There’s something to be said about a cover when at first look, it leaves me a bit perplexed. Then, slowly, that feeling grows into intrigue, and then, admiration. Finally, I’m just staring at my computer screen, wondering how all of the design elements came together, making me feeling this way.

Here’s my initial reaction, posted as a stream-of-consciousness to Daisy Whitney’s blog back in April (this was for the ARC cover, which is red):

I think it looks AMAZING, Daisy. That cover definitely separates itself and stands out on its own…It’s different. It’s bold. I like the repeated subtle pattern behind the mockingbird in white, in contrast against its simplicity. I like the homage to Harper Lee. And the tagline thrown in would grab my curiosity — I would pick it up and flip through it at a bookstore if I had never heard of it before. And this may sound weird, but the spine…it screams. It makes me like the choice of typography used — the kerning; its weight.

I still stare at this cover today and believe it to be a graphic designer’s work of art. There are a few subtleties that bring the cover nicely together as a whole: the illustrated bird and tree against the subtle pattern, the middleweight font’s title. I’m a real sucker for a good-looking middleweight font. An uppercase title is a challenge unless the font works just right. And this one did.

And, because I’m partial to the red ARC’s cover, here it is:

The choice to go from red to blue was something that definitely took me by surprise, especially after having read the book. The cool tones of the final cover relay a completely different mood than a passionate red.

My favorite thing about The Mockingbirds’ cover is that it stands out as timeless. Be it the homage to Harper Lee, the color choice, or the symbolism of the bird, I feel as though this novel’s face will forever be imprinted into my mind when I think of the title.  I’m really hoping that Little, Brown will continue with this design theme with the next book in the series.

Want to know what Daisy Whitney thought of the cover? Tomorrow’s post will feature my first author interview for the blog.