Crewel

Once I saw this cover, I knew I had to have this book and, boy, did it amaze me. It's hard to properly describe this book, but the words "innovative" "unique" and "one-of-a-kind" come to mind. Not to mention the fact that the magnificent world-building surpassed all expectations. The very concept of weaving the world is unique in itself, and it's easy for any fantasy lover to be entranced by the world that Albin weaved for us. This book is beautifully complex and enthralling, I easily got through it in one sitting.

With such amazing vividness used to describe the world of Arras, I was hoping for equally strong characterization. While the characterization was great for the most part, it was slightly frustrating at other times. Adelice, the main character (with such a beautiful name!) was a bit back and forth for me. I absolutely adored her snarkiness, curiosity, and sarcasm. As an elder teenager I could relate to her easily. But when put into specific situations, I was puzzled by some of her responses. Some of the things that came out of her mouth made me sit back and wonder where it came from because it was so out of character. She was a bit wishy-washy randomly. As for the other characters, I liked their building even if I disliked the character as a person. However, the attempts at villainous behavior and the motives behind such behavior were a little odd at times and instead translated to creepiness with a diabolical edge instead of outright villainous behavior. I get that jealousy can make people do stupid things, but being jealousy of a girl who is over a decade younger than you because you have a helpless crush on a boy that is a decade younger then you? Really? They're supposed to be together, they're the same age, you are the one at fault! It's skewed thinking like this that threw me for a loop and had me shaking my head at times. I'm hoping that things will be more realistic in book two.

There was a slight love triangle in this book as well, but it was incredibly clear that Adelice favored one boy much more than the other. While is one arrogant and cocky, the other is strong-willed and observant. Both boys had redeeming qualities, but I must say that I believe Adelice made the proper choice. This is not a love triangle worth getting worked up over because it does contribute considerably to the plot in a positive manner. It helps move it along and the romance does not overpower any plot points.

As for the ending of this novel, it has me craving book two. And while I am beyond anxious for the next installment in the Crewel World series, I was still left with a few questions with this one. While I understand that the place it left off at was reasonable, I have too many questions that are still left unanswered. There are many fates of many characters that still need to be revealed. And the ending itself was slightly bizarre and leads a reader to come up with theories of their own. While this ending is open to interpretation, I may go insane without book two.

In a lot of dystopian books -- especially those with a sci-fi or fantasy twist -- the reader is introduced to an interesting world, and then CRAP HAPPENS and the environment changes. Divergent did this, Skylark did this, and so did others. Crewel came to me at just the right time. I'd been sitting around thinking about how I just want a book to let me stay in the interesting world instead of having to leave it for some unsurprising rebellion. In Crewel, I was introduced to a most fascinating world -- and I got to stay there throughout the entire book!

In Crewel, Gennifer Albin creates a magical, mysterious world called Arras. Everything in Arras is controlled by the tapestry of time and materials (people, objects, resources), and only Spinsters and Crewelers can see and weave the tapestry. Let me just tell you: this was one of the most imaginative books I've read recently, and I am kicking myself for not reading it sooner! The society of Arras was overall very patriarchal and rather misogynistic in many of its views, and while I don't like it of course, I also saw it as cohesive and intentional. There's a lot of debate about this factor of the story, but I chose to believe it was intended to be disgusting and that Adelice will rise above.

I was hooked from the first page, and the plot kept me interested all the way to the end. We meet several interesting characters along the way, and all of them were vibrant and unique. I loved that Adelice had allies, but also had to deal with some very despicable personalities as well. Her attitude throughout the book was amusing and continued to surprise me!

There is a little bit of a love triangle going on, but I still hesitate to call it that. It seems that Adelice is much more interested in one guy (Jost) than the other one, but I'm still not exactly sure where her intentions lie all of the time, and I actually enjoyed not knowing everything. It made her character come to life even stronger for me, because I felt she kept little secrets even from me.

Look, basically, I really enjoyed most everything about this book, and I think you might enjoy it too. I'm very interested to see what happens in the next book!

What I Liked: 1) The complexity of the story is the first thing that strikes me about the book in thinking it over after I finished it. I think when you broach a topic like this where the very world can be altered, it has to be complex. It gives people a lot of power, but yet somehow in this story, even those who could manipulate the world like this didn't hold all the power. There are some very complex and unique social hierarchies in this world (Arras) that were very interesting. 2) Adelice. I liked Adelice as the MC more than I thought I was going to in the beginning. There is a fierceness about her that I didn't recognize in the beginning. I've seen in the past few years a lot of what I think of as "accidental heroines." Katniss (The Hunger Games), Cassia (Matched), and Gaia (Birthmarked) are the first few that come to mind. You know the ones I'm talking about, the ones who are kind of thrust into a position of being a symbol or even a leader of revolution in their world, without even really realizing it was happening. Well, Adelice is not what I'd call an "accidental heroine." Her parents raised her to be against everything the Coventry stands for, so you know from the very beginning not to expect her to roll over and play lapdog. She's not afraid, or, she is, but she doesn't let fear stop her. I loved this part about her, that she isn't reluctant or hesitant to be in the middle of everything. 3) The idea. Upon finishing the book, my best friend (who hasn't had the opportunity to read it yet) and I had a long discussion about altering realities and what we would and wouldn't do. It really came down to we'd enjoy the power (I mean, I'd totally alter Ryan Reynolds' reality into believing I was his wife), but not the responsibility that comes with it. This is one of the biggest lessons in the book that Adelice and her supporting characters have to learn, that with power comes responsibility. The fact that this idea, the idea of the whole world being woven together by tiny threads that can be altered to change the perception or reality of the people involved was very intriguing, and had led me to have some interesting conversations with the people around me. I love it when a book is able to do something like that. 4) The ending. First of all, there was one thing that happened in the end of the book that made my jaw drop. It completely surprised me, but not in a, throw you off guard kind of way. Of all the things I had been expecting, this certainly was not it, but it excited me. And then as for the very end (like, the last 2 pages), I loved it. It answered a lot of the open questions raised throughout the story, and then just hit you in the face with a whole new world full of them right at the close. A fabulous set up for book 2!

What I Didn't Like: I would have liked to hear more from some of the secondary characters, although after that ending, I'm not sure how important that would have been.

Overall Thoughts: Creative and complex, Crewel is more than a book, it is an adventure into a world where government control is as strong as it is terrifying. Main character Adelice, who has a talent few possess, finds herself in the middle of a power struggle that is both intriguing and excruciating to be a part of. My emotions ran high as Adelice got deeper and deeper into Coventry's darker side. And if the story itself isn't enough, it gives the reader a lot to take away and think about. I won't soon forget this ingenious story, and am anxiously awaiting the next installment of the series!

Let me start this off by saying I think I might be getting tired of dystopian novels. It's like, once you read one, you've pretty much read them all and I'm beginning to get bored in general.

With that said, Crewel was different, creative, and detailed; but it didn't really do it for me. It started off really slow, which I know is typical for a dystopian, introducing the world and creating that scene and all, but it was a bit too much detail and not enough background, if you know what I mean. Even after reading this book, I was left with a ton of questions that don't have to do with the plot progression, but more so with this world. It all left me kind of confused and I really couldn't picture this world, not for lack of trying (maybe my imagination is flawed, I don't know). The biggest thing was that I was pretty clueless about their method of traveling and just couldn't see it in my mind.

Adelice is likable enough though. She's determined not to let her talent be abused and loves her family dearly. She's a bit naive, but it's not her fault since the adults kept all the important information from her, which really bugs me in general because they always do that! Adelice faces some pretty tough situations like the price her family has to pay to keep her talent hidden, dealing with jealous and malicious Spinsters, and a very creepy villan who I'm still not even sure what position he holds except that he's like "the face" of the Coventry. The society is male-dominated, even though they like to let people think the Spinsters are equals so girls can strive to become them, but it's all for show.

I didn't really care for the romance though. It felt a bit forced to me, like just because there's the option of a guy, Adelice falls for him and that's it. I'm beginning to think that any romance in dystopian novels won't do it for me. While I liked Erik and thought Jost was nice enough, they weren't all that great either way and I even found myself forgetting their names and specific details when asked whose team I was on (for the record, I'm more for Erik).

I think it was a good attempt at creating a unique world in ruins where one dares to defy the ruling society and cause a revolution, but I could've used more details in certain areas and less in others. I am definitely rooting for Adelice and I really liked the Creweler, but besides that, I just wasn't feeling this one.

4.5 stars.

Oh yes, this book was GOOD.

The YA publishing world needs more dystopians like this. I honestly thought I was done with the dystopian genre; I haven't been that crazy about some of the dystopians that have released lately. But Crewel blew all my expectations away.

It's so creative. It is unlike any dystopian I've ever read. Sure, there's a couple similarities to other dystopians - for example, at the beginning, the society seems a lot like the standard dystopian society in many young adult books. But slowly, as we delve deeper into the world, we find out just how stunning, unique, and scary it really is.

One thing I love is that there is absolutely no info-dumping. Albin doesn't even introduce us to the world at the beginning; we are thrust right into the action and learn more about the way the world is set up as the story continues. I like this method. It made the dystopian world seem a lot more realistic and it always left me curious to know more.

The characters all stand out in their own way. The main character, Adelice, is spunky and a touch rebellious, I couldn't help liking how she never gave up. Her little sister is so sweet - I liked Adelice's family from the very beginning. All the other characters that Adelice meets as she trains to be a Spinster are unique and compelling.

There is a love triangle, and while I don't particularly love it, I do like that Albin never lets the romance overshadow the main story. There's less romance than I expected, but I suspect there will be more in the sequel. And oh my word...that twist at the very end...let's just say I'm dying for the sequel!

And the world-building - I have to say it again, this book is just SO refreshingly creative! The concepts and ideas that the author has come up with are so brilliant. Before I read this, I saw many reviewers saying how creative Crewel was, and I thought, "Surely it can't be that creative and different from all the other dystopians," but I was so wrong. Even if you're tired of dystopians like me, Crewel is definitely a dystopian worth reading.

My only complaint, besides the fact that I wasn't crazy about the love triangle, is that the pacing seems a bit slow at times. Not noticeably so, and it's not a huge deal either; it's just that the book has its slower moments and isn't full of action. Still, it's so creative and full of unexpected twists. I would definitely recommend Crewel if you're looking for a fresh, unusual read!

This book was very well written and had a generally great idea but in the end it felt a bit like a YA version of The Matrix. I liked the main character... I know to some she came off as unlikeable, but her flat humor and sarcasm resonated with me.

Overall the book was okay and I'll be reading the next installment if I come across it when its out but I'm not waiting for baited breath for it. I didn't feel like reading this was a waste of time and I am curious how the next chapter will be dealt.

Now on to the SPOILERS AKA things that were ridiculous (in no particular order):

The initial capturing. I feel like she mentioned that girls WANTED to be taken and that people came outside their houses to watch it happening and it was a joyful thing and there were TV cameras at hers which she didn't seem surprised about... buuuuut her reasoning behind not telling her family that she passed the test was that she'd have a nice normal evening and then be taken away in the middle of the night and was shocked when they came during dinner? That doesn't seem to add up. Also the whole flummox of the situation. The parents were so utterly getting her prepared... it seems their attempt at escape should have been written a little less bungly.

Preyana started out as a fantastically written character and I looked forward to seeing how their relationship played out... but then it died right there in that school. Which I guess was meant to be impactful but instead it was just disappointing. Also that when she met her mom her mom made no effort to send a message or give something to her daughter which she will never see again yet had this very special PLANNED opportunity to do so; or that She didn't mention it to Preyana for some leverage upon her return was ridiculous.

The love triangle... bleh. Boring. There was really no connection between her and Erik. And not enough tension from the whole thing for it to be a triangle. I've run into friends of my brothers and sisters in random places and they've said "are you so and so's sister". She spends significant time with both of them, even with them in the same place at the same time and it takes her that long to make the connection?

She saw her sister alive both on screen and with her very own eyes. When she goes to the repository, why not look for her mom who she isn't sure is really dead. She should have especially wanted to do this after she found Jost's thought to be dead daughter is alive. But she doesn't... and she doesn't even mention it on her reflections of why she can't simply abandon Arras.

She learned pretty much nothing in her "training" yet she uses the weave like a pro to do intricate things. And yes, she was a natural weaver but she's not supposed to have gone in knowing how to do everything.

There wasn't enough internal conflict about weather or not the whole Guild and weaving process were ethical or something worth fighting against before she started fighting against it. It was written as though her parents weren't revolutionaries or necessarily against the Guild but that they just wanted to her to have a 'normal' life there with them. So what's her drive then?

I wasn't sure I was going to make it through this one at first. Not because it wasn't interesting but because it was a bit to complicated of a concept to understand at first.
The people of Arras live in four sections of a world that was developed and is maintained by weaves. Threads are weaved in a loom that form this land which is not on Earth but they will find out later very close.
Spinsters are the one's who weave the loom which can manipulate peoples lives like rewriting their history. One day you have a family, and the next day you don't and you are none the wiser.
Adelice and her parent's spent her whole life trying to hide her ability to weave so she could fail her testing. They wanted a life of marriage, work, and family for her. They did not want her to end of a spinster.
When she accidentally weaves during testing and the guild comes for her, her parent try to sneak her away and the family is forever more torn apart.
Adelice quickly learns she is not only spinster material but she might just be the new creweler, the highest weaver over all.
There are also two young men who catch her eye. Erik, is the blond, clean cut full of himself guys and assistant to Maela, an elder spinster who can't stand Adelice. The other is the head valet, Jost, who is a bit more scruffy and has a past of his own to hide.
The head of the Coventry in the western section though has his eyes on Adelice and is willing to look the other way when some of Ad's actions would normally result in being ripped from the Arras weave.
Time is running out for the head creweler and Adelice will have to take over or take the plunge into the darkness of the weave to the unknown and who will she take with her or will she be forced to go alone.

I admit, I was really curious about this book. It sounded like it might be different. In the end I was extremely glad I read it because it was exactly what I hoped for.
We first meet Adelice after she knows she has failed her Spinster testing. Something that the entire "country" requires every girl who comes of age to go through. Adelice's parents have been working with her from the moment she first displayed the talent to work on hiding it. Or course Adelice is special, and a moment comes that she just can't help herself. When she's trust into her new world she realizes that not everyone has the same abilities that she does. It turns out that what she can do it pretty rare and everybody wants control of her. But what makes the story interesting is that Adelice doesn't fully understand what she's capable of. And she definitely doesn't understand the world of the Spinsters. She doesn't know who to trust and what to believe.

I found this world completely fascinating. At first the book had a alternate universe feel to it. And why it may fit into that category, its also dystopian in a way. I was surprised and how that distinction came about because I completely was not expecting it. I enjoyed the hierarchy withing the Coventry. It seems the more capable Spinster you are, the more you are rewarded. It's not a talent you can learn per say, but it can be fine tuned. The only real issue I had was the act of spinning itself. It was a little confusing for me at first. I was just having a hard time wrapping my mind how this worked. Eventually it became a little clearer, and I realized that it really wasn't an important part of the story.

We are also gifted with the ever present love triangle. It was almost a given for the moment they were both introduced that it would happen. But I held out hope because the story focused way more on one than the other. Plus, I just wasn't sure that one of them could be trusted. There's a really interesting twist there too. Could make for an interesting problem later. Of course depending on if Adelice can stick to your choice....any bets?

The ending pulled me in to the point that I will be reading the next one. Good thing I enjoyed the rest of the book as well!

Sixteen-year-old Adelice Lewys has the rare ability to weave the very fabric of her world. Even though her parents have trained her to hide this gift-a treasonous act for which they pay dearly-she doesn't escape detection. In fact, she is abducted by the Guild and forced to become a Spinster, one of the elite cadre of Fates who manipulate the minutiae of everyday life. Entangled in a web of deceit, Adelice must unravel the truth and navigate this dangerous realm in which maiden, matron, and crone live a half-live in Purgatory between all-powerful and powerless. Although the plot is extraordinarily compelling, it ends with a cliff hanger and then arrogantly proclaims "End of Book One." Not only does Albin assume that her debut novel will be received favorably enough that there will indeed be a complete series, but she also presumes that the reader be willing to continue reading it. Such arrogance creates an inherent flaw in the narrative; the plot is fleeringly incomplete and languishes in the belief that the story will be able to come to fruition in the fullness of time. Those inclined to believe that series are merely attempts to permit a reader to venture "no further than a wanton's bird" will find fodder for such sentiments here. Ironically, they will be broken by the siren call of so excellent a plot well told that they will further ensconce themselves in the conviction that a talented, honest storyteller will convey her message in one book. And, they will loathe having been seduced. Conversely, this is an excellent read and an even more excellent addition to a collection frequented by fans of series who revel in the titillation of awaiting the next installment's release as dreams of merch dance in their heads.

Review courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales

Quick & Dirty: An imaginative world like no other, Crewel will leave you wanting more.

Opening Sentence: They came in the night.

The Review:

Ginifer Albin's Crewel is amazingly unique. I would categorize Crewel as a dystopian fantasy. Albin blurs the line of genres and writes this fantastic tale, one that I have become obsessed with. From the details, to the story plot, and many world-building components, I have quickly become a fan of the author and her story. Crewel is original and ingenious! Oh, I must not forget about the cover. It's gorgeous and it definitely has to be added in my collection.

Crewel follows the life in Arras, a world filled with talent and magic, and also home to Adelice Lewys. In Arras, the elite is classified as Spinsters, manipulating the looms of time, space, and matter. Only a select few are chosen for the screening to become a Spinster, and even fewer continue to become a Spinster. Weaving threads through the loom is magic and talent in itself, allowing it sustain Arras. But along with every seemingly perfect society, there is distrust and disorder, and Adelice has found herself right in the middle.

Adelice Lewys is a great character. She has so many beliefs and morals that she follows. Adelice can weave time and matter without a loom. As far as she knows, this is unheard of. Going through training has already proven her talent, as well as gather the attention of many high-level people. But all of the success that is within reach doesn't phase Adelice. Instead, she questions the integrity of the Spinsters' actions and challenges the reasons of which things are done.

The Guild of Spinsters is a character all in itself. The hierarchy, the politics, and the camaraderie all play a role in Crewel. Each action of a character has a distinct reaction, causing a domino effect of sorts. There are elements of romance, one that I wasn't a huge fan of. Please let me clarify. I am never a fan of love triangles, and Crewel has a mild one. Josten and Erik both vie for the top spot, and it's really hard to choose just one. Both described equally gorgeous and amazing in their own way. Wait until you read about them, you'll want a piece of both of them.

It's amazing to see how each page reveals something new. It's also mind-boggling to see a glimpse inside Albin's mind. There's a utopian sense of perfection and purity, where genders are separated, females are revered, and the elite hold all the power. Albin creates levels of depth in her story, adding science fiction elements mixed with a little bit of fantasy.

While I am gushing for most of this book, I did find a few things that I didn't necessarily like. I sometimes felt that Adelice needed a more solid base. She is a strong character, but I felt that there were things missing , things that would have answered for some of her shortcomings. I also felt like the evils of the world weren't evil or sinister enough. There were a few awesome moments of terror, but not enough to cower in the corner. And while these are mostly personal taste items, I still highly urge you to read Crewel.

FTC Advisory: Farrar, Straus, and Giroux provided me with a copy of Crewel. No goody bags, sponsorships, "material connections," or bribes were exchanged for my review.

Adelice Lewys has a gift, and not just any gift, but a gift that the political powers that be want and control. You see, Adelice is a Spinster who lives in Arras a world dictated by men. Arras is a place where The Guild transports food, assigns roles for men and women, they assign houses, and oversee the addition of new babies. The Guild controls the Spinsters. If you go against their rules they can weave you out of existence and have those that knew you vaguely remember you. A Spinster is someone who has weaving abilities that maintain and embellish the fabric that makes up the world. These gifted young women can change the course of the world, and life and they can also take it away.

Adelice has parents who want her to lead a normal life. They have trained her to fail the testing so that she can become a teacher or take on some other career. They want her to find a husband and have children. But, Adelice made a mistake during training, and as a result they will come for her in the night and she will never see her family again. Even still, this is not the worst of it. When they do come her father is killed, her mother is missing and the Guild has her sister.

Adelice is now faced with the cruel world and life of a Spinster. Even though they are treated well and taken care of she doesn't want any part of it. She is treated like scum by Cormac Patton, the Coventry Ambassador of the Guild of 12, along with Maela, a Spinster training and lover of snipping people out for fun. Adelice does encounter two young men Erik and Jost whom she becomes fond of and trusts. Her position doesn't allow her to really trust anyone because everyone is so loyal to the Guild for fear of death. Adelice has the ability to weave without a loom, and she is caught between finding out what happened to her family, weaving a new life or just letting the Guild snip her out of existence.

Albin has woven a masterful weavers tale, no pun intended. This story has family, warmth, love and a dastardly political edge. Albin's talent is obvious. She draws the reader in and places them right beside the character feeling every emotion that she does. The intricate detail of the life and world of this story are riveting and creative. This YA friendly read, is engaging and young readers will be able to identify with this coming of age story that incorporates the stubbornness of a teen and also the longing for knowledge.

I found Crewel to be a refreshing breath of air amid a lot of books that left me disappointed. I was first attracted to the cover as well as wondering about the title-what does crewel mean? Turns out it is an embroidery term and I am interested to learn more about the practical side of that as my crafty self is flaring. I thought it was a very solid book with a lot of potential to be unraveled in the rest of the series.

I felt like this book drew from science-fiction, dystopia, and fantasy for an overall magical story. Although vastly different, I was especially reminded of Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale with severely circumscribed roles and rights for women and jealous protection of those few areas where they do reign. Most frightening of those aspects is the government which uses the weaving abilities of its citizens to "rip" the dissidents if complete brain remapping proves insufficient to tame them. Even as humans prove resilient, those in power. This is one evil government with some surprising origins. One genre I had hoped to see more of was fairy tale due to the presence of the spinning-that makes me think of "Sleeping Beauty" and "The Three Spinning Fairies" but oh well.

