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Cover Stories: Living Dead Girl by Elizabeth Scott (+ a contest!)
Elizabeth Scott is an awesome author who writes heartfelt stories about first love and friendships and parental relationships (I've adored Bloom and the upcoming Something, Maybe, and can't wait to read the rest of her canon, which includes Stealing Heaven, Perfect You, and the upcoming Love You, Hate You, Miss You). Living Dead Girl is unlike most of her other work in that it's the story of a girl who was kidnapped at a young age and faces horrific abuse. It's not a G-rated tale, and the cover represents the novel's ominous feeling very well.
So I had to ask Elizabeth: How did the cover come about? Here she is:
"My editor at Simon Pulse always talks to me about the cover--the kind of look they're going for--and usually I see samples that they're thinking about using, which come from stock photos, or pictures that have already been taken. For LIVING DEAD GIRL, though, Simon Pulse had a photographer, Russell Gordon, take the pictures.
"The very first cover was just a dress, and I liked it, but worried that it wasn't going to be eye-catching enough. With so many books out there, it's really important to have a cover that pops visually and that will grab a potential readers' attention.
"The final cover was shot in Central Park, I believe (I know it was a park in Manhattan!) and Russell very patiently took about a million shots of different dresses on fall leaves. Oddly enough, the picture that ended up being chosen was one where Russell's leg had accidentally gotten into the shot, but as soon as I saw it, I *knew* it was the right one--it conveyed a sense of menace that the shots of just a dress didn't, and really did a great job of showing what the book is about--and all without words!"
MW interruption: I told Elizabeth that we love to see photos of previous covers, and she didn't have any, but she did say...
"I'm really sorry I don't have other images to share, so to make it up to your readers, how about you pick one commenter, and they can have a signed copy of any of my current books?"
Thanks, Elizabeth! You heard the generous lady. Comment below, sharing what you think about this cover, and you'll be entered to win a signed copy of any of Elizabeth's already released books. Sweet. (I'll announce a winner next Monday, 12/29.)
PS-I'm not going to be around much this week, so entertain yourself with this amazing post from Jocelyn of Teen Book Review fame. She waxes poetic about body image (and includes the Violet books--thanks, J!).
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Comments (80)
I've been wanting to read this book for soo long! And I love the cover and I love the story behind it with it coming out of an accidental shot. I think it does fit the mood and everytime I see it it grabs my attention and draws me in. The plot sounds amazing but the cover is what initially made me want to pick it up. Hope I win! haha
And have a great Christmas! :)
Posted by Britney | December 22, 2008 2:53 AM
I think this cover is amazingly emotive. The innocence of the white dress, the purity of the colour and the tiny, fragile flowers contrasting with the earthy tones of the autumn leaves. More than anything I can see how the blue jean leg makes a difference, it adds another focus to the picture. It is menacing, not just its presence but it's nudging beneath the hem line of the skirt which evokes some other not-so-nice thoughts. It's beautiful though and Elizabeth and Russell should be very proud of it.
I haven't heard of the author before know but I will be looking for her novels now.
Posted by Adele | December 22, 2008 3:33 AM
Oh...I absolutely love this cover. I think whats best with the cover is that it gives you an idea of what the story would be like.
I have heard so much about this book, please enter me...
Posted by violet | December 22, 2008 5:16 AM
I think this cover is just right for the book. It says "shattered innocence" to me. I haven't read the book, but I've heard a lot about it so please enter me.
Posted by Alessandra | December 22, 2008 6:42 AM
I adore this cover. It's extremely powerful.
Elizabeth Scott rocks. :-)
Posted by anilee | December 22, 2008 7:05 AM
The juxtaposition of all the elements certainly does make for a powerful image. I even think the leaves bring a punch - for me, they signify change and loss. Beautiful cover!
Posted by stacey @ book:thirty | December 22, 2008 8:18 AM
I first found out about this book because I was wondering through the bookstore and the cover caught my attention. The fall leaves were beautiful, but the cover seemed so sad with just a dress--no girl wearing it.
