Tuesday, December 29, 2009

Hardcover vs Paperback 61

Watch Me (formerly Reality Chick) by Lauren Barnholdt

Reality Chick paperback

Watch Me paperback

Amazon.com (Reality Chick):

All-hour study fests . . . all-night parties . . .

Going away to college means total independence and freedom. Unless of course your freshman year is taped and televised for all the world to watch. On uncensored cable.

Sweet and normal Ally Cavanaugh is one of five freshpeople shacking up on In the House, a reality show filmed on her college campus. (As if school isn't panic-inducing enough!) The cameras stalk her like paparazzi, but they also capture the fun that is new friends, old crushes, and learning to live on your own. Sure, the camera adds ten pounds, but with the freshman fifteen a given anyway, who cares? Ally's got bigger issues -- like how her long-distance bf can watch her loopy late-night "episode" with a certain housemate. . . .

Freshman year on film.

It's outrageous.

It's juicy.

And like all good reality TV,

it's impossible to turn off.

This was an interesting change, from Reality Chick to Watch Me. I feel like the new title takes it in a more serious and less fun and flirty direction almost into peeping tom territory. I can see wanting to get away from the word "reality" and the idea of a camera though, I'm sure I'm not the only one that's sick of a lot of the reality tv out there and things with that label can be a turn off. I think the new cover will fit in well with the current covers currently being seen in young adult literature so I think it will help find the book a new audience.

Have you spotted a Hardcover vs. Paperback you would like to contribute? Send me an email!

16 comments:

  1. I think you're right - that's a huge difference in covers and they convey such different moods. I think I like the second one better for that reason.

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  2. The second cover definitely looks better. I would definitely have picked up the second cover if I had seen it in the book stall

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  3. I don't like either of them, but if I had to pick, I'd go with the second one. The reality TV wave should reach the beach and die already.

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  4. I agree with Shweta, the second one is definitely something I would pick up whereas the first one, I probably wouldn't even look twice at! I know they say don't judge books by their covers, but sometimes the cover is the perfect witness to whats on the inside!

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  5. I love how no one likes the first cover whereas I still adore it! I do really like the second cover too, but am kinda more of a fan of the first cover. Which is good since that's the cover I own. I'll probably buy the new cover though anyway to support Lauren- she's such a great author!

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  6. I like the paperback better!

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  7. I love the new cover and title! The title Reality Chick (to me) is a little of a turn off. But "Watch Me" is so much more intriguing. I read Reality Chick and loved it. Now I wish I had the new cover instead of the old one.

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  8. O.o I didn't even know they were the same book. I've believed for a very long time that Watch me was a new book :(

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  9. Wait, REALLY? These two are the same book?? I had no idea... I read it in the original cover form, which I liked. The new cover gives a darker feel to it, which I'm not sure the story merits. But we'll see. It does match the covers to her other, soon-to-be-published books now, though.

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  10. I don't like it when a book is re-released with a different cover, much less a different title. They seem like completely different books. But I like the second one better!

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  11. I like the second cover more. There is such a big difference between them! But... I think the second cover captures that new look that many publishers are going for now.

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  12. The original cover looks...old. xD Like you can tell it was released a while ago, and the new one conveys a much more serious mood/tone/whatever. Second one!

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  13. The first title and the paperback cover would be the perfect combination for me, heh! Thanks for letting me know about this one, it sounds really interesting and I'm adding it to my list! Agreed with the title change, the second one sounds rather serious and I like the pun in the first one, which sounds like a fun title. I'll have to read the book to find out which fits better. :)

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  14. I think I like the paperback better. I like the cover and the the title-the other one feels dated, which is weird, because it's not that old!

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  15. Hey guys! They are actually both paperbacks (as far as I'm aware) but I think it's safe to assume those that respond paperback mean the second one right?

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  16. I never knew Watch Me was Reality Chick. Thought it was a different story. I like the second one better, looks deeper.

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