Ivy by Julie Hearn

I picked up this edition of Julie Hearn's Ivy for two reasons: 1) I'd read Hearn's The Minister's Daughter and really enjoyed it, and 2) the British cover (pictured left) is the exact reverse of the cover of Tantalize by Cynthia Leitich Smith. There is a new cover for the US release of Ivy, due out June 17, 2008, which is equally stunning. I wish I could say the story is as good as the cover(s).

The Minister's Daughter is a wicked good tale, full of witchery, fairies, midwives, and a stern Puritan household. I expected more of the same from Ivy but the style of this book is just about as different as can be. I'm thinking Lemony Snicket; while it's probably more believable than TMD in the long run, it's definitely filled with over-the-top Cockney accented characters subsisting by their wits,which aren't exactly overflowing. Ivy is a sympathetic character, of course; introduced at age 5, we follow her as she "escapes" from school and is basically abducted by a thief with the intention of using her to entrap unsuspecting children from whom their clothes will be stolen. Ivy eventually ends up back with her "family" but she's become addicted to laudunum; however, as she grows, it's very evident that her beauty cannot be denied. Spied by Oscar Frosdick (how's that for a name?), he immediately identifies her as his muse for painting, his "stunner". The events that follow and Ivy's experiences as a model fill roughly the last 2/3 of the book.

I'll admit the story picked up nearly 3/4 of the way in, but til that point, I seriously considered wallbanging this one. It's just so...well, so unexpectedly goofy, so over-the-top (which is how I kept feeling as I read), so filled with unlikeable people and places that I wasn't enjoying it. Hearn's writing is nicely done, but the characterization in this novel is lacking so severely that I wasn't intrigued until Ivy is very nearly dead. I'm not sure why I pushed myself through this one, other than I really, really enjoyed The Minister's Daughter and kept waiting for this one to improve. And while it did, indeed, improve, it's nowhere near the caliber of TMD in tone, characterization, or even good ole storytelling. I ended up liking Ivy (both the book and the character) for the last 1/4 of the story, but that's a long, long way to go to decide a book's worth reading. Hopefully Hearn's next book will be more in the spirit of TMD.

Still love the covers, though. That's something.

No amazon review this time. It's still unavailable stateside so I'll have to wait to post my rather disappointing review.

~taminator40

Covers

Thanks to Sarah J., who shared her website with me a few weeks ago: Reusable Cover Art! It's funny to see how the same covers keep showing up. I first noticed this when I saw the covers for Tantalize by Cynthia Leitich Smith and Ivy by Julie Hearn but apparently this is more than a passing fancy in the publishing industry. Check out the website at http://www.libraryjobpostings.org/reusable-covers.htm.


~taminator40

Notice anything?

I recently read (but didn't especially care for) Cynthia Letitch Smith's Tantalize, but I did think it had a beautiful cover. I even thought that if the girl on the cover was a real person, she's just gorgeous. And then I didn't give it much thought until I heard that Julie Hearn (The Minister's Daughter, which I loved) has a new novel, Ivy, coming out. So I dutifully headed to Amazon and guess what I found?

Notice anything? Since there are used copies of Ivy available now through Amazon Marketplace, my assumption is that it was first published in the UK using basically the same cover (right down to the wisps of hair). I could've pre-ordered the version that's soon to be available here in the US, but I just couldn't pass up the opportunity to examine the cover that is a mirror-image of Tantalize. I ordered Ivy and am anxiously awaiting its delivery.

I am sure someone out there will have a good reason for duplicating the cover, and I know Elizabeth Chadwick has seen some of her covers appear on other books in different countries. I'm curious that two books aimed at young adults should use the same cover in so close a time period, though. Hopefully someone will be able to give me a heads up.

BTW, if you are curious, here is the cover that is being marketed on Amazon's pre-order:

It's definitely eye-catching as well!

~taminator40

The Ugliest Cover

I came across this cover for the wonderful book Twilight by Stephenie Meyer while on goodbooks a little while ago. It's truly horrific! I swear when I first glanced at it (it was even smaller originally), I sorta thought the lockers were actually an extension of Bella's stomach. Try it. Just glance at the cover out of the corner of your eye. I bet you'll see it, too.

Not sure where/when this cover was issued, but let's hope it never sees the light of day in a bookstore again. It truly disservices the book. Not only does Bella look like one of those little claymation figures from the 60s, it makes the whole saga seem unreal because she looks unreal. I much, much prefer the cover of the copy I have.

This version seems to lend an air of mystery to the book, and the bright red just jumps off the black and white background, much as blood would do. When I look at these two polar opposite covers, I cannot imagine that they are even about the same book. I wonder if others see this the same way I do.

~taminator40