And I always wondered what was up with the jeans. Now I know.
I've read the book, and the cover goes well with it. It gives off the same disturbing, yet important and attention grabbing feel.
Posted by Shalonda | December 22, 2008 8:37 AM
Oh my gosh, you don't even know how much I love it that the final image used was a accident! You know, the accidents always turn out the be the best in the end! What a great story! I also love hearing that a photographer was brought in for this cover, that's what we need to see more of!
Posted by Alea | December 22, 2008 10:20 AM
i think the cover is great, though i didn't get a sense of menace, what i get is sadness, i always the leg is the young girl, looking back at her old, young self, which is gone like the autumn leaves. also i think the beautiful light and the bright autumn leaves colors are very arresting.
Posted by katayoun | December 22, 2008 10:23 AM
I think the cover is beautiful but a little bit menacing, which seems perfect for the storyline!
Posted by S. Krishna | December 22, 2008 10:27 AM
I love this cover! Everytime I've seen it, I've wanted to read it, strictly based on the cover and title. I know we shouldn't judge a book by it's cover, but like Elizabeth says, it's the cover that catches the reader first. This one is just great, and to know that the pant leg was accidental, but looks so "on purpose" is amusing! I would love to win a copy of this or any of her books.
shelcows AT gmail DOT com
Posted by Shelly Burns | December 22, 2008 10:50 AM
The cover is why I was first drawn to it. I have not read the book, so I don't know how it goes about the story, but I always liked the cover. The girl standing over it just completes it.
Posted by GirlwiththeBraids | December 22, 2008 11:18 AM
The cover is great and definitely creepy. Thanks for entering me.
Posted by Carol Evans | December 22, 2008 11:26 AM
That cover is beautiful, and it definitely caught my eye when I stopped by Borders yesterday. :]
Posted by Angie | December 22, 2008 11:32 AM
I've heard so much about this book. I want to try it out because I am in the mood to get scared! It's been awhile since I've read some scary, psychological stories.
Thanks for entering me!
Posted by Diana Dang | December 22, 2008 11:44 AM
I love your cover stories, Melissa. How cool to learn that this image was a mistake. It is simply perfect.
Posted by Linda | December 22, 2008 12:03 PM
I love Elizabeth Scott's books. I have one and read Living Dead Girl in the store actually. It gripped me and I couldn't put it down!!! I read the whole thing!
This cover story is really cool to hear, the cover is amazing and really fits into the story nicely.
Posted by poodle649 | December 22, 2008 12:15 PM
I love serendipitous events, especially when related to a book. :)
Posted by Amee | December 22, 2008 1:04 PM
I've been wanting to read this since a win it Wednesday. The cover is kind of hauntingly beautiful (if you know what the book is about).
Posted by Ink | December 22, 2008 2:12 PM
i find it a bit busy but well done thanks for the contest minsthins(at)optonline(dot)net
Posted by mindy | December 22, 2008 3:54 PM
I think that the leg touching the hem of the dress conveys a sense of looking down at events, connected & removed at the same time. From what I have read, victims of abuse can feel disconnected from events in this way. This is a beautiful and evocative cover.
Posted by Sara | December 22, 2008 4:05 PM
It's so cool that the photographer's leg accidentally got into the picture. I love the cover and I really enjoyed her books (the ones I've read so far!). I adore this cover, it really represents the story well.
Posted by Hillary | December 22, 2008 4:17 PM
I love how the leg seen was accidentally there... I am intrigued as to why a dress would be there in the middle of a park though. I would definitely want to read this book. I loved Perfect You and Stealing Heaven! =)
Posted by carmen alexis | December 22, 2008 4:40 PM
Truthfully...I find the cover VERY creepy..Even without the leg there, I am still scared. The leg there makes it spookier.
The leaves remind me of a time I took a black and white photo of fallen leaves in my school. It was beautiful. It tells me that if someone does not take the dress, it would blow with the leaves away to a place we don't know. The dress there is just...perfect. With the picture taken at that angle and at that place, the shadows make the dress very pure and innocent, but with a touch of dread. The leg there makes me think of someone suddenly stumbling upon what had happened to that girl...Like as if that someone needs to find out what happened to the girl, but just found a dress without anyone wearing it.
