Owl Crate April 2015 Review - This Splendid Shambles

Last updated on 23 July 2017

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Oh.My.Gosh. So Owl Crate was one of the subscription boxes that I talked about previously that I was super excited for. I learnt about Owl Crate after watching one of Heather’s (Bookables) YouTube videos (seriously, she’s awesome – check out her channel), and got so super excited that I had to subscribe. Each month, Owl Crate sends out a recent YA hardcover novel, and an assortment of bookish goodies to do with it. Each month has a theme, and for April’s box (which is this one) the theme was ‘All the Feels’. Here’s what I got in the April box:

Everything That Makes You, by Moriah McStay

I hadn’t heard of this book before I received, but it sounds really good! I think that’s what I like about book subscription boxes – you might not have heard of the book they send you, but because they’ve picked it out themselves, it’s likely to be a very good one. And it’ll branch out your reading. Is that a sentence…?

Also with the book came a bookmark, a book plate which was signed, and a sticker! Check out the book and read what it’s about on Goodreads.

Cotton Tote Bag, made by Bookworm Boutique

This bag is super neat. I love cotton tote bags like this, but only have my Doctor Who one, which gets used a lot! Looking forward to using this one!

Hazel’s Flowers candle, created by From the Page

This.Candel.Smells.Amazing! So good! There were four different scents that you got have received in your Owl Crate this month, all literay themed. The others were called Dobby’s Socks, The Giving Tree, and As You Wish. I’m very happy I got Hazel’s Flowers, but I’m intrigued as to what the others smell like.

Okay Okay neckalce, by Forever Always Designs

Ohmygosh. So as excited as I am about the reading the book and lighting that candle, and carrying books around in that tote…I have worn this for days in a row now. I love it so much! I loved John Green’s The Fault in our Stars, and I think this necklace is the coolest thing ever! So excited about it! Love love love!

Okay, so that’s what was in the box! You can subscribe for 1 month, 3 months or 6 months, and at the end of your chosen time period, it will automatically kick over and start again, and you’ll be charged for the same plan. I went with the 1 month option, and then as soon as it had been shipped, I cancelled it. I did this because I didn’t know what they were going to be like, and only wanted 1 month to check it out. I’m actually gutted I did that now, because it was so worth it and May’s theme is ‘Parallel Worlds’, I believe. Unfortunately, the May box is now sold out, but I think I will definitely be looking into getting June’s, should my bank account allow me.

Pricing

It’s $29.99 US dollars a month, plus shipping. If you live in the US the shipping is $6.99, Canada is $10.59 and everywhere else in the world is $19.99. Apparently they are looking into how to make international shipping less expensive, but for the time being, that’s what it is. If you quickly do your maths, that’s about $50USD for international subscribers. It’s cheaper if you buy 3 months or 6 months, but still, that’s quite expensive. If you convert that to NZ dollars, that’s about $60…which is a lot of money if you do it every month.

However! I checked all the products out from the various stores, and had a look at the US price for the hardcover book on it’s cover, and the combined total in New Zealand dollars is just over $80. Considering you get all of that for a decent amount less (and even better if you live in US or Canada), and you get the excitement of mail, and the suspense of not knowing what you’re getting, that’s not too bad at all!

Shipping time

I’ve already talked about the shipping costs, but I just wanted to mention that I received the ‘Your Owl Crate has been sent’ email on the 19th of April, and it arrived on the 30th. That’s just under two weeks for it to get all the way down here to little New Zealand. I think that that’s pretty good!

Verdict?

I seriously love this box. While the price is pretty high, and I will not be getting every month, every so often I think I can cope. If they eventually figure out how to easily drop the international cost, then that’s another story. I will definitely be looking into getting this again, although I may try and find out what the theme is each month so I can pick and choose a little. If this sounds like you, even for a one off box, then check out their website, and make sure you sign up to receive the newsletter because they’ll tell you when the next month’s box is available for ordering. You’ll need to get in quick, as well; it’s really popular!

Look out for a few more subscription box posts coming your way soon!