OwlCrate is a YA book subscription box. Each month they send you a newly released YA book with some bookish goodies.
This box was sent to us at no cost for review. (Check out the review process post to learn more about how we review boxes.)
About OwlCrate YA
The Subscription Box: OwlCrate YA
The Cost: $29.99 + shipping. Save with longer subscriptions.
The Products: A new YA book and 3-5 book-related goodies. Recommended for ages 14+.
Ships to: The US for $7.99, Canada for $9.99, and worldwide for $19.99
OwlCrate YA "Vengeance Will Be Mine" January 2020 Review
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Each box comes with a card detailing the theme and the items included. This month’s theme is “Vengeance Will Be Mine.”
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They also included this booklet featuring an interview with the author, a word search, and an interview with a vendor. They also included some information about their monthly photo challenge and a link to a "Life is a Storm" playlist to go along with this month's theme.
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Scavenge the Stars by Tara Sim - Retail Value $18.99 (found here for $13.29)
Our book this month is signed by the author and features a unique and exclusive cover!
From Amazon:
"When Amaya rescues a mysterious stranger from drowning, she fears her rash actions have earned her a longer sentence on the debtor ship where she's been held captive for years. Instead, the man she saved offers her unimaginable riches and a new identity, setting Amaya on a perilous course through the coastal city-state of Moray, where old-world opulence and desperate gamblers collide. Amaya wants one thing: revenge against the man who ruined her family and stole the life she once had. But the more entangled she becomes in this game of deception-and as her path intertwines with the son of the man she's plotting to bring down-the more she uncovers about the truth of her past. And the more she realizes she must trust no one.
Packed with high-stakes adventure, romance, and dueling identities, this gender-swapped retelling of The Count of Monte Cristo is the first novel in an epic YA fantasy duology"
This book actually took me a while to get into, I think partly because I wasn't a huge fan of one of the main characters, Cayo, at first or at least I didn't take to him immediately the way that I did Silverfish/Amaya. While the two stories involve the same characters, it takes a long time for their stories to become intertwined. I was sort of wishing the story was solely about Silverfish exacting her revenge against the Captain of her debtor ship because this was the most entertaining plot to me thus far. It just felt like there were too many characters at play, with Cayo and his father, the Slum King and his daughter, Silverfish, the Captain, Boon and Avi, and the Countess - but just as I was getting a bit overwhelmed, it all started coming together as I realized that the book's timeline is not quite linear. It wasn't until this point that it really grabbed my attention! I'm just getting to the part where Silverfish is putting her plan into motion and it's so much bigger than just getting back at the Captain and much more thrilling than the first half of the book!
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We received a letter from the author complete with a nice ship drawing at the bottom. I always love this personal touch!
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OwlCrate Exclusive! Ceramic Mug by Cara Kozik
This ceramic mug is the fourth in the Harry Potter-inspired series designed by Cara Kozik exclusively for this box. The artwork depicts a busy scene making it so interesting to look at as you take in all of the little wizard details throughout. This mug is dishwasher and microwave safe and holds about 12 ounces.
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OwlCrate Exclusive! Crooked Kingdom Socks
Next up, we received these cozy crew socks inspired by Crooked Kingdom which are officially licensed by Out of Print. Every purchase helps support literacy programs around the world, which is awesome! These are actually designed based on the collector's edition artwork you can see here. They will go nicely with our Six of Crows socks that we received last April!
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OwlCrate Exclusive! Candle
We did just receive a candle in our December box, but this one is much different! This candle with pretty silver glitter is Seer and it's a fruity blend of dragonfruit and tropical rainforest. Subscribers actually could have received one of five different candles, each one handmade by A Court of Candles and inspired by the maji from Children of Blood and Bone.
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OwlCrate Exclusive! Mirrored Compact
This item is pretty unique and interesting! It's a pocket mirror with a secret three-compartment tray for storage. At first, I was wishing it was just one open area to accommodate larger items since the tiny compartments reminded me of a pill case, but then I realized it would make such a great little container to store earrings in while traveling! This was inspired by Nevernight and was exclusively designed by Team OwlCrate. I love that it came in a little bag to carry it in as well.
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OwlCrate Exclusive! Pin Banner
Since it is a brand new year, we received a new pin banner to hold all of the exclusive enamel pins that we receive each month. I love this idea! This year's design was inspired by The Hobbit and created by In the Reads. I love the detailed mountains and the texture created throughout the Mirkwood forest. It will almost be a shame to cover it up with all the pins we receive!
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OwlCrate Exclusive! Monthly Enamel Pin
Speaking of pins, this month's pin was designed by Forensics and Flowers and inspired by the characters in our story.
Here is the first pin on our banner for the year!
Verdict: This month was another great OwlCrate curation! It was exciting to see the next mug in our Harry Potter series and that pin banner was such a perfect start to the year of great books and goodies we have ahead of us. It will be so fun to add to it each month! I love that the socks are sort of the sequel to the pair we received last year (which have held up nicely, by the way) and that pocket mirror is definitely unique and I'm sure will become useful next time I travel. While the book took a while for me to get into, I think it's proving to be quite exciting now that we are getting to the vengeance! The only item that wasn't especially exciting to me was the candle since we just received one last month, but overall, I still think the value was there. The curation was unique and a great way to start the year by showcasing how exclusive and original the items you receive in this subscription can be!
To Wrap Up:
Can you still get this box if you sign up today? No, but join the waitlist today for the February box.
Value Breakdown: This box costs $37.98 ($29.99 + $7.99 shipping), which means that each of the 7 items in the box has an average cost of about $5.43.
Check out all of our Owl Crate Reviews and more of our best book subscription boxes!
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