But with all of that said, I wondered whatever happened to don't judge a book by it's cover? O.O
Posted by Tara | December 22, 2008 5:14 PM
The cover is very memorable. The dark, rich colors contrast nicely with the white baby dress. Not only do the colors then mesh nicely, the empty baby dress adds an eerie sense of trepidation. This cover can be easily picked out in a crowd.
I would love to be entered to win a copy of Perfect You. I have yet to read it and it sounds great!
Posted by TheBookworm | December 22, 2008 5:18 PM
I love the cover of this book so much. The "leg" really adds to the whole menacing aspect, for sure. :)
Posted by Liv | December 22, 2008 6:11 PM
I think the cover is so pretty. My favorite season is autumn, so I think the falls are especially pretty. And I love how how detailed the cover is too. You can see little flowers on the dress. It's not just a plain dress.
Posted by Allyssa | December 22, 2008 7:11 PM
Elizabeth Scott sounds awesome.
That cover is frightening -mostly for the accidental leg in the shot.
Posted by Taren | December 22, 2008 7:14 PM
The cover is definitely eye catching and has this sense of mystery to it that just makes you want to find out what it's about. I first saw this book on the web and I wanted to read it write then, I didn't even know what it was about!
Kelsey
kels.m.17@gmail.com
Posted by Kelsey | December 22, 2008 8:03 PM
I think this book sounds good, and I think the cover fits the description well, and its intreguing! Thanks for entering me
Posted by amandasue | December 22, 2008 9:48 PM
I've been wondering about the leg in the picture since the first time I saw the cover. What a great cover to do Cover Stories for! I love the final picture- it is definitely something that stands out!
Posted by pepsivanilla | December 22, 2008 10:11 PM
The cover's great! If I never heard of this book, if I saw this cover in the bookstore, I'd definitely pick it up! Looks intriguing.
Posted by bunny | December 22, 2008 10:35 PM
I love the cover and the subject matter of this book. The cover draws you in and the book itself should keep you engrossed with what it's about.
Deidre
deidre_durance at hotmail dot com
Posted by Deidre | December 22, 2008 11:02 PM
The cover is simply amazing to me. It marches with the title perfectly and portrays the content very well too. When I see it, the first thing that I feel is emptiness. Everything of the scene is dead, the colour, the leaves, even the beautiful white dress looks so lost in contrast to its background. Somehow it tells the readers that the girl in this story has already lost her soul, and whoever in the jeans is looking at her remaining property with sympathy/sadness. Besides, the design of the dress indicates a little bit about the girl too: the colour stands for her innocence and the pattern shows how caring and lovely she is.
On the whole I love the book cover because it's so well-shot and also promises a deep and meaningful story inside.
Please enter me, I'm dying to read Elizabeth's stories. And of course, thank you for the great giveaway
Posted by Thao | December 23, 2008 12:18 AM
What a generous offer!
I have seen the cover on various sites, and the dress drew my eye. I have to confess that I didn't notice the leg in the picture until now, or at least I didn't consciously notice it. It does have a creepy feel.
akreese (at) hotmail (dot) com
Posted by Alyce | December 23, 2008 12:47 AM
I absolutely love this cover, and the story to go with it. It kind of portrays a sense of mystery to me which leaves me wanting to open the cover!
Have a lovely christmas
:)
xxx
Posted by Victoria | December 23, 2008 6:21 AM
The cover is very eye-catching and I like the effect that the leg has on the picture! I have been wanting to read this book for awhile!