Three last things I liked would be the sister-sister relationship and the ending. Adelice loves her younger sister and that is unfortunate for her because it makes the sister a tool the government can use to force Adelice to use her power for their own ends. As long as Adelice cares and cannot protect the sister, it puts them in an awful situation. I've mentioned before that I have a younger sister and reading about protective older sisters is a good way for me to bond with a character. Second is that I loved villainous power-hungry government official Cormac; I don't have much to say about him beyond that but I thought he was just great for his purpose. I also have a few (non-spoilery) things to say about the ending: Well then...WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN NEXT?

But (you knew there had to be something I really didn't like) there were these two competing love interests. Now I think one definitely has Adelice's heart but there's a lot of tension between the three of them. I am not going to ding this book for the two guys but I will ding it for not getting me interested in either guy. By which I mean, they did not bring the swoon.

Overall: Although this was less fairy-tale than I had expected, it ended up being a really enjoyable read with a good MC and a great set-up for the second book.

Cover: I would say this is pretty much what first drew me to the book-I love the swirl of colors and am surprised to like a cover that doesn't feature a pretty dress!

Crewel is a highly unique addition to the YA Sci-Fi genre. It's some strange combination of Utopia and Dystopia. I know that sounds weird, but it's true. On the surface Arras looks like a nice place to live. There's no crime, just peace, but this is actually accomplished through weaving time and matter, done by Spinsters. Adelice is 16 years old and has just been recruited as a Spinster despite her's and her family's attempts at hiding her gift. She doesn't want to be responsible for every single aspect of people's lives, including removing those who deviate from the tapestry of life.

One thing that really bothered me about Crewel was all of the talk about gowns and cosmetics. The Spinsters live a very glamorous lifestyle, but why? Their clothes and makeup didn't add anything to the story except a bunch of empty words. I much rather would have been reading more about their job and the compound. They can manipulate space and time, so who cares what they're wearing?! Even Adelice doesn't care very much about the glitz and glamor, so why does the author spend so much time talking about it? It just became irritating about a third of the way in.

The world, Arras, was what I really wanted to learn more about. It's an extremely fascinating concept to have a world where everything can be altered at a simple touch. But it's not very clear how it all works, and even the character don't know. There's plenty of "we're still working things out," and "it wasn't explained" or "that has now been forgotten" and other phrases to kind of push the world building aside. I want to know how this all works! If the Spinsters must weave everything pertaining to life, who weaves the Spinsters? Why the looms? Why do some girls have the gift and others don't? If women ultimately have all of the control, why are they run by men?! Some answers start popping up in the last third, but they also sparked more questions about this complex and compelling world!

As for the plot...I was less interested, but there wasn't much of a plot to start out with anyway. The first two thirds are essentially just Adelice being "tested" by a jealous head Spinster and basically being told to "shut up and look pretty" by everyone who knows about her special talent. Of course, there's also the love triangle, but we never really get any real scenes of the boys and Adelice doing anything lovey related until a random kiss with one of them. It's more implied though, since she's never been around boys before and now all of a sudden there's two set to guard her and cater to her.

We also don't even get to know Erik that well at all, so it's almost like he doesn't exist until he's needed as eye-candy. I did like Jost though, but he was also the more fleshed out of the two love interests. This isn't really surprising though, since our heroine is a pretty bland character, too. In short, the world and the concept completely out shine the characters and the plot, and ultimately, it's what kept me interested, if not invested.

By the end I was getting a headache trying to figure everything out, and things started getting very weird and slightly creepy. There's some explanations about the history of Arras, but it's still confusing as heck. Plus there's all kinds of random things that start popping up seemingly out of nowhere. Overall, Crewel is an interesting read even if the plot, characters, and romance are lackluster. Will I read the next book? Most definitely! Would I recommend this one? Yes, if you're looking for something really out there and can overlook my complaints.

Review: Okay, anyone who knows me at all knows that I can read just about anything. I certainly have preferences in genres, but I read anything that looks exciting, except maybe horror, but even there I have ventured. While sci-fi dystopians aren't among my favorite kinds of books, I do like them, even if some of them follow the same tropes. Crewel by Gennifer Albin is similar enough to fit in, while still managing to stand out. One thing I immediately have to give Albin points for is her stunning creativity and imagination, as well as her ability to execute both, as some authors are powerless to do this and fail. A world made up of fabrications isn't anything new, but the idea of visualizing a world in which the main character can see the strands that weave the illusion lingering around her is quite fascinating. And I found myself captivated by Adelice's ability, and wondering about the possibilities.

There's about nothing Adelice can't do. Even when people in her new life as a Spinster try to force their perception of her power--or lack there of--onto her, a big draw for Crewel by Gennifer Albin is Adelice's evolution, her realization of her own capabilities that put her beyond the grasp of those that try to control her. As a character, Adelice is very expressive even when she tries not to reveal what's raging underneath the surface. She can't always repress her anger, and her quick wit definitely makes her a charmer, though not all of the other characters would agree. I absolutely enjoyed the accessibility to her emotions, how easily she felt them and expressed them in a way we could absorb and therefore connect with. On the other hand, her love interests could've used the depth Adelice innately possesses. I found it difficult to like either of the mysterious and attractive blue-eyed boys consuming Adelice's thoughts now and then, simply because their personalities are painfully familiar. The handsome stoic guard with a past and the gorgeous arrogant charmer. Normally this set-up works for me, but their characterizations fell flat in that they had nothing particularly exciting or different to fill in the framework of their characterizations. Later, I of course was reeled in by one of the two's tale of woe and strong arms, but it's mostly a superficial tolerance than a firm attraction.

I also had qualms with the plot. There is so much going on, and for a reader like me, who is easily distracted by the main character's quips and the eye-catching world-building, I lost my way and ended up a frustrating pile of confusion. What is the goal? Is it to break away from this awful society? To rescue loved ones? To ace the testing? Maybe it's a mixture of all three, but it's taken me only just now to come to this conclusion.

While reading, however, I had a hard time coming to any conclusion. Though, the ending is one that opens up an infinite number of exciting possibilities, a turn of events I'm always thrilled with especially with this kind of dystopia. It is a predictable direction about halfway to three quarters into the book, but I'm most definitely anticipating a much more thrilling and likable plot in the upcoming books.

Most Likely to Be Enjoyed By: Futuristic/post-apocalyptic sci-fi dystopian lovers who are into complex world-building and plot formulation, as well as an interesting, easily likeable heroine will like the way Albin has written this book. It's engaging, falls on the thought-provoking side, and a touch magical. I will say, however, coming from someone who finds it necessary to experience the right balance of romantic chemistry in a book, don't be too expectant of the romance. As a love triangle, though, it's not too shabby so don't be put-off.

Content Warning: I actually think Crewel by Gennifer Albin is quite suitable for most age groups. There isn't anything particularly uncomfortable in the book. I'll mention that there are some sexual implications, LGBT, and kissing involved. Concepts of death and a few moments of violence might be a deterrent for younger readers.

How do I even begin to talk about the gloriousness that is Crewel? This book was absolutely incredible and not only exceeded my expectations but blew them up. Seriously.

The concept of Crewel is pretty difficult to explain. Arras is built and controlled by women known as spinsters who weave the reality of the world. Among these spinsters is Adelice Lewys. I could go into more detail about her talent and the world, but this is the kind of thing you’re going to want to read on your own. Gennifer Albin does a beautiful job explaining this world, weaving the details into the plot seamlessly. There is so much detail to this world and there was more to discover throughout the entire book. This world was built so well, drawing me in and keeping me interested. There was, of course, background about the world and how the weaving worked, but there were also details about how the world was run. Throughout the story we find out more and more about the political side of Arras, constantly trying to see where the true power lies. Adelice’s struggle to understand this power struggle made the world feel so real. Just like in our world, the power distribution in Arras is no simple thing. Crewel is probably one of the best dystopians I’ve read. The corruption of Arras is so complicated and rooted so deeply into the world.

Just like the world of Arras is well developed, so are the characters. The way the characters of Crewel interacted and behaved was very believable – each character being motivated by different things and acting on this motivation differently. The wide variety of characters did a lot in contributing to the way events played out and the way Adelice’s story followed through.

Adelice is truly a great character. She’s sarcastic and rebellious, but there’s also this tender side of her that she tries not to show. It’s clear that she is struggling to understand the people around her and she refuses to show it. Adelice has incredible strength through her hardships. She’s one of those heroines that you can look up to.

As great as she is, Adelice would be nothing without all the other characters she interacts with. From evildoers like Cormac Patton and Maela, to friends like Enora and Jost, Adelice’s choices and what she comes to know about her world comes from these people. All of these characters are so real in their own. While reading, I was anxious to see what motivated these people and what they were trying to achieve. There is so much to all the characters that I could probably go on and on about all of them, but instead I’m going to say READ THE BOOK. REALLY.

Besides all the gloriousness of world and character, the general writing on this book was wonderful. Gennifer Albin masterfully described everything that was going on in an understandable way. A world woven on looms is kind of abstract and hard to understand, but it’s not when Albin explains it. There was beautiful imagery and emotional inner thoughts. Also, the pacing was beyond perfect. In some of my more recent reviews I said how well the books were paced, but this book blows them out of the water. While I wanted to keep reading with other books, I needed to keep reading this one – the pacing was down right impeccable.

Overall I have to say that this book is EVERYTHING – and by that I mean that it’s wonderful and perfect and amazing and I can’t even. I highly recommend this book, especially if you like well-written dystopias filled with adventure and romance. These book was absolutely incredible and one of my all time favorites. I’m definitely looking forward to where this story is going!

Crewel was on my radar for some time before I was lucky enough to win an ARC, and even now that I've finished it, it's one of those rare books that I wish I had the time to re-read once everything has settled a bit after reading the final page. Crewel is a richly woven tapestry - a story of hope, obedience, fear, secrets, and revolution. As a reader, I clung eagerly to every bit of information I could get my hands on, and was happy to wait for my answers - instead of the classic and unfortunate info-dump, Albin reveals things over time. Between the underlying struggles between the male dominated society, and the females who want power, mixed in with the science-fiction elements, and the beautiful, if fleeting romance that develops, there is something for everyone in Gennifer Albin's debut novel.

Led by a fantastically self-aware heroine, Adelice, Crewl isn't like anything I've ever read before. Living in a segregated community, Adelice was taught to carefully hide her abilities, and it's led to her becoming sheltered. But there's also a LOT of strength in this girl, strength and grit that she shows throughout Crewel. I applauded when Adelice stood up for herself, and I for one cannot wait to see who she becomes in the sequel. In a cast of ruthless characters, like power-hungry Maela and Ambassador Cormac Patton, everyone has their own agenda, but Adelice holds her own.

Her innocence is definitely stripped away, but in the wake of that, we see a lovely romance burgeoning between Adelice and one of my other favorite characters. And no, I won't tell you who - but trust me, you will WANT to find out for yourself because although there was a small hint of a love triangle, it was SO clear to me who Adelice belongs with. Both of the guys that come to care for Adelice are perfectly swoon-worthy in different ways, but the particular one I fell for really swept me off my feet. He and Adelice moved a little too fast for my taste, but found their own unique way to spend a good deal of time together getting closer.

Crewel touched me on many levels. I found reasons to laugh and reasons to cry. The actual premise is only barely touched on in the synopsis - there's a great deal more going on that I discovered as I read. Gennifer Albin brings several layers to the story, beyond the surface description of what the Spinsters do. We learned along with Adelice, and discovered the various agendas and politics behind the scenes - and that not everyone called to serve lives a glamorous life. Albin cleverly reveals just enough to spin my head around as I feverishly turned the pages, needing MORE - more answers, more of these characters. Concepts of weaving, ripping, and cleansing had me begging for more explanations! By the time I finished Crewel, I realized the wait for the sequel is going to be an extremely long one, during which I'll probably need to buy my own copy of Crewel to re-read to pass the time! If you're going to read Crewel, I'd advise you to set aside a whole day of un-interrupted reading, and be prepared to have your mind blown!

I can't say that I really cared for Crewel overall. I wanted to love it and it started strong, but everything went downhill as the book progressed.

First off, I loved the cover. I thought the setting, the world-building and even the play on words were creative and interesting. The spinning and creweling of worlds fascinated me, as well as Adelice's particular gift to weave time without a loom. In the first half of the book I found the descriptions detailed, but as the book continued things became more muddled.

Along with the creativity there was a good deal of violence and while that is not unexpected in a dystopian novel the way it was presented pushed the limits of what I would prefer for younger readers. The sexual themes also seemed a bit over the top when considering the target audience. If this had been marketed to an older audience I might have said the content was mild - it's all in perspective. I make these comments considering that this book is targeting girls as young as 12.

The plot started out strong, but it never went anywhere. In fact, the whole book seemed a bit like an introduction that led you right up to the edge and then dropped off into nowhere. The last part of the book had a disjointed and almost frenzied feel to it. Maybe that was by design, but it didn't work for me. The ending was extremely unsatisfying.

The characters were hit and miss. Some seemed interesting, well developed and growing as the plot progressed while others seemed mere shells to hold a place in the overall storyline.

Other reviewers talked about being disappointed with the love triangle so I'll comment briefly on that. I never really saw a true love triangle. The characters didn't seem to know their own minds half the time and one side of the "love" triangle seemed little more than insecurity and lust. So I guess I'd say I was disappointed as well. I found it a weak link in the overall plot.

Finally, the thing that frustrated me the most was that the author seemed to have an agenda behind the story. I don't want to give away any spoilers so I won't say more, but a number of things about the story seemed forced and agenda driven, rather than purely plot driven.

In summary, the beginning of the book drew me in, but the author lost my attention about halfway through and the abrupt and unsatisfying ending left me with little interest in reading the sequel. It wasn't a bad book, but with so much potential it turned out to be little more than OK.

I read the summary for this book and it sounded interesting, but does not really give a lot of information about the book itself and that made me very curious. After reading Crewel, I can understand why the summary is so vague. There is no way to sum this book up into just a few sentences without giving too much away. I am struggling now to write this review without giving away information that will spoil this story. It was truly an entrancing world that I was completely absorbed in from start to finish.

When I first entered the world of Crewel, I was confused for the first couple of chapters because I needed to acclimate to how Arras worked and what exactly everyone's role in it was, Once I finally settled in though, I was captivated. Gennifer has created a completely unique world and I can honestly say I have never read anything like Crewel before.

In Crewel, we follow Adelice, a young girl who has been chosen to become a Spinster. In her world it is considered to be an honor, but Adelice views it as a punishment and after seeing what they endure I can understand why. When she starts training and the truth about what Spinsters do starts to slip out, Adelice observes this about her peers:

"No one asks any questions. They bob their heads in synchronized conformity as though why we are being asked to do these things is trivial. All that matters is doing what the Guild asks us, because they say it is important."

These sentences had the most impact on me when trying to define this world. Arras is a world built on lies covered up by deceitful, powerful people who like to keep the general public in the dark about how their world truly works. Adelice has always known something was off about Arras, but she never imagined how deep the lies go as she slowly peels back all the layers to reveal how cruel the world around her as become.

The only part of the book I could have down without is the love triangle. They seem to be turning up more and more in young adult literature and I really don't like them. Especially when there is clearly one person that Adelice is going to end up with and the other guy is there just to add stress to the main relationship. I was glad to see that the guy I liked more ended up being the one Adelice chose too, but Crewel would have still been a wonderful read without the tension of the love triangle.

There is not a whole lot more I can saw without giving the plot away and I don't want to do that. The best part of this book is uncovering the true purpose of Arras and the Spinsters for yourself. Crewel takes place in a unique world and is a stand out debut novel in the young adult world. I highly recommend checking it out for yourself so you can become as mesmerized with this world as I have become.

It is one of the best feelings in the world to read a book that has a refreshing and original premise. Crewel certainly delivers on that count, with a story that had me interested from the very first page and a main character that I could definitely get behind. Gennifer Albin has created an enchanting story, filled with whimsy and magic, and at the same time, rife with questions of power and gender.

I absolutely loved the idea of having the ability to weave, at least the way that Adelice did. It was so fascinating to imagine how Spinsters are granted the power to weave the state of society - adding more food, changing the weather, removing any "problems" and much, much more. The idea of everything being controlled by this talent was captivating, and very, very scary at the same time.

And the questions that arose while I read Crewel were definitely a lot more than I bargained for! I like books that make me think, and this was certainly one of them.

There was, for instance, definitely a sense of the story being a commentary on the roles that men and women take in a society. The lines were clearly and strictly drawn in Crewel, exhibited especially by those in power - Spinsters were powerful members of the society but they had plenty of standards and rules to live by; the officials, on the other hand, governed the Spinsters and oversaw pretty much every single moment of operation.

Power was also questioned a lot in this book, especially the power to give or take life. Being a Spinster almost felt like playing god - they had the power to add new threads or to remove old, fraying ones. I felt uncomfortable watching this scenario play out more than once in the book, but I was also intrigued by the question it seemed to pose about the value or the morality behind this granted ability.

While there are more things I liked about the book, including a lot of the characters, there are a few things that I was a little iffy about. I had a hard time visualizing a few things in the book, though that may just be me. And the love triangle felt completely unnecessary, since it was too obvious to me who she should end up with!

However, the ending left me completely intrigued. It was perfect enough to wrap up the novel with, but definitely open-ended enough for the sequel to add even more to this story. Crewel took on a completely fresh story idea, and certainly managed to divert my attention from the moment I started reading it. I can't wait to read the next book!

Original Review at Belle of the Literati @ [...]
"It is hard to make a decision to save thousands
when it compromises one."
--Gennifer Albin, Crewel

Warning: There will be multiple attempts at being witty laced with horrible puns trying to interchange cruel and crewel...you have been warned. And boy, was this novel crewel (yep, right off the bat, had to do it, couldn't resist) but crewel in the best possible way. But I'm getting ahead of myself. First, how BEAUTIFUL is this cover?! Oh my stars, I just want to stare at it all day and fall into it. Definitely sets the visual foundation. The novel is a fantastic blend of science fiction and dystopia that takes place in the world known as Arras where Adelice lives with her parents and younger sister Amie. In Arras, girls are evaluated to determine if they have the skills to become Spinsters, and no this does not have a negative connotation to it as it does in our world, Spinsters are celebrities. They have the best food, gowns, accommodations, jobs, they are seen as goddesses among mere mortals because they weave the time and matter that make up the world around everyone. It is an honor and a privilege...to some. Adelice has spent her life secretly training with her parents in order to avoid this fate however their plan backfires. Adelice is whisked away to the Coventry where she trains along with a multitude of other things. You'll have to pick up this fantastic book to read the rest and find our for yourself...how very crewel of me...I know ;)

I LOVED this book. Everything about it. The characters, the world, the science but I have to break it down to give this book justice. SO the world building in the book is definitely intricate and the foundation of the work that the Spinsters do is a little difficult to wrap your head around at first. Maybe its just me because I am a geek and have to read and re-read every description of the process in order to begin to wrap my head around the details of the job. I like to know everything so while I am a very quick reader, I personally took a little longer with the first 100 pages because I did not want to miss one detail or image of the weaving. I wanted to be able to really picture the looms and colors in my head before moving on which is just one reason why I loved reading this.

And let's talk about the science for just a second. The basis of this novel with Arras and all the details you find once you read it is SO UNIQUE! The idea that matter and time can be weaved and created and destroyed was so geek-tastic to read about I just couldn't get enough! The visualization of the looms and the process was so vivid. Just fantastic.

*sigh* The characters. Holy amazing. I just blogged about my Top Ten Kick Ass Heroines (and you can read all about them here Top Ten Kick Ass Heroines :) C'mon, go ahead, click it) and I am so sad that I compiled that list before reading Crewel because I would have had to kick somebody off in order to include Adelice. Damn, was this girl a spitfire. I'm biased. Any female character that has a sharp tongue, quick wit, and zero tolerance for ignorant humans gets an automatic gold star in my book. She is no exception. And what I like about her is that she goes from zero to sixty in 1.2 seconds. Her family is wronged, she is pissed, and from that moment on she is not going to go easily or quietly. Admirable to say the very least. She is a fighter and does she ever fight. She does not take any crap from anybody and I could not get enough of this. One of my favorite lines from the book is when she says, "I don't think they could go far enough to make me docile." *BOOM* Watch out world, Adelice is a force to be reckoned with. Stand clear. She is a truly kick ass female and I cannot wait to see what she does next...when is Book 2?!

Now...on to the boys...*rawr*. This novel does not lack in any imaginary male eye candy...mind candy?...Anyways. We not only have 2 young and good-looking suitors for our heroine but a handsome older gentleman as well...oh, hey there. I really have nothing super intelligent to say about the boys I just wanted to gush for a second. The differences between the young bucks are great. Quiet and passionate versus confident and cocky. But like all complex characters there are fantastic layers to both of these men that one would never see coming. They are not just nice to imagine they both keep the story twisting and turning and Albin weaves (yep, did it again, how punny am I?!) an amazing story and you never really know where the loom will lead us next. Cormac especially keep things very interesting...and I have a feeling that quality will not go away anytime soon.

Crewel was very fast paced, intense, emotional and really difficulty to put down. And maybe it was just me but one of my favorite moments was when Adelice began to work with who she ends up working with (no spoilers, sorry, go read it!) because I felt an instant connection to The Giver which is one of my all time FAVORITE books so it felt a little like coming home to me when this whole storyline developed. I couldn't keep the smile off of my face. I also LOVE the quote I chose at the top of the page. I loved how Albin brought to light the idea of choices and repercussions and how the choices you make affect so many more than you think. There are so many times that the situation of would you sacrifice one to save many arises and most people would say that's an easy choice but I've never thought that. If that one person is you or somebody you love that decision would not be so easy to make and I could not get over how Albin presented it here. It was just fantastic.

