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2017 Young Adult Boxes
Once Upon a Book Club - Past_Boxes_Young_2017
Hover over the photo of the wrapped gifts to see the complete unboxing underneath!

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December Box

Love Letters

images by @JStepfaniAuthor and @PetrichorAndParchment

    The Love Letters of Abelard and Lily by Laura Creedle
  • Page 23
    "Rosalind was eating out of a bento box filled with brown rice, raw carrots, and seaweed salad."
    - a blue polka-dotted bento box.
  • Page 36
    "I stuck the picture on the bulletin board and collaposed on my bed, empty."
    - a thought bubble shaped corkboard and a custom designed drawing as mentioned in the novel.
  • Page 155
    "Abelard stood in the middle of the room, barefoot. He was wearing different sunglasses than the pair he wore to Dan's."
    - a pair of Ray Ban style sunglasses.
  • Page 300
    "We stood in the entryway, close enough for me to catch the scent of sandalwood, soap, and warmth."
    - a bar of sandlewood scented soap.

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November Box

Space Cadet

images by @OnceUponABookClubBox and @TheBookElves

    Dare Mighty Things by Heather Kaczynski
  • Page 90
    "She jerked her head toward my pillow, where a thin envelope was resting."
    - a custom designed, scientific pillowcase and a letter.
  • Page 132
    "I twisted the bracelet around my wrist...it was translucent gray, with what appeared to be a tiny gold microchip embedded in the plastic."
    - a gray bracelet step counter.
  • Page 201
    "Someone had found a deck of cards in the living space - maybe forgotten about, maybe left there on purpose."
    - a deck of custom designed playing cards.
  • Page 335
    "I put Ganesh and the piano key in my PPK, along with the rest of my momentos from home."
    - a custom designed NASA wrist pouch containing the contents of Cassandra's Personal Preference Kit which included a photo of her family, a scrap of paper with Beethoven's Sonata op. 106, her grandmother's Ganesh pendant and a piano key.

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October Box

Supernatural Bookworms

images by @OnceUponABookClubBox and @CandaceClark22

    Sparked by Helena Echlin and Malena Watrous
  • Page 33
    "...we'd covered the fridge with favorite photos."
    - a set of four small magnets and a photo as described in the novel.
  • Page 164
    "On top was a hardback copy of Hemingway's "The Sun Also Rises". It looked like another antique. The cover showed a woman in a one-shouldered dress, leaning back against a tree. I opened it noticing that the paper inside was yellowed, and there was handwriting on the title page."
    - a custom designed book safe as described in the novel.
  • Page 184
    "She was wearing red-and-white striped leg warmers under a pair of cargo shorts..."
    - red-and-white striped leg warmers.
  • Page 274
    "She pulled one of her little pewter cups from the velvet evening clutch."
    - a small cup inside a blue, velvet clutch bag.

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September Box

Hippie Love

image by @OnceUponABookClubBox and @CandaceClark22

    Paintbrush by Hannah Bucchin
  • Page 21
    "...her hair in its signature long gray braid, colorful scarves drapped around her shoulders."
    - a large, multicolored bohemian scarf.
  • Page 42
    "I roll my eyes and take a bit of my PB...and J sandwich - delicious homemade bread courtesy of Libby."
    - a tree patterned, insulated lunch bag and a homemade bread recipe card.
  • Page 145
    "He points the flashlight in my direction and flashes it on and off."
    - a green, travel flashlight.
  • Page 290
    "The best part is the lights - delicate strands that blink like fireflies wrapped around every tree trunk and branch on the property."
    - a strand of fairy lights.

