Project 17 by Laurie Faria Stolarz
Hardcover
PaperbackAmazon.com:
High atop Hathorne Hill, near Boston, sits Danvers State Hospital. Built in 1878 and closed in 1992, this abandoned mental institution is rumored to be the birthplace of the lobotomy. Locals have long believed the place to be haunted. They tell stories about the unmarked graves in the back, of the cold spots felt throughout the underground tunnels, and of the treasures found inside: patients' personal items like journals, hair combs, and bars of soap, or even their old medical records, left behind by the state for trespassers to view.
On the eve of the hospital's demolition, six teens break in to spend the night and film a movie about their adventures. For Derik, it's an opportunity to win a filmmaking contest and save himself from a future of flipping burgers at his parents' diner. For the others, it's a chance to be on TV, or a night with no parents. But what starts as a playful dare quickly escalates into a frenzy of nightmarish action. Behind the crumbling walls, down every dark passageway, and in each deserted room, they will unravel the mysteries of those who once lived there and the spirits who still might.
I'm not really sure about either of these. At first glance I like the paperback more because it's refined. I'm not sure if either really fit the description for me. The hardcover makes me think rehab and the paperback, teen spies. I'm not sure if either is really as spooky as the description sounds.
Hardcover or Paperback?
At very first glance, I thought I liked the paperback. Partially because I thought that the male looked a little like a young Jenson Ackles (from Supernatural). But then I decided he didn't.
ReplyDeleteWhat I like about the hardcover is the building looks like it might be very old, and even had a little bit of an institutional feel. Though I didn't care for the blurry image.
I haven't read the book, but at first glance I like the paperback, but then you take a second look at the hardcover. I'm really not sure which I like more, probably the paperback - the blur on the hardcover was too distracting.
ReplyDeleteI don't like either of them :( **sigh**
ReplyDeleteAfter reading the description, I like the hardback better, but neither one of them is great.
ReplyDeleteI prefer the hardcover.
ReplyDeleteThe hard cover is a bit spookier, but I don't really like it. The paperback looks like a Hardy Boys mystery! So I guess I don't like either.
ReplyDeleteHARDCOVER all the way. It totally fits the story. I read Project 17 and seriously it's one of the creepiest YA book I've read. It was so scary I had to turn on all the lights when I read it. And the book takes place in an abandoned mental hospital and that blurry image is a ghost. Oh and FYI, the abandoned mental hospital is a REAL place! You can totally google it lol.
ReplyDeleteIt's a great cover IMO. Fits the story perfectly.
I like the paperback one on first glance, but I can see what you mean about the covers not really conveying the book's description.
ReplyDeleteHmm, I don't think I like either, unfortunately. The first one reminds me of aliens (a la The Sixth Sense), whereas the third one looks a little too Spy Kids for me. Neither one of them captures the essence of this book, as far as I can gather from reading the synopsis.
ReplyDeleteThe paperback would attract me to the book more than the hardcover would. But I'm not sure which one really goes with the story more.
ReplyDelete-Briana
I think the paperback best fits the description and it's prettier than the hardcover. It reminds me of old Nancy Drew covers. She is often slightly crouched or bent in the knees with a flashlight. :P
ReplyDeleteThe paperback is terrible! Those models don't even look like teens to me. They look like they're breaking in to steal a fortune Ocean's 11 style.
ReplyDeleteThe description makes the story sound terrifying, which I hope it is, and therefore I really like the hardback photo. I'm not sure how I feel about the bright colors of the text, but I do like the placement.
Paperback. The hardcover is weird. I don't like the colors or the blurriness.
ReplyDeleteQuoted: "J.T. Oldfield said...
ReplyDeleteAt very first glance, I thought I liked the paperback. Partially because I thought that the male looked a little like a young Jenson Ackles (from Supernatural)."
ME TOO!
But I do like the paperback better. Love the color and the people. :)