By
Sarah J. Maas
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Hello, everyone! So, I am super, super, SUPER excited to announce that Pub Crawl is taking part of the official cover reveal for THESE BROKEN STARS! It’s an amazing, amaaaazing YA sci-fi co-written by Meagan Spooner and our very own Amie Kaufman, and will be out December 10th from Disney*Hyperion.
Confession: I’m a little obsessed with this book. I had the pleasure of reading two earlier drafts of it, and both times, I fell completely head-over-heels in love with the characters (especially Tarver! Yum.), the intricate and epic world, and just the overall brilliance, intensity, and magic of the story. Having gone from reading a very early draft while sitting in the waiting room at a doctor’s office (one of the few times I DIDN’T mind an endless wait!) to biting my nails while it was on submission to cheering when the book sold at auction, I’m a *little* emotional to be a part of the cover reveal for this wonderful book.
Because I’m fairly certain nobody wants to read a ten-page post full of my blubbering and celebrating and shouting about my extreme love for Tarver, I’m just going to cut right to the good stuff: the cover reveal AND a giveaway of an ARC! (Fill out the form below to enter, US & Canada only!) ALSO: Be sure to check back later for an exclusive interview with cover designer Whitney Manger!
Annnd without any further delay, here it is!
Title: These Broken Stars
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Genre: Young Adult Science Fiction
Release Date: December 10, 2013
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Synopsis:
It’s a night like any other on board the Icarus. Then, catastrophe strikes: the massive luxury spaceliner is yanked out of hyperspace and plummets into the nearest planet. Lilac LaRoux and Tarver Merendsen survive. And they seem to be alone.
Lilac is the daughter of the richest man in the universe. Tarver comes from nothing, a young war hero who learned long ago that girls like Lilac are more trouble than they’re worth. But with only each other to rely on, Lilac and Tarver must work together, making a tortuous journey across the eerie, deserted terrain to seek help. Then, against all odds, Lilac and Tarver find a strange blessing in the tragedy that has thrown them into each other’s arms. Without the hope of a future together in their own world, they begin to wonder—would they be better off staying here forever?
Everything changes when they uncover the truth behind the chilling whispers that haunt their every step. Lilac and Tarver may find a way off this planet. But they won’t be the same people who landed on it.
The first in a sweeping science fiction trilogy, These Broken Stars is a timeless love story about hope and survival in the face of unthinkable odds.
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Early praise for THESE BROKEN STARS!
“Absolutely brilliant. This is the sci fi I’ve been waiting for! Action, romance, twists and turns–this book has it all!” – New York Times bestselling author of Across The Universe, Beth Revis
Want to know more about this gorgeous cover? We’ve got cover designer extraordinaire Whitney Manger here to talk about her inspiration and her process when it came to designing the romantic, mysterious cover for THESE BROKEN STARS. Find out how you design a photo shoot to look like your models are weightless, without ever blasting off into space!
Q: Where do you start when it’s time to design a cover? Do you get a chance to read the book? Do you consult with the editor? How do you pull together those first ideas?
A: I always read the manuscript first. Always always always. I take notes as I read the manuscript, underlining descriptive phrases or passages that visually inspire me. I try to have read a chunk of the manuscript before I meet with the editor. During that first meeting with the editor, we discuss what kind of cover we want (conceptual vs. literal/scene, photographic vs. illustrated), and what we want the cover to convey–i.e. what kind of feeling or tone we want the cover to evoke. We’ll also discuss comp titles and look at those covers — the books that it will be shelved with, the books that it will be compared to, in terms of genre, characters, plot. What also comes into play often during the discussion is anything from pop culture that is similar to the book — a movie, tv show. I also like to ask the editor if there is a particular famous actor or actress who would play the main characters in the book. I try to come away from that first meeting with 2 or 3 solid cover concepts to start designing/exploring.
Q: Tell us a little about the cover design for These Broken Stars! What choices did you make, and what did you want to convey?
