Right now I’m reading Falls the Shadow by Stefanie Gaither and I’m honestly really freaked out by the cover. The first time I saw it I somehow missed the creepy shadowed face but oh, how it haunts me now. I find myself flipping it over so I don’t have to look at it. *shudders*
Also, have you seen the cover for Shutter by Courtney Alameda? I thought about requesting it but I’m too creeped by the cover. I really think I’d prefer to read the e-book of that particular one because I’m not sure I want that face (?) around my house.
I wonder- do you have a problem buying a book if the cover scares you? Do you hide books or flip them over while you’re reading? And I’ve got to know, what cover has scared you the most?
Yep, I totally get where you’re coming from. I’d never buy a book with such a scary cover. I hate horror (movies and books) and I never even watch a movie trailer with such a scary poster if I can help it. I’ve systematically stopped watching horror movies and reading horror books because I get nightmares (I’m 27 so it’s really not a grow-out-of-it thing). I know it’s sometimes good to get out of your comfort zone a little, but horror is something I tend to avoid – always!
I finished Falls the Shadow and it wasn’t even scary! Just that darn cover. I was expecting to be freaked out to some degree.
I am a huge fan of creepy covers! I think a lot goes in to them. The only time I don’t like them is when I see them at night and they scare the crap out of me! :’)
Steven King books have a tendency to creep me out!
Thanks for sharing!
Alex @ The Shelf Diaries
I agree that it takes skill to make a successfully creepy cover. And totally agree about Steven King books. the cover of It especially.
Ooh…Shutter looks so creepy! I usually don’t have a problem with scary book covers, but that might be because I tend to not look at them for very long. I just move straight to the story inside!
The Fury hardcover freaks me out a bit! https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16075923-the-fury
Shutter’s cover freaks me so much!! I am so curious about the story. I love the summary. And the cover to The Fury *shudders*
Miss Peregrine’s Home For Peculiar Children was one that scared me a little. It was pretty creepy to me the first time I saw it but now I think it’s kind of neat! The covers you have above are so cleverly designed! They’re definitely scary but you just can’t help but look at them 🙂
Miss Peregrine’s Home totally freaks me out too though I love it at the same time. It’s the type of freaky I want to continue to stare at.
Okay, so not scary quite, and I try not to let covers bother me, but I have one exception. I still haven’t picked up Bossypants by Tina Fey because I can’t get past the disturbing cover.
I know I’ll love it. I know the cover is just a cover. But for some reason, that book has gotten pushed further back on my to-read list…
That book was popular enough that I also saw the cover a ton, unlike other less well-known books.
I’m too scared to go and look that one up! Just the title and my imagination has freaked me out.
I don’t have a problem at all. I simply won’t buy a book with a cover that creeps me out. These two book examples you given would never find their way on my shelf.
Still, I don’t know if that is necessarily a good thing. For instance, I just got finished watching the BBC series Merlin on Netflix. I had seen the DVD years ago in the library, but I never borrowed it, even though I love the legend of King Arthur. Why? Merlin’s glowing eyes on the DVD cover totally creeped me out.
I am not quite sure why I gave it a chance on Netflix. Maybe the great rating from viewers. Anyway, a show I had shied away from for years because of the picture turned out to be a show I absolutely love. So, even though I do, I shouldn’t judge a book by its cover.
I totally relate! I have put stuff off from the cover for sure. Netflix and e-books does make it easier. I’ve not seen that Merlin but now I want too 🙂
The cover to Shutter creeps me the hell out! I’ll still get it and read it, but you can be sure I’ll be getting the ebook version so I don’t have to have that cover staring at me.
Yep! E-book for me too. I am SO curious to read it though.
I am not a fan of horror or creepy books or their covers. You will never find any of these on my shelves. I cringe every time my boys bring home a Goosebumps book, lol! However, some books have creepy elements without the creepy cover, like Mortal Danger. While I was reading it, I made sure I didn’t fall asleep with it in my bed and always put it away in my closet… that’s where creepy books go to live, in my closet; unless its the Shining, that one is living in a box, inside another box, in my garage 😉
hahahah! I loved your response. In a box, in the closet…too accurate. I don’t even own that one. And yes, MD had some really really creepy parts. Those were my favorite aspects oddly enough though.
I love books that scare the pants off of me and make me look under the bed and double check the door locks 15 times. The cover of Shutter actually made me go over and it to my Kindle Wish List. I guess that means I like covers that scare me. 🙂 Great post!
That’s actually awesome! I love that you are drawn to the creepy covers 🙂
The cover for Shutter is horrifying, I can handle some creepy covers but some covers are just way to scary. I think the scariest cover I have is Welcome to The Dark House. The book gave my the creeps after I finished it. So I think I have less of a fear in the covers but more so the endings. If there is no explanation at the end then I feel more haunted by the book. Awesome topic 🙂
Oh yes, a cover that was mildly freaky but has a scary story within is even more powerful! Falls the Shadow didn’t end up being scary at all so I’m not as bothered now that I know. But that screaming shadow still unsettles me.
I totally get where you’re coming from! I CAN’T buy a book when the cover scares me. Heck, I probably won’t even pick it up in the first place. Falls the Shadow actually isn’t too bad for me (though I don’t want to think about how such an image came too be in too much detail). Shutter, however. . . I scrolled past it pretty fast lol. It’s really creepy!!
I’m sort of attracted to creepy covers, but at the same time I think I would cover the one from Shutter after reading, haha.
Usually they don’t bother me that much, BUT that Shutter cover?? Ummm, way too creepy for.me. I’m not sure if I would even want that on my shelf hahaha.
I definitely didn’t request Shuttered for exactly that reason! I also didn’t notice the second face in Falls the Shadow but I think I’m more intrigued than creeped out hehe. In general though, if a cover scares me there is no way I’m going to read it since I don’t like horror!
I love love love scary book covers, hih 😀 And these look awesome. <3 But I also agree a little with you. And omg. Shutter. I downloaded it via Netgalley. Excited about it 😀 Thank you for sharing Kristen. <3
I saw Shutter pop up on NG and I immediately said NOPENOPENOPE. I like scary reads, but when the outside of the book is already that scary, there’s a very good chance I’m going to have nightmares, and I already don’t sleep well as it is. 😛
I also do exactly what you do, and if a cover is creepy I always place it cover down to not have to see it all the time, even less at night after switching off the light!
That cover for Shutter is super creepy! Wow! The cover for Unwind by Neal Shusterman really creeps me out… and its premise… so I think I’ll have to pass.
Are the stories just as creepy? I can’t wait to dive back into a book that really creeps me out of my skin.
I’m weird as in I love creepy covers. But I’ve always been a huge fan of horror. I think Long Lankin has a really creepy cover. If you look closely, you’ll see a figure off to the left. So scary! Great post!