Books You Can't Judge by Their Covers

Every avid reader knows that the proverb, "You can't judge a book by it's cover." is complete crap when it comes to actuall books. Almost without fault, a book can always be judged, to some extent, by it's cover or even by it's title. These are the few famous (or infamous) exceptions. These books cannot be judged by their covers, for better or worse.

Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer Verdict: Unbearable

Why: The Twilight Saga is infamous, but the covers of all the books in the series are actually pretty nice. The apples, flowers, ribbons, etc. against the deep black backround is intriguing and gives the book an air of mystery. If you had no idea what the book was about, then you could take a look at the cover and thing you were in for a great read. Once you open the book, however, you realize your mistake. The characters are fools, the plot sucks, and nobody has any personality. Plus, Edward is a stalker. It's not cute, Bella.

Beautiful Creatures

by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl

Verdict: Mind-numbingly boring

Why: One look at the cover, and you're interested. The title is whimsical, the cover is shinny, and the picture of a forest paired with the purple and the title's font has you thinking about a magical, haunting read. In reality, the book is boring and confusing. Pair that with annoying characters and over 560 pages, and you're in for a disaater and a waste of ten bucks. I hear the movie isn't much better.

Poison Princess by Kresley Cole

Verict: Incredible

Why: The book has a new, better cover now, but this is what it's early cover looked like. My first though upon seeing this was "Oh, please." I couldn't stomach the characters' expressions or the title. The book looked like a disaster. Once I got to know the book, however, I adored it. The story has a fast plot and lovable characters. Not to mention that it's very creative! If you didn't mind people seeing you read the book in public, it's totally worth it if you have an older copy.

An Abundance of Kathrines

by John Green

Verdict: Disappointing

Why: The back of the book promises a child prodigy coming up with atheorm that can predict relationships, a feral hog, and a crazy best friend. Similarly, the cover looks like a fun and lighthearted summer read. It's false advertising. The characters are cookie-cutter John Green, with depression and an unusual supporting cast. The story is becomes boring after a while, and the ending is unsatisfying.

Incarceron by Catherine Fisher

Verdict: Huh?

Why: The story is about a living prison and the people who live inside of it. Combined with the shiny, interesting cover, the book looks exciting and mysterious. Once you start reading, the book is actually boring and frustrating. The plot is choppy and the backstory doesn't provide enough information to help the story make sense. Many of the author's other books are seemingly similar.

Rift by Andrea Cremer

Verdict: Entertaining

Why: Anyone familiar with the original Nightshade trilogy remembers the entertaining, if emotionally traumatizing characters and drama. If you disliked Nightshade, chances are you aren't too keen on reading the prequel duology, Rift and Rise. In many ways, the two are better than the first three books. They have no love triangle frustration with more secrets and betrayal to make for an exciting and action-filled read. Don't be put off by the catchphrase "She can battle darkness, but she can't fight love."

Last Sacrifice by Richelle Mead

Verdict: Great finish!

Why: The Vampire Academy series gets a bad rap sometimes. It's dramatic. It's stupid. Rose is an awful main character. While all of these things, in some ways, are true, (Rose can be really dumb.) the book ends the series off on a high note. Rose cleans up her act a bit, there's plenty of suspense, and the ending is satisfying.

Crossed by Ally Condie

Verdict: Perplexing

Why: The cover makes the main character look like a total badass, and what's not to like about a girl standing up for herself against a controlling dystopian government for the sake of true love? In reality, it's nonsensical. The plot has seemingly nothing to do with how the previous book left off. Many new plot points were introduced but not explained well. (If they were explained.) It was boring and difficult to understand.