A: The cover design for TBS was actually the first concept that came to my mind, except the first few comps didn’t have a boy. When I read the manuscript, I knew I wanted the cover to be terribly romantic and beautiful and haunting with some angst, to reflect the rich writing and storyline and the connection between Lilac and Tarver. I played around with a few other cover concepts and then eventually Emily and I arrived back at that first concept, of a woman in a beautiful dress falling through space. We decided to add Tarver to the cover for many reasons including the fact that the narrative is told from a dual perspective and to convey some visual tension and angst between the two characters on the cover.
Q: So, there was a photo shoot to create this goooorgeous cover! What was your favourite part of the shoot?
A: The photo shoot was so so so cool. It was the first zero gravity photo shoot I have ever done. We worked with the incredibly talented Tom Corbett who photographed the models separately. We had the models try different ways of creating suspended gravity — falling off a tall ladder and jumping on a trampoline. We had crash pads in place and our stylist and some of the crew were kind enough to be spotters to safeguard against any potential crash landings! We hired a designer to create Lilac’s beautiful green dress. She used yards and yards of sumptuous silky fabric which created amazing ripples of volume. In post production, I added lots of layers from different shots of the dress to create even more volume.
Q: Here at Pub Crawl we always love to ask: if you could share a drink with any three authors, living or dead, who would you choose?
A: I love this question: Roald Dahl, Margaret Wise Brown, Laura Ingalls Wilder. Also if I can sneak in one more: Kate Chopin.
Thank you so much for being here with us, Whitney!
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So, what do you guys think?! I, for one, freaking LOVE the cover! They pretty much nailed Lilac (and her glorious hair), and that dress! Gahhh. I think it’s absolutely stunning and fits the book perfectly. Honestly, I’m a little jealous of whoever wins the ARC! Speaking of the giveaway, just fill out the form below to enter!
….Want more chances to win an ARC of These Broken Stars? Each of the following blogs have an ARC to give away, and more exclusive content!
Cuddlebuggery: See what the cover COULD have looked like, plus a live interview with Amie and Meg!
The Book Smugglers: This is all well and good, but what do the authors REALLY think about their cover?
The Midnight Garden: Where did the title come from?
Mundie Moms: Want to know more about the characters on the cover? Click for more about Lilac!
Supernatural Snark: Want to know more about the characters on the cover? Click for more about Tarver!
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Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner are longtime friends and sometime flatmates who have traveled the world (but not yet the galaxy), covering every continent between them. They are sure outer space is only a matter of time. Meagan, who is also the author of the SKYLARK trilogy, currently lives just outside DC, while Amie lives in Melbourne, Australia. Although they currently live apart, they are united by their love of space opera, road trips, and second breakfasts.
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Sarah J. Maas is the author of THRONE OF GLASS, a YA epic fantasy that was published by Bloomsbury in August 2012. In addition, she’s published a series of four prequel e-novellas, all set before the events of THRONE OF GLASS (beginning with THE ASSASSIN AND THE PIRATE LORD). She is represented by Tamar Rydzinski of the Laura Dail Literary Agency, and resides with her husband in Southern California. You can visit her website here, and follow her on twitter.
135 Comments
I absolutely LOVE this cover! GAH! SO GORGEOUS!
So evocative! I LOVE IT!!! Congrats Amie and Meagan! <3
Sounds so intriguing!
Wow! Love the cover! I’ve been excited about this since I heard about it. Can’t wait to read it!
Zomg, it’s gorgeous! Now I want it even more! Must. Own. ASAP.
The cover is super, super gorgeous!
This. cover. is. gorge. I absolutely love it! And omg, this book sounds so freaking good!
Gorgeous!! I had the pleasure of meeting up with Amie and Meagan in Melbourne when they were first drafting this! So excited to finally be able to read it.
Gorgeous!! I had the pleasure of meeting up with Amie and Meagan in Melbourne when they were first drafting this! So excited to finally be able to read it!
I’m not a huge fan of the cover. I think the girl is absolutely gorgeous, but I think it looks kind of awkward with the guy dangling from the sky. The books sounds pretty neat though, I plan on reading it
Love it! Such a gorgeous dress and the star background. Very romantic! Thanks for sharing and for the giveaway!