Overall this book is really quite amazing. It was unique, the emotions raw and honest, and the situations poor Adelice has to face reiterates the statement that has been repeated for decades...It's a crewel, crewel world...

My Thoughts: What a great novel. Crewel was fast paced, interesting, and awesome!

We are introduced to Adelice who lives with her younger sister and parents. Adelice has been taught all of her life to fake it. She fakes being able not to be a spinster and not know how to weave. All the girls want this gift, it means living in luxury and its a higher calling, but not to Adelice. She knows she'll have to leave her family behind so she tries her best to pretend to not know how. Until one day, she messes up and accidently weaves. Oh no!

Adelice is whisked away from everything she knows to join the spinsters. Its not all glamour like everyone thinks, and Adelice is smart enough to know this and realize how things are going to be.

Of course, Adelice makes a lot of enemies right away and there are also love interests throughout this novel. Oh yes, I love this. This novel is kind of a mix between dystopia and maybe magic. So much happens, so many twists and turns. It held my attention all the way through. Adelice is such a complicated character, and the things she can do makes it even more neat.

This is one of those you don't want to write too much about because you don't want the reader to know much going in.You want them to experience it all by themselves.

Crewel is a bit confusing at first but quickly resolves itself. You understand it, you expect it, it's explained, and you either love or hate it. I loved it.

Awesome characters, awesome plot, awesome guys, and one awesome girl who is tougher than most heroines I read about.

Overall: Loved it! Probably one of the best books I read in August! Please read this novel now! Please tell me if you love or hate it. Which guy did you like most?

Crewel blew me away! I can't wait to read the second one now!

Cover: Love it! Its so colorful. Adore it!

What I'd Give It: 5/5 Cupcakes
______
Taken From Princess Bookie
[...]

Ever read a book and feel very confused afterwards? Like you read the whole thing, but weren't exactly sure if you loved the book? That's my feelings after reading Crewel. The story is staying with me days after finishing it, but I still can't decide how I feel about the characters, the romance and the ending.

The plot was an interesting concept. In this alternate universe, the world is controlled by spinsters who can weave time. Most girls are raised in the society to believe that being a spinster is a glamorous and wonderful thing. However, Adelice's parents have always tried to hide her abilities in order to keep her out of the Guild's control.

The beginning of the book was amazing. I was immediately drawn into Adelice's world and her family's struggles against a corrupt society. Once she arrives at the compound, the book was still interesting as readers are introduced to the spinsters and the hierarchy of the Guild.

Adelice was a good protagonist. She had some spunk, especially when dealing with the villains of the story. I wasn't a fan of the romance. Jost came off as bland and I didn't see much depth to his character. Eric was the preferred love interest in my opinion, but then he disappeared for the second half of the book.

The world-building was a struggle for me. I just could not visualize the idea of how things were controlled on the loom and through weaving. Several times, I had to stop reading because I couldn't quite wrap my head around it.

The ending felt a little rushed. There were so many plot points left open that I would've liked to see at least a few of the conflicts resolved before waiting for the next book.

Overall, a good book that has the potential to become a great series.

Rating: 3.5/5 Stars

Thanks to the publisher for a copy of Crewel for review!

I received Crewel as part of the Goodreads - Firstreads program. First of all, look at that cover. It is gorgeous - the colors, the script. Love it.

Crewel is a YA novel that tells the story of future world where everything is dictated by the government. Young girls are tested to determine if they have the gift to become a Spinster. Spinsters weave the world and make any changes that are deemed necessary by the government. They can even rip someone's thread (yes, that means they are dead.) Adelice has the talent but her parents have been secretly training her to fake her test (showing no talent) so that she will not have to become a Spinster. She slips during testing and is chosen to be taken in for training. Things don't end well for her family when they try to help her escape. Adelice is determined to figure out a way to make things right for herself (and anyone left in her family that she can save.) And, she has talents the government doesn't know about yet.

Adelice is a strong character and I want to know more of her story. There is a love triangle, sort of. We'll see if it becomes a true love triangle or if it was just there for a little more drama in the first novel.

It looks like this will be a trilogy and the ending definitely left us with a bit of a cliffhanger. I am looking forward to the next chapter for Adelice, Jost and Erik (and finding out about the "real world").

4/5 stars. An easy read that is appropriate for all YA audiences while still being enjoyable for adults. Would be a great stocking stuffer for your daughter, niece or friend.

While a YA (young adult) novel, many adults will find this dystopian novel interesting, especially if they have an interest or talent with needle arts. In this idyllic new world, woven from substances gathered from the old Earth, everyone's future is clearly mapped out and no one rebels or is unhappy - or are they? As the book unfolds we learn disturbing facts about this world and the spinsters and crewelers who keep it intact. Adelice, chosen as a spinster, is increasingly aware of terror, rebels and disasters hidden from most inhabitants, including other spinsters.
Although occasionally lacking sufficient detail in the how this world works, the concept is new and interesting. The main characters are generally well formed and consistent even though it is clear who are the bad guys and who are the good guys - at least in this first book of a proposed trilogy. The characters are likeable and their lives have enough back story to generate plot enough for the future books.
I would recommend this book to older teens and adults. Book groups will find many topics for discussion including predetermined futures, forced family planning, rigid control by "authority" through fear, loss of free will, segregation of the sexes, ecological use of nature materials including animals and women's place in society among others.

This was definitely a unique book. I don't know whether I would consider it paranormal of dystopian. Maybe it's a little bit of both. But I know that I've never read anything that had the premise of girls and women "weaving" what happens in their world.

And maybe because of that, I that that the action of the weaving was confusing. The ideas of the threads and looms and what was being woven just wasn't really clear to me. I have to be able to "see" it in my mind to get it, and unfortunately, the way this book was written kept me from being able to do that.

That being said, I did like most of the main characters. Adelice was feisty and smart but I think sometimes she just needed to know when to shut up. I liked the two boys, Jost and Erik. They both had qualities about them that made them desirable. And they had their secrets, but I guessed it pretty early on. And I liked Adelice's maid, Enora. She seemed like such a sweetheart. The other characters, I didn't care for at all. But I'm pretty sure I wasn't supposed to.

Overall, it was an interesting book. I liked the premise of it but I just wish that I could have understood the whole weaving thing better. I think that would have increased my enjoyment of it more.

This book very pleasantly surprised me. The blurb sounded interested but I got immediately drawn in to the story. Usually when I listen to audiobooks, it takes me a long time to finish because I usually only listen to them on trips; this book had me putting the audiobook on when just doing stuff around the house.
The story immediately ties your emotions to Adelice and makes you desire for her success (and escape) from the Guild. While the Guild at times is described in ways that makes you wonder whether they might not all be that bad, Adelice quickly discovers secrets that make her question everything. She puts up a fit and never gives up who she is. Yet, the story is very realistic in allowing us to see Adelice actually being interested and partially swayed to the perks of her life of privilege.

This is a debut book from Gennifer and I must say it's a fresh perspective in Fantasy Fiction.

The story line about a world that is woven like a tapestry and all of the elements of the world are the strings... highly original. Just imagine the person who controls the weaving, controls the world.

The character development in the book is excellent. I grow with Adelice as she lives the experiences that take her from an innocent sixteen year old girl and transform her into a Spinster that controls the destiny of the entire world they live in.

The plot flows perfectly from one twist to the next. Up until the end of the book I thought I had a pretty good take on who was on whose sides.... Boy was I surprised. The pace flowed fairly fast and was easy enough to follow. The action started somewhere around chapter 2 and stayed fresh the rest of the way through. Generally when I think of Fantasy novels I think of sword fights, laser fights, Magik, that sort of action, but this book was exciting and different. There was no need for violence when someone could simply remove your thread from the weave and poof..... gone. With that being said, this was more a mentally exciting book that keep you thinking and trying to figure out the ending.

The world Gennifer built was realistic enough, but the thing I liked about her storyline was that if something was missing or wasn't quite right, it could be easily manipulated by just moving a few threads from one place to another and you had what you needed within seconds.

I have to say there is quite a bit of a cliff hanger at the end of the book.... I think I have figured out what is going to happen in the next book, but every time I have thought that so far I have been generally wrong. I guess I will just have to wait until the next book from the Crewel World series to see how good of a guesser I am.

The best of a truly awful series. Interesting world/concept - I read a short story based off this world on Tor, which is why I picked this up. The novel has big logical gaps and the interpersonal stuff bogs it down. Don't bother with the sequel - it's truly terrible. I am a reading addict and I did not finish this series, which is really rare for me.

Adelice Lewys has the gift to weave, but is desperately hiding her talent thanks to the warnings from her parents. Trying to stay hidden from the Guild is difficult, but it becomes impossible when Adelice lets slip her gift during a testing ceremony. Ripped from her family and thrown into training, Adelice knows she has to find a way to escape, but this means she must learn to trust someone on the inside.

I am not normally a fan of sci-fi books, but this is a fun, fast read. I was immediately caught up in Adelice’s struggles. There were very few grammatical errors, while the descriptive details overwhelmed the senses and made it feel as though the world of Arras was displayed before my eyes. I am looking forward to continuing Adelice’s adventures in the next two books.

Note:
This review was originally posted on the Ariesgrl Book Reviews website.

Crewel is a book based on a dystopian world where a group called the Guild control everything. In this world, there are some very special people called Spinsters, who can see and control the very existence of...everything. In this book, there's a girl called Adelice and she's one of these Spinsters. It is usually a great honour to be a Spinster, but Adelice's parents have spent the whole time since they found out what she could do hiding it. By one day, Adelice's makes a mistake. And they take her.

I loved this book. First off, the cover and the blurb. The cover is beautiful, both of them that I've seen, and vey fitting, I think. The blurb is perfect, doesn't give much away, just enough that you want to get the book and read more. I love when a blurb is like that, even as it annoys me, lol.

The actual book was good too. The twists all thoughtout the book kept you very interested and it definitely worked on me, I could not put this book down. At night, I'd put the book down to try and sleep, but after a minute or two of lying there staring at the ceiling, I'd grab it again and start reading.

And something I'm sure everybody is worried about, the world building. This is, inevitably, something we all look for in a dystopia novel. How is an author going to justify the creation of their dystopian world? Well, rest assured, the world building in this book is amazing. Of course, we're not really focused on that during the beginning and it's only actually at the end that you hear something of it, but what we have heard does bode well for the next book.

I also like how the book is not actually that long, because then everything isn't ridiculously stretched out to the point that you want to throw the book out the window. Because, and yes, I will admit it, if the things in this book were stretched out, even I would throw this book against the wall. But it wasn't so that's ok.

The characters were beautifully done and there's many of them that I want to see again. The romance was cool too, though not that prominent really. Well, not to me.

The ending was very suitably cliffhanger-ish and I cannot wait for the next book.

4.5 stars, I guess.

I read this as an ARC from BEA and immediately was hooked and tell everyone to read it. SO YOU SHOULD TOO!!!

Albin has created a unique world where women are 'put in their place'. Think of this book as Mad Men meets The Giver meets Ella Enchanted. There's a boarding school like aspect where the Spinsters live together. I loved Adelice's character - she was strong and stubborn. I wasn't too keen on the love triangle but I pushed that feeling aside for this book. Albin's writing style is stunning. CREWEL reads like a pro wrote it. A little bit Lauren Oliver pretty meets The Handmaiden's Tale if you will. The ending left the world building aspect a little confusing but I have a feeling that book two will help that out. I loved that Albin made commentary on our society today on women's righs and equality. It could also be a readalike to Jessica Spotswood's Born Wicked. Overall, Gennifer Albin's CREWEL is a stunning debut and I am surprised more people have not fallen in love with this series...

I am the author of EXOTIQA (YA Robot Cyberpunk Dystopia) (EXOTIQA WORLD Book 1) and so I read from an author's point of view. At first I thought I'd love this, and then I was slowed down with the basic premise seeming a little too far fetched for my taste, but by the end I wanted to know what happened in book two. And that is why this is a 4 and not a 3.

This book was absolutely awesome! The storyline is very original. I love the idea of weaving time and it being something as substantial that you can manipulate and change. The story is about a young girl named Adelice that has grown up with her parents trying to teach her how to hide her gift. Not a lot of people are able to weave time on a loom, but Adelice is special because she can weave without a loom. But she slips up at testing and accidentally weaves without a loom and is caught. Girls that are found having the gift are "spinsters" and they are taken to the Coventry where they help weave food, weather, and other things. But they aren't allowed to marry. And they can't see their families once they are taken away. It's a grand adventure. I would definitely recommend it to all of my friends. I can't wait for the second book!

Her whole life Adelice's parents have tried to teach her fingers to be clumsy, unwieldy, and incompetent, to deny the weaving skill that comes as naturally to her as breathing. But it's hard to hide what you inherently are and then the Guild came for her.

Arras is a world created in time and space, woven by the Spinsters. Spinsters are the people who keep Arras running. Sitting behind large looms, using patterns the Coventry provides, they weave in everything from food, to weather, to shelter. They patch the threads of the world, they repair them, and they rip them. In Arras it's considered worthwhile to pass the mandatory testing and be chosen as a Spinster. Only women can be Spinsters (it's easier to control women) and once chosen they are treated to a Hollywood lifestyle. They are afforded the best living quarters, best meals, best cosmetics, and best wardrobe Arras has to offer. But all is not glitter and gold in the Coventry, for even the Coventry and the Spinsters housed in it are not free of the male dominated grasp of the Guild. Under the guise of keeping peace, the Guild controls all of Arras...right down to the food rations. They have created a society wherein men are placed above women, segregation is employed, and thoughts and actions monitored. Those deemed to be a threat are ripped, by Spinsters, from the fabric of Arras. However, Arras cannot continue to exist without a chief Crewler and the current one, Loricel is dying. The Spinsters may have the ability to weave patterns into Arras, but only the Crewler can create and manipulate. Adelice's talent is so strong that she requires no loom; she can see the threads which make up Arras and she can simply reach her hands in and manipulate them. Now that the Guild has claimed her they believe their problem solved. But the seeds of dissent were sown early into her mind and the Guild has done nothing to quiet her fears. Adelice isn't about to play nice.

Once I started reading I got a taste of how clever Albin is. With "Crewel" she has managed to take elements from some of the most revered and popular dystopic novels ever written and has reinvented them, methodically blending them with her own original designs. In "Crewel" I see elements of "The Giver", "Hunger Games", and Pullman's "His Dark Materials" trilogy. While these elements are there, they are pulled into a completely original world; a world in which even the title of Spinster subverts our traditional notions. While reading I became infatuated with Arras, a world both like and unlike our own. Arras is a patriarchal society wherein the female is considered to be a second class citizen (sound familiar). Yet it is the females who *really* hold all the power since they are the only ones who can weave and the continuation of Arras relies upon the abilities of the Spinsters. Of course this implies females are easily controlled and easily appeased, and for the most part they are with some dangerous exceptions. The pace of the novel is absolutely flawless and the biting, witty, sarcastic commentary impeccably timed. Albin's characters are strongly sketched as is her world, with sharp details and careful coloring. The general disdain for men that permeated the novel was riotously entertaining. Adelice is one of the stronger female leads I've seen in YA lit and her strengths aren't merely confined to her skill of weaving. I don't think you could ask for a better debut novel. "Crewel" hasn't even hit the shelves yet and I'm already salivating for a sequel.

I have NO IDEA why i waited so long to read this. Honestly, I did not think I would like it too much after reading the description, but boy was I wrong. I was hooked from the first page and stayed there until the very end, finishing it up in just a little over a day. It is COMPLETELY original, which I am finding harder and harder to find. (Half of my reviews say- its a mix of this and that, blah blah). I just can't say that on this book, because it was so creative and interesting. Why not 5 stars- besides the fact that I never five 5 stars, there is a part where Adelice and Loricel are talking about the history of the crewelers and spinsters for a few pages that was both boring and utterly confusing that really detracted from the momentum of the end story. It should have been explained better and more quickly, and done so earlier on so it didn't feel like the action that was about to climax was interrupted.

Adelice can embroider the very fabric of life and because of this talent she is forced to work as a Spinster for Manipulation Services, which separates Adelice from her family. Adelice loses her freedom as she must work the looms that dictate how people live their lives. She discover secrets and that her world is built on lies. She sets out to find truths that could get her killed, along with the boy she falls for.

This dystopian novel has a similar plot to most other dystopian stories. There is an oppressive world, a girl with a special talent, a revolution in the making, and a love triangle. What makes this story stand out from others is the world created by the author. There is a lot of depth to how the world functions, however I would have preferred more depth in the character development. I wish Adelice was more unique and the plot more unpredictable. However, the novel ends with a promise of more twists to come which will keep readers intrigued.

I'd heard a lot of good talk about this book, so I was fairly eager to get my hands on it already when this came up in the store Vine. Readers, you will want to get your hands on this book just as much. I absolutely loved this book.

I don't know where to begin with what I loved about this book. I think one of the things that stuck out the most was how complicated the characters sometimes are. Very few of the characters are absolutely good or absolutely bad and I think Maela might be one of my favorites of the book. The premise of the book was also pretty appealing. The use of looms to weave reality or to influence things has been something that has stuck with me ever since I heard about the old video game Loom. There's a lot to play with as far as the loom and weaving metaphors go, so Albin has a lot of room to play around in.

There are a lot of familiar themes here. You have your stereotypical love triangle and Adelice is also your typical YA heroine. This doesn't really detract from the book as a whole and the familiarity of all of this helps to ground the rest of the book since there's a lot that goes on in this first entry. For this reason I'd say that this book won't be the "lounge around and eat potato chips" type of read. It's addicting and a fast read, so I don't think that will really put a lot of people off.

If you're a fan of Cate Tiernan's work, you'll probably like this one. It's not exactly the same genre but it seems to have that same addicting quality that her books have. I'm already yearning for the next book in the series and I hate the thought that it'll probably be at least a good year before I have the chance to get my hands on a review copy. This is absolutely worth the time to check out.

Albin has created an incredibly inspired and unique fantasy world. In this dystopian tale, readers learn along with Adelice about the true ruling structure and details about Arras. Adelice is a strong, sympathetic character who puts others safety and well-being before her own. But this quality isn't a good one to have in the cut-throat ranks of the Guild. Adelice also begins to form relationships with the few men in her life. The lowly valet Jost is soon her ally and a romantic interest as well as the mysterious Erik, forming a bit of a love triangle.

The plot was intense and suspenseful and made for a highly enjoyable read. Crewel is a beautiful and charming story, both captivating and imaginative. With plenty of mystery, drama, suspense, and just a bit of romance - this is an impressive debut and the first in a promising new trilogy. Fans of vibrant dystopian novels will definitely want to pick up this latest release.

Adelice was always taught to keep a low profile, and keep her special ability hidden from the government. At the age of sixteen, all young ladies such as Adelice are required to take a test to see if they have what it takes to be a Spinster. Spinsters serves the city of Arras, they're able to determine the fate of the people by manipulating the thread of time/life on a loom. Adelice was supposed to fail the test but slipped, exceeding people's expectations of how girls initially do during testing. Adelice gets ushered off to be trained as a spinsters, living the `'glamorous life'' that her parents tried so hard to keep her from. It is during the training that she learns the process of weaving, the governments true intentions and that her ability is far more powerful than just a spinster.

The beginning started out strong, Adelice didn't let the government take her without a fight. Once she arrives at The Guild, Adelice and the other girls are to be trained and those that pass with move on to be a spinster while others work menial jobs for Arras. I really like Adelice's character at the beginning but as the story progressed, I liked her less and less. Towards the middle/end Adelice said she probably wouldn't have fought so hard against The Guild if it wasn't for her parents. Are you serious? Her parents tried to save their daughter from the corruption of the Spinster life, and she had the nerve to say that? If she really felt that way, she shouldn't of did all the crap she did in the first place *sigh*. There was also the typical YA love triangle, kind of-. I didn't like the fact they she kissed one dude one day then another guy the next day...another reason why I started liking her less.

I never fully understood how the weaving works, or why the government was the way it was. The world had the same feel as other dystopian novels, government trying to control everything, girl trying to break free from the rules etc etc. Once I got to the end and certain things were revealed...I was like What did I just read? I was completely lost and dumbfounded by the last couple of chapters. The small revelation regarding the two guys in Adelice life was odd, I didn't see why that tidbit was important or at least I didn't care much for it.

Crewel is the first book of a planned series, and I'm not sure If I'll pick up the next book. It was a a so-so book, I really enjoyed the beginning of the book but everything started to go downhill towards the end. I like the weaving concept but everything else was the usual dystopian that I've read about (government and one dimensional villains and secondary characters).

Disclaimer: I was given a copy of Crewel, and in return I provide an honest review.

I've never read anything quite like Crewel before. It takes your imagination to a whole new level. The story is filled with intrigue, suspense and excitement.
I had a love/hate relationship with Maela. You always love to hate the villain, and sometimes I really did, but she was such an interesting character that the hate didn't last long. Adelice was the star of the show though. She may be young, but she's very smart and in-tune with herself. I liked how she took control.
The ending was absolutely perfect! It closed the story up beautifully, but left enough open for a second book. Which I gotta say, I wanna read... BAD! I need to know what happens to Adelice, Erik and Jost.

Albin has created an incredibly inspired and unique fantasy world. In this dystopian tale, readers learn along with Adelice about the true ruling structure and details about Arras. Adelice is a strong, sympathetic character who puts others safety and well-being before her own. But this quality isn't a good one to have in the cut-throat ranks of the Guild. Adelice also begins to form relationships with the few men in her life. The lowly valet Jost is soon her ally and a romantic interest as well as the mysterious Erik, forming a bit of a love triangle.

The plot was intense and suspenseful and made for a highly enjoyable read. Crewel is a beautiful and charming story, both captivating and imaginative. With plenty of mystery, drama, suspense, and just a bit of romance - this is an impressive debut and the first in a promising new trilogy. Fans of vibrant dystopian novels will definitely want to pick up this latest release.

