Review: Crewel by Gennifer Albin

Crewel (Crewel World #1)
By Gennifer Albin
Published October 16th, 2012
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)
Hardcover, 368 pages

Enter a tangled world of secrets and intrigue where a girl is in charge of other’s destinies, but not her own.

Sixteen-year-old Adelice Lewys has always been special. When her parents discover her gift—the ability to weave the very fabric of reality—they train her to hide it. For good reason, they don’t want her to become a Spinster — one of the elite, beautiful, and deadly women who determine what people eat, where they live, how many children they have, and even when they die.

Thrust into the opulent Western Coventry, Adelice will be tried, tested and tempted as she navigates the deadly politics at play behind its walls.  Now caught in a web of lies and forbidden romance, she must unravel the sinister truth behind her own unspeakable power.  Her world is hanging by a thread, and Adelice, alone, can decide to save it — or destroy it. - Goodreads

Review

Wow. I went into this book intrigued, weaving reality, huh. Although you might think that this is a typical dystopian novel (and in some ways it is), but it is so different and original. I love it!! Don't worry, if you aren't a fan of dystopians, this could still be the book for you, as it is way above the pack.

First, similarities to other dystopian novels. Yes, this happens in the future, where there was some ginormous war to end all wars, resulting in the current society. Everything is strictly controlled by the government, including your job, your spouse, how many kids you can have, and where you're allowed. From then on it gets interesting.

 Adelice is the main character, someone who was brought up to hide her ability to weave reality, the very fabric of the world, so that she wouldn't be taken away to become a Spinster. She is different from most girls because everyone greatly desires to be a Spinster, only seeing the glamorous side to it. She isn't one of those really badass heroines, but sometimes that's ok. She is flawed, but that makes her seem more normal, and she goes through great character growth as she tries to understand this new world she was suddenly thrown into when she became a Spinster. Her character is very realistic, and is easy to sympathize with.

I give you warning, this book has a love triangle. Yes, the atypical love triangle. If you for one are someone who is tired of this, then turn back now. Although the book isn't solely focused on the romance, it is a sizeable part.  However, the romance does add more to the plot.


I, personally, am someone who likes world building right at the beginning, however Albin's style is to give you it to you piece by piece, so you really have to pay attention. By the end of the book I didn't mind, by slowly giving bits and pieces of information, I actually think it made me more responsive and absorbed. The more that is revealed, the more interested I become, to the point where I cannot fathom more, and yet it comes. My mind was blown by the end.The world that Crewel is set in, Arras, is complex and futuristic. Everything is well described, and is beautifully written. 


I would highly recommend Crewel, it is over flowing with creativity and a wondrous world for you to imagine. The writing is impeccable, adding to the brilliance of Arras and all of the characters there. The ending is a major cliffhanger, leading to so many different possibilities for the series, making me die from anticipation. I will have to wait. 

Purchase this book at: Amazon / Barnes and Noble / The Book Depository