Redesign Reactions [1]: Anna and the French Kiss

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Welcome to Redesign Reactions, where we talk about books, covers, and what happens when new cover designs take over a series!

On this edition of Redesign Reactions, let’s talk about ANNA AND THE FRENCH KISS (+ companions) by Stephanie Perkins!

Just before the release of the last book in the series (ISLA AND THE HAPPILY EVER AFTER), the companion series that kicked off with ANNA AND THE FRENCH KISS got a major cover overhaul! For a long time, fans er… expressed their opinions about the cheesy covers and how they especially didn’t do justice to the words inside. I know before I read ANNA, I totally judged a book by its cover (IT HAPPENS. We can’t avoid that) so the redesign might be doing it a little more justice now! Let’s take a look at old and new and see what you think:

oldvnew

This redesign happened right before the third book came out. I know lots of people (me included) like to have their series with the same covers and in the same format so LUCKILY the publisher took notice and actually re-released ANNA and LOLA in hardcover with the new covers so people could now have matching series to include the new ISLA cover (well, original cover to this book, new design concept).

Personally, I’m not 100% sold on the redesign. I do like that they got rid of the cheesy cover models and setting. Everything looked very photoshopped together and nothing seemed to really fit well on the cover. I do like more about the redesign than I dislike. I love the colors schemes for these, LOVE the settings of the books in the background, and I like how each book/girl gets their own sort of symbol to represent them (heart, star, rose). What I’m not sold on? The font isn’t great. It didn’t have to be crazy typography or anything but it just felt a little TOO plain… but maybe I’m just being overly analytical! I like that the little symbols are there but I’m not a huge fan of their placement how simple they are as well (but then again, they wouldn’t really be able to be used as symbols/icons if they were extremely detailed).

So tell me! Which design do you like better? Take the poll below and let me know in the comments which you prefer and why! I’d love to hear your reactions!

[bctt tweet=”Which Anna and the French Kiss cover do you like better: Original or redesign? Take the poll at @bookaddictguide!” via=”no”]

 

Hi, I'm Brittany!
Hi, I'm Brittany!

I'm an avid reader, candle-maker, and audiobook lover! Here you'll find book reviews, fun blog posts, and my other loves of photography & craft beer!

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19 thoughts on “Redesign Reactions [1]: Anna and the French Kiss

  1. Alexa S.

    I love seeing the redesigned covers all together! They’ve got a lovely color scheme and I’m fond of the fact that each one has a different symbol on it 🙂

    Reply
  2. Erin @ The Hardcover Lover

    I was so glad to see the newer and prettier covers, but now I still have to buy the new covers so my books match. But it will definitely be worth it to have a matching series. I’ll probably keep my Anna and Lola with the older covers just because I don’t want to part with them.

    Reply
  3. Anne @ booksbakingandblogging

    I only really “discovered” the series after the cover redesign, but I think part of that might actually be because I just didn’t pay attention to it before, because of the cheesy covers. I’m the first one to admit that I do judge books by their covers sometimes, and those original covers are just … well, they do not at all convey how awesome the book is, let’s just put it that way! I only read Anna and the French Kiss two weeks ago (and loved it), but I’m not sure if I would’ve bought the book with the old cover… And I absolute adore the new covers, I just think they’re so PRETTY. I really like the simplicity of the font. 🙂

    Reply
  4. Ginger @ GReads!

    I hated the original covers for Anna & Lola, so I was VERY pleased when they came out with new designs. I think the new covers fit more with the stories inside, too. The original cover came across as a story that just skims the surface, without a whole lot of depth. And if you’ve read any of these books in the Anna series, you know there is TONS of depth!

