I did my first cover roulette post a while ago for Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, and it was so fun I wanted to do another! Luckily I found another popular book that has had many different editions made, and I wondered…
What other awesome covers have I missed?
Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz was one I enjoyed at the time and have now mostly forgotten. Honestly, that’s the fate of most of what I read — hence why I started writing more about what I read! What I usually remember about this book is that it had gay characters and it had an amazing cover. Since it became quite popular, I’m sure it has other cover renditions now, as well! So I investigated and was not disappointed. 😁
The Cover I Know
It’s mostly the scripted font and the line designs around the title that I loved most about this. I had no idea there was an old pickup truck on the cover, too, and I definitely thought there were more stars. Still, a quiet and wondrous image befitting the characters’ names and the story.
2017 Bulgarian: Even better!?
I… actually like this even more than the one I know! It has more stars, and a dramatic nightscape, which is more of how I remembered the other one. The silhouettes are working for me here, too.
2018 Thai: Original Dressed up
This is the mix of the last two; dramatic sky, silhouettes, truck, swirly font! All the elements mashed onto one cover! But still not a huge fan; the art style and that freakin’ truck aren’t my favorite.
2016 Hebrew: Winnah Winnah
At least for me, I think this might be my fav. I adore the blended colors and the lines that read like a topographical map over it all. Points to Hebrew, because the title looks fascinating as well with their alphabet!
2014 German: Another direction
And here we have our jump away from the common cover theme. There’s always one, eh? Still with the water, though, so not straying too far away in the end.
2013 Polish: A New TV Drama
That’s exactly how this looks to me! It’s got to be a PR poster for some mid-country teen drama. Look at that open shirt collar and swooshy hair. The boy in the back in the common “got a lot on my mind” pose. It’s ready-made for a mini series!
2015 Swedish: Design Choices…
I’m having a hard time getting over the weird white padding on the left that’s actually a part of this cover. Why? IKEA’s influence here, too? The font and coloring and lighting make this seem like a fun summer romance, where they might work at a carnival or something. Bit of a different tone.
2015 Italian: They Misunderstood
So clearly what happened here is that in Italy they saw “Dante” and they were like, “OUR BOY IS BACK AGAIN! AND HE’S GOT ARISTOTLE IN TOW!” and designed a very dignified textbook-like cover for them. Then realized it’s a YA book and made it less formal by scribbling some color on it.
Which one’s your favorite?
Biggest surprise is definitely the Italian version. Seriously, what happened there? If you like that one, tell me why and help me find the beauty in it! 😊 For now, I’ll stick with my starry skies and ocean swirls.
My Book Joy 