Holy Awesome Cover Batman! That is so gorgeous! I already wanted this book, but now I want it MORE.
Amazing cover! And the summary- Omg- It’s like Titanic over dosed on AWESOME.
Nice cover, and an intriguing story.
Stunning cover art; one of the best I’ve sen in a long time.
Beautiful! Gah, that dress is just to die for. I tend to love covers with the massive title fonts too.
This cover is simply stunning. I would buy this book for the cover alone, but the synopsis would totally send me over the edge! The fact that Beth Revis loved it is a triple bonus!
Can’t wait to give this one a read! Thanks for the opportunity to win
-Katie @ BlookGirl
Beautiful cover. Awesome dress!
It’s GORGEOUS!
I’m usually not too fond of people on covers, but this one has an animated quality to it, so I like it! Pretty stars, pretty teal/shamrocky dress
Flipping heck, that is a beautiful cover! I love the bright colours
I love this cover!! It’s so pretty!!
It’s beautiful… it has a girl in a pretty dress & stars! Perfect! And I love the way the title fills the whole cover… I’ve been noticing that more & more lately and I like it! : )
I love the stars and the big dress and huge text! Very nice cover! Thanks for sharing!
Ahhhh! This cover is so spectacularly gorgeous! I’m dying to read!! So thrilled for Amie and Meagan!
Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh! It’s so pretty! I am really looking forward to this book, too, because I absolutely adored Meagan Spooner’s debut, Skylark! Yay!!!
Also, I don’t think I included enough exclamation marks in my first comment, so !!!!!!
(Can you tell I’m excited about this book?
)
Lovely! Congrats, Amie!!
Well, I’m definitely intrigued! That summary sounds amazing and the cover’s so pretty!
Congrats Meagan and Amie!!! The cover is GORGEOUS!
I love how the title is so big, and the two different fonts. I also like how it looks cartoon-y but in a good way, it makes it unique. Other space covers look so Photoshop-y but this is a piece of art
Can’t wait to read it!!!
Very nice cover! Sort of a wry twist on the “drowning” covers we see, which is appropriate since it’s a spaceliner!
AHHHH, I love it! How flippin’ gorgeous! All redheads should definitely wear green every single day of their lives!
WOW! that is a gorgeous cover!
The cover is simply beautiful!
Ahh! This cover is beyond beautiful! And the synop sounds ridiculously interesting! This is going on the TBR list asap
sounds interesting!
Wow! That’s really beautiful. And I am completely intrigued by the premise and the blurb by Beth Revis. I loved Across the Universe and if she likes These Broken Stars, I’m sure I will too!
Ah!!!! That cover is STUNNING!!!! I love it. I love how it looks like they are floating…and that dress!!!
GORGEOUS COVER!! Can’t wait to read this one!
This looks right up my alley! I’ll definitely be looking it up
One word: GORGEOUS! That dress… THAT DRESS, and those stars. So sparkly *goes ADD*. My eyes –> OO
I love it! It’s so gorgeous.
What a beautiful cover. Honestly the stars are so pretty that I seethe people secondly (they are also quite pretty
.) Also I’ve recently realized that I super trust Disney Hyperion and having forgotten they were the publisher of Thee Broken Stars I am now more excited than before. Yay!
The cover is SO enticing, and the premise even more so! Can’t wait to see it in bookstores!
I have been waiting to see what this cover would look like and I am not disappointed. It’s awesome! Can’t wait for this book to come out.
It’s barking gorgeous!!
This is a visually very pretty romantic cover. I wonder if it’s a similar case as Across The Universe, where the cover emphasized the romance that wasn’t a key point, or if it really IS that romantic?
That cover is BEAUTIFUL!!
Wow, I love the cover! It’s so striking!
This cover is mesmerizing! I love her gown and hair and the stars seem actually LIT.
I love it! It really stands out from other book covers. It really well made (props for the artist who made it).
