Betsy Wickwire: Before and After

She had a last-minute make-over – but Betsy Wickwire is finally here. The designers at HarperCollins struggled mightily to come up with a cover that suggested the novel might have a bit of comedy, a bit of tragedy, a bit of romance  and – perhaps oddly for a YA book – a certain amount of housecleaning too.

There was something I liked about that first cover. The dirty rag across Betsy’s face seemed to sum up her mortification quite nicely. There was a concern, though, that it wasn’t very inviting.

Hence the new – and permanent – cover with the bright pink heart-shaped sponge. How do you like it? I’d love to hear your thoughts.