Sunday, November 26, 2017

Shelf Candy Saturday No. 232: The Same Deep Water, by Lisa Swallow



Welcome to Shelf Candy Saturday!


***Late Edition***
This is my weekly feature
showcasing beautiful covers!
It also provides information, 
if available, on their 
very talented creators!



Here's my choice for this week!


The Same Deep Water
Lisa Swallow
Trade Paperback, 246 pages
CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
August 21 , 2015
   Contemporary Romance,
New Adult Fiction 


https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26565893-the-same-deep-water




My Thoughts About This Cover

Enigmatic. Mysterious. Unsettling. Haunting. Amazing. Gorgeous. These are the first words that came to mind when I first saw this cover. The image presented here is an unusually vivid one, and it has a very immediate visual impact on the viewer. This is one of those covers that is inherently unforgettable.

Those eyes.....they are so full of a nearly fathomless inner pain.... I can't stare at them for very long, for fear that the sheer depth of this young woman's deeply felt sorrow will somehow flow into me. This is, however, a brilliant way to convey what this novel is all about, for the female protagonist is contemplating suicide. You can see her determination to end it all, too, because she just can't take the pain and sorrow anymore. 

Her hair flows as if in water, nearly covering her face. I do think that perhaps she's already in the water, and has stopped breathing....The colors are symbolic, as well. I feel that the red represents life, and the blue and deep purple, death. So she's floating between life and death, but is drifting inexorably toward death.

It's truly amazing how an image can convey meaning without words. Despair, frustration, a longing for peace, they're all there in this very powerful cover. 

The title is enigmatic, as well, but a reading of the synopsis will inform the reader that another character in the novel, who is also in deep inner pain, steps outside of his own torment to reach out and pull this girl back to life. They're both in deep water, metaphorically speaking. 

I like the font used for the title, too, as it evokes the undulating waves of the sea. Also, the fact that it's white, and placed against a dark-colored background, makes it stand out all the more. 

The creator of this great cover is a graphic designer by the name of Najla Qamber. Unfortunately, I was unable to find any biographical information about her, but I have the link to her website, which includes a book cover portfolio. I also have links to her social media pages.

Yet another name for my favorite book cover artists list!!
  



Online Links



What do you think of 
this week's cover?
Please leave a comment
and let me know!








2 comments:

  1. I agree that this is a brilliant cover. I also agree with everything that you wrote about it. It is interesting that when I first looked at it, my eyes were almost automatically fixed on the upper right corner, which gives the impression of being bright. Then my eyes were drawn diagonally leftward and downward to what seems like a burst and mix of interesting colors. I wonder if the artist intended the observer to respond like this.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi, Brian!

      Oh, DEFINITELY! And it's SO intense, too! I don't think I've ever come across a cover this intense before.

      I'm glad yo agree with everything I wrote! :)

      Your analysis of the viewer's eye being led from the upper right corner, and then diagonally downward, is spot on! Although I didn't mention this in the post, that was exactly how my own eyes took in the cover. So yes, I do think that the artist intended for this to happen. And I think it's mostly because of the girl's eyes. Looking at them makes the viewer uncomfortable, so one will naturally shift one's own eyes away. But it's interesting that we viewers shift toward the left, and down.

      All in all, this is a most effective cover! I don't think everyone would like it, though.

      Thanks for your very thoughtful analysis! Hope you're having a nice Sunday!! <3 :)

      Delete

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