed his brother and run away with the Physics teacher. But Elliot refuses to believe it. And he is determined to find both his dad and the truth.
As Madeleine and Elliot move closer to unraveling their mysteries, they begin to exchange messages across worlds -- through an accidental gap that hasn't appeared in centuries. But even greater mysteries are unfolding on both sides of the gap: dangerous weather phenomena called "color storms;" a strange fascination with Isaac Newton; the myth of the "Butterfly Child," whose appearance could end the droughts of Cello; and some unexpected kisses...
Last Week on FFO: The US and AUS versions of Alexandra Bracken's The Darkest Minds went head to head, but unfortunately for the AUS version, heads - or at least, books with heads on them - lost. The US won, 2-to-1.
Winner ------->
US. The Aus one is just boring. It looks like some generic adult novel from the 2000s. Meh. Neither seems quite right from the blurb, but I would be more likely to pick up a book with the US cover than the Aus one.
ReplyDeleteAh, I'm going to pick US too. I love the font of the title, though I'm not a huge fan of the model. I'll be interested to see if the book goes beyond the 'cutesy' I already the cover with.
ReplyDeleteI do have to say, the AUS is prettier in person than on screen, even if generic.
ReplyDeleteDefinitely the girl. It's so cute. Makes me want to know more immediately.
ReplyDeleteUS cover
ReplyDeleteI like the US cover more, but I'd be much more likely to read a book with the AUS blurb. Very intriguing.... ;)
ReplyDeleteI'm diggin the US cover.
ReplyDeleteCan I cast a vote that says the US summary AND the US cover is better than the original?
ReplyDeleteThe summary for the first version of the book was pretty cryptic, and I had no idea what the book was actually supposed to be about.
The original cover is okay. I mean, it's not hideous, bu it does seem pretty generic. I think the US cover seems more whimsical, which I think may capture the story better. Plus, her red galoshes are fantastic!
Also, I really, really want to read this book now. Never heard of it. Not read a review of it. But, based on the summary, this book seems like it would be quite the adventure.