THE BABYSITTER MURDERS, is going to be released this year. It'll have a brand shiny new cover (which isn't uncommon when titles jump from hardbound to paperback), an author's note and, well, a new title. Am I the only one that thinks that's weird?
THE BABYSITTER MURDERS will be renamed THINGS I SHOULDN'T THINK when it comes out in paperback. I'm really not sure what to think about that. I don't understand why something like that would happen between the hardbound printing and the paperback. Anyone?
While the original title, THE BABYSITTER MURDERS, is a bit of a hyperbole, I still liked it. It's very attention-getting and brings with it a promise of something big. The new title, THINGS I SHOULDN'T THINK, is, well, to me, THE BABYSITTER MURDERS FOR DUMMIES. It reminds me of a checklist and simplifies what's inside the cover. Not to mention it's stating the obvious. Here's the blurb for THE BABYSITTER MURDERS in case you're not sure what it's about -
Everyone has disturbing thoughts sometimes. But for seventeen-year-old Dani Solomon, strange thoughts have taken over her life. She loves Alex, the little boy she babysits, more than anything. Then one day she envisions harming him. The images are so gruesome, she can’t get them out of her mind. In fact, Dani’s worried that she might actually kill Alex. So she confesses her thoughts to keep him safe—and consequently sets off a media frenzy that makes “Dani Death” the target of an extremist vigilante group. Through the help of a daring psychiatrist, Dani begins to heal her broken mind. But will it be too late? The people of her community want justice…and Dani’s learning that some thoughts are better left unsaid. (goodreads.com)
Maybe I'm just biased because I really loved this book but, to me, the new title waters down what's going on, plus it completely deflates the oomph of the original title. Not to mention the fan base grows around that original title. You have a bunch of us walking around touting the awesomeness that is THE BABYSITTER MURDERS but once the paperback hits, people are going to have a hard time finding it because the title's changed.
The original title hangs on to the horror that Dani felt could really happen, and subsequently how she's treated after her confession. The new title feels like a limp balloon that dumbs down the story. I think the change is detrimental to the book.
What do you think? Not just about this title change but title changes in general from hardbound to paperback? Do you think it's as weird as I do? Do you think it'll help or hurt the book? Spill!