Adelice was always taught to keep a low profile, and keep her special ability hidden from the government. At the age of sixteen, all young ladies such as Adelice are required to take a test to see if they have what it takes to be a Spinster. Spinsters serves the city of Arras, they're able to determine the fate of the people by manipulating the thread of time/life on a loom. Adelice was supposed to fail the test but slipped, exceeding people's expectations of how girls initially do during testing. Adelice gets ushered off to be trained as a spinsters, living the `'glamorous life'' that her parents tried so hard to keep her from. It is during the training that she learns the process of weaving, the governments true intentions and that her ability is far more powerful than just a spinster.

The beginning started out strong, Adelice didn't let the government take her without a fight. Once she arrives at The Guild, Adelice and the other girls are to be trained and those that pass with move on to be a spinster while others work menial jobs for Arras. I really like Adelice's character at the beginning but as the story progressed, I liked her less and less. Towards the middle/end Adelice said she probably wouldn't have fought so hard against The Guild if it wasn't for her parents. Are you serious? Her parents tried to save their daughter from the corruption of the Spinster life, and she had the nerve to say that? If she really felt that way, she shouldn't of did all the crap she did in the first place *sigh*. There was also the typical YA love triangle, kind of-. I didn't like the fact they she kissed one dude one day then another guy the next day...another reason why I started liking her less.

I never fully understood how the weaving works, or why the government was the way it was. The world had the same feel as other dystopian novels, government trying to control everything, girl trying to break free from the rules etc etc. Once I got to the end and certain things were revealed...I was like What did I just read? I was completely lost and dumbfounded by the last couple of chapters. The small revelation regarding the two guys in Adelice life was odd, I didn't see why that tidbit was important or at least I didn't care much for it.

Crewel is the first book of a planned series, and I'm not sure If I'll pick up the next book. It was a a so-so book, I really enjoyed the beginning of the book but everything started to go downhill towards the end. I like the weaving concept but everything else was the usual dystopian that I've read about (government and one dimensional villains and secondary characters).

Disclaimer: I was given a copy of Crewel, and in return I provide an honest review.

I've never read anything quite like Crewel before. It takes your imagination to a whole new level. The story is filled with intrigue, suspense and excitement.
I had a love/hate relationship with Maela. You always love to hate the villain, and sometimes I really did, but she was such an interesting character that the hate didn't last long. Adelice was the star of the show though. She may be young, but she's very smart and in-tune with herself. I liked how she took control.
The ending was absolutely perfect! It closed the story up beautifully, but left enough open for a second book. Which I gotta say, I wanna read... BAD! I need to know what happens to Adelice, Erik and Jost.

There are a lot of totalitarian societies in dystopian fiction (which I think this is, as it's got some supernatural in it, so it's tough to categorize), but this one is quite original. The main character is one of only a few who can weave time and space and alter reality. It's a totally bizarre concept that is hard to picture, but Albin does a great job doing just that. I was most impressed with how the author thought through the details and wove her own reality by deciding what to explain and what to leave to faith. Definitely interested to read the rest of the series, as the twist at the end set up the love triangle nicely. - Rita Arens, author of contemporary young adult novel THE OBVIOUS GAME (The Obvious Game)

This book is very different from what I have read and I mean that in a good way! It creates a world within a world, the idea of being able to weave your world as it is seen fit is remarkable. Arras is the world controlled by spinsters and I mean controlled as in they decide everything. However spinsters are chosen during testing and Adelice has been taught by her parent to fail this test however she is compelled to touch the loom and she does, only know they know how capable she is and she is taken into a world that is different for her own, filled with secrets, manipulations, and perhaps a spark of hope? What she learns can keep her as a prisoner forever unless she uses it correctly then maybe just maybe it can set her free...
Carpe Librum!
[...]
[...]

I absolutely loved this book. I found it innovative and unlike anything else I had read before. And it was dystopian, which is one of my favorite genres. It definitely made me glad I picked a book out because of its cover when I don't normally do that.

Adelice lives in a world that is controlled by Spinsters. Women who can weave the looms that run the world. And the Spinsters of course are controlled by the guild. From the food that is given to whether or not daughters or sons are born to a family, everything is controlled in her world. Her parents hope that she won't become a Spinster, and she never really realizes why until she is called into service. It's a cutthroat occupation and far more devious than she ever imagined. And her abilities are beyond the normal set for girls, making her world a little more treacherous as a result.

Adelice is a very strong character. She's smart, but sometimes can't control what she says and I can totally relate to having a lack of filter. She just won't take anything from anybody if she can help it. And the situation she is put into is certainly an interesting one and quite dangerous to her if she doesn't play the game right. With all the antagonists in this story it's also hard to pick a favorite one. They all play their role very well and it's very hard to tell who's who and on what side. And if they really think what they're doing is for the good of all or just in it for themselves. I did like Adelice's male companions as well. They were each very unique and relevant to the story.

The idea of a world being controlled by weavers is interesting. It shows some roots in mythology but takes it to a whole other level. And the detail of that level is astounding. Albin did a very good job world building and describing how the weaving takes place. I could almost see it happening in my head. But her world is also very cruel, as they must be in a dystopian novel and it definitely makes you root for the main character to overcome the odds. The only think I was really disappointed in was the abrupt ending. Everything just rushed a little too fast for me.

But I will definitely look forward to the sequel of this book. I have to know what happens and I care about the characters and want to know what will become of them. A very intriguing story to be sure.

Crewel
Copyright 2012
357 pages

Review by M. Reynard 2012

I had the pleasure of hearing Gennifer Albin speak at this year's UtopYA conference in Nashville. I'd heard of Crewel before, but I hadn't had a chance to pick it up. After listening to Gennifer's inspiring words, I knew I needed to read it ASAP. And I'm so glad I did. I really enjoyed this - the world-building was incredible and the main character, Adelice, a great combination of strong and vulnerable. I had a wonderfully creepy vibe throughout the whole book and was so intrigued with where the story went in the last quarter. I can't wait to read Altered to see how all the game-changing events at the end of book 1 play out. Fun read!

This book was recommended to me by a school librarian as one of the better young adult novels this year. After reading the plot summary, I was intrigued. Unfortunately, the actual novel is very uneven.
Plot summary:
Strictly planned and enforced society, women are at the bottom unless you are a Spinner who can manipulate reality and time to keep this world functioning since it exists in a sort of dimensional warp or something. Without Spinners and their leader (Crewel), this world would unravel and cease to exist. Adeline is tested and forced to become a Spinner, then is revealed to be the new Crewel. Political machinations result in lots of drama, a bit of romance, the occasional hissy fit by the heroine, plot twist at the end leaves the reader feeling left behind and wondering what happened.
Personal opinion: Can't recommend it. I ended up finding the heroine first ignorant and apathetic, then tiresomely spunky and rebellious. With little or no understanding of the things going on around her, she acts like a fool and ignores advice from wiser heads and shows what a sassy chick she is at the expense of other people's happiness. She ends up as the prospective savior of her society but never spends any time training to learn how to do the tasks she will need to do in the near future. Her tepid romance with one of the male characters is painted as an epic tale of passion, but just comes off as a couple of kids finding someone they have an attraction for. The ending happens suddenly and comes off as a tool to make sure another book is required to continue the tale. The science behind the spinning is never explained except in the most generic of ways. Plot inconsistencies occur throughout the book. All the bad characters are EEEEEVVVILL and all the good guys are very predictable. Very disappointed that such a promising story line fall so far short of what I hoped for.

Arras is rigidly monitored by the Guild to ensure prosperity and peace. The weave of the world is carefully manipulated by Spinsters working for the Guild to control everything from rations to the weather itself. Life as a Spinster holds untold promise with wealth, beauty, celebrity, and rarest of all power.

Adelice Lewys wants none of it.

Adelice knows the moment her hands slip on the testing loom is one she can never take back. Her years of training to be clumsy and artless, to fail when the time came to be tested, have been a waste.

Now the Guild will come for her.

It also means Adelice can never go home again.

As Adelice learns more about the Guild's agenda and her own role in their plans, the more desperate she becomes to escape. But when everything is pre-determined and manipulated by Spinsters, Adelice wonders if she can ever truly be free in Crewel (2012) by Gennifer Albin.

Crewel is Albin's first novel. It is also the first book in her Crewel World trilogy.

Crewel is an interesting dystopian with nods to the sleek, fashionable atmosphere of Madmen as well as the bleak world of A Handmaid's Tale which potentially sounds like an uneasy combination but manages to work well albeit without much explanation or world building to support either element.

Albin begins to introduce a complex world uniquely and unexpectedly centered around weaving but much like the sartorial decisions in the story there is little explanation as to why Arras works the way it does. (The how is similarly murky with painfully few references to actual weaving terms throughout.)

Adelice was also a very frustrating heroine. Trapped in a society that devalues and denigrates women, Adelice is often irritatingly one-dimensional as she spouts much of the society's dogma even while she is trying to fight against that very same society.*

Crewel has all the markings of a blockbuster dystopian read with thrills, twists, and a smart-mouthed heroine ready with choice remarks for love interests and villains alike. Albin's writing is also often beautiful and strongly evokes Adelice's world and her vision of the weave itself. Unfortunately all of these decorative elements do little to mask the book's ultimate lack of substance.

*I can't get into details because it's spoiler-iffic but let's just say one character spends a lot of time jealous of another character's deceased spouse and leave it at that.

Possible Pairings: Brightly Woven by Alexandra Bracken, The Selection by Kiera Cass, Warped by Maurissa Guibord, Cinder by Marissa Meyer, Twilight by Stephenie Meyer, Born Wicked by Jessica Spotswood, The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater

*This book was acquired for review from the publisher at BEA 2012*

The dystopian world in Crewel by Gennifer Albin is a familiar one in some respects: a ruthlessly oppressive government who controls the general population in every area, while at the same time making sure that any dissent or wrinkle in the fabric of society is "forgotten" through sinister mind wipes.

What distinguishes Crewel is the magical underpinnings of this bleak sci-fi dystopia, which is that the material world, people's lives, their fates, even their souls are threads woven together in an invisible tapestry. Albin's ethereal descriptions are beautifully written. The tapestry can only be seen and manipulated by gifted young women called Spinsters. The most talented of these women become the Creweler, able to weave and thus create from nothing.

"As I watched the nest, growing increasingly frustrated with my inability to protect the tiny lives inside, the strands of the weave glimmered to life around me. The tree and the nest blurred like a delicate tapestry before my eyes, strands that called out to be touched, and I reached and slipped my fingers around them. Although I'd been aware of the fabric of life woven around us before, for the first time I noticed how bands of gold stretched across it horizontally, and how colored threads wove up through them to create objects around me. As I watched, the golden strands of light flickered slightly, and I realized they were slowly moving forward, away from the moment in front of me. They weren't simply fibers in Arras's tapestry---they were lines of time."

I delighted very much in the metaphorical use of the traditionally feminine activity of knitting/weaving, as well as the negative connotations of the "spinster" figure in society as an old, unwed, unwanted woman, within a feminist context. The spinsters collectively have enormous power, yet they are oppressed by a male militia.

Adelice is one such spinster-to-be, torn from her family when she exhibits signs of the gift. However, despite the terrifying possibility that her whole family might have been slaughtered, Adelice settles too comfortably into the pampered superficial society of the Spinsters. Similarly, when another spinster's family member may have been murdered, it is treated like a petty female grudge match, rather than a horror.

There seems to be a trend in this genre, which Crewel disappointingly exhibits, that the heroines must have beautiful dresses and attend parties to make the dystopian world palatable to its readers. The predictability is exacerbated by the emergence of the ubiquitous love triangle.

The inventiveness of the magical tapestry is defeated by the superficiality of Adelice. A day after her family might have died, and she's casting interested glances at her handsome prison guard.

I am really kinda torn about this book. This baffles me because I really did enjoy the flow and the writing. I enjoyed the banter and Adelice was a really good character but something about this just didn't click with me.

Crewel is a very intricate story and it revolves around women who mind a loom. This loom controls everything from weather patterns and geographical planes to food and the lives of the community. Arras is a colony where everything is controlled and everyone lives in peace. If you are weak or too old they, the Spinsters, will simply remove you by ripping your thread. If a certain village needs more food, the Spinsters can weave a simple cow into the picture and viola! you have food. When girls first started showing they had the skills to weave families ran from the government, they didn't want their children forced to live that life. After awhile times changed and girls who showed promise were excited and their families happily shoved them out the door to become a Spinster. Adelice's parents feelings were of the former and when Adelice started showing signs that she could weave they began to teach her how to fail the testing. Adelice can't control her urges to weave so the unthinkable happens and she is taken to Arras. This is where her story really begins with secrets, lies, mistakes, and politics. She finds herself in the middle of a power struggle and the only thing she wants is to go back home.

By the end of the book had this whole concept somewhat figured out, but then a huge curve ball got thrown in and I found myself scratching my head again. It was really hard for me to grasp everything that was going on and I still go back and forth what I think I know and what I definitely know. I did enjoy the characters. Adelice, Jost, Erik, and Enora were beautifully written. The banter they all have with one another was so perfect and I think that is one of the reasons why I continued on with this story. They totally caught my attention and didn't let go. I have a checklist for books that I really enjoy and this one meets them all so I just don't get why I am feeling off. I have been thinking about it and I think that the hidden agenda issues that are brought up throughout might be why I am hesitant about this book. There are a few things that when I read I like to know up front and this book kinda sneaks in a few things that I wasn't prepared for. These things I won't say because they are big bombs throughout the story, but I will say that I wished I would have known they were in there to begin with. When they are revealed I felt like I was being preached too and that is never a good thing.

That all being said I did really enjoy the characters and even with the hidden agenda's I am positive I will continue on with this series. Something happens at the end that floored me and I have to know what happens next!

I think that the premise for this book is AMAZING. However, the author thinks I'm a little smarter than I really am. Never was the system of magic explained, or what kind of world they lived in that let this work, etc. etc. The world-building just wasn't there. I had no sense for scope or culture or... anything. Sure, these things were MENTIONED, but never explained. It was like the author thought that I already knew everything there was to know. Sometimes I wondered if this was actually a sequel that I had accidentally picked up.

The ending of the book was REALLY cool, and I'm interested to see where the story goes. But I wouldn't say that I'm "eager" to get my hands on the next book because I'm still really, really confused.

This is one of those novels that puzzled me for the longest time. It took me awhile to wrap the idea of Spinsters and Weaving. Arras is a world woven. The Guild has formed it and the Spinsters care for it. They remove the weak strands and obey the orders that come from the Guild even if they don't necessarily now the impacts of their actions. The story is set some time in the future through the point of view of Adelice who has just finished her time at the Academy. Her parents have always trained her to fail the testing and at first we don't know how she did on the test. Adelice has a special gift and her parents now this and it's why they told her to fail the test. If you are chosen to be taken away to have a chance to be a Spinster you get lavish clothing and live as a celebrity in the eyes of everyone else. But you never see your family again.
The world of Arras is described beautifully and I wish I had been able to grasp the concept of the weave earlier on in order to better enjoy the description. One of the best elements the novel has to offer is the heir of mystery. Adelice's parents had tried to hide her when the Guild came for her but they kept her alive. No matter how much she resisted and disobeyed they took pity on her--punished excruciatingly, but alive. During the second half of the novel we begin to slowly piece everything together and understand why they need her.
My personal favorite is the concept of Arras and why it was created. In order to avoid a spoiler I won't say any more on the subject, but the reasoning of the Guild's creation of a "utopia" will leave you thinking and wondering. I've always loved dystopian novels and this one is no exception. The concept is original and the world created leaves you painted with a gorgeous world that is, deep within, not what it seems. Highly looking forward to the next book in the series.

Have you ever read a book that didn't quite suit your personal tastes? Did you stick with it or give up without giving it a chance? Sometimes as a reviewer, I receive books that I realize quickly within the first chapters aren't the type I'd pick of my accord. Yet when I put those biases aside, I might discover a book that I end up liking despite myself. That's the case with Crewel by Gennifer Albin, which tantalized me with its plot and absorbed me with its unique setting.

Let me first explain why Crewel doesn't fit my typical reading fare. First, it has too much romance. While I might enjoy the light-hearted and moralistic romance of My Fair Godmother by Janette Rallison, the frequent caressing found in Crewel makes it more adult. In a similar vein, while I might want Anne to end up in Gilbert's arms by the end of Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery, I'm also interested in the many other issues at stake such as Anne dying her red hair green, surviving in the Haunted Woods, developing a friendship with Diana, and excelling at school. Unfortunately, although I know Adalice desires to find her sister, learn the truth about her parents, and distinguish herself as a spinster, the numerous male relationships dominate center stage. Okay, in truth, there are only three guys, but that number seems excessive when these men all started out as strangers to her. Second, Crewel spotlights a lesbian relationship. Because of my conservative Christian beliefs, this makes for uncomfortable content--and so I normally leave books of this nature to those reviewers for whom it isn't an issue. To be fair, this storyline only lasts a couple of chapters. I find Crewel overly adult for other reasons too. Part of it this amounts to the number of references to smoking, drinking, and frequenting of bars. There's also the political element, similar to which readers saw in The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, which leads to government intrusion into the lives of its citizens to the point where marriages are arranged and family sizes are restricted. Anyone who refuses to comply tends to end up dead. The difference between The Hunger Games and Crewel, however, is that in the former I always felt as if I were reading about a smart teenager whereas in the latter I couldn't swallow that Adalice is only sixteen. Crewel has been compared to Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale, an adult novel about a woman being forced into sexual slavery on account of her rare fertility, and Crewel's tone seems akin to it.

Because I also enjoyed much of Crewel, I'm now going to turn to the more pleasurable part of this review where I applaud its appealing qualities. First, there's the plot. Imagine if every action you took were under the control of spinsters-in Crewel, a spinster is a woman with the ability to weave the very fabric of life. Take that a step further and imagine that you have this power to control the lives of everyone around you. Except your parents don't want you to be taken away for that cloistered life where you can never marry, and so they push you to hide your gift. Unfortunately, one day your abilities slip through and then suddenly your family is running for their lives, while you're being locked away until the Guild can determine how to control you. You'll need to buy into string theory to accept the outcome of Crewel, but either way the plot's an intriguing one. Second, there is the setting. Gennifer Albin has effectively created a dystopian setting where men rule, women's roles are dictated, boys and girls are segregated, and girls are forbidden from wearing cosmetics, dressing up in stylish clothes, or marrying until of a certain age. The list goes on. I appreciate that Albin also extends beyond the theme of male dominance to explore other issues such the genetic engineering and the place of the elderly. The Guild has the power to wipe or replace memories, which allows it to better control its deviants but also to rewrite history. Moreover, the spinsters rip the weakest links from their loom, ending the lives of the elderly. These are complex ideas, which kept me reading a tale which otherwise would be just another romance.

What I find most ironic about Crewel is that although its theme is about the restrictive roles placed on women by men, Adalice seemed to spend as much in the arms of her various lovers as she did at her loom. I also learned as much as fashion as I did about science. And yet, it'll be interesting to know what happens in the subsequent two books. Because of the creative plot and strong writing, I'm encouraging you to be open to Crewel.

Writing a review for Crewel is a daunting task because it's hard to express how much I enjoyed this book in just one short review. If you are on Goodreads and you've never heard of Crewel then I think you maybe Patrick Star. What I mean is that you've probably been living under a rock if you've haven't heard of Crewel. Crewel has been extremely hyped and has divided much of the Goodreads community. I was really unsure coming into Crewel because I had extremely high expectations. Crewel is one of those books that live up to the hype and was just simply brilliant. Crewel really reminded of Lois Lowry's Giver but that's not a bad thing considering I LOVE The Giver beyond words. Crewel like Lowry's Giver is an extremely original read that is very thought-provoking.

Crewel is the story of Adelice who has been trained to hide her gift of being able to weave time. Her parents are trying to avoid her inevitable fate of becoming a Spinster, one of the elite and most powerful women in all of Arras. Spinsters are basically the equivalent of becoming a movie star in Arras because it seems like every little girl wants to be a Spinster. Becoming a Spinster is not the opulent and fabulous life style most people think it to be. Adelice is swept into a conflict she wold have ever seen coming and a *drum roll* love triangle.

Spinsters don't need to rely on a man unlike the other women in Arras. A woman is required to have a husband at merely 18 and the government controls all reproduction. I really found Arras to be a horrifyingly beautiful society. Crewel had fan-freaking-tastic world building that really added an unique feel to Gennifer Albin's society. I liked how Gennifer Albin didn't just info-dump Arras on us instead she slowly eases the world building to the plot. I didn't feel immediately overwhelmed by this strangely beautiful world unlike in most Dystopias. I also really enjoyed how Crewel's Arras isn't like most Dystopian societies. In most Dystopias the setting is just merely a setting and nothing more. Similar to in Beautiful Creatures Arras isn't just a mere background to the plot and I know this may sound incoherent but Arras is like a vital character in Crewel. Arras is a surreal and brilliantly done setting that surpasses all Dystopian societies in every aspect.

The characters in Crewel are not your average characters. Adelice is definitely one of my favorite heroines in YA literature because of her tough but likeable personality. Adelice never took no for an answer and she was extremely determined. Her love interests Erik and Jost were both complex but developed characters. Basically the characters in Crewel are the cream of the crop of characters in YA literature and I know you'll form a connection with these characters/

I like reading books that you can tell the authors really put a lot of effort and devotion into. Crewel is simply one of those books that you can tell Albin really enjoyed writing. Crewel is not one of those books where a great premise is poorly executed Albin has the perfect formula of action, romance, adventure and humor. Another thing that I really appreciated is that Crewel's love triangle is well-done in the fact that it didn't make me roll my eyes like most love triangles. If you read my reviews frequently enough you'll know that at this point love triangles are my kryptonite. I usually can't love triangles at all due to the fact that almost every single book features one. Gennifer Albin made the love triangle a realistic but not overwhelming component of Crewel. It appears that the love triangle was solved in the end of Crewel but who knows? I honestly wouldn't care if the triangle continued in Crewel's 2nd book.