    Reply
  5. Lauren @ Bookmark Lit

    I remember seeing ANNA around all over the place when it was released but hated the cover. I totally avoided the book and never even read the synopsis because it was so cheesy! lol
    I started book blogging right as everyone was starting the ISLA IS COMING readalong, I saw the cover redesigns (not to mention the extremely excited bloggers) and decided to read the books. I’m so SO glad this event existed because I absolutely loved all three books.. plus the event made me feel really welcome and tied to the community right off the bat 🙂
    I guess I got sappier than I intended with my response but YAY for ANNA and the others because I love it all <333

    Reply
  6. Genissa @ Story Diary

    Usually cover redesigns in the middle of a series would understandably be upsetting (especially trying to match the covers on your shelves), but I love the redesign for this one! Not big on the font on the new covers either, but I think the minimalism, the symbols for each, the colors and the city backdrop are great. 🙂

    Reply
  7. Kay @ It's a Book Life

    I really do love the redsigned covers in this instance. I wouldn’t have picked up the other books based on their old covers. I like the feel the new ones give and I love how each cover has the setting in the background. 🙂 I can’t base the covers on all the stories since I have only read Anna and the French Kiss so far, but I do think the new cover works for the story. The old cover just felt awkward to me.

    Reply
    1. Brittany Post author

      I REALLY like the settings in the background on these! I think it gives a better FEEL. Like that shot of the Eiffel Tower makes me yearn for Paris vs having it shadowy in the background on the old cover.
      Thanks for weighing in and chatting 😀

      Reply
  8. Emma @ Miss Print

    For ANNA I actually prefer the redesign–I never liked that you don’t see Etienne on the cover. On the other hand I love the Lola original because that IS Lola to me. But I also don’t totally love Anna, SO I have an original Lola and a redesigned Isla.

    Reply
    1. Brittany Post author

      I do wish we had seen St. Clair! I think maybe it seemed even weirder with the fact that you did see Cricket on the LOLA cover? And I agree with you about Lola! I did like seeing her on the cover. Her expression always made me feel weird though. Like deer in the headlights LOL!

      Reply
  9. Lily (chapterspageswords.blogspot.com)

    I agree with you, I am not 100% in love with the new covers but they are so much better than the older ones! The other ones were so cheesy and that was a shame because these books are awesome!
    At the same time as hating the old covers, I am still curious to know what Isla and the Happily Ever After would have looked like if they stuck to the old covers!
    Awesome post! This is such a cool idea!

    -Lily x

    Reply
    1. Brittany Post author

      OOOH that’s a really interesting question! I would have liked to see what Isla looked like, cheesy and all. I wonder if they ever had a cover concept for it before the redesign or if they were always redoing the covers for Isla and never even thought about it. Awesome point! Now I’m so curious…

      Reply
  10. Bree

    I like the cheesy old covers better. I like when publishers use cover models because I like to think they actually read the book and are choosing the characters likeness.

    Reply
    1. Brittany Post author

      I do like when the cover models actually look like the characters! I love seeing things specifically from the book on the covers 🙂 I really felt like Lola gave me a good feel of Lola (and Cricket) but I always hated that St. Clair was cut off! It seemed like some weird placing. I think I wouldn’t have minded cover models but the placement was weird for me.
      Thanks so much for weighing in & chatting! 🙂

      Reply
  11. Kelsey

    I actually really like the redesign! They’re simple and cute. I have Anna on my shelf and eventually will get the others, it looks great on my shelf 🙂

    Reply
    1. Brittany Post author

      I definitely do like the redesign more! I just got Anna and Lola in the new covers and I love the way all three look together! 🙂

      Reply
  12. Maggie @ Just a Couple More Pages

    I think the redesign here is so much better than the original. I didn’t read Anna and the French Kiss for a long time because the cover was so cheesy and it just felt really dated. Obviously trends change but I think it was really smart for the publisher to do a redesign before Isla released, especially because Isla came out so long after the other two.

    Reply
    1. Brittany Post author

      I agree with you — the original cover was so cheesy! I remember thinking that before reading it and being like, “Are you guys SURE this is a good book?” Sadly we do judge books by their covers!!

      Reply

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