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July 23, 2021
OwlCrate YA Book Subscription Box Review – October 2015
OwlCrate
OwlCrate is a YA book subscription box. Each month they send you a newly released YA book with some bookish goodies.
FYI – this box is usually in waitlist mode, but as of today (10/25 at 5 PM ET), it is currently available. If you sign up for a subscription, your first box will be the November box.
My Subscription Addiction pays for this subscription. (Check out the review process post to learn more about how we review boxes).
The Subscription Box: OwlCrate
The Cost: $29.99 plus shipping ($6.99 to US, $10.59 to Canada, $19.99 Worldwide)
The Products: A new YA book and 3-5 book-related goodies.
Ships to: Worldwide!
Check out all of my OwlCrate reviews!
Each box comes with a card detailing the items included. This month’s theme is Spooky!
A Madness So Discreet by Mindy McGinnis – Retail Value $17.99 (On Amazon for $12.63)
Book summary from Amazon:
Mindy McGinnis, the acclaimed author of Not a Drop to Drink and In a Handful of Dust, combines murder, madness, and mystery in a beautifully twisted gothic historical thriller perfect for fans of novels such as Asylum and The Diviners as well as television’s True Detective and American Horror Story.
Grace Mae is already familiar with madness when family secrets and the bulge in her belly send her to an insane asylum—but it is in the darkness that she finds a new lease on life. When a visiting doctor interested in criminal psychology recognizes Grace’s brilliant mind beneath her rage, he recruits her as his assistant. Continuing to operate under the cloak of madness at crime scenes allows her to gather clues from bystanders who believe her less than human. Now comfortable in an ethical asylum, Grace finds friends—and hope. But gruesome nights bring Grace and the doctor into the circle of a killer who will bring her shaky sanity and the demons in her past dangerously close to the surface.
This book also came with a mini-poster and a letter from the author giving Owl Crate subscribers a background on how the book came to be.
Out of Print Edgar Allen Poe-ka Dot Canvas Pouch – Value $12
Love the “Poe-ka” dots! (And the library card Out of Print tag is great too!)
Adventure Scents Scent Pack in Vampire’s Lair – Value $4
This Scent Pack is completely new to me. The key scents are described as “Blood, dirt and wine.” (These scents are designed to be used for special effects for games, costumes, theatre, etc). I took a close up photo of the scent beads below. Turns out blood and dirt aren’t my favorite scents (who knew?!), but it is an interesting idea. (And very appropriate for a Spooky themed box).
Crafted Van Monster Bookmarks – Value $6?
LOVE these magnetic bookmarks! They are so cute, and I love that the skeleton has a heart! (This is the level of spooky/scary I like in a Halloween themed box!)
NPW Sugar Skull Erasers – Value $5
These Sugar Skull Erasers are another fun addition to the box. I think Owl Crate does such a good job at curating around a theme and finding products I didn’t know existed!
(This box also included an Adventure Scents bookmark. On the back, it lists every scent they make).
Verdict: This box has a value of about $40 (using the Amazon sale price of the book). I think that’s a good value for a book box, especially with the curation and bonus book extras that OwlCrate includes each month. I’m not sure if I can handle reading A Madness So Discreet, though. (I don’t do scary movies, books, etc) I’m drawn to the mystery/crime solving part of this book summary, so I may give it a try. (But this won’t be a read-before-bed book!)
What do you think of the October OwlCrate box?
OwlCrate is a monthly subscription box for people who love Young Adult literature. Every month they send you a highly anticipated new YA release, as well as 3-5 bookish items (such as fandom jewelry, collectible toys, bookmarks, and more!). Each box will also include exclusive content from authors a... read more.
Liz is the founder of My Subscription Addiction. She's been hooked on subscription boxes since 2011 thanks to Birchbox, and she now subscribes to over 100 boxes. Her favorites include POPSUGAR Must Have, FabFitFun, and any box that features natural beauty products!
Liz is the founder of My Subscription Addiction. She's been hooked on subscription boxes since 2011 thanks to Birchbox, and she now subscribes to over 100 boxes. Her favorites include POPSUGAR Must Have, FabFitFun, and any box that features natural beauty products!
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8 comments
chris
What a timely curation!
And the Sugar Skull Erasers will go well with the Golden Tote bag this month….
brandy
Happy I subscribed to this box this month. I’m getting my degree in psychology so this book is definitely something that would be interested in reading. I liked everything included in this box.
Nancy M.
I thought that this box was nicely put together — probably my favorite item is the Poe pouch. Does anyone know why those skulls are always indicated as “Sugar Skulls?”
Ake
Those style of skulls are literally made out of sugar for Day of the Dead celebrations in Mexico. If I did this right, you can click on my name to see the Wikipedia article about them.
Jordan
I looked up the scent company because I was so intrigued. What an awesome story. I used to teach kids with learning disabilities and I would have been all over that for my kiddos!
Jill
This is my second month with Owl Crate and its become one of my fave subs.
Sarah
Let me say as one chicken to another, that this book wasn’t scary to me, just very dark. It was a period crime drama that kept bringing up the question about sanity versus insanity. It was different, and I quite enjoyed it.
Liz Cadman
Thanks for letting me know – this gives me the push I need to start reading it! 🙂
