Covers for McKinley’s Sunshine

Here is the chandelier cover referenced in the comments to the last post:

I like it okay, but to me it hardly has any more relevance to the story than the cup of blood:

Here is a YELLOW cover that mainly strikes me as YELLOW. It does not seem the least bit connected to the story. Sure, there’s a girl, but she could be anybody. Mostly it is just YELLOW.

Here is a haunted house that is related to the opening scene, but does not actually suit the story any better than the others:

Here is a remarkably monochrome cover:

Here is the one I think best expresses the story, though still it completely ignores the bakery and feeding-people-you-love aspects:

A variation on that theme:

I don’t know what scene I would choose to illustrate for the perfect Sunshine cover. I don’t really agree with all these cover artists that the book is truly horror — I think I would call it dark fantasy — so the haunted house covers and especially the cup of blood don’t fit. How would you combine baking with vampires? Tricky, which is I suppose why no one has yet attempted that combination.

Anyway, which cover do you like best as a cover for a horror novel, not necessarily Sunshine? And which do you think actually fits Sunshine, if any?

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5 thoughts on “Covers for McKinley’s <em>Sunshine</em>”

  1. I like the chandelier cover, despite it not relating much. And then the first one with the chained up girl.

    That yellow one does not read ‘sunshine’ to me at all. Did you notice the blood dripping from the N? Plus the curlicues and the sparkles, it’s just so off.

    I’d like to see a Death of Marat on there. That sounds perfect, Pete.

  2. Seeing the yellow one larger it certainly looks less fitting. And now I see the chandelier. couldn’t tell in the thumbnail. None of them are good.

    Pete’s suggestion, if they make the pastry look ‘right’ whatever that may be, is good.

  3. Rachel, agree on your choice of the best one, although I wish they could incorporate the cinnamon rolls. The baking kept me hooked and reading.

  4. Mona, no, I didn’t notice the blood dripping off the N on the yellow cover. Does not improve the cover.

    Pete’s idea is so obviously brilliant that I am astonished no artist has tried that yet. Clearly the Death of Merat would be a perfect cover element.

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