More YA covers: Eye catching!

They're diabolical, these YA cover designers. They have to be: They have a tough, tough job.

First of all, obviously, they have to be pretty accurate about conveying a book's essence: There's nothing more annoying to a reader than buying a book with a soft, romantic cover only to suffer a bloody chainsaw murder on page five.

Also, a designer wants to drag you to a book across a crowded store. Once the book's in your hands, he wants you eaten up with curiosity about what's inside. (CINDER wins that award, in my opinion.)

Today's post explores a few of the techniques designers have been using on covers in the January-June publication season. Cue the eyeballs!

The covers are after the break. Which ones work for you? Why?

The eyes! They won't let me go!

Eye-catching oddities

(Speaking of oddities: If the cover on A BEAUTIFUL EVIL looks familiar, that's because you saw something like it here [scroll down to the "pairing up" grouping]. But the book being marketed with that cover last fall now has a new cover and is slated for Fall 2012. Two different publishers, too. Just keeping us on our toes!)

Yep. I'm curious.

In fact, I can't tear myself away.

Whoa. Cool typeface.

Swirling and Twirling 

That flower doesn't look safe, somehow.

Mirror, mirror

Brrrrr. (Uh-oh?)

Blood red. (Uh-oh!)

What are they looking at? 

Me! They're looking at me!

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Ellen Booraem is the author of SMALL PERSONS WITH WINGS and THE UNNAMEABLES. She lives in Downeast Maine with an artist, a dog, and a cat, one of whom is a practicing curmudgeon. She's online at www.ellenbooraem.com.