LitCube is a book and reading-inspired subscription box. Each month's box contains a book (this one came with two!), as well as other treats to fit the theme, like wearables, gifts, housewares, and snacks.
My Subscription Addiction paid for this box. (Check out the review process post to learn more about how we review boxes).
The Subscription Box: LitCube
The Cost: $34.95 per month
The Products: Hand-picked books alongside other non-book finds that fit the theme
Ships to: US for free. Canada for $10 shipping and handling. Shipping to all other countries is $14.99.
Check out all of our LitCube reviews and all of our reviews of Book Subscription Boxes!
Keep Track of Your Subscriptions: Add this box to your subscription list or wishlist!
Each box comes with an info card detailing the items included. This month's theme is "I'd Rather Be a Mermaid".
This card has a pretty illustration on the front...
...and LitCube's information on the back. If you end up liking the box, this card is a nice way to refer a friend to the subscription.
LitCube includes a card detailing everything inside that month's box, plus hashtags to use to connect with the LitCube community.
Mer-Charmer (World of Aluvia, Book Two), by Amy Bearce - Value $16.14 on Amazon (retail price $16.99)
First, the books. Both paperback books in the box have the kind of enchanting covers that are bound to intrigue mermaid fans. This book, Mer-Charmer, is actually the second in a series called World of Aluvia, but the people at LitCube attest that it can stand on its own. Don't believe them? They've included a free download of book 1 in the box, too, in case you're curious!
Book summary of Mer-Charmer from Amazon:
Fourteen-year-old Phoebe Quinn is surrounded by magic, but she can’t muster any of her own. Her sister is a fairy keeper. Her best friends are merfolk. And all she does is dishes and housework.
When Phoebe finds out a terrible sea creature is awakening that preys upon the peace-loving merfolk, she becomes determined to help them, even though it means going with Tristan and Mina to their home deep in the sea.
Beneath the waves, Phoebe learns she’s more like her sister than she realized. The merfolk are drawn to her, and she can sense the magic of the sea all around her. Magic is finally at her fingertips, but that’s precisely why the stirring dark power under the waters decides it wants her most of all.
Now she must not only help the peaceful merfolk escape this ancient enemy, she must master her out-of-control powers. If she fails, she will die and darkness will rise and enslave the merfolk once more. But embracing her full power could cost her the very people she loves the most.
Monstrous Beauty, by Elizabeth Fama - Value $9.99
LitCube says on its website that it's not a YA book subscription box, though both of this month's books focus on teenage protagonists and have stereotypically YA sci-fi and fantasy vibes. This paperback book, Monstrous Beauty, is the more mature of the two, if simply due to the darker content (be aware that this book contains rape and other violent themes).
Book summary from Amazon:
Fierce, seductive mermaid Syrenka falls in love with Ezra, a young naturalist. When she abandons her life underwater for a chance at happiness on land, she is unaware that this decision comes with horrific and deadly consequences. Almost 140 years later, seventeen-year-old Hester meets a mysterious stranger named Ezra and feels overwhelmingly, inexplicably drawn to him. For generations, love has resulted in death for the women in her family. Is it an undiagnosed genetic defect . . . or a curse? With Ezra's help, Hester investigates her family's strange, sad history. The answers she seeks are waiting in the graveyard, the crypt, and at the bottom of the ocean―but, in Elizabeth Fama's Monstrous Beauty,powerful forces will do anything to keep her from uncovering her connection to Syrenka and to the tragedy of so long ago.
I Must Be a Mermaid Printed Beach Towel - Listed Value $19.95
The card in the box calls this item a towel, but the fabric is much more like a soft, almost velour-like blanket. The back is plain white, but on the front, there's a print of the Anais Nin quote, "I must be a mermaid. I have no fear of the depths and a great fear of shallow living." The white handwriting-inspired font appears against a murky purple and indigo silhouette of what looks a bit like a tail. It tapers down and curves up around the end of the towel, so that if you're laying beneath it, you feel almost like a mermaid yourself! And all of this is set against a watery blue background.
Because of the fabric, I'm not convinced I'd want to take it swimming, but it'd be comfy to lay across your lap while reading.
Now, on to the smaller surprises in store. This LitCube came with a few promotional cards from mermaid-minded authors, some of whom are featured in the box.
Everly Peach Mango and Green Tea Passion Fruit Drink Mixes (0.1 oz each) - Value $1.33 each
Everly Strawberry Lemonade Drink Mix Pitcher Pack (0.4 oz) - Value $1.67
Mermaid (Snow Cone) Lip Balm by Lippincott Soap Co. - $4.00
At first, I gave these drink mixes a real side-eye—they just seemed out of place in the rest of the very on-theme box. Then again, nothing's more important to a mermaid than staying hydrated, so why not? These drink mixes are sugar free and made with natural ingredients, plus they have an effervescent quality to them, which adds a little pep to an average glass of water. Drink mixes aren't really my thing, but for someone looking for something to replace their daily soda, these mixes might be the perfect solution.
The lip balm is called "Mermaid", but the fragrance is "Snowcone". An odd match-up, sure, but once I tried out the soft, but not sticky nor waxy balm, I didn't mind the unexpected pairing. The scent (and it is just a scent—there's no flavoring in this recipe) reminded me of berries and cream. If I could, I'd have a lip balm in every coat pocket, purse, desk drawer and car compartment I come across, so I was happy to add this simple, nourishing balm to my collection.
Oh, the lip balm is colorless, too. It goes on smooth and clear and had my lips feeling plump and happy in no time.
I'd Rather Be a Mermaid Drink Holder - Listed Value $9.99
Keeping with the hydration theme, we have this purple double-walled drink holder. I gave it a good look, but it doesn't have any markings to tell me how much it holds (I'm guessing 16 oz), where it's made, or whether it's dishwasher safe, etc. The slide top lid fits snugly onto the body of the drink holder, and while I wouldn't use it in a sporty situation, it'd be handy for toting a beverage along on a car ride.
Here's a view of the lid. It almost looks like a soda can, doesn't it? But the "tab" part just slides back and forth over the opening.
This is a cardboard coaster with art from Updrift, a Mer-Chronicles book by Errin Stevens. The book sounds like a fantasy romance, and the design of this coaster definitely suggests that mermaids (or mermen?) make an appearance somewhere! Because it's paper, this coaster won't last forever, but it might be a nice accent on a mermaid-lover's coffee table.
Lastly, there are a handful of cards for other literary adventures that mermaid lovers should enjoy, including a sticker from Amy Bearce, author of Mer-Charmer, an offer from Poppy Lawless, author of The Glass Mermaid, and a free download ($4.99 value) from the Erin Hayes book The Cotton Candy Quintet.
I like that this story seems to expand on the theme of the box. If you're a fan of mermaids, maybe you're ready to explore the worlds of witches, faeries, and werewolves, too!
Verdict: The nearly $70 value of the box far exceeds the price tag, and I appreciate that plenty of that value lays in reading material, rather than gifts (it is a book box after all!). While the books are technically YA, there were definitely some more triggering themes going on. If you're looking at this box as a gift for a young reader, make sure they're mature enough for darker subject matter!
What do you think of the August LitCube box? Would you rather be a mermaid after checking out these treasures?
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