LitJoy Crate is a monthly book subscription box for babies, kids, and teens. They send books and interesting book related items. They have crates for 3-7 (picture books), and 14+ (young adult). This is a review of the Young Adult crate.
This box was sent to us at no cost to review. (Check out the review process post to learn more about how we review boxes.)
The Subscription Box: LitJoy Crate
The Cost: $29.99/monthly, $86.97/3-month pre-pay, $167.94/6-month pre-pay, $323.88/12-month pre-pay. Plus USPS flat-rate shipping, $14.99 shipping to Canada, and $24.99 shipping international.
COUPON: Use code MSA5 to save $5 off your first box!
The Products: depending on your subscription type, you will receive newly released board books (2), picture books (1), or young adult books (1), plus 2-4 assorted book-related items.
Ships to: US, Canada and International
Check out all of our LitJoy Crate reviews and the Book Subscription Box Directory!
Keep Track of Your Subscriptions: Add this box to your subscription list or wishlist!
Each box comes with an info card picturing each item included.
LitJoy does such an amazing job at connecting each of the items to the story - I definitely recommend reading this entire card!
Now, onto the items!
Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor – Retail Value $18.99 (On Amazon for $10.63)
Book Summary from Amazon:
The dream chooses the dreamer, not the other way around—and Lazlo Strange, war orphan and junior librarian, has always feared that his dream chose poorly. Since he was five years old he’s been obsessed with the mythic lost city of Weep, but it would take someone bolder than he to cross half the world in search of it. Then a stunning opportunity presents itself, in the person of a hero called the Godslayer and a band of legendary warriors, and he has to seize his chance to lose his dream forever.
What happened in Weep two hundred years ago to cut it off from the rest of the world? What exactly did the Godslayer slay that went by the name of god? And what is the mysterious problem he now seeks help in solving?
The answers await in Weep, but so do more mysteries–including the blue-skinned goddess who appears in Lazlo’s dreams. How did he dream her before he knew she existed? and if all the gods are dead, why does she seem so real?
In this sweeping and breathtaking new novel by National Book Award finalist Laini Taylor, author of the New York Times bestselling Daughter of Smoke & Bone trilogy, the shadow of the past is as real as the ghosts who haunt the citadel of murdered gods. Fall into a mythical world of dread and wonder, moths and nightmares, love and carnage.
Welcome to Weep.
I’ve read Laini Taylor before, and her writing is beautiful. I got about 60% of the way through Daughter of Smoke and Bone before I paused and didn’t return. The book gets excellent reviews, so I know I’m in the minority for not finishing the book, but I usually lose interest in a book when the main character falls into insta-love!
But thanks to MSA readers, I was encouraged to finish this book and I loved it! The writing and world-building are incredible! (I'm also going to pick back up Daughter of Smoke and Bone.)
This book also included a letter from the author.
And a signed bookplate sticker:
Hans Christian Andersen's Fairy Tales Retold by Naomi Lewis - Value $5
Book Summary from Amazon:
This enchanting collection, retold by writer and critic Naomi Lewis, contains twelve of Hans Christian Andersen's magnificent stories. It includes Thumbelina, a little girl no more than a thumb-joint high, The Emperor's New Clothes, the tale of a man who cares only for his appearance and The Little Mermaid, who longs to one day marry a human prince. With a wonderful cover illustration and new introduction by award-winning picture-book creator Jan Pienkowski.
One of my favorite classes in college was about Fairy Tales! (Spoiler alert - the original versions were WAY darker than any Disney version!) So, it will be a nice flashback to that course to read this. And the cover art is beautiful, too.
Wick and Fable Candle Travel Tin - Value $4
This candle is made with 100% soy wax, and it has a soft, floral scent.
Weep Bookmark - Value $2?
And the candle comes with a matching bookmark!
Dreamcatcher - Value $15?
This item ties in Sarai's ability to enter dreams. It even has moth charms:
(This is a LitJoy exclusive made just for this book.)
Daughter of Smoke and Bone Print by Lesya – Value ?
This print is part of the LitJoy Artist Series – every box they feature a new artist with a bio on the back of the info card.
Verdict: I think LitJoy Crate is such a delight to unbox! You can tell that a lot of thought and work went into this box to tie all the items in with the book, too. This box is about $40 shipped to the US, so I think the value is there if you enjoy the bookish accessories and items as well. The value for this box was lower than past months ($37 including the Amazon sale price of the box). But, other months have had higher values, and I estimated on some items, so my valuation may be off a bit.
And I think LitJoy does a great job of picking popular new books each month. If you're looking for a subscription box for a young adult reader I definitely recommend this one - and if you're a full-fledged adult who enjoys reading YA like me, I recommend it for you, too!
What do you think of the April LitJoy YA Crate?
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