Posted by Alicia | December 23, 2008 8:47 AM
I really like the cover, and I'm not just saying so. At first I thought the leg was a womans (haha) but then I read what Elizabeth said about the photographer, and I'm assuming he's a male. That's so funny how things work out like that. I think it's a book that I would pick up if at a book store because it looks really interesting and you can't really tell what it's about, maybe a little girl? It's also kind of scary because it's just a dress and a leg, haha. Can't wait to read it! xoxo
Posted by keight | December 23, 2008 10:18 AM
I really like the cover, and I'm not just saying so. At first I thought the leg was a womans (haha) but then I read what Elizabeth said about the photographer, and I'm assuming he's a male. That's so funny how things work out like that. I think it's a book that I would pick up if at a book store because it looks really interesting and you can't really tell what it's about, maybe a little girl? It's also kind of scary because it's just a dress and a leg, haha. Can't wait to read it! xoxo
Posted by keight | December 23, 2008 10:18 AM
What I like about the shot is that the dress is empty (like something is missing, yet you get the image of female), the leaves are dead (dead) and the jeans leg (living), subconscience....living dead girl..... Very effective, I like it and in fact I don't think your eye picks up right away on the jean leg it's more something your mind see's w/o mentioning.
Would love to win one of her books!
Good post!
Thanks
Darby
darbyscloset at yahoo dot com
Posted by Darby Lohrding | December 23, 2008 10:28 AM
What I like about the shot is that the dress is empty (like something is missing, yet you get the image of female), the leaves are dead (dead) and the jeans leg (living), subconscience....living dead girl..... Very effective, I like it and in fact I don't think your eye picks up right away on the jean leg it's more something your mind see's w/o mentioning.
Would love to win one of her books!
Good post!
Thanks
Darby
darbyscloset at yahoo dot com
Posted by Darby Lohrding | December 23, 2008 10:30 AM
I really like this cover it is amazingly powerful, with the white dress laying in the leaves and the person standing there in jeans.
Posted by Donna | December 23, 2008 11:40 AM
I really like this cover it is amazingly powerful, with the white dress laying in the leaves and the person standing there in jeans.
Posted by Donna | December 23, 2008 11:40 AM
I thought the pair of jeans was coming out really awkwardly from under the dress - now that I know the story I can see it's someone standing in them over the dress! I really liked the image now. It's suggestively creepy rather than overt.
Posted by Liviania | December 23, 2008 1:53 PM
I've always wondered about how covers are chosen so it was nice to read about how this one came about. And I agree with the others that is an excellent cover -- it has a nice balance between innocence and something more ominous.
vmlay@artsci.wustl.edu
Posted by Marie | December 23, 2008 2:41 PM
The cover is beautiful!
Posted by Hege | December 23, 2008 3:04 PM
I think it really is a perfect cover for the book because at first it does just look like a sweet dress on the leaves but then you see the leg in the jeans and realsie there's something more to it....
I love all these Cover Stories (and not just becasue I'm slightly obsessed with book covers ;))
Posted by BookSpot | December 23, 2008 4:56 PM
I love the cover! Happy Holidays!
Posted by Bridget | December 23, 2008 5:43 PM
It looks at once innocent and ominous - very chilling. Not to mention intriguing.
Thanks for this giveaway!
abookblogger at gmail dot com
Posted by callmeabookworm | December 23, 2008 6:27 PM
I read this book a couple of months ago and the feel of the cover does really convey the feeling of the book.
It was interesting to hear that the shot of the jean was an accident, it seemed to represent so much; possibly the older version of the girl, possibly the man overshadowing her.
A kickass cover for an amazing book.
Posted by Nikki | December 23, 2008 8:15 PM
I love that the accidental picture is what is being used for the final cover!
I took photography this last semester, so I totally understand the accidental picture turning out to be the perfect one for the situation!
~Meredith
Posted by Meredith F. | December 23, 2008 9:21 PM
I love these cover stories!! They're so interesting & cool! :)
I read Living Dead Girl and I'd have to agree with Nikki; the cover really does capture the mood and feeling of this novel!!
what a generous giveaway! please count me in! Ms. Scott's books are great!! :)
Posted by Dominique | December 23, 2008 10:14 PM
I love these cover stories! They're so interesting & cool!