Crewel is a book that gives me confidence that there is still some originality left in the YA market. Albin's debut is nothing short of spectacular and it will make you beg for a sequel. Despite having a love triangle it didn't give me the typical cringing and eye-rolling. I'll admit it that despite hating love triangles I really enjoyed the romance between Erik, Adelice and Jost. All of the characters in Crewel are extremely likeable and I immediately rooted for them. Crewel was a fast-paced original book that I couldn't stop reading for one second and I know that as soon as I can get book 2 I will devour it. Crewel is the cream of the crop when it comes to YA literature and it left me utterly speechless.

I was very excited to read Crewel when I first heard about it some time ago; the premise sounded pretty interesting. Weaving time? Cool. So I was really glad to finally start it when I got it from the library. While it isn't the best book I've read this year, it was certainly good and very creative.

The world that the author creates - Arras - is very interesting. The world building is done very nicely throughout the story. I never once felt too overwhemled with information about what was going on. Rather, the story unfolded in a believeable way. While I still don't feel I completely understand how everything works, I have a pretty good idea and am eager to see more. The way the weaving is described, with golden threads and such, was hard to picture. Not because it wasn't described well, it was, it was just diffucult to see someone actually using threads around them to manipulate things such as food, weather, etc. The way the government controlled people reminded me of Matched. Thank goodness that's were the similarity stopped.

There is a love triangle in Crewel, as I suspected there would be before I started. I prefer Jost, but then, Erik really wasn't in the story enough to be fully apppreciated. I want to see where Adelice's romantic relationships go in the future. Speaking of Adelice, although I kind of hate her name, she was an awesome heroine. It always makes me mad to read about any society in which women are seriously inferior in men. Although only women can be Spinsters, the Guild constantly tells them what to do, and everybody else, for that matter. Adelice was suitably snarky when it came to dealing with stuck-up jerks, particularily Cormac, the main villian in the novel (though there are plenty of others). Also, the writing was very lovely. Easy to read.

Crewel was an awesome novel and I eagerly await the release of its sequel. Would give it four stars, but the love triangle bothered me so much, I'm knocking it down to 3.5.

From Reading and Writing Urban Fantasy and Paranormal Romance

At A Glance
I was drawn into this story right away. It was unique, scary, and beautiful. I was just often disappointed in Adelice's actions and behavior. (Warning: there will be spoilers in this review because it cannot be helped. I have to reveal some of the story so I can talk about what I loved/hated about it)

The Good
Here's The Story...
No matter how hard Adelice tried to hide her talent, she couldn't help but use her weaving abilities at the wrong time, in front of the wrong people. Now the Guild will come for her and she will become a Spinster, a weaver of time and matter. When they finally come, all hell breaks loose. In a matter of minutes she loses most of her family and is taken away from all she knows to work for people who don't have her best interest in mind. The Guild needs to maintain control, to keep their secrets, and the spirited Adelice threatens all of that. If only she wasn't so important, so vital to their "cause." But she is and that means she won't go down without a fight.

Wow...
How to start? Ummm, WOW! Yeah, I like that. It's accurate and fitting. Just...WOW! What the hell did I just read? I have never read a book like this. It was eerie in its concept, fascinating in its cruelty, and awe-inspiring in its beauty. I couldn't put it down. After the hundreds of books I have read in the past four years, this one blew my mind with its premise and creativity. I want to live in Albin's head just for one day to see what other stuff she can come up with. I mean, come on!! A world in which specially picked young girls become the weavers of time and matter. What. The. Hell? It's both complicated but simple. Anyone could have thought of it but Albin brought it to life.

Makes You Think...
We simply can't have the creators of life not be controlled by a horribly corrupt organization now can we? Crewel makes you wonder. How do you stop a group of people who wipe out people's memories or lives just to keep their power? They have such a tight rein over everything. They segregate living arrangements and assign jobs based on gender, they portion control food, and they marry together whoever the hell they want to. The world no longer has a choice in its path. And the benefit for all this manipulation and lack of choices? People now live in a world of peace. There is no violence or problems to face. Just put your life in the hands of the government and all will be well. Pffttt! Yeah, right (can you hear my sarcasm?). It is so easy to let others take care of us, to let them take care of everything, but at what cost does their control take? Shouldn't we be able to question what the government decides is best for us even when on the outside they look to be making all the right decisions?

The Horrific Truth...
The writing was beautiful and the story was terrifying. Albin creates a descriptive world with love and hate. We see the extremes people will go for power as well as friendship. Albin does not hold back the horrific truth of the kind of world Adelice lives in. It has an outer shell of peace and serenity, while the inside is rotten to the core. How Adelice can survive is still mind-boggling.

Adelice...
In the beginning, Adelice reacts to her new situation like any of us would. But even with the fear, the loneliness, and the cruelty she gets introduced to, she finds a way to hold on to herself, to stay who she truly is. She is both strong and weak, human. She is one person against a whole organization. She gains friends and even allies but the Guild easily takes them away one way or the other. Adelice knows that though death is a scary thing, it might be the only peace she will find in her future. But with all that weighing down on her, she never completely crumbles or gives up. I give her credit for that.

Unknown...
I liked the constant unknown throughout this novel. We never know who Adelice can trust. We hope she can trust Jost and Erik, the two boys she has feelings for. She even has a mentor that seems to try to help her as best she can. It gives us some hope that this world is not a complete lost cause. That was my favorite part of the book. I never knew where it was going to go, who was truly evil or good. I had my eyebrows arching in surprise till the very end, now that's a good sign.

The Bad
Surprisingly, it was the protagonist that bothered me the most. I loved Adelice. She wasn't super dramatic or overly depressed, even though I think she might have been entitled to feel that way. She reminded me of what any of us would go through and feel if we were in the same situation. But as time went on I expected Adelice to become smarter, more active in her escape, or something. I feel like the majority of the time she was resigned to her fate and really didn't do much until the last 30 pages of the novel. But what really irked me was how she treated the guy who had her parents murdered. Maybe it's just me but I couldn't be civil to the person who murdered my parents, no matter the consequences. So, I just couldn't relate to Adelice for most of the novel.

Also, the love triangle was a little blah. I didn't fall in love with either Jost or Erik. If you are looking for a book without another one of those dreaded love triangles, or at least a new spin on the love triangle, then this is not the book for you.

The Snuggly
We get some smooches and sexual tension but nothing overdone. This is very YA-ish and readable by most. Though the cruelty is pretty heavy.

Overall
Crewel wasn't perfect. The love triangle is too much of an overused concept for such a unique book. But Albin has set herself up for one amazing series. I can't wait to see what is going to happen next. Highly recommended.

Quotes
"We have more important things to worry about."
"Have we run out of mascara?" I ask in mock horror.
~~~~~~~~~~~~

"You must make the hard choice, Adelice, before you can move forward. Decisions must be made. Often between life and death. It is hard to make a decision to save thousands when it compromises one." Her voice is a hollow whisper, and ghosts echo in her eyes. "It is easier not to be put in that position."
~~~~~~~~~~~~

I erase and rebuild the world in my sleep, and in the morning I try to remember how to rebuild myself. Every day I wonder how I can go back to the loom. Can I keep weaving now that I know?

Without a doubt Crewel is the most creative novel I've read so far this year. When I first read the blurb I thought, "A dystopian society where people are weaving time?! YES! Gimme! Tell me more!" The dystopian genre has really taken off lately and sometimes it can be hard to find a novel that separates itself from the pack. Crewel does just that and does it well. It completely stands out with its complex concept, feisty heroine and a plot that kept me guessing over and over. Whoa. Can I pull out the winning gif?

The beginning of Crewel reminded me a lot of Matched by Ally Condie. Now before you start cringing and exiting out of this browsing window, let me assure you that it's not what you think. The set up is only similar because both societies involved tight monitoring of its citizens. This means they are given a small pool of marriage options, limitations on the amount of children they can have, restricted access to other parts of the society, jobs chosen for them, etc. That's where our similarities end and where the awesome begins.

Adelice, our main character, has the ability to weave time on an actual loom. It is a highly coveted ability in her society because it pretty much guarantees a woman a higher social status and a comfortable lifestyle without needing a husband. I'll admit I was worried about how Albin would pull off a society that was generally misogynistic. There are really only two outcomes for that: fail really hard or win. Even though woman were considered second-rate in this world (needing a husband, only having secretarial type jobs, no real positions of power, can't travel without a man, etc.) and were held to unfair higher standards than their male counter parts (Spinters had to remain "pure", women were expected to always appear a certain way in public: Make-up, dressed up and heels, act like a "lady") I never felt that this was ever accepted by the main character or by other secondary characters. And while I contemplated how I could ever survive in a society that forced me to wear heels ALL THE TIME (I freakin' live in my Converses, dude), I realized that these ideals were being challenged especially through Adelice's character. She was a strong, formidable heroine who did not back down or allow anyone to push her around. She took action at her own personal risk. She was bold, gutsy and witty. I was like, "YES! You tell that man, girl. Give 'em a piece of your mind!"

As for Arras, this is yet again another book that makes talking about the world building difficult, mostly due to how Albin tells the story. She doesn't lay out the world building in the beginning over the first few chapters like most dystopians. In fact, for the first half of the book I still had quite a few questions on how the society in Crewel actually functioned. But the reader is given pieces bit by bit. As I learned more about the world, the plot continued to open up along the way. At first I wasn't sure how I felt about that style because I like my world building straight up, but it grew on me and by the end of the book I had an appreciation for how it was told.

One thing I have to mention was the plot twist. This is again why I'm reminded of Matched because they were forced to either marry or stay single. Anyone see a problem with that? I almost thought Albin was going to go down that same tired road Condie did with an unrealistic world. But then Albin threw in that plot twist when I was least expecting it. She must have known I was questioning the validity of a society that didn't even mention gay people. Then BAM! The plot twist came out of nowhere and backhanded me. All I could do is sit back, ice my face and nod my head in silent approval.

Oh, Albin, I totes see what you did there.

"But, Steph!" you say. "Why aren't you giving Crewel 5 stars? This book sounds amazeballs!" Why, yes it was amazing, but I still had a few questions (if the neighborhoods are segregated by gender of the children, what happens if a couple has a boy and a girl?) not to mention I didn't fall in love with the *gasp* triangle of love. That really doesn't shock me because I'm usually not a fan of love triangles in the first place. I could probably count on one hand how many I actually did like. Crewel's love triangle didn't bother me to the point of "headdesk-ation", but I did feel that the relationships were underdeveloped and generally unnecessary. To me it felt like you could easily take out the romance of at least one beau (preferably Jost) and the story wouldn't suffer one bit. But the story is not yet over. Who knows what could happen!

Overall, I really like Crewel and think dystopian fans who are looking for something completely different, will eat this up. I don't usually say this that often, but Crewel is definitely a debut that lives up to the hype and will have readers hungering for more. I know I am.

ARC was provided by the publisher for review. Thank you, Macmillan!

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I have a tendency to judge books by their covers, or rather, to judge whether I want to read them by their covers. I often don't read the synopsis until I've made my judgement, and sometimes, I don't even read it then. That was how things went with Crewel. It has a stunning, eye-catching cover, so I wanted to read it. When I started reading it, I hadn't the foggiest idea what it was about, so all my expectations were based on the positive advance buzz I've heard about it. Lots of people have really loved this book, so I figured I would too, and I was mostly right. I really liked Crewel. It wasn't mind-blowingly amazing like some of the books I've read this year (it was rather unfortunate for it that I read it on the heels of The Diviners by Libba Bray), but it was definitely an impressive debut that deserves many accolades.

Crewel takes place at some point in the future, after Earth as we know it, has been wiped out by war. The world as the characters in this book know it, Arras, is made up entirely of threads woven from time and matter on great looms. Each person's very existence is manipulated by the Spinsters, the women who are able to "see" the "weave", and operate the looms. The Spinsters are under the control of the Guild, the oppressive, male-dominated governing body of Arras, and are essentially slaves to it. Even so, it is the dream of most girls to become a Spinster, because from the outside, it looks like the most luxurious life imaginable. The protagonist, Adelice, has always known she has the ability to become a Spinster, but her parents don't want that life for her, and train her from a young age to fail the test that all girls are given at age 16. Adelice accidentally passes, and her abilities are revealed. She is taken to the Coventry to become a Spinster, against her will, and she finds out a great deal about the world she lives in, the secrets the Guild holds, and the remarkable ability she possesses, that goes far beyond that of an average, or even an above-average Spinster.

I liked Adelice, even if she was a bit immature. She never seemed to know when it was in her best interest to keep her mouth shut. That said, her wit was refreshing. She was a strong-minded, sharp character, and while she didn't "wow" me at first, she totally grew on me throughout the story. I also liked the boys, Erik and Jost. Both were, of course, swoon-worthy, but they were both smart and cunning as well. I happen to think that they both fell for Adelice a bit too quickly, but what's a YA novel without a love triangle? I thought Maela and Cormac were perfect villains, and I think Pryana has a lot of potential to be so in future books. I loved Enora as well. The only character I had a time forming an opinion of was Loricel, the head Creweler, the woman who essentially held the existence of Arras in her hands; I felt like she had way to much power to be as submissive as she was...

As for the plot and pacing, I thought it was very good. The story moved along well, and I never felt that been-there-read-this feeling that I've been struggling with when reading a lot of post-Hunger Games Dystopia. There were some well-done big reveals, but a couple fell flat for me because I saw them coming a mile away. At times, I thought the world building lacked depth, but I think the whole concept of weaving time with matter is just a difficult one to define without giving away later plot twists. I believe that will improve in later installments.

Crewel is, no doubt, a unique story. A Dystopia with a fresh perspective. I really enjoyed reading it, and although it wasn't perfect, it is definitely a great beginning to what promises to be a fantastic series.

My Rating: 4 stars

Grade Level Recommendation: There were a couple of hot make-out scenes, but given that Spinsters had to maintain "purity standards", there was no sex (although there were several mentions of it). The violence was minimal, and there was no inappropriate language. I would say that this book is appropriate for 5th grade and up (ages 10+),

Crewel has a beautiful cover and a unique plot line, but I did not connect with it emotionally at all. The romance aspects particularly lost me. For other readers, I am sure this will be a great read, particularly those who read for world building over character.

The very best part of Crewel is, without a doubt, the world building. Adelice lives in Arras, a mysterious fantasy land. The Guild runs Arras in conjunction with Spinsters, so named because they are not allowed to wed. At 16, girls are tested to see if they have the skills to become a Spinster, a weaver of the threads that compose Arras, the tapestry of life. Those that are chosen never get to go home again. Those that aren't have two years to wed and begin their adult lives.

The concept of a woven world really kind of blew my mind. Really, it's a lot like the internet in that, on the surface, I get it, but the more I think about it the less I understand. The descriptions of the weaving and the threads are lovely, as is Albin's writing. Towards the end, I had some suspension of disbelief issues, but I still would rate this as one of the most unique worlds I've encountered.

So far as dystopian-ness goes, Crewel certainly qualifies. Arras is one hell of a creepy place. For one thing, there's the whole forcing women to do certain things: become a Spinster, wed, and all sorts of other misogynistic rules. Women always seem to get the short end of the stick in dystopias; I should go read Herland or Nomansland. Even more than the dystopians aspects to the daily life, the government, both the Guild side and the Spinster side is seriously suspect. Both seem far to apt to make people disappear, if you get my drift.

Despite all of that being seriously cool, I just did not care. Adelice (what kind of name is that anyway) really doesn't seem to have that much of a personality. We start with the dramatic removal of her to be a Spinster, no visions of her on a normal day. All I really feel like I know about her is that a) she's a skilled weaver b) she loves her family and c) she likes boys. None of this really let me know anything about who she is. What I do pick up from that last one really doesn't make me think kindly of her either.

The worst aspect of the book, imo, is the love triangle. Of course, love triangles are dangerous, because, when done wrong, they make the reader want to *headdesk* all over the place. Well, this one did not work for me, probably partially because I really didn't care if the heroine found happiness. Not only that, but I don't have much more interest in either of the guys involved in the triangle. I suspect that I'm supposed to ship her with Jost (these names!), and he is the 'better' guy, but meh. Erik (what did he do to get a normal name?) probably would be my choice if I had to pick one, just because he seems like the underdog. The moment I entirely gave up on this was this: at the end of one chapter, Adelice makes out with one of the guys, then, in the next chapter, she finds out the other guy had a romantic past and got jealous. *throws up hands* And, of course, anytime she seems close to making a decision, based on syrupy protestations of needing to be with one of the guys, she'll suddenly start thinking maybe she's not so sure.

The most interesting characters were not the main ones. Loricel is my personal favorite. She's clever, kooky and has shades of grey to her personality. Maela and Cormac make stellar villains, of different kinds and powers. I definitely want to throw both of them across Arras. Cormac seriously creeps the heck out of me, which is a good sign in a villain.

Crewel was not the book for me, and I don't plan to continue with this series, unless I see reviews that convince me otherwise by other people who felt meh about this one. Will you like it? Maybe. If you read more for world building than for characters, you could potentially love Crewel.

I didn't know what to expect from Crewel by Gennifer Albin. A book about someone who has the ability to weave time? Very intriguing, right? It exceeded everything that I had ever imagined it could be. I was swept away in a world where being a girl is not very promising...

For as long as she can remember, Adelice has been trained to make mistakes...to make errors...to make herself not be who or what she is meant to be. But after just one small slip, Adelice's life, and the lives of her family, are changed forever. The guards arrive during a celebratory dinner in honor of Adelice, to retrieve her, and start her life as a Spinster. All the training drilled into her head at such a young age...all for nothing. As a last act of hope, Adelice's parents attempt to hide Adelice so that she can live her life free...rather than under lock and key amongst the other Spinsters.

But try as they might, it is too late. The scene describing this attempted escape is one that will remain in my head (and heart) for days to come. Beautifully written, and full of so much emotion, it was at this moment that I knew that Crewel was going to be a story that I would completely become engrossed in.

Because of her attempted escape, life with the Guild is anything but perfect. Forced to live her first few days in a dungeon with not even a toilet, Adelice knows that her life of freedom is no more, that is until Jost helps her leave her not so comfortable life in the dungeon, and takes her to one of the most prominent areas of the building. Adelice is offered a life of comfort that comes with her skills as a Spinster. Beautiful clothes, more food than she can imagine after a life of food rationing. Even the possibility of friends...until her stubbornness gets the best of her, and the one friend she had has now put her at the top of her hate list.

With the belief that she can save her sister, Adelice starts to find ways to infiltrate information from the Guild with help from Eric and Jost. And with her exceptional weaving skills, it doesn't take long before she finds out that she is meant to be more than a Spinster, and that perhaps these skills will be her way of finally finding the freedom she longs for.

Let me start off by saying that the world building in this book was freaking phenomenal. Every detail was jumping off the pages, every character coming to life in my mind. Everything about this sucked me in and held my attention until the most cliff hangery ending in cliff hanger history! The huge twist about world of Arras was mind blowing and was a definite mind warp. Just when I thought things couldn't get any better, author Gennifer Albin throws in these different changes in the plot which left me on my toes.

How cool would it be to have the ability to see the very fibers of time, and have the ability to manipulate them at will? The not so cool part would have to be having the responsibility to "rip" someone when their time has come, ripping meaning wiping them out of existence pretty much. Quite literally, their very fiber of life is in your hands. I don't know if I would be able to hand the stress related to that!

With so many characters that you will both love and hate, a story line that will keep you guessing up to the very end, and the originality of it all will leave you breathless and screaming for the next book. A definite must have! I have found a new favorite author in Gennifer Albin, and a new crush who goes by the name of Jost...

Originally reviewed at: [...]

The premise of Crewel, a world where women known as Spinsters create by weaving time with matter totally intrigued me when I read about it a few months back. In many ways it reminded me of a book I read a few years ago called Solstice Woods by Patricia McKillip. That work is actually a fantasy with a faery storyline interwoven, but both works share a common thread (oh gosh, I predict a review RIDDLED with sewing/ weaving analogies, SORRY!) both works use weaving/ stitching/ fiber arts as a central theme. It's hard to say why this appeals to me so. I don't crochet, knit, quilt or anything like that. But maybe it is because my grandmother and her mother before her were both masters with a crochet needle. Some of my most prized possessions are afghans that my grandmother crocheted for me and my boys before she passed away. I think what I like is the 'sewing circle' concept. A group of women who gather to create and use this time to chat, gossip, and share stories. It's a woman thing, as sewing and stitching has traditionally been viewed as women's work. And it has a strong history. Think about all those historical fiction and high fantasy works that feature women and ladies in waiting sitting around cross stitching and embroidering. My blogger friend Jen pointed out in her review of Crewel that the theme of weaving can be traced back to the ancient Greek myths and works of literature (The Three Fates and Odyessius' wife Penelope.) Well, whatever the reason, I was excited to receive an e-galley of Crewel and was pretty wowed by the book overall.

Crewel starts off with a bang and a sense of foreboding when our heroine Adelice fails the testing that all girls of Arras undergo when they turn sixteen. The test is a search for young women who have the ability to create by weaving time and matter together. It's a skill that only a few possess and one highly sought after by the Guild, a group pf men who essentially act as the governing body of Adelice's world. The first chapter has Adelice basically saying her own silent goodbye's to her mother, father and younger sister, knowing that by nightfall the Guild will be coming for her. The tension builds and takes a violent and somewhat unexpected turn when Adelice's parents do the unthinkable: they try to hide their daughter to prevent the Guild from taking her. As these events unfold we learn through the narration of Adelice why her parents worked so hard to hide Adelice's abilities. Once the Guild get it's claws in you, there is no turning back.

