Friday Face Off is a meme created by Books by Proxy, now hosted by Lynn’s Books.
The idea is that you find different covers of the same book, dump them all into a gladiatorial pit, and see which comes out on top (Lynn’s explanation sounds much more professional). And since this week’s theme is “horror” I thought it’d be the perfect time to join in!
I wasn’t sure whether “horror cover” meant a horror novel cover or a horrific cover, but I went with the former interpretation.
And I chose Josh Malerman’s Bird Box because the Netflix adaptation is slated to drop before the end of the year. A few days before Christmas, to be exact. Because nothing says “holiday bonding” like watching a film about people turning crazy and murdering their friends and families.
Ecco Edition ; Turkish Edition ; Hungarian Edition
These three are all slight variations of the same thing. White typeface, grunge wood background, two birds. Well, I like grunge. And I like birds. And I very much dig the claustrophobic look of it all.
Thai Edition ; Ecco Reprint (paperback)
I dislike these ones for different reasons. The Thailand one just looks…strange. Blurry typography isn’t my favourite thing and I have no idea what anything on the cover has to do with the story. And I think Eco Reprint gives the wrong impression that the book is a slasher horror or a domestic thriller.
Harper Voyager UK
More grunge! And our blindfolded protagonist! And overall, it’s…okay, I guess?
Bulgarian Edition ; Special Limited Edition
I love the surrealism of both of these but the Special Edition is hands-down my favourite (and I’m super tempted to nab a copy).
I love everything about it. The blindfold grading into the river, the tree roots taking the place of Malorie’s hair, and the fact that it adds colour while still keeping that muted, gloomy look. It teeters between harsh and beautiful which, in my opinion, represents the story to a T.
Also, it’s a wraparound cover and the whole thing is just so brilliantly constructed: 
Swoon <3
