The points of issue
FSG first edition, ISBN 978-0-374-29219-5, with a full number line descending to 1 on the copyright page and the FSG imprint. Tower's debut collection, widely listed among the best books of 2009; the hardcover is the collectible first.
Is this the true first?
The US FSG hardcover, published March 17, 2009, is the true first. The Granta UK trade-paperback edition followed about two weeks later (April 1, 2009), so the FSG US hardcover has clear precedence rather than merely arguable priority.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later Picador (US) and Granta (UK) trade-paperback reprints are not firsts. Book-club hardcovers lack the number line and the flap price.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of Everything Ravaged, Everything Burned a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: FSG first edition, ISBN 978-0-374-29219-5, with a full number line descending to 1 on the copyright page and the FSG imprint. Tower's debut collection, widely listed among the best books of 2009; the hardcover is the collectible first.
How do I tell the first printing from a later one?
Check the copyright page for the publisher's first-printing convention and confirm the points above. The US FSG hardcover, published March 17, 2009, is the true first. The Granta UK trade-paperback edition followed about two weeks later (April 1, 2009), so the FSG US hardcover has clear precedence rather than merely arguable priority.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
Later Picador (US) and Granta (UK) trade-paperback reprints are not firsts. Book-club hardcovers lack the number line and the flap price.
I have a first edition of Everything Ravaged, Everything Burned — what should I do?
If you're clearing books, New Mexico Literacy Project offers free pickup in Albuquerque, any condition, and makes sure collectible copies aren't lost. To sell, see the author's collecting guide. Either way, nothing valuable ends up in a landfill.