Gorgeous! I love the green and her red hair on that blue background. I can’t wait to read this one.
Oh my goodness… It is GORGEOUS. Just as I new it would be! Love the colors, and the synopsis makes me SO excited to read. Congrats, Amie and Meg!
Love this cover. Very curious to see how well it fits with the book, but for now, I’m in love.
I really love the cover, but to be honest, it first reminded me of Tempest. Two characters reaching for each other. It’s kind of over done. But the cover is still really really pretty.
Gorgeous cover! I can’t wait to read this.
I LOVE this cover! The green dress looks amazing and the glow of the stars is just fantastic. I wish the boy wasn’t on the cover. He looks a bit out of place. I can’t wait to read this!!
Absolutely gorgeous!
Lovely cover! I love the flow of her dress!
Cover is absolutely stunning, and sounds like it fits the book really well.
Gorgeous cover! (And I totally want the dress!) Can’t wait to read the book!
I think the coloring on this cover is so vibrant! It really catches your eyes! Would look beautiful on my shelf.
LOVE the cover. And I’m going to be completely typography-nerd honest here, I love the font as much as I love the image. Really. I think this is an absolutely stunning cover, and I can’t wait to read the story inside!
The cover is awesome! I love how the style reflects the title (and a very intriguing title at that!).
Wow, look at that dress! Awesome.
Well, honestly, I’m kind of tired of YA covers feat. big, fancy dresses…but I love the colors and the contrast between the two characters! And the title looks good.
Thanks for the giveaway!
The cover is beautiful, and really catches the eye. I love that dress and the fact that, in some aspect, the people look as if they were drawn, which adds a different texture of sorts to the cover.
Sounds very interesting! Great cover, too.
So unexpected. I mean, gorgeous, but just different somehow. I really like it. Tweeted it!
WOW!!!!! This cover is breathtaking!! I can’t wait to read!
Wow. Just…wow. This cover is gorgeous. All of the colors work so well with each other.
Love the colors, especially the green of her dress!
The cover is GORGEOUS! I’ve been wanting to read this ever since the deal was announced and now I’m even more excited for it!
Simply gorgeous cover! I really can’t wait to read this one—and it’s released on my birthday! Double yay!
It’s simply beautiful!!
The image, the colors it all just works!!
It’s beautiful! I love it, omg. The green dress is so pretty! <3
I love the colors used in the cover – the deep orange hair, teal dress, and rich blue background. I also love the styling of the font. But the woman’s hand isn’t super convincing – if the people are reaching for each other, I’d think her hand would be splayed open to cover as much distance as possible, not curled in. I still think it’s super pretty though.
I love the cover, it’s totally gorgeous
I really like the cover! I think the colors are a bit too bright and busy, but overall I still really like it.
I love the background and the font. I also love that the girl is a redhead. However, the dress feels out of place with the synopsis. But what do I know? I haven’t read the book yet!
Beyond cool to learn the behind the scenes process. I would’ve loved being there for that photo shoot! The excitement of it, all the trampoline jumping! Whatever they did, it worked. The cover is gorgeous!
Also, just as a side note, Kate Chopin is one of my favorite authors, too. Not a huge body of work, but so beautiful.
I love the simple font against that stunning image. Her hair is gorgeous and OMG that dress. I’ll be the first to admit I’m not a fan of the pretty-girls-in-dresses covers. But that dress is srsly stunning.
The cover is GORGEOUS. I love the pretty stars background and how the girl and guy on the cover are reaching towards each other.
Personally, I’m not a big fan of people and dresses on covers, but this is one of those rare occasions that it actually works well and has something to do with the story.
The cover is absolutely beautiful!! The colors stand out and I’ve never seen a book cover like this before. I can’t wait until THESE BROKEN STARS is released!
The cover has a lot of movement to it, I can only imagine the cover shoot.
I really, really like it! I especially love her dress. I think it almost looks cartoonish? But not in a bad way. Nicely done, cover people!
It’s a great cover. I can’t wait to read the book.
