The cover of Dark Places shows a woman lying in the fetal position in a dark room, with a cross on her wrist. Readers can infer that the woman on the cover is the main character, Libby, as her physical appearance is described as being similar to that of the woman on the front of the novel. The dark room in which Libby lies is symbolic for the depressing thoughts in her head, as she has endured extreme obstacles, including the death of her family. In the novel, Libby calls her thoughts about the night her family was killed “dark places,” as she chooses to avoid thinking about it. However, the cross on her wrist shows that despite the terrible situation she has encountered, there is still hope that she can overcome her traumatization and live
