Cover Stories: Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver

Lauren Oliver's Before I Fall is one of my favorite books that I've read in 2010--I really loved the voice. Street Team member Sarah described the book as "Groundhog Day meets Mean Girls," and I think that's spot on (read Sarah's review here to learn more about the book).

We're here, of course, to learn about the cover! What else? Here's Lauren:

"You know what? I really didn't have an idea for the cover. I am probably the least visual person in the world, weirdly enough. When I have to memorize phone numbers, for example, I memorize the sound of them. I just realized this recently. I have essentially the opposite of a photographic memory, and again, almost no visual sense. Maybe that's why I almost failed Photo 1 in high school.

"My publisher didn't ask for input, but I trusted them completely. HarperTeen is renowned for doing gorgeous covers; I want to eat all of their books. There is nothing an author likes better than a book that will sell by virtue of the cover alone, regardless of the quality of the text itself! It's a huge relief.

"When I first saw my cover, I was stunned. I thought it was breathtaking, literally.

"Originally we felt the cover was too summery; the grass was too green, the flowers too vivid. My book takes place in February and has a kind of bleakness to it, so it just felt too cheerful.

"The art department took that note to heart..."

Read the rest of Lauren's Cover Story at melissacwalker.com.