Cover Characteristic is a weekly meme hosted by Sugar & Snark.
The aim is to display 5 favourite covers within a theme or characteristic.
Share your favourite covers and remember to visit Sugar & Snark for more great covers!
This week’s characteristic: Ethnic Characters
I struggled to find five books easily within my virtual bookshelves. I mostly read YA, and YA books tend to be whitewashed so it’s difficult to pinpoint ethnic diversity. I also find it personally difficult to differentiate between skin colours. But I did find five covers!
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Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden
Magic Under Stone by Jaclyn Dolamore
Across the Universe by Beth Revis
Foxfir by Karen Kincy
My favourite cover ever with an ethnic character on it is :
Huntress by Malinda Lo
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Snow, weapon, and a bad-ass chick all on the one cover. I also love how simple the presentation is, with no flourishes. I’m in love!
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Which is your favourite of these five covers?

Tanya Patrice
I love that cover for Huntress! I like how the character is front and center as sometimes, the covers tend to be ambiguous.
Nemo
I love it, too! In fact, I bought this book way before I even read Ash and fell in love with Lo’s writing. I just haven’t had time to read it yet!
Alysia @My Little Pocketbooks
Across the Universe really? I couldn’t tell. But the others are amazing and I love them all.
Nemo
The people who live on the ship are all mixed-race. In this case Elder (the boy) is on the cover.
Miriam - Schitzo-Cookie
I love the cover for Across the Universe. Must read that series soon!
Nemo
It is a really lovely cover! I love the colours used. I love space books! That makes me sound derpy, but the possibilities for covers are always so glorious!
Wendy Darling (@MissWendyD)
Funny, the original MAGIC UNDER GLASS cover (the one right before MAGIC UNDER STONE) had a big controversy around it because of whitewashing, but I’m glad they fixed it for the sequel. I’m always pleased to see diversity represented on book covers, too–it’s disappointing when the publishers go the safe route.
I don’t like the cover for Brigid Kemmerer’s SECRET, for example (for many reasons, but mostly because the main relationship is between two boys and there’s a misdirect with a boy and girl on the cover), and another major book has whitewashing on the cover, too.
Wendy @ The Midnight Garden
Nemo
I remember the controversy, and like you I am also glad they fixed the issue. It’s hard to find diversity on covers because of them being so damned whitewashed.
Lu (@Sugar_and_Snark)
The cover of Huntress is amazing!
Thanks for joining in last week 🙂
Sugar & Snark
Nemo
Thanks for dropping by Lu!