The cameo-style silhouettes on the cover of Lauren Baratz-Logsted's latest young adult novel, The Twin's Daughter, caught my eye immediately. Between the red ombre coloring, the striking profiles and that interesting drop of blood that serves as an apostrophe, I had to find out the story behind the image.
Here's Lauren to share it:
"I had zero ideas, and that's unusual for me. Usually when it comes time to create the cover I have plenty of ideas of what my dream cover would involve but for The Twin's Daughter, perhaps because the story is so complex and large in scope, I had zero.
"My publisher did not ask for input before beginning work, but once they started coming up with covers—and there must have been over 20 iterations before the final cover was settled upon—my opinion was solicited every step of the way. The cover at left is the one that was on the Advanced Reader Copies of the book (and it changed a lot!).
"Once we got into the process, there wasn't a thing that I suggested or asked for—like a tweaking of the inside flap copy—that wasn't implemented. I am very grateful for that.
"When I saw the final cover I was totally in love. Those twin silhouettes, that rich ruby-red grapefuit color—I wanted to eat it. It also reminded me of the color of a really expensive adult beverage so I guess I wanted to drink it too. And then there's the whole duality of the double image—the twins and the knife coming down between them. I can't imagine a more gorgeous cover for this book.
"I honestly have no idea how they created this stunning image. I'm only glad they did. The flap says 'Jacket art and design by Danielle Delaney,' however, so I think we should give credit where credit is do. Thank you, Danielle Delaney!
"In terms of how the cover relates to the story, The Twin's Daughter is set in Victorian England and is about a teenage girl who discovers that her wealthy society mother has an identical twin who was raised in the poorhouse. In addition to suspense and romance, the book also contains a mystery about a violent crime involving a knife. So from the Victorian twins on the cover to the knife dividing them to the ruby-red tone evocative of blood to the single drop of blood forming the apostrophe in the word Twin's to the very idea of what a person is witnessing having more than one meaning—I don't see how the cover could better represent the story contained within.
"One thing I didn't notice at first glance? What the book looks like naked with its jacket off. When you remove the jacket it has a very simple old-fashioned look to it: it's solid black except for the spine on which my last name, a cameo of the head of one of the twins, the title and the publisher's name all appear in a rich red satin—perfect."
Thanks, Lauren! I do think this has a rich, intriguing air to it. What do you other readers think of this cover?
Melissa Walker is the author of four Young Adult novels, including the Violet trilogy and Lovestruck Summer. She is co-creator of the popular teen newsletter I Heart Daily and the new awkward-stage blog Before You Were Hot. Her author blog, where Cover Stories originated, is melissacwalker.com.
