OwlCrate is a young adult book subscription box where every month you receive one new hardcover book and an assortment of bookish goodies connected to the monthly theme. November’s theme was Rise from the Ashes. So far I’ve been loving OwlCrate but this box didn’t feel as curated to me, some of the items it felt like they were added because the creators didn’t know what else to add to the box. 

The bookish items included this month were a skull shaped planter, a wax seal kit, a pillowcase inspired by An Ember in the Ashes, a craft kit to make a Wishing Bracelet, and a Harry Potter sticker with Dumbledore and Fawkes. I prefer items in subscription boxes to be practical and many of the items in this box I have no idea what I’ll do with them. However, the wax seal kit is amazing and something that I’ve always wanted to own.

The book for November is Girls of Paper and Fire by Natasha Ngan. Girls of Paper and Fire is fantasy book where every year eight girls are taken by the Demon King to be his concubines. However, this year Lei is taken and forced to be the ninth Paper Girl. The book follows these young women as they struggle to survive the palace and their roles as slaves, and Lei as she falls in love. Every Owlcrate book also comes signed and with a letter from the author.

Girls of Paper and Fire is a book that I have been hearing great things about and was interested in pickup at some point. Though OwlCrate doesn’t always have the best stuff I do intend to keep my subscription for a while as I love the surprise at the end of every month. December’s them is the Power of Illusions.