24th July 2025 

Never Judge A Book By Its Cover - Or Should You?

I think this is a very interesting topic for discussion. I think we have all universally heard the saying 'never judge a book by its cover', or at least something along those lines. Very often, it is concerning people and ensuring we get to know someone before we make a split-second decision on what they are like as a person, and most of the time I think it is a good rule of thumb.

However, does this change when we start talking about books? - Personally, I would say yes. I am often guilty of buying a book because it has a pretty cover, even when I have very little knowledge of the book's contents. Is this an issue...? Probably, but I will deal with that at a later date when I discuss book-buying habits.

New special editions of books are always being released with new features such as book art, exclusive book covers and bonus scenes. Which, for book lovers, tend to be must-buys that make for the perfect additions to their bookshelves. And I am very much on the same page (pun most definitely intended!) I have my own little collection of special edition books which sit in pride of place on my bookshelf.

I think it should also be noted, though, that these pretty book covers can become a bit of an issue, especially when it comes to these deceptively cute cartoon covers, which could easily be mistaken for a young adult book. This has happened quite a few times in recent years, where it has been noted on news networks that school libraries and stores have misplaced adult [explicitly 18+ books] into the young adult or children's sections. This is naturally very concerning, especially where these books do contain very mature themes and triggering topics which are not suitable for those under the age of 18. 

I do believe that a lot of authors make it apparent who their target audience is when it comes to their books, and perhaps stores and libraries should be more informed of exactly where these books should be appropriately placed.