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August Box

A Traveling Festival of Smoke

images by @Spinatale and @PetrichorAndParchment

    Daughter of the Burning City by Amanda Foody
  • Page 95
    "A wooden sign sticks out of the dirt by the entrance...I kick it down. Then I kick it again after it's fallen."
    - a custom wooden 'Gossip Worker' sign.
  • Page 177
    "I pick up a small sack of coins and count them. Fifteen gold pieces."
    - a custom printed pouch with 15 'gold' coins inside.
  • Page 308
    "Hesitantly, I pick up the pocket watch and open it. I remember there being an engraving inside."
    - a pocket watch necklace with a custom engraving as written in the book.
  • Page 376
    "I make my grand entrance, wearing my red sequin mask....I untie the ribbon in the back, let the mask slip off and shove it in my pocket."
    - a red, sequin masquerade mask.

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July Box

Song Bandits of a Mirror World

images by @Plot_Bunnies and @TheBookElves

    The Hush by Skye Melki-Wegner
  • Page 41
    "A sorcery lamp dripped bluish light through his cell."
    - a blue 'sorcery lamp' that glows blue.
  • Page 95
    "But she nodded and scampered back toward the kitchen, where Susannah kept a small blackboard and chalk at the end of the table."
    - a small chalkboard with twine for hanging.
  • Page 213
    ""What are those?" he said. "Those...tattoos?""
    - a temporary, treble clef tattoo reminiscent of one a character has in the story.
  • Page 282
    "The circular room had the same aroma of honey-smoke, only more intense."
    - a mason jar "The Hush" candle, inspired by the honey-smoke scent.
  • Page 353
    "He tightened his grip on the pistol with one hand, while the other clenched greedily at his pendant."
    - a violin shaped, velvet box with a nautilus shell pendant inside.

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June Box

Princess of Swan Lake

images by @CaseyRoseReads and @StephanieHWarner

    Dark Breaks the Dawn by Sara B. Larson
  • Page 22
    "When the door opened and a page entered the room, holding a tray with a white card, Ceren nearly closed her eyes..."
    - a pink leaf shaped tray with a white card from the book.
  • Page 130
    "The new queen slumped into a chair, took a sip of the cold chamomile-and-lavender tea...and made a face."
    - a packet of chamomile-and-lavender tea inside a silicone 'teacup' cupcake mold and recipe for a single serving cupcake, stuck in the back of the book.
  • Page 217
    "Ceren grumbled, and Evelayn shook her head as she bent to put on her slippers."
    - a pair of grey lace slipper-socks.
  • Page 257
    ""I have something I need to give you." And then he pulled out the most beautiful ring Evelayn had ever seen."
    - a gold-tone ring with a pink center stone and clear stones surrounding it.

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May Box

Hurricanes and Heartache

images by @BooksCupsandCandles and NovelPairing

    Between Two Skies by Joanne O'Sullivan
  • Page 30
    "Now that we live together, she lets me brush her hair for her at night."
    - a detangling brush.
  • Page 88
    "Without saying a word, I reach up and rip the stupid headband off my head..."
    - a sparkling headband, reminiscent of a tiara.
  • Page 104
    "I see a laminated menu lying on the ground. I pick it up."
    - an 11" laptop sleeve and a custom designed diner menu inspired by the book.
  • Page 236
    "Before I know it, she's gone out to her car, brought in a slow cooker filled with gumbo, and plugged it in."
    - a packet of gumbo mix in a custom designed pouch with cooking instructions.

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April Box

Mixed Media Memories

images by @CaseyRoseReads and @NovelPairing

    The Hidden Memory of Objects by Danielle Mages Amato
  • Page 28
    "They were my constant companion: a pair of little gold embroidery shears shaped like a stork."
    - a pair of little gold embroidery shears shaped like a stork.
  • Page 143
    "I reached up to rub Tyler's button, which I still wore on the string around my neck."
    - custom made button necklace.
  • Page 196
    "I dropped my backlae to the floor...and dug until I found my wallet. I pulled out Detective Johnson's business card..."
    - a black and white backpack with a lime green wallet inside, with a custom printed business card in one of the pockets.
  • Page 250
    "He went to his desk and retrieved a pair of gloves, sealed in a clear plastic bag."
    - a pair of sealed black gloves.