The Covers of Before I Die - Jenny Downham

Cover Comparison Thursday is a weekly meme hosted by Bailey @ Abyss. Head over there and link to your blog to join in.

I found a huge eighteen different editions (plus more that were slight variations on the one's below)! And, I really like most of them. Why are there so many? 

Obviously this book is a global phenomenon ;) 

UK

(Australian one very similar, different font)

I do like this. I like the model and her expression and I think the black and white is a little bit haunting...I like the atmosphere.

US

I like this too. It has depth in it and I love the scrawled writing in the bottom half. I like the gradient of colour in the background. It has a light, nearly whimsical feel to it. Love the blues.

New Zealand

This one's cool too. It looks like happiness and life. Love the colours, again. The scarf in her hair looks really nice against the grass and the light.

Polish

Same model as the UK. I cant decide whether I prefer her cropped or full? Both work, I think, but to me the UK one is slightly more eerie, this one slightly more luminous.

French

Haha. Trust the French to go for a cover like this (and I mean that in the absolute coolest of ways :). I really actually like it. It feels like being a teenager. It's a little bit sexy, and I love the statement in the purple tights and pink laces.

Swedish

This one feels a little random. it's certainly striking, but not as emotionally evocative as some of the others. What do you think the purple splatters are? I'm wondering if they're like little blood samples - they kinda remind me of the ones Dexter collects from his victims, LOL :)

Swedish #2

Colours in this work well - the outfits and the background. As do the lines on the stairs against the lines in the rails and the dress. Despite the kiss, I think the French one does a better job of capturing that teen-y flirty sexy feel. Still, quite nice :)

German

I find this one to be a little ordinary. I don't think it has much to do with the essence of the book...?

Hungarian

This is simple, but still evocative. I'm looking at this and thinking: hope, wishes, youth. It has that same lightness that some of the others have had.

Italian

This is boring to me. High school mass produced text looking cover. Sorry :)

Spanish

Ahh, love this picture. The girls are so cute! it's fun and I think this would appeal to teens. Oh, yeah, I like this one.

Japanese

Another one going for lightness and life. It works, but doesn't exactly speak to me personally.

Turkish

I don't get this one. I don't even really like the dress... I'm not sure what message this cover is sending to potential buyers. Probably trying to capture those moments where you lie on the grass and ponder life and soak up all the goodness of just being? Hmm...

Finnish

I love this! Love the blues and brown and the touches of red set the whole thing off. plus, she climbs a tree in the book - and I love that scene so much. This one is fun and a little quirky and it's calling out to me.

Icelandic

Love love this one. It's all lightness and energy and good times and it captures all that living in the moment and being young and invincible feeling. This one makes me feel good - and despite the title, makes you feel like you're not in for a depressing read. Love the colours and the contrast of the white curtains against the white bedspread (you know what I mean).

Chinese

At first glance I like the balloons, it gets my attention, but when I look at it for a while, it feels kind of static for some reason. Plus, I get the calendar on the bottom (in relation to the story), but not sure I like the layout of it on the front cover?

Dutch

I don't know. I think the model looks a little old. Plus, it makes me think of a sci-fi - maybe that slightly neutral expression on her face gets me thinking... android! LOL. Actually, it is a nice cover, I'm just getting distracted and overwhelmed from look at so many.

Spanish

I prefer the picture in full on the other Spanish one.

My favourites:

• Icelandic - the bed jumping (I think this one may also be a paperback one in English... somewhere in the world :)
• Finnish - the blue tree, red shoe

Not sure why I started choosing favourites (!). I can see myself sitting here agonising for a while and changing my mind and changing it back again...

• weirdly, I do like the French one, although it doesnt resonate the same way as some others, I like the teen feel about it.
• Spanish is cute...
• Also, argh, I like so many...the US, I just like it and the NZ one too :) And, I do like the one I own - which also features a lovely spine with blue metallic writing.

Which one do you like best?