A lot of the reviews I have read of Crewel are mixed when it comes to Adelice and the characterization in general. I don't think that Adelice is the prefect heroine, but I liked her voice nonetheless. She's feisty and spirited and willing to take risks when the Guild and the other Spinsters she encounters order her around or try to make her conform to their rules. I like this part of Adelice and I also like that even though she has found herself in a circumstance she has always hoped to avoid, and she has suffered great personal loss as a result, she doesn't give in or give up.

Adelice's makes a few friends and allies as she studies to become a Spinster in Coventry, but she makes enemies as well. I liked the characters of Enora and Valery but my favorite would be the mysterious Loricel, the elderly creweler who takes Adelice under her wing (sort of.) There are plenty of villainous characters: the smarmy, alcoholic Cormac; and jealous, power hungry Maela. I'm also intrigued with the character of Prytana who is really the only other Spinster in training we get to know. She's a complicated personality and I'm interested to see what her future role in the series will be.

There are also two young men that enter Adelice's life while training, Jost and Erik. Yes, both are potential love interests and I know, everyone is now rolling their eyes at the thought of yet another love triangle. But I tried to keep an open mind, Adelice lives in a society that segregates the sexes. Not just in terms of school but whole communities of segregation. And while Adelice has ended up in a place that is, for the most part, women, there are also men around. This is a first for Adelice and well, she's sixteen. Her situation may be somewhat precarious as she discovers just exactly what roles Spinsters, crewelers and the Guild plays, but she's also a teenage girl who is coming into contact with the opposite sex for the first time. So I cut her a little slack if she's indecisive and kind of 'playing the field' a bit. I'd probably do the same if I were in her shoes:)

As I expected it's the world building that I loved most about Crewel. It absolutely is a true dystopian work, similar in many ways to Lois Lowry's The Giver. But it has fantasy elements, Coventry is like a palace setting and exhibits a wide array of court politics as well as the requisite balls and other similar events. Crewel blends several genres, a trend that is becoming more and more prevalent in today's YA, and one that I like quite a bit.

Spinsters, who weave the fabric of life, and can not only create: weaving in new landscapes, weather, even food for the people of Arras, but destroy as well. Communities, families and individual lives are easily ripped from the fabric and it's this element of nonchalant destruction that makes Arras, the Spinsters, and the Guild so frightening. It was both horrifying and fascinating in equal measure. It is thought provoking when you think about the implications of 'all-mighty forces' at play, dictating life and death in fell swoop.

Strong feminist undercurrents are also at work in Crewel. Men controlling women, who in truth are the ones who holding all the power, is a common theme in dystopian literature and it's evident in Crewel as well. It's easy to get behind Adelice as she struggles against the Guild's misogynistic rules.

There is another element at play in Crewel and for me, it was the most exciting part. It doesn't really manifest until the last part of the book, but when it does it opens up possibilities that I didn't expect at all. I'll say that it is science fiction-y in nature but that's all I'm going to say because it would suck to blow the surprise for those of you who haven't read it. If you read this blog you know that I L-O-V-E science fiction and this part of Crewel was awesome. I knew that I would be coming back to see what happens in the next book of the series but the addition of this element totally clinched it for me. Okay, shutting up now.

So in summary, I really enjoyed Crewel. Yes, it's another dystopian work in a very dystopian saturated YA market, but I love the blending of dystopic, fantasy and science fiction genres and I really love the weaving/ world creating aspect of the story too. It does have a love triangle, of sorts, and I expect that angle will be played even more in future books but it doesn't bother me so much, at least not yet anyway. And yes it does end on a cliffhanger, but it's the kind of cliffhanger that doesn't really make you cringe but makes you exclaim 'What the heck?! That's freaking AWESOME." At least that was what I felt after reading. Author Gennifer Albin's writing is easy to read and lyrical at times and I'm very curious as to what she has in store for Adelice in the next book of this series.

For years, Adelice has been training to fail. She does not understand why exactly, only that her parents want no one to know of her gifts, and that the life of a Spinster is not the life she wishes to lead. In Arras, reality is woven, changed, and cut by the Spinsters, a group of women who have the ability to work the threads of reality using looms. They can dictate your world, all you see and all you consume. They can control your very mind or end your life, all at the behest of The Guild. Adelice, however, doesn't need a loom. She can see the golden threads of time and weave without any assistance-and if anyone finds out, she is in grave danger.

It's crushing but beautiful that in the opening page of Crewel by Gennifer Albin, it is already too late. Too late for Adelice to fulfill her parents' wishes, too late for her to live a normal life, too late for everything. Adelice has screwed up in her testing, and she knows they will be coming for her in the night. They always come in the night. What she doesn't realize, is just how far her parents will go to keep her from the hands of The Guild.

Crewel is absolutely another one of those dystopian series. You know those series. They're trilogies, they're full of danger, distrust, rebellion, and love triangles. I won't lie to you and say Crewel breaks that mold. I will, however, state most adamantly that this is one worth checking out. Gennifer Albin's writing is lyrical, poignant, and full of feeling. Always there is an edge of sadness and despair, but with it an underlying sense of determination and stubbornness that made me love our heroine, Adelice. The world building is stunning; at no point are there info-dumps or a complete revealing of the inner workings and development of Arras, and yet by the end I felt completely immersed in this world and fascinated by its structure. Arras isn't real, and yet, for those living there, there could be nothing more real.

Crewel addresses some fairly common issues in dystopias, but again, in a very well-structured way. The Guild, a group of men, control everything, even the actions of the Spinsters who are the only women in Arras with power. It is a society of the wealthy and men, where unspeakable things are done in the name of peace and security. I love that along with a strong theme of feminism, Crewel also addressed LGBT issues, questions of poverty, power, and control. The Guild succeeds in their efforts to control not only actions, but minds, and truly believe they are doing what is best for the greater good. Throughout Crewel, Adelice is faced with a monumental decision-to do what she must for The Guild, in spite of them, or to take another path entirely.

As a fiber nerd, I actually loved the selection of the word `Crewel' for the title of this book, and found it apt, though I'll admit `Crewel World' as a series name is just a bit too terrible for me. I greatly enjoyed the story of Crewel, but it wasn't without its flaws. I did question the convenient placement of two young, available, and attractive men in the home of the Spinsters. It seemed to me that Jost and Erik were both too young to have risen as high in the ranks as either of them were, but there were some reasons given for this, and I was largely able to let it go. The love triangle in Crewel isn't overbearing, in fact, in my mind it's near non-existent. Sure, there are two young men interested in Adelice, but Adelice only ever really has feelings for one of them. My hesitation for this set up is that I'm certain in book 2 this will all be destroyed and boy 2 will be thrown back into the mix because that's what always happens (please, Gennifer Albin, prove me wrong!). I also questioned the relationship development between Adelice and her two "closest" female companions, Enora and Valery. I wish we had gotten to see more development of these relationships, as I felt Adelice reacted to them as if they had incredibly strong bonds, but I didn't see a foundation for this. So much so with Valery, in particular, that I wasn't sure who she was when she was brought up at one point in the book as someone Adelice "relies" on. There is, of course, a possibility that this development has been worked into the final copy.

I would love to go into further detail about the intricacies of Arras and the plot, but I feel to go too in depth with this review would cause spoilers. So I'll leave with stating that if you can stomach just one more dystopian, I believe Crewel should be it. It is unique, well written, and the start to a series that is full of potential. Crewel hits readers with a powerful message: Never forget who you are.

There is no way possible that I can write a review of Crewel that even comes close to describing how unique and creative this book is.

This is the first novel by Gennifer Albin and I have to say she has some major skills! The world building that takes place is quite impressive. It is also a very s-l-o-w build... there are so many layers and Albin doesn't give up all of Crewel's secrets straight away which creates a beautifully woven story. Not that this story is slow, it is actually quite the opposite. I was surprised at how quickly I had feelings for the characters. I understood the emotions they were feelings and was feeling them also. I had many surprised moments while reading and I love when that happens! I never felt complacent as the story was always twisting and turning.

Adelice is a strong character. Not in a 'she can kick your ass' kind of way but she is smart, makes good decisions and doesn't have to rely on others to get things completed. I really love her for that. She has to face a lot and stays strong. Yes she has her moments of 'why bother' but honestly if I had to go through what she is having to face I would have crumbled a long time ago.

There is a love triangle... I know, I know that puts a lot of people off but trust me it is not all that bad. The boys in question are Jost and Erik and I do like them both. Of course I have a favorite but I don't want to join a Team just yet. I shall let you all read it and come to your own conclusions about them both. At first I sighed because I thought it was all a bit 'instant love' but then if you think about the circumstances it really isn't. This is a world where the girls are segregated from the boys until 16 years of age. Then testing takes place to see if you have what it takes to be a weaver. If you fail at testing you are then given a profession and you will have access to the pamphlets which will show you the eligible boys that are ready for marriage. This is how you meet your future husband. So when Adelice is taken to the coventry for her weaver training and there are two boys there who show her attention she has never received before. So I can see how emotions are heightened and I would not call this 'instant' love at all.

This is honestly one of those books that if you go into too much detail with the review you will inevitably have spoilers and I want to do my best to avoid that. I want this to be as fresh and creative for you when you read it as it was for me when I did.

There is no date yet announced for book two in the series but I for one will be on the look out and will be reading it upon release! It is not that this book ended with a huge cliffhanger but more of a place where there is going to be an eager anticipation to see where we are taken next. I can't wait...

Christine
Rainy Day Reads

Note: I was given an ARC copy of this novel directly from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Umm... woah? I honestly don't even know where to start when it comes to this book; how do you sum up awesome?!

This story takes place in a futuristic world where girls are put through testing when they reach 16 to see if they are able to "weave". Weaving is taking strands of time and matter and altering them-for everything from delinquency to food. If you are found to have this ability you are sent off to the Coventry to be a Spinster, which means you will spend your entire life weaving as your occupation but in exchange you have access to the finest luxuries: amazing food, beautiful clothes & infinite youth and beauty. Adelice is the main character and her parents trained her to fail the weaving examinations, but she didn't. The night the Guild comes her parents try to run with her but she has no idea why. Once she is transferred to the capital she starts to realize that there is more to the world she lives in than she ever knew.

The world building in Crewel was astonishing. I have never, ever read anything that even comes close to this kind of story. At first it was really hard to wrap my head around-everything has a "string" and it could be weaved and altered as the Spinsters wished? Sooo strange. Gennifer Albin did such an amazing job of telling a story and could be so easily visualized, her writing is magnificent.

The character building was close to perfection. I felt I could visually see the characters because they were built so well, and I could imagine their actions and what they really would act like. Adelice, the main character was one of my favorite's. I really enjoyed how she wasn't a super strong person yet, but she didn't have a whiny, needy personality. It really seems like the author was building her up to be better in the second book. There is also a hint of a love triangle starting but it wasn't something that annoyed me or was even that instant type of love. It was innocent and sweet, especially since Adelice comes from a world where male/female segregation takes place. The love Adelice has for her family is also something I really enjoyed, you can really feel the strong emotional bond she has with her sister. Another part of the book I really enjoyed was the fact that I hated so many characters. All of the Spinsters that were just mean and cruel, I was strongly against them and rooting for Adelice the whole time Oh and I loved Jost... oh I think he must be so sexy, lol. He was just so sweet & kind.

This book had so many twists that I wasn't expecting, it is not your average dystopian read. I found that lately, the last few dystopians I have read I wasn't super pleased with and have even just put down and not finished so Crewel was like a breath of fresh air. I didn't want to put this book down for a second, the story completely captivates you.

I cannot wait for the second book!

In the land of Arras, young women are required to take a test. A test to determine their ability to weave. There are only two options for them: Succeed, be called one of the Gifted, and become a Spinster - the catch? You may never see your family again. Ever. On the other hand, if you fail, you may stay... and have the government arrange a marriage for you. But what is life if you don't have the freewill to choose what you want?

Adelice Lewys wants nothing more than to stay with her family, even if it means getting paired up to someone she doesn't have the slightest clue about. Just as long as she gets to see her family. When it was time for Adelice to show her ability to weave, try as she might to fail, she has been chosen to become a Spinster. And life as she knows it, is never the same again...

When I started Crewel, I was really excited. I posted a photo of it on instagram [my signal that I'm starting on it] and someone told me it was overwhelming. I couldn't agree more. Crewel was, most definitely overwhelming. There were a lot of things I couldn't get my head to grasp during the beginning. As Katy Perry's lyrics goes: information overload, situation lost control. That song reference was totally random, just so you know.

I only came to realize that Gennifer Albin's style of writing was not something that I was accustomed to. She goes about with the story like it's a normal kind of thing, nothing unusual even though you don't have any idea what the heck this or that is, then she gives readers bits and pieces of what Arras is, and all that crazy stuff in between.

Adelice is a character that I can't quite figure out. She's stubborn, smart and, although not the bad-ass type, she can hold herself in a verbal(?) fight. I don't have a definite outlook over her as a protagonist. Is she likable? Yes. Did she truly stand out? Kinda. The kind of ability she has gives her that WOW-factor but personality-wise? She came out very simple.

There are a lot of elements that are confusing in Crewel, and I had to wait up until the author decides it's time for the reader to get more info about it. I have to admit that up until I finished the book, I'm left confused. I couldn't quite vividly imagine how exactly the weaving thing works. I mean, the "weave with a loom" thing is pretty much a no-brainer but Adelice's ability is hard to visualize. I get she's powerful and all but I need a little kinestetic learning approach here, since being visual isn't working for me right now.

Crewel may be downright perplexing, but I can't deny how creative and original this world is. It has its fair share of cliches [with the love triangle, beauty and insecurity] but it's packed with a great amount of surprises as well [finding out where Arras is really located, etc]. It may have been a bit difficult to read but the fact that this book is different from the norm, makes it a worthwhile read.

Sixteen year old Adelice Lewys has been training with her parents and away from prying eyes for as long as she can remember. She has been training how to be awkward, clumsy and how to fail.

The world of Arras is very different from ours. In this world people's lives are made and broken `literally' like threads. Where should you live, how much food should you have, how many children can you have and what occupation can you adopt - everything is decided by the `Spinsters' who dedicate their lives to weaving the world of Arras. But these spinsters are controlled by the Guild. People of Arras have long forgotten their history and have settled into the lives of rules set by the guild. But Adelice's parents have different thoughts - ones that would not be tolerated by the guild. Hence, they prepare Adelice to fail the test. But, at a moment of weakness, Adelice slips and weaves. She is selected as a spinster and taken away from her family. What awaits her then? Read the book to find out.

First and foremost, this is a dystopian world like no other that I have read. It is truly unique. The idea of a world where lives can be woven into and removed with a simple thread - is amazing. Gennifer Albin has truly and wonderfully created a new world for her readers. The beginning of the story was a bit slow, but then this is a world no one has heard of before. It is not a tale of Vampires, Werewolves or Mermaids, that the author could have easily summarized her version of the theories on these creatures. Instead she has had to build a world from the scratch. So, I guess that it was essential for her to give the story a slow start so as to give us enough information.

Okay, like 90% of the cases are with me, I did not like Adelice much. She is a bit slow to understand things and really irritating at times with all her `talks with herself', which mostly amounts to nothing as she eventually ends up doing exactly the opposite of what she decides. She does manage to react quickly in the climax of the book - when it mattered the most. So, I guess that makes up a bit - but not completely for me. As always, I loved the supporting characters much more. I loved Maela and Jost. It is so not their fault that Adelice refused to take their advice. I do not know whether to love or hate Cormac yet. Whether you love him or hate him - you'll have to admit that the man knows how make his presence felt.

Like most modern YA Novels, the language of the book is simple and easy to follow. There's a love triangle, mystery revolving Adelice's family, action and drama. There's everything that one could ask for and they are topped up by an amazing twist/revelation at the end! I am only deducting the one star because I did not like Adelice much - but then it is my personal choice - you might like her!

I would certainly recommend this book to all dystopian lovers. It's a world like never before.

Okay, this book is really good. It's magical, one of a kind and utterly too hard to put down. As a reader, I don't want to leave. This book will swallow you in.

The story is about Adelice, a young girl with a secret. She can weave time with matter. She was taught to hide her talent. But during her test, Adelice slips. Now the Guild wants her. With the power to create worlds and also to destroy it, Adelice carries a huge responsibility. But she's not like any other Spinsters, she wants out. Lured in a world of power, privilege and eternal beauty, will she able to resist temptation? Who can she trust? Will she be able to escape? You have to pick up this book to find out.

The world building is phenomenal! I have this thing for great world building and this book "wowed" me. It's pulsating, incredible, innovating and rich. Arras is a world, you don't want to leave. It has all the elements that I love, dystopian and sci-fi. Though this book has the tendency to confuse, you really have to concentrate while reading this. Again, the world building is innovating and rich; it's complex. There were some terms that were taken literally like, weaving matter. I also like how Albin described Adelice world in a mouth watering way. There were some "oohhhh" and "ahhhh" moments for me. I was totally impressed.

What made me love this book more is the twist! Yes, I was surprised. I swear! I never saw it coming. There were also some parts from the book that made me sad and angry. Once you disobey, you get ripped, like you never existed and altered so no one can remember you. It`s death but more cruel.

The characters are well made. I felt this instant connection with them, especially with Adelice. I love how she went through an emotional ride. She was scared, curious and then matured into fearless and strong-minded. She's kick-ass! I love her. And then, there's the two hot boys that gave me knee melting experience, but I won't share them with you here. Read this book to find out more about them. -hihi-

It is hard to explain the love angle. There was a hint of it. Yes, just a hint of sugar and a bit of spice. Since, there is a brewing love triangle and also a twist. I think the love triangle will be full blown on book two.

Overall this book is amazing. Readers who like Divergent and Crossed series will love this. If you're looking for a new book that is one of a kind, this book is for you.

I give this book 4.5 matter weaving whales.

Prepare yourselves, because when it comes to this book, I'm barely going to be able to contain myself. You know I'm not usually one to outright gush, but Crewel is a book that deserves copious amounts of it. When I got the chance to read it this spring, I'm pretty sure I may have hurt my husband's ears in my excitement. When I actually read it, however, I was rendered speechless. How do I even begin to describe all that is spectacular about Crewel? I'll do my best, but please pardon me if I use too many exclamation marks.

First, I simply must get this off my chest: Adelice is a freaking awesome character! Even though it gets her in trouble, her sardonic sense of humor and biting retorts make her a character that keeps you on your toes. Also, I have to give it up for kick-ass redheads! Ahem. One moment while I put on my "I'm a proud, nerdy redhead," shirt. Moving on! Adelice is a compelling character in so many ways besides those I already mentioned. From her refusal to be bought by the trappings of Spinster life to her determination to help those around her, Adelice is a character you can't help but connect with. Just wait until you learn about her abilities. That is seriously some mind-bending stuff.

When it comes to world-building, Gennifer Albin amazes me. From the setting to the politics to the people, Arras is so far beyond imagining. The construct of this world is intricately woven (you know I had to go there) and has so much to reveal to readers. The make-up of society is also very well done and becomes very alarming at times. As for the people, let me just say that the commonalities between many of the people involved serve to highlight just how special Adelice is while they each still maintain their own personal spark that makes them recognizable when it comes to personality. I found much to appreciate all through this book and I can't wait to find out even more.

Crewel remains one of my favorite reads of 2012. With its fabulous characters, amazing setting, and harrowing challenges, Crewel is a story more than capable of keeping its readers ensnared and entertained. If you're looking for a dystopia with a little something fresh and new, you should definitely check out Crewel. This is simply an amazing book that I imagine I will be recommending for a long time to come. Expect to see it on my top 10 list this year!

Obligatory legal statement: This advance digital review copy was provided to me free of charge. No monetary compensation was received in exchange for this fair and unbiased review.

Review originally appears on Starting the Next Chapter, dated October 16, 2012.

2.5 Stars. In the post-apocalyptic world of Arras, Adelice Lewys has a rare gift, though she and her parents have tried desperately to hide it all her life. Gifted--or cursed--with the ability to see the weave of life around her, the threads that comprise the world of Arras and everything in it, and the ability to deftly manipulate it, Adelice has been trying to hide her talent to prevent the Guild from taking her from her home and placing her in a life of servitude. But the Guild does discover her, and she soon finds herself in a whole new world, a world with every luxury she could imagine. But it's really just a gilded cage, and Adelice is forced to undergo a series of training and tests which reveal to her the evil realities of the Guild and the weave, and she discovers the horrifying price to be paid for mistakes or disobedience. But the more Adelice attempts to rebel, the more the Guild realizes just how talented she is, and if they can't harness her power, they'll have to destroy it. With a couple of newfound friends, Adelice sets out to expose the Guild and put an end to their tyranny before the Guild can put an end to her.

I was really looking forward to reading Crewel, as it seemed like something completely different in the surplus of YA dystopian novels published this year. And it was different. At first I was really caught up in the story and in Adelice's character, but I soon realized in many ways it was also very much like other YA novels, with two of my biggest turn-offs: one-dimensional villains and love triangles just for the sake of having love triangles. I also had a really hard time buying into the story world. It was just too complicated to imagine properly and the foundation wasn't solid enough to bring it to life in my mind in a believable way. I just couldn't grasp the concept of weaving time and matter on looms and having it affect the whole world. I liked Adelice's character--smart, capable, and brave--but none of the other characters were as well-developed. And in another overused YA device, the story ends on a cliffhanger. It was actually a pretty cool twist, but it wasn't enough to save this novel for me or to entice me into reading the sequel.

In the miasma of dystopian young adult fiction out there today, I admit I've become somewhat jaded. I was pretty sure I'd read it all and there weren't any new ways to take us eerily into the future. And then I read the blurb for Crewel and thought, hmmm...now that's different. And it certainly was in lots of ways, even if a little hard to follow at times. Set in the futuristic society of Arras, the country is run by the Guild--and everything is orchestrated by Spinsters who see the "weave" of everything. Much like the Fates of the myths, these Spinsters have control of all life in Arras--but the Guild has control of them.

