Novel Thoughts: False Advertising

Posted by Jessi (Geo) on November 6, 2013 | 19 Comments


novelthoughts

 

Today’s topic: False Advertising

You know what I’m talking about. When you see a particular cover and you’re like:

need-itSo you drool over the cover for days, weeks, sometimes even months until you can get your hands on the pretty. But then….you read it. And the story inside is so not pretty. I feel totally gypped when this happens. Because a gorgeous cover should house an epic story, right? Am I right?! So when you read something so beautiful and hate it, a piece of your soul dies. Especially if you bought it – I mean, what do I do with it now? Do I keep it on my shelf, looking pretty and useless, and stare at it wistfully while stuffing chocolate in my face? Or do I get rid of it and cry myself to sleep at night because I had to give away such beauty? (Okay, so the crying part is a little extreme. Maybe. I’ll never tell…)

How many times has this happened to you guys?!

Because it’s happened A LOT to me. My main one? Tiger’s Curse.

Tiger’s-Curse-Colleen-Houck This is one of my all time favorite covers. I could sit and stare at it all day! I mean, just look at it. Tigers are such beautiful and majestic creatures, and happen to be one of my favorite animals. The font is interesting, and the design in the corner is pretty and frames the tiger perfectly. Yet I hated the story. I think that was the biggest disappointment I’ve ever had as a reader.

A few others that I love the cover but didn’t like the story:

 

         

 

Sweet Evil: HATED it. 1.5/5 heartbeats 
Supergirl Mixtapes: 2/5 heartbeats
Fateful: 2.5/5 heartbeats
Poison: 2/5 heartbeats
Die for Me: 1/5 heartbeats
*Warning: All these reviews may be slightly ranty ;)
 
Now that we’ve talked about the negative, let’s talk about the positive side! Sometimes gorgeous covers boast gorgeous stories as well:

 

 

All covers linked to my review
 
What are your thoughts, loverlies? Are there any pretty covers that you found to be false advertising? What about covers where the story actually did the gorgeous cover justice?
 
Jessi (Geo)

Posted in: Discussions | Tags: , ,

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19 responses to “Novel Thoughts: False Advertising

  1. I hate when that happens! Though I had one book you didn’t like which I absolutely love: Poison. Die for me series is disappointing :( I guess that’s what you get for being shallow sometimes, haha. They just lure us into buying a book :p

    • Most people did love Poison! Sadly, many of the top list are black sheep books for me haha. I am way to shallow for my own good…I won’t pick up a book if I hate the cover!

  2. I remember the first time I saw the cover of Tiger’s Curse. I was in the mall, walked by the bookstore and there it was. Sitting pretty on the table right in the front of the store. I immediately went over and ogled the cover and then mentally wrote it down in my head. I was lucky enough that my library had it but I also enjoyed the story as well so I would’ve been okay if I’d bought it. However, I lost interest in it by the time the series ended.
    I’m a sucker for a pretty cover. It draws me in every time.
    Kristin @ Book Sniffers Anonymous

    • I’ve heard the series goes downhill, so I have no intention of reading the second book. If I didn’t like even the first one, I doubt I’ll have much luck for the rest. Such a shame, all the covers are gorgeous!

  3. Ugh yes. This always sucks! I actually really loved Tiger’s Curse but hated the rest of the series with a burning passion. And yet I still have every single book on my bookshelf, because the books are GORGEOUS. Not only the cover, but the physical hardcover. Those books are weighty. They feel heavier and more solid than a normal hardback.. almost like a freaking bible or something. It hurts my soul that the books aren’t as amazing as the physical hardcovers.

    • Yeah, I’m not even going to bother reading any farther in that series lol. And yeah, they are weighty! They’re the highest quality books I’ve seen. Another reason why I love them so much. *sigh* =/

  4. Revolution 19 and Blackout – YES. I felt SO cheated of these amazing stories I was expecting from those covers and synopsis. BLAH.

    On the other hand, Unravel MEEEEEE. *fangirl squee* I hate it when hype DOESN’T deliver on what it promises. Meh.

  5. I’ve actually reached the point of it being a running joke. Show me a cover with a cliched sword-wielding heroine in high heels and with her spine twisted to show her boobs and arse? I will READ that book and LOVE it while snarking the cover

    But see a beautiful, moving, evocative, incredible cover? I will run screaming so fast you’d think it was a picture of my grandparents exploring creative uses of nipple clamps. If I love the cover, I will LOATHE the book.

    Special prizes go to the Vampire Journals, Fallen Trilogy and Fade for amazing covers – and stories that felt like a cheese grater to sensitive parts

    • Haha. I’m not really into reading paranormal romance or urban fantasy anymore, so I steer clear of the scantily clad women on covers >.< Yeah, it's sad really. I can't help myself, I lust after them anyway. But on the bright side, sometimes there ARE good stories with gorgeous covers! Ugh, Fallen. I read that when I was a teenager and thought it was cheesy and awful then (and I admit I actually liked Twilight back then)…I'd probably want to scratch my eyes out reading it now. I haven't read the other two! Lmao, cheese grater to sensitive parts, I'm going to have to remember that ;D

  6. Aah the falsified covers. Bane of all bloggers. Yup been there done that. I think the most recent one for me was Innocent Darkness by Suzanne Lazaer. *GAGS*CHOKES*VOMITS* ALL OVER THE BOOK. I wrote this horribly mean review before deciding to tone it down to a nice one-star. Though it shouldn’t have even got that. Anyway, point being I totally understand! But honestly, sometimes the false advertising only seems false to the individual person. The publishers are using the covers for advertising, very enticing advertising, and it’s the readers who love or hate it. *sigh* It’s all very vexing. But in answer to your question, I believe the correct response is A, to keep the book on my shelf, looking pretty and useless, so I can stare at it wistfully while stuffing chocolate in my face. Though sometimes I do like to get rid of them because I just REALLY hate it. It’s all very circumstance related.

    I will shut up now. Lovely thoughts Jessinator! Can’t wait to see more!
    *pokes* ND
    <333 Inky

    • Yeah, that one does have a good cover! I kinda wanted to read it, but now I’m afraid to haha. True! Many of my ‘false advertisement’ covers were also black sheep books >.>

      Same here! Like Sweet Evil. I hated that book so much I couldn’t stand to have it on my shelves anymore.

      I responded! :D

      <333

      • Don’t. You should turn away from it before you’re even tempted too. Get thee hence Innocent Darkness.

        Yep. Kinda hate that book.

        Haha that’s how it goes lots of the time. Wish it didn’t. Because I am a hoarder, if I didn’t HATE HATE HATE WITH THE FIRE OF A MILLION SUNS (to quote you) then I’m more likely to keep the book, in case my sister or whatnot will want to read it in the future. And because I love pretty full shelves and I have no problem being overloaded. :D

        YAY! Responded back
        <333 Inkinator

  7. What I hate even more than a pretty cover with a “blah” story inside is a book with a misleading synopsis! If the blurb tells me to expect one thing, and then is totally nothing like what it promises, I get really upset! I know that most of the time the authors don’t write the blurbs, but c’mon! It’s totally misleading and SO infuriating!

    • Oh yes, that’s always annoying! If I wanted to read a different story than what the synopsis suggests, I wouldn’t have picked it up! That’s even more false advertising than bad stories behind beautiful covers!

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