I actually read Living Dead Girl and I'd have to agree with Nikki; the cover really captures the mood and feeling in this book!
please count me in for this generous giveaway! Ms. Scott's books are great & I'd love to read more of them!
thanks! :)
Dominique
Posted by Dominique | December 23, 2008 10:17 PM
oops, sorry for the double post! o.O
Posted by Dominique | December 23, 2008 10:19 PM
I like the cover. It feels threatening the way the leg is hovering over the empty dress, like something happened there. It's a post moment sort of thing.
Valorie
Posted by Valorie | December 23, 2008 10:32 PM
I keep seeing this book and it sounds good. The cover got my attention first and it made me want to know more. I love to find out details about the books and how they were made. It's so fascinating to hear how this cover came from a happy accident! Very clever and very smart. I can't wait to read this! Thanks for your contests and happy holidays!
Posted by Wrighty | December 24, 2008 1:39 AM
I keep seeing this book and it sounds good. The cover got my attention first and it made me want to know more. I love to find out details about the books and how they were made. It's so fascinating to hear how this cover came from a happy accident! Very clever and very smart. I can't wait to read this! Thanks for your contests and happy holidays!
Posted by Wrighty | December 24, 2008 1:43 AM
Oops! Didn't mean to post that again. Sorry about that.
Posted by Wrighty | December 24, 2008 1:48 AM
I love Elizabeth Scott's books, but I haven't read this one.
This cover really fits the story theme because it seems that the girl, now older, is finding her lost innocence in a forest.
Posted by Pretty | December 24, 2008 10:40 AM
Isnt it amazing how accidents usually end up making the biggest impact and helps everything work out
Posted by Candie L | December 24, 2008 10:20 PM
All of these answers are wonderful. I also enjoyed hearing the story behind the cover. I looked at the cover before reading the story description and the story of how you came up with the cover. The cover spoke of questions to me. Why is there a dress lying there? Did the person whose leg we see discover the dress? Is this a relative of the child whom this dress belongs? Is this the leg of someone searching? Is this someone who holds an evil knowledge of the reasons behind this dress being on the leaves? I pictured a chilly forest in New England. Way to go! Thank you for the chance!
Posted by Kelly B | December 24, 2008 11:50 PM
I love the cover!
Posted by Mona | December 25, 2008 10:38 AM
I have read part of Living Dead Girl and loved it. It is a very pulling tale and I would suggest it to all those 13 and up.
Posted by Tiffany Hunsinger | December 25, 2008 7:03 PM
I think the cover's amazing and it is indeed eye catching :)
Posted by Lis | December 26, 2008 11:58 PM
I think the cover is haunting yet innocent at the same time. It makes you want to read it.
Enter me, please. :)
Posted by Alivia | December 27, 2008 3:35 AM
I think the cover is both haunting and innocent. It makes you want to read it.
Enter me, please. :)
Posted by Alivia | December 27, 2008 3:36 AM
Sorry for the double post. O.o
Posted by Alivia | December 27, 2008 3:38 AM
The cover does catch your attention and it really goes with the content of the book. I would love to win her book Stealing Heaven!
Posted by Carol | December 27, 2008 11:41 PM
I love the cover with the dead leaves and the leg like someone's watching. Very cool look.
Posted by Lindsay | December 28, 2008 6:23 PM
The cover definitely catches the eye and once you read it, it becomes rather disturbing as well, but in just the right way. Absolutely loved that book, but months later and it still sticks with me.
Posted by Nancy | December 28, 2008 11:20 PM
I loved this book and probably the cover is what drew it to me from the start. I had never heard of it before I saw it in the bookstore. It's interesting to read about how the cover was chosen and cool to know that the leg belongs to the photographer. Definitely a graphic book, but it is the type of book that once you dive into it, there's no way you can put it down until the very end! Thanks for sharing Elizabeth and Melissa!
Posted by Stephanie Elliot | December 29, 2008 12:00 AM
I think it's a little eerie. If I didn't know what it was about, I don't think I would randomly pick it up to see. but, after reading what it is about, the cover does look better.
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