In this society, children are given assignments (as well as marriage plans!) at age sixteen. All her life, Adelice's parents have striven to hide the fact that the she is special: she can see the weave without the aid of a loom. This means that Adelice will be taken away after her official testing, never to see her family again, so they work to help her learn to hide her talents. Of course it all goes badly and Adelice's family is torn asunder; she finds herself taken by the Guild, set up in a fancy room, given lots of things including a stylist, and told she will weave for the rest of her life. But Adelice is no shrinking violet, and she finds herself in trouble right off the bat--as well as the center of attention between two young men, Josten and Erik.

There's a lot to like in Crewel, including Adelice's rather ascerbic wit and the fast pace of the action. I do wish we hadn't found ourselves stuck between two gorgeous suitors because it's a little been there, done that. I also had some trouble figuring out just what was going on towards the end--I won't give it away here, but it is confusing as to how the main characters...did what they did. But I loved the idea of Crewel; its originality is a definite plus, and I'm eager to find out where we are going. I just hope we're not left hanging too long until the next installment.

[...]

Wow, what a great book!! I am still in shock of how amazing it was!! From learning about this novel from other bloggers I had to see what the hype was which only excites readers more!! I was not disappointed but thrilled when I got able to read Crewel from the awesome people at Macmillan. Crewel was creative, thrilling and words cannot descrive how Gennifer Albin weaves her characters. The cover is gorgeous because it somewhat represents some of the story.

Adelice was an awesome character because she appears shy, but in reality she like to get in trouble, has a sense of humor and will always surprise you with what she is up to next. She is compelling to read about because of the action that takes place in the novel. I really liked her because in this world she is a Spinster and she has soo much determination to get back her family. In the beginning her refusal to be brought into a life of Spinster life is to help those around her. Her abilities are out of this world!! its a mind-blowing book !

The romance was lets say which boy will steal your heart and which one belongs with Adelice because these two men are HOT and Gorgeous, Erik and Jost are also interesting characters because they have soo much background that is important of what is happening in this society of Spinsters. I thought they were both developed perfectly and is intriguing what Gennifer Albin will be doing in the next book involving Adelice's love interests. Enora is a mentor to Adelice and treated her like a daughter, save her from the evil Guild. The ending was an OMG moment thinking what will happen next after what happened

Overall, Crewel was amazing and interesting that this is a MUST read!! Gennifer Albin created a great series and I am looking forward to the next book in the series!! I also liked the idea of Adelice being able to create things by weaving it into time and matter. It felt magical because you can see all the things Gennifer wrote coming to life in your mind. This book is definitely one of my favorite books of 2012!

In Crewel, every single thing in this world that see, hear, and even think is part of one massive weave. Most people never even notice the weave, but there are women called Spinsters who are able to see and manipulate it. They are recruited by the Coventry and assigned tasks based on their skills. Most are thrilled to become Spinsters, as it comes with fancy clothes and social gatherings. Some, like Adelice, are forced to use their skills to help the Coventry because they are being blackmailed. Adelice's entire family is destroyed when she is taken in by the Coventry, and they use what remains of her loved ones to manipulate her into doing their bidding.

There was something about this world that I just couldn't grasp. It was such a cool concept - the idea that everything and everyone and every thought are all part of one big cosmic weave, and that women called Spinsters are the ones trusted to weave this fabric and maintain it. But on the other side, it just kept giving me that "Am I in the Matrix?" feeling.

Try as I might, my measly brain just couldn't picture how that would work. How can they be weaving from within the weave? Who is weaving them? Who created the weave?

All these sort of existential questions kept getting in the way and distracting me while reading. I didn't feel like the world-building required to pull off a story line such as that really came through.

That said, aside from the actual mechanics of the world itself, I really enjoyed reading Crewel. I've been salivating over the cover since it first came out, and the premise of the book is so original. That fact alone kept me going, as the pacing on this one wasn't quite as heart-racing as I prefer. It was like taking a steady jog (ha! as if I've ever jogged in my LIFE) - it was enough to keep me going, but nothing that really made me want to glue my face to the book so I could carry it with me everywhere I went. The romance had a slight twinge of insta-love, not too bad, but it was definitely there.

This one is the very definition of a vague sort of liked but didn't love sort of book. I felt as though the motivations of the main character were very clear, and I sympathized with her as she dealt with the pain of losing her family, but beyond that surface level connection, I never felt truly invested in Adelice. I was interested to see how her story would turn out, but there were many times I thought I could have put this one down mid-read and walked away without feeling like I was going to miss much. It was a decent read, but I probably won't be going for the second one in this series.

I've been book-lusting after Crewel since the moment I saw it on the list as a book promoted at BEA this past June. The cover grabbed me first, then reading the description sent me into a tizzy and I tried every way I could think of to get my hands on a copy. (People, it releases on my birthday and I did not want to wait that long!)

So when NetGalley showed it on their recent additions I squealed and may have cried a little bit in relief. In just a minute or so that coveted approval landed in my inbox and I downloaded the book, the only thing standing in my way just my scheduled reading.

So last night, with a sigh of relief, I opened it up and fell into one of the most imaginative stories I've ever experienced. People, this book is a breath of fresh air. Not really dystopian, not really post-apocalyptic - more a blend of fantasy and sci-fi, it boasts a strong heroine who does not waver on her beliefs, two male counterparts that also manage to stay strong (and not wimp out in the face of her strength), and some beautiful world-building. Gennifer Albin does not err on the side of caution, treating her characters with the harsh brush that needs to be used in order to further the storyline, and it's very appreciated by this reader.

My only complaint, and the only thing that left a somewhat bitter taste in my mouth, is the character of Pyranna. She, like Adelice, was one of the chosen to begin training as a spinster, and her character is the only one not fully developed. Her changes in attitude and actions were a little too far-fetched, and it was apparent she was placed into the story as a mere tool to keep things moving. I think she had potential to be more, and I was disappointed by her place in the story.

But overall - this is a great, great story and one that impressed me with it's uniqueness. I'll be still purchasing this (or maybe receiving it as a present?) to place on my shelves and loan out - and cannot wait to get my hands on the actual, physical copy.

As with Greek Mythology's Moirae (aka, the Fates), CREWEL's Spinsters weave and control all aspects of life in Arras. The Spinster's are beautiful, talented, and privileged. And, in a world where men hold the power, being a Spinster provides the best possible future a woman can hope to ever have. But unlike others, Adelice Lewys isn't eager to give into the world of Spinsters, despite being highly adept at weaving Arras - a natural skill that makes her both valuable and a threat. But Adelice has to be careful, because where the Spinsters can create, they can also destroy.

After a heart-pounding and terrifying beginning, CREWEL eventually slows down and takes its time as Albin pulls back the layers of Arras and reveals the details of Adelice's world. From social structures to technology and even to the fascinating job of being a Spinster, Albin carefully reveals all in due time. From beginning to end, it really is quite easy to get caught up in the story, the world, and the characters. Fresh and very unique from other books on the bookshelves, CREWEL will show you a world you haven't seen before and leave you eager for so much more.

HIGHLIGHTS: The surprises and creativity. I can honestly say that I did not expect the ending, so that was an interesting surprise. The world was wonderfully written. As a main character, I mostly enjoyed Adelice's POV. Right from the beginning, Albin managed to make me feel sympathy for the protagonist. Descriptions were incredible.

LOWLIGHTS: A couple moments that just didn't work for me (you can see what by looking at my review on Goodreads or YA Book Queen). A lot of time is spent waiting for something to happen, instead of actually adjusting the plot so certain events happened earlier. It appears the author is setting up a love triangle for the next book, but it doesn't (thankfully) come across that way for this one.

I yawned at first -- another teen girl is revealed to have super uber powers at age 16 and is yanked out of her life into a life of special privilege and adoration (aka Shadow and Bone et al.). Adelice (love that name) is the uber thread weaver, the creater of worlds, and the bad ass guild tries to control her. It's a nice story, one that is very unique and blazes its own path. What makes this a strong story is the heroine Adelice. She is strong, feisty, and smart - and I'm a sucker for those kind of girls. There's romance, but its low key. And I'm fine with that given the plot. There are lots of bad people (yawn), but better yet, there are a number of people who are deliciously, positively grey and ambiguous all the way through. I tip my hat to the author for deftly avoiding caricatures. I think what really sealed the deal for me was the ending . . . if there was an award for ending a book 1 and making the reader slobber like a rabies sick dog for book 2, this book deserves it. So, why 4 stars instead of 5? Well, it was this whole weaving/looming/threads metaphysics (do I hear echoes of Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time Series, yes I do) that I could never quite get my head around, which impeded my ability to totally buy into this world she created. There were a few times when I cocked my head and said `what the heck did I just read??' In the end, though, I so bought into Adelice (one kick ass girl, and can we ever get enough of those, right?) that I was seduced and gave myself up to the the story . So, I lift my champagne flute and give my toast-- 'well done, Ad'

Crewel is one of the most original world building fantasies I've read in years. That alone makes it intriguing and so easy to love. At the same time how do you even classify this book?

Fantasy, yes.
Dystopian, yes.
Young Adult, maybe. Sure, the main character Adelice is only 16 with an attitude problem. Yes, there is romance. But Crewel reads as a novel written for adults. It is not YA fiction.

The book is a little slow in parts and it takes a long time to understand the real horror Adelice faces. She must choose and what horrible choices!

Adelice lives in Arras, a world constructed on top of, but separate from Earth. The Weave of Arras forms the whole world, with the landscape defined by stitching and Threads. Only the Creweler has the ability to create Thread, but Spinsters, women identified by testing at age 16, can manipulate the physical world and even people by weaving on special Looms.

The Spinsters are responsible for transporting people, for bringing in food, for managing weather, even for delivering babies. They also have the power and responsibility to remove people by ripping their individual Threads from the tapestry. Adelice balks at killing people and is punished.

The story is about Adelice having to decide whether to stay in Arras - the only world that she knows exists - or making a frantic escape to Earth, which she is not even certain is survivable.
This is an excellent novel, a great combination of character development, rich plot and world building, and existential choices. I highly recommend it.

I wasn't sure what to expect when I picked up a copy of Crewel. I decided to take a chance on it and bought it at a library sale, and I'm so glad I did. This novel is fantastic. Albin weaves a captivating and seemingly "perfect" world (hence why I categorized it Utopian instead of Dystopian, in which the world isn't perfect and everyone knows it) with realistic characters and a mysterious and suspenseful plot. I enjoyed Crewel much more than I thought I would, and I can't wait for the sequel, Altered, to come out in October.

In my opinion, Adelice is everything a main character should be. She's sarcastic and strong, yet still has a heart, which at times makes her vulnerable. Yes, she needs to learn to keep her mouth shut sometimes, but at least she's not one who would stand around and let awful things happen without trying to do something about it. Even though she experiences great loss, she still manages to keep herself together in order to survive. Jost is pretty amazing, too, though I'm not sure how I feel about some of the revelations regarding him. I absolutely love Erik. He's funny and charming, and I actually think I like him better than Jost. I'm not really one for love triangles, and I'm not sure why everyone likes Adelice better than every other female I've encountered, unless they, too, find sarcasm enduring, but this one doesn't come across as too obnoxious. Each of the characters, including secondary characters and "bad guys," is well-developed and believable. There are no stock characters, and each character evolves as the novel unfolds.

The world-building is top-notch, and it is scattered throughout the story. Thankfully there aren't really any info dumps, except a few of the lessons from Loricel. Albin is so good at explaining things that I actually understood the weaving, which is a miracle, considering my scientific knowledge, haha. I could clearly picture Arras and the Coventry, and I was impressed by both the concept and execution of this world. The plot is extremely suspenseful, and it's impossible to know who can and cannot be trusted, which adds an air of mystery. I felt bad for Adelice quite often, but she never really takes the time to stop and feel sorry for herself, which I liked. The poor girl can't stay out of trouble, though, and I was kept on edge throughout the entire novel. The pacing is spot on, and the ending ties things up nicely. Yes, a mysterious occurrence happens right at the end, but a lot of the problems and questions are resolved by the end of this book, so I don't feel like the cliffhanger was too terrible.

Overall, I'd recommend this novel to anyone who is looking for a unique and intriguing Sci-fi/Utopian book. Give Crewel a try. You won't be sorry.

Adelice has a natural gift of spinning the threads of time. However, her parents have been teaching her for years to make mistakes and to make them look naturally. When Adelice is sixteen, as with all girls, she will take the test. If she passes, she will become a Spinster, weaving the threads of their world, with privileges, beauty, and notoriety not available to the common people and never see her family again. If she fails, she will get to become a worker, such as a secretary and be married off by the time she is eighteen. But Adelice makes a mistake on her test and shows a glimpse of her true gift.

When they come for her, she does what her parents tell her to. She hides in a tunnel, but her escape is futile. She is captured and some of her family killed. When she arrives, she is treated differently then the other girls. She has more privileg then they do, but she's always being watched. Her trainer hates her on site and will do anything within her power to be rid of Adelice. Although she is very forthright with her opinions, that get her into trouble quite often, Adelice eventually finds some friendship with her mentor, Enora, and a valet, the handsome Josten. Adelice doesn't understand why she is being treated differently - she imagines that all of them can weave the threads without a loom. But she's wrong.

The man with all of the power, Cormac, keeps a keen eye on Adelice, even when she begins her training with Loricel, the Creweler. It is the Creweler's job to gather up the raw materials and weave their world and to remove the bad threads, sometimes wiping out big chunks of their world and people. She holds many secrets and begins to share them with Adelice, who will eventually take her place. But Adelice just wants to be in Josten's arms and find her sister, who was not killed when she was taken. But will she be able to outmaneuver Cormac or will his power turn her into one of his loyal subjects?

Crewel is a dystopian gem; a unique and clever world that kept me riveted as I devoured the pages. Not only is the world-building captivating, but the characters are diverse and developed, having me either hating them or cheering for them. The politics was easy to follow, as well as some of the science, which I found to be refreshing. Although there is a cliffhanger, I was immensely satisfied with this book and am really anticipating the next one.

I'll admit, I've read most of the dystopian books out there right now, and so I had certain expectations when I started Crewel. And then, before the prologue had finished, I had to put away all those preconceived ideas and just read. I devoured this book, and I'm typically a slow reader. I particularly appreciated the writer's style. She's straight forward with her descriptions and language, and it's very easy to get into. The world she creates is incredibly unique and intriguing. My favorite part about the world of Coventry is how beautiful and attractive it is. It feels like Adelice, the main character, is Cinderella at the ball, but the ball is no fairy tale - it's an inescapable prison.

The biggest surprise about Albin's novel is how unlike anything else it is. It's just as much sci-fi and fantasy as it is dystopian, and, while there is a bit of a love triangle, it really isn't a typical love triangle, and it's rooted in purpose (wow! the end!) and I sense it will have even more importance in the next book.

Speaking of the next book, I can't wait! The ending of Crewel was such a magnificent jaw-dropper. I am dying to find out what happens next!

I really loved this book. As a spinner/weaver/knitter, the premise of this dystopian world really appeals to me. I have always said if knitters ruled the world it would be a better place... if that darn Guild of Arras would just let the weavers have control already!

I have heard others compare Crewel to The Hunger Games and Divergent, and it is the same genre. However, it stands on its own with an original storyline and plot. I hate when I get in on these trilogies at the beginning... so now I anxiously wait for the second. Write, Gennifer, write like the wind!

I have eyed the cover of this book for a long time. I loved this story for its creativity of a world that can't exist but that is so developed you believe it does. Think of sci-fi meets YA. The main character has a unique talent that her parents help her to hide, knowing that she will be taken from them if it shows. Just as crewel work, only the creator has a clear picture of what the final canvas will look like. It is up to us to try to follow the threads.

3.5 stars

It seems like a lot of book for little explanation. It was an interesting idea for a dystopian story and I am excited to continue the journey of the characters. I thought Adelice was a fun and witty character. At times she seemed childish but she is only supposed to be sixteen. I liked both jost and Erik's characters although I was more drawn to jost in the story. For being a young adult book the author touches on many heavy themes and ideas which to me adds more character to the story.

I had never heard of this author or the series and checked it out on overdrive, purely because it was available to listen to at that moment. What a surprise! This was an excellent book and now I'm reading the series in text.
Interesting and different story line and interesting characters.

If I had to describe Crewel, I'd say it was The Subtle Knife meets The Matrix.

Wha--what? What? What? WHAAAAAAATTT???

I know. I know. Mind == blown. I'll give you a moment to piece together the fragments of your brain.

..

..

Good to go? Okay. Moving on.

This book is just so indescribable. As soon as I read the blurb months and months ago, I knew this book was unique. Weave time with matter? What does that even mean? HELP ME UNDERSTAND!! Have you read a book like that? I hadn't. This is just so insane. And as it turns out, Crewel is totally and completely insane... and captivating, and mesmerizing. Reading Crewel made me want to gather up all my mom's yarn and try to figure this stuff out. I also wanted to take a photo of myself completely wrapped up in yarn, but that's not the point.

There are so many parts of this book that I still feel like I don't understand, just because it's all so intricate and mind blowing. It's hard to visualize something like this -- something you can't even imagine seeing or existing. You really have to pay attention while reading this book, or the whole idea of it will easily overwhelm you. There is so much to take in and you really have to open yourself up to the possibilities.

I thought that Adelice was a perfect protagonist. She wasn't perfect, but she had an amazing blend of innocence, naivety, strength, and determination. And the character development was phenomenal and seamless. At the beginning, she's scared. She's been brought up to hide her talent but suddenly it's out there in the open. She doesn't know how to tell her parents she's failed, she's not ready to face reality, and she's terrified of what's coming. But despite her fears, she doesn't just succumb to the Guild's temptations -- the luxury and status they throw at her. Over time, she gains the confidence and strength of an admirable heroine.

Despite the mind blowing awesomeness that is Crewel, I did have a few problems with it. Things did feel a tad slow in the middle of the story. There were still important parts in the middle, but there wasn't much action and it didn't feel like the story was progressing very quickly. There was a lot of Adelice sitting around the compound, trying to come up with a plan, attending balls and banquets and press events, etc. I also wasn't totally sold on the romance. I mean it was okay, but I was kind of confused by it. There is a love triangle, but it was a bit awkward and I think the resolution was a little rushed.

Unfortunately, my biggest surprise while reading Crewel is spoilery, so I'll have to be vague. There was a lot more "reality" in Crewel than I originally expected. I mean, of course it's a fantasy story, but there were some elements from the "real world" that I wasn't expecting and ABSOLUTELY LOVED!! That's really what made the story for me. The ending shocked me. If there is one first-in-the-series book in the world that's incredibly and perfectly prepped for Book #2, it's this one.

Bottom line: Crewel will blow your mind. Pay attention, open your mind to the possibilities, and you will love this book. Unfortunately I didn't scream and giggle and laugh out loud like I do with a lot of 4 or 5 star books, but Crewel has a different kind of excellence about it. It's more of an intricately woven story that will make you go "WTF O_O" than it is a story that will make you scream in delight. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but it's just different. And Crewel is nothing if not different.

Gennifer Albin's Crewel really surpassed any expectations I had when I started reading it and surprised me with its rich and lovely complexity and world-building.

In the world of Arras, time is weaved and manipulated by the Spinsters, and being a Spinster is a coveted role because it comes with beauty, privilege, and power. Young girls dream of being a Spinster, but Adelice Lewys is trained by her parents to fail the weaving test. Adelice isn't interested in the isolation or strict rules that come with Spinster life. But her Spinster abilities are strong and she accidentally weaves a moment during testing and when they come from her the results are deadly. Adelice quickly finds herself under the strict rule and watch of the Guild and living amongst other Spinsters, and her powerful abilities don't go unnoticed by those in charge. Secrets, revolutions, loyalties, and romances begin to unravel around Adelice and she must learn to harness and use her abilities or risk those she loves.

On the surface, Crewel is a familiar and basic dystopian story with fantasy elements (a young, but powerful heroine, must rise to the occasion to overthrow a corrupt government and save the world), but what sets Crewel apart is Albin's innovation and imagination. The world of Spinsters who literally weave time and manipulate matter, controlling the weather, reproduction, and even life itself, is captivating in its originality and quite lovely in its rich, complexity and layers. I fell into this world easily and I think a part of me is still in there. Albin weaves (see what I did there?!) a smart, riveting story full of the unexpected and intriguing.

For the most part, the world-building is fantastic, with lush vividness and complete, realistic layers. But, despite Albin's impressive writing and storytelling, this isn't always an easy world to comprehend or follow. I did find myself a bit overwhelmed and confused at times by the sheer amount of complexity and intricacy of this world. This isn't a story that can be merely skimmed, it demands keen attention and thought, but is well worth it.

The characters in Crewel were mostly either hits or misses with me, Adelice being the exception. I have a love/hate relationship with Adelice. She isn't what I would call a remarkable heroine, but she is relatable. I like her feisty snarkiness and adventurous curiosity, but at times her characterization seems awkward or inappropriate for the situation she is in. There are several characters that could be called the "villain", and while these characters are certainly ruthless; cruel; creeptastic, and diabolical, I hope they up the vile villainy in the next book.

There is a bit of a love triangle *sigh*, which I could have done without, but Adelice clearly has stronger, more real feelings for one male love interest, and the romantic elements don't dominate the whole story. And I liked each love interest, but for different reasons. Erik is a charmer with plenty of secrets up his sleeve, and I like that I wasn't sure of his loyalties or motivations; a wild card can be fun. And Jost *fangirl squee*, I couldn't help but fall for this witty, sweet guy...GO TEAM JOST!

Albin threw some twists at me that had me all WHAT THA WHAT NOW?! And the ending certainly left me reeling and excited (and desperate) for book two. It also left me with so many thinks and feels! (I haz theories y'all)

MY FINAL THOUGHTS: Crewel has its flaws and weak spots, but overall it really won me over. The innovative, thought-provoking world-building and Albin's ability to weave a lovely and captivating story wowed me greatly and kept me enamored from beginning to beyond the end. This is a fantastic debut and I will be eagerly awaiting the sequel!