I love the cover! It definitely drew me in and made me want to read the book : )
Wow, it’s gorgeous! Those stars and that dress and the colours! Really fantastic cover.
Love the cover and to learn about how it came about. Great post and congrats ladies!
I love this cover so much! It’s so beautiful!
This cover is gorgeous! I really really like the recent trend it bookcovers having stars on them. I also like this this is science fiction novel because I think we need more sci fi in YA literature. Hey, maybe that’s the next trend?! Goodbye paranormal vamps and dystopias, hello science fiction!
It’s gorgeous, but the pose also looks too close to Tempest. ):
That’s what I thought also
I love the cover! And the premise sounds awesome.
I’m kind of in love with it. It’s gorgeous, and I’m even more excited for this book now!
Ooh, pretty- I love the colors and how the title overlaps the characters without overwhelming them.
Gorgeous! I love the contrast of the red hair and green dress against the blue background. Can’t wait to read this!
Thanks for the giveaway!
Congrats, Amie and Meagan! The cover is stunning, and the book sounds amazing. I especially love the billowy dress on the cover.
This cover is definitely eye-catching and gorgeous!
Your form for the giveaway is not working. There’s a sad little error symbol!
I think the cover is fantastic, I love the colors and the characters reaching for each other.
I have to wait until December for this?! Every time the release date gets pushed, I weep. I have been eagerly anticipating it since the deal was announced!
Love the cover, especially for the sumptuous color contract between the red hair/green dress. And generally I like the feeling of falling/catching which feels appropriate for a shipwreck/love story.
A new cover is in the works for my book at this has quite a few similarities with the blue starred background, a boy and a girl, and sparse text. I’m glad to see so many liking it!
The book itself sounds so fab too! Yay!
I think this is a PHENOMENAL cover!
The cover is absolutely STUNNING! The book sounds so good!
I love the cover!
I love it, love the colors and her dress!
LOVE the cover (it reminds me a little of Tempest by Julie Cross but with lots of stars!)
I wanna give the cover a big hug , it’s stunning!
This cover is stunning. The stars, the green dress, the red hair. Everything about it is perfect. Love.
I love the colors and the beautiful dress! It is an awesome cover
absolutely stunning!!! Very attractive!
But I wish the font for the title would have been a bit thicker/bolder so it would be more visible. 
Love it! It’s gorgeous!
such a gorgeous cover. I bet that cover shoot has some of the most fun behind the scenes pictures also. I’d love to see how the cover comes together in a video – like America’s Next Top Model except for book covers.
Beautiful and sparkly =D
I think the cover is absolutely gorgeous!
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its stunning.
That cover is absolutely amazing! If I saw it in a bookstore, I’d immediately want to pick up a copy of the book and buy it. The story sounds completely intriguing, and I can’t wait to have this book when it FINALLY comes out!
I love her big billowy dress….Awesome
Gorgeous cover. Love the deep blue sky.
It’s a beautiful cover that will definitely catch eyes at the book store. The colors are bold and arresting. This would definitely be a book I’d pick up even if I didn’t know what it was about.
Love it! Especially her dress!!!
Simply gorgeous. The dress is so beautiful, and the red hair *sigh* this is one of those time when I wish I would wear dress and there is a fan blowing near by so I could look all girly.
this cover is soooo beautiful! Love!
I think the cover is gorgeous! It reminds me of Julie Cross’s Tempest cover.
Thanks for the giveaway!
I can honestly say that it is freakin’ gorgeous and amazing and a whole bunch of other words!
So excited for this book! I loved SKYLARK, so I can hardly wait. And fingers crossed on the arc giveaway!
I think it’s gorgeous. It’s weird because if you look at the fonts by themselves, they seem wrong, but all together, it all works.
It’s lovely and colourful:D
I honestly think this might be the prettiest cover I’ve ever seen! If I saw this in a book shop, it would be hard to keep my hands off it. Well done all!
SOOOO PURTY! The dress is so gorgeous!!!
That cover is to DIE FOR! First thing to catch my attention!
is awesome !!!! i can’t express with words
loving it, so beautiful