Crewel is the first book in a series by Gennifer Albin.

Crewel takes place in the world of Arras where Spinsters work the looms that control almost all aspects of life in the world. The looms determine what people eat, where they live, work, when they may have children, and when they die. 16-year old Adelice Lewys has trained the majority of her life to fail the eligibility test to become a Spinster. However during testing, she messes up and actually weaves with her hands and is called upon by the Guild to become an Eligible. One the night of her retrieval, her parents try to hide her and let her run but in the process, she is caught and her parents are killed. Usually Eligibles that run are immediately executed, however the Guild is keeping Adelice alive since she is able to weave time with matter. Being chosen as a Spinster gives Adelice privileges, wealth, and beauty, however it all comes at a price--the lost of her freedom since they are required to live out the rest of their life in the Coventry with no access to the outside world. At the Coventry, Adelice meets Erik, the assistant to a head Spinster and Jost, the head valet. And it is there she learns the true nature of her world and how it is controlled...

I enjoyed Crewel. It has a moderate pace that kept me interested and the world that the author created was unique. It reminded me of the Fates from Greek mythology. Adelice is a somewhat likable character. At first, she basically let people order her around and submitted to whatever they wanted, however as the story goes on she does start to become more independent and fight back. One of the things I did like about her was she was not afraid to talk back and be sarcastic around those trying to control her. Adelice turns into a lovesick fool near the end though which I found a little disappointing. The love triangle in this series is so obnoxiously obvious near the beginning and just keeps going until the very end. Speaking of the end, I felt that it ended too quickly. Things happen in the last couple of chapters and the story takes a sudden twist and then it just ends with a cliffhanger. It does make me eager to read the next book but I felt like it just wrapped up all too fast. There are a few surprising things and/or events in the book that kept the story interesting though. An example is when we find out where and what Arras is. The book does play around with the theme of women rights since the world is controlled by men. Spinsters (who are only women) may work the looms, but they are controlled by the Guild which is made up of men. Girls and boys are segregated throughout childhood and women cannot wear makeup until the eligibility test has passed. There are several other instances throughout the book where women are treated less equally than men.

Overall, I found it an enjoyable read. I recommend it to fans of dystopian fiction, romance, and fantasy. Looking forward to the next book and in seeing how the story in this series will develop.

After hearing some buzz about this book on the interwebz a while back, I added it to my to-read list as soon as I read the premise. Then, when I saw it up for grabs on Netgalley, I immediately submitted my request and was excited to be accepted.

This is an intelligent person's YA novel and I found myself completely sucked in right away.

Protagonist: I enjoyed Adelice and thought she had a strong voice. She was smart and feisty and honest and has a lot of potential to really kick ass in future installments. She is raised by a family that doesn't agree with the leadership in their world and those deep beliefs will make her a game changer for everyone around her. Adelice's love and loyalty to her family, particularly her sister, is really touching and no doubt will be a large part moving forward.

Plot/World: Wow! Albin really has a gift for story-telling. The story is layered and satisfying, while also dropping a bomb on the reader in the end. Talk about a cliff hanger. I really felt that the concept of spinsters was fresh and original and their plight was an interesting take on feminism. I've seen a lot of reviewers comparing it to Mad Men and how women in the 1960's were essential to the running of offices, yet they had no real control, and that is true here of the spinsters as well. I have a feeling that is going to change. I found some of the weaving descriptions to be slightly tedious, but that's probably just me. The world is complicated, but complete, and I found myself wondering how the heck Albin came up with all of it.

Romance: Is it to too early for me to join Team Jost? I'm not sure if Albin is really going to lead us down the path of a love triangle, but there is potential to be a lot of tension between Adelice and the men in her life. I love Jost though and I really appreciate that there is a poignant back story that motivates him and his actions.

My only complaint, really, which is often a complaint of mine, was the names. There were definitely not as bad as some others I have reviewed, but still distracted me. What is so wrong about naming people classic names? Oh well. My personal pet peeve.

I am giving this one 5/5 because it kept me guessing until the end and left me anxious to read the next novel. I continued to think about it for days afterwards, which is always a good sign in my opinion. Thanks, Gennifer, for a great read!

This book was quite a surprise for me. I didn't really know what it would be about when I started reading it, even after reading the synopsis I still wasn't sure what it was about. I was very confused at the beginning but intrigued nonetheless. The story was already moving at a good pace from the start but I didn't understand what a Spinster was, or the loom and what the whole purpose of it was. Even though I was confused and eagerly waiting for some answers to pop up in the story I couldn't put it down. Maybe it was just me and since I'm lacking some brain cells after having a baby that's why it took me so long to figure it out. Once Gennifer started answering some questions in the novel and explaining about the new world and society these people lived in, I was fascinated. I started to understand that the girls weave time and how everything around them is built and how important they are, I was in awe as the pictures finally started forming in my head. The descriptions made it seem magical, colorful and beautiful. So yeah, as you can tell I loved the dystopian world building Gennifer created, it was pretty original and unexpected. I kept wanting more from Adelice, and hoping she would reach into her talent and experiment a little.

We get two love interests in the novel, but I honestly didn't have a problem with taking sides on this one since one of them seemed kind of shady to me through the whole novel and I had trust issues with that one. There were lots of villains which made the novel exciting since you never know who's going to strike next. It was fun to be at the edge of your seat waiting for the next blow. I was happy to see that the main character Adelice was not a naïve young girl, but a very clever and strong character who actually thought things through before acting and used her brain. The ending was crushing though, I had been waiting for it to happen because I just knew it would get to that point and I was happy to know it did, but it left on a cliffhanger that has become expected on almost every series now. It will be killing me wanting to know what the heck is going to happen next. I'll definitely be picking up the sequel to find out.

I don't know when the trend of writing part of a book; and putting the ending into a series of sequels became trendy, but it is tiresome. A book should end in a natural way. Not as the bridge to the requisite sequel. If it can't stand on it's own as a work of fiction call it a short story and be done. I have determined to no longer reward this lazy and money-driven model by my own small way of giving even a well written Part 1 only 1 star. When the whole book is published, THEN it gets the rest of the stars it may or may not deserve.

Very original, complex and thought provoking - the premise of weaving time & matter is ingenious. Imagine someone actually using threads around them to manipulate things such as food, weather, and even people! While I still don't really understand how everything works,I am eager to get my hands on the next book!

(I received a copy of this book from the publisher as part of the authors promotional street team)

JUST ABSOLUTELY AMAZING!

I have been part of Gennifer's Crewel Street Team, which has made the release of this book extra special for me.
This is a book that I knew I wanted to support and fall in love with from the moment I read the synopsis on NetGalley.

Gennifer Albin has written a beautiful, yet terrifying young adult dystopian novel. It is magnificently original and will no doubt, pull you into it's pages.
From start to finish, Crewel had me craving answers, while my mind filled with wonder. I was so impressed by the construct of the Guild and the society of Arras. Everything was perfectly interwoven. The story never slowed down and the end will leave readers breathless.

Crewel's main character, Adelice, is exactly what you want in a female lead. Her fiery personality definitely won me over. She has her faults, but that is part of what makes her an exceptional character. Adelice learns about the inner workings of her world at the same pace as the reader does. You get to experience her growth into a high ranking Spinster and trust me, you'll love every minute of it. She is simple and pure and so full of life. The horrors she comes to endure after her gift is exposed, gives her both strength and determination; something many other eligibles lack. Without those attributes they are merely complacent pawns of the Guild.

There are more than a few surprises and 'oh-my-gosh' moments throughout the story. Gennifer Albin's characters are top notch and her writing eloquent. I enjoyed the feel of sophistication I got while reading this book. Although the storyline is complex in nature--which I LOVE!--it is not so much so that Crewel can not be enjoyed by EVERYONE. Because it can, and most definitely will :]
It contains a perfect balance of fantasy, sci-fi and dystopian. Gennifer has done an amazing job creating a book that branches over into many different genres.
The world building is some of the best I have come across this year. I loved the concept of weaving time into matter.
If you like any of the above, GO GET A COPY OF THIS BOOK!
I will be patiently waiting to devour book 2 come 2013. Until then, I will definitely be reading Crewel a second time--I do not do that often. But, Crewel, beyond a doubt deserves it.

Congrats Genn! On a absolutely stellar debut!

Fresh new YA Dystopian Fantady with unique post-apocalyptic scenario.
Adelice lives in Arras, a world where girls are tested at 16 to see if they have the talent to weave space and time.
These "Spinsters" get taken away from their families but live in luxury. The alternative is to be forced into marriage.
Of course Adelice is super talented, and her adventure forms the basis of this tale.
Several YA tropes exist- a sister and Mom in distress (as in Hunger Games), evil bad guy and evil bad gal, and of course the ever present love triangle.
Jost and Erik, our two boy toy choices are fun. The secret about them was obvious from a mile away.
Jost- the good boy, Erik- the bad boy. I liked Erik, cause I am a sucker for boys with"flexible moral values" as he puts it himself.
The ending was a whopper of a cliff hanger.

Overall, in a crowded field of cliched Dystopian romances, this book held my interest.

It is so hard to write a review for a story that was so well told and so beautifully crafted that it leaves you speechless. Yet here I am trying to tell you about a book that I know I won't be able to do justice to.

I can't even fathom that this is Albin's debut novel because it was so well written. Truly this book is rich with imaginative detail and descriptions. You can see the beautiful colors of the weave and can imagine the cruelty of the Guild as you become immersed in Adelice's story and world.

I really don't know how else to describe this one without giving anything away other than this is the one book this year that you really don't want to miss out on. It has a little bit of it all, action, adventure, romance, fantasy, death, destruction, cruelty, heartache, hope, love and a dystopian feel to it like no other and above all, beautiful writing that will catapult you into Adelice, Jost, Erik, and Lorilel's world and make you not want to leave it.

With the way this one ended, I wouldn't even consider not picking up the next one.

A fantastic read unlike any other. Gennifer Albin's imaginative tale weaves (pardon the pun) love, loss, and fantastical elements that have never before been thought of. The ending felt a bit rushed and didn't tie up into a nice bow, but that's the only reason this book fell short of 5/5 stars.

Follows the same type of Hunger Games, Divergent, Maze Runner type books.

I really like futuristic, doomsday, revolution books so this one was right up my alley.
I kind of get tired of it always being a female lead but it works most of the time.

Decent read. Looking forward to the rest of the trilogy.

I really liked the fabric of time theory's. Wish I could see some more physics in how the things are done (I know it's science fiction).

Not worth 5 stars, but worth more than three or two. I was somewhat surprised at the amount of two star reviews.
Just remember it is a young adult book. It's not made to have as much detail and intrigue as a S.King novel.

I just finished Crewel and I was greatly disappointed. The love triangle was pathetic and the "emotional/kissing" scenes lacked depth. The author could take some lessons from C.C. Hunter's Shadow Falls series for a well written love triangle. Sad to say this book was a waste of my time. Looking back, the whole book was like the Winchester Mystery House in Cali...Up and down....leading to no where. I do not recommend this book unless you want to be left hanging.

Yes, it's true. I'm reading the sequel because I want to see how much worse this story can get, and how much more tangled up in a nonsensical plot the author will allow herself to go before the whole thing blows up. That is the only reason I'm giving this review 2 stars instead of 1 - because it is effective in making me want to read more.

This book is a complete copy of The Hunger Games. Which makes no sense, because the plot is completely different. But the author attempted to copy the feel and even the aesthetics of The Hunger Games.

My biggest beef with this book is that THE PLOT MAKES NO FREAKIN' SENSE. The author could have woken up from a trippy dream and thought, "Whoa, cool!" and then just written it down without analyzing whether any of it made sense or not. Because it doesn't. The physics and logic of the story are completely in la-la land. If the author wanted to make up her own rules of the physical world, I can respect that, but they need to be coherent with each other, and this was just a bunch of stuff the author thought would be cool thrown together. The basic plot is that the world is threaded together by the very people who live in it. The concept itself is a paradox with lots of inconsistencies, because the author herself couldn't figure out how to make it work. An example of this that sticks in my mind is that when someone wants to have a baby, the baby has to be woven into the world, and it implies that the parents have to get permission for this. Yet one of the characters states that he and his brother are nine months apart in age because his parents came from a small fishing town where they had nothing better to do. So if his parents gettin' jiggy with it resulted in him and his brother coming into the world, why the F would the weavers even need to exist for this purpose? It seems sex is a lot simpler than having to thread an entirely new soul into a loom, but while real-world physics seem to work just fine to sustain existence, the author tries to push the point that the world wouldn't exist without everything being DELIBERATELY woven in. The story contradicts itself! My mind is blown that this book got published. Seriously.

I have read the first chapter of the second book and it's just as bad or worse so far. Yay!

This book sounded different, the premise sounded interesting. However was just another unoriginal dystopian. Nothing much happens during huge chunks of the story. The author could have worked more on character development and making the love story more real. The love story was mediocre, I couldn't really feel anything for them. The last part of the book feels rushed. The ending was the only really interesting part of the story.

Follows the same type of Hunger Games, Divergent, Maze Runner type books.

I really like futuristic, doomsday, revolution books so this one was right up my alley.
I kind of get tired of it always being a female lead but it works most of the time.

Decent read. Looking forward to the rest of the trilogy.

I really liked the fabric of time theory's. Wish I could see some more physics in how the things are done (I know it's science fiction).

Not worth 5 stars, but worth more than three or two. I was somewhat surprised at the amount of two star reviews.
Just remember it is a young adult book. It's not made to have as much detail and intrigue as a S.King novel.

I just finished Crewel and I was greatly disappointed. The love triangle was pathetic and the "emotional/kissing" scenes lacked depth. The author could take some lessons from C.C. Hunter's Shadow Falls series for a well written love triangle. Sad to say this book was a waste of my time. Looking back, the whole book was like the Winchester Mystery House in Cali...Up and down....leading to no where. I do not recommend this book unless you want to be left hanging.

Yes, it's true. I'm reading the sequel because I want to see how much worse this story can get, and how much more tangled up in a nonsensical plot the author will allow herself to go before the whole thing blows up. That is the only reason I'm giving this review 2 stars instead of 1 - because it is effective in making me want to read more.

This book is a complete copy of The Hunger Games. Which makes no sense, because the plot is completely different. But the author attempted to copy the feel and even the aesthetics of The Hunger Games.

My biggest beef with this book is that THE PLOT MAKES NO FREAKIN' SENSE. The author could have woken up from a trippy dream and thought, "Whoa, cool!" and then just written it down without analyzing whether any of it made sense or not. Because it doesn't. The physics and logic of the story are completely in la-la land. If the author wanted to make up her own rules of the physical world, I can respect that, but they need to be coherent with each other, and this was just a bunch of stuff the author thought would be cool thrown together. The basic plot is that the world is threaded together by the very people who live in it. The concept itself is a paradox with lots of inconsistencies, because the author herself couldn't figure out how to make it work. An example of this that sticks in my mind is that when someone wants to have a baby, the baby has to be woven into the world, and it implies that the parents have to get permission for this. Yet one of the characters states that he and his brother are nine months apart in age because his parents came from a small fishing town where they had nothing better to do. So if his parents gettin' jiggy with it resulted in him and his brother coming into the world, why the F would the weavers even need to exist for this purpose? It seems sex is a lot simpler than having to thread an entirely new soul into a loom, but while real-world physics seem to work just fine to sustain existence, the author tries to push the point that the world wouldn't exist without everything being DELIBERATELY woven in. The story contradicts itself! My mind is blown that this book got published. Seriously.

I have read the first chapter of the second book and it's just as bad or worse so far. Yay!

This book sounded different, the premise sounded interesting. However was just another unoriginal dystopian. Nothing much happens during huge chunks of the story. The author could have worked more on character development and making the love story more real. The love story was mediocre, I couldn't really feel anything for them. The last part of the book feels rushed. The ending was the only really interesting part of the story.

(I received a digital copy of this book for free on a read-to-review basis. Thanks to Faber and Faber publishers and Netgalley.)
16-year-old Adelice has a gift. She is able to weave the very fabric of her world, a rare and extremely sort after talent. Her parents have taught her to hide her ability for many years, and if she manages to fail her testing (to see if she has weaving ability), she'll be able to live a normal life.
Unfortunately she slips up - massively, and now the guild are coming for her. To take her away from her family and make her a spinster (weaver) - forever at the beck and call of the guild and what they want her to do.
Adelice isn't going quietly though. The guild have taken too much from her, and when she realises exactly what being a spinster, and then a crewel (a top ranked spinster) entails, she knows that she must escape, and she must find a way to save both herself and those she cares about before they remap her (a sort of brain-washing), and force her to do their bidding forever.

When I first saw the cover of this book I wanted to read it, then I read the blurb and wanted to read it even more! Maybe this was why I wasn't 100% bowled over by this book, maybe my expectations were just too high based on that amazing cover.

Firstly, the characters: I liked Adelice, although at times she just needed to take action instead of hiding, which seemed to be how she dealt with things. She knows that the guild will be coming for her - she lies and tells her parents that she failed the test, and she then repeats this mistake again and again. I totally understand why she made the decisions she did, but at times I felt that just a little more forward thinking and action could have made things very different for Adelice, which was a shame.
Maela (one of the older spinsters) was just a total and utter cow, and I really couldn't stand her. Pryana (one of the newly recruited like Adelice) total cow too, blaming Adelice for things that weren't her fault.
I liked the two (yes two) love interests in the book (Eric and Jost), although I really had my doubts as to whom Adelice should really be trusting, which didn't occur to her until someone literally spelled it out for her. She was also pretty trusting of several other characters, who I also had questions about, although she seemed to just be a pretty trusting person overall.

The storyline: I liked the storyline, but at times found the whole idea of the 'weaving' very confusing. As much as I could get my head around weaving parts of one thing or place into another to create warps or move things, when there were discussions of the 'raw materials' that made up the world that they lived in, I just got totally lost. Really could not fathom this out at all, and the issue of time travel and freezing moments in time? Total brain-freeze for me I'm afraid!

I did find it very difficult to keep focus on this book and I can't find an obvious reason why. It took me about 3 days to get through it (I was expecting to finish in a day), which surprised me, and I was really easily distracted whilst reading it, which is unlike me when I'm engrossed in a book, and the only reason I can think of for this is that I simply wasn't gripped by the storyline the way I wanted to be.
I think part of the problem was just that I had too many questions - what exactly did the guild want from Adelice? What did they intend her to do if they made her into a puppet? How exactly are raw materials 'harvested'? How the hell do you harvest 'time' or 'water' etc.?? Very confused. I also thought the whole 'Purity standards' thing wasn't clearly explained - I think that the idea was that if a girl lost her virginity, she would lose her ability to weave, and that this was a lie so that a women wasn't distracted from her work by wifely duties. This really wasn't explained properly though so who knows. How many more women would need to be born than men though if everyone else has to marry by the time they're 18, and they take a huge number of girls each year who have some ability to weave?
As I said, maybe I built this book up too much before I read it, but although it was good, and I love a good dystopian, it just didn't capture my attention and keep me reading the way I wanted it to. I also found the ending a little strange, and even at the grand finale, I didn't really get excited which was a shame.
Overall; an interesting idea, but just too many unanswered questions, and not enough excitement.
7 out of 10.

Adelice Lewys lives in a world where girls and boys are segregated until they're sixteen. Sixteen is when they test to find the Spinsters, and only virgins retain the ability. Spinsters weave time and space to keep the world of Arras peaceful, under the control of the Guild. Adelice knows she's a Spinster but has no intention of living her life away from her family and under the Guild's thumb. But she can't hide her talent and so she is taken away to live in a tower and spin as the men want her to.

CREWEL is possibly the best dystopian I've read since the trend started. Arras seems like a wonderful place to live - everyone has a place to live and food to eat and there are never wars. But it comes at a price. Rebellions never happen because traitors are cleaned or ripped by the Spinsters. And the only Spinster with any real power is Loricel, the Creweller, who is loyal. Along comes her successor Adelice, who the Guild knows they can't trust. They're scrambling to find a way to contain her and keep her potential under their firm guidance.

I loved the way CREWEL's world unfolded, piece-by-piece. Some of Arras's secrets were surprising; others less so. But they all added up to a coherent and frightening whole. While CREWEL ends on a cliffhanger, this is the type of cliffhanger that works. Adelice and her allies take the logical step for people who question the Guild and there's certainly another novel in where they're going.

Gennifer Albin doesn't shun the tropes of the dystopian trend in her debut novel. There is a love triangle between Adelice, outspoken valet Jost, and pretty boy guard Erik. Like most love triangles, it feels pretty silly since Adelice spends most of her time thinking about and seeking out Jost and only considers Erik when they happen to cross paths. Fortunately, I think the love triangle might die quickly in the second book of the Crewel World trilogy since Adelice figures out the obvious at the climax. Also fortunately, I didn't hate either guy. Jost gets more character development and seems like a more sympathetic guy, but I never hated Erik.

CREWEL will appeal to dystopian fans, particularly those who feel let down by most of the genre's worldbuilding, and mythology fans - at least those who enjoy reading about the fates. There's also a little bit of science fiction going on to explain how the Spinsters can weave space and time.

I can see why Macmillan choose CREWEL to be part of their Fierce Reads line-up. In a world where you can be killed with a snip of the thread and your entire existence scrubbed from the memories of everyone who ever knew you, there are still those who refuse to sit back and do nothing. That's textbook fierce.

I really enjoyed Crewel. It's a unique concept and the author pulled it off well. It's one of those books that I couldn't put down and truly hated to see end. I am eagerly anticipating the next book in the series!

See more of my reviews on The YA Kitten! I received a copy from the publisher via NetGalley and a second copy via the store Vine.

This book makes me tired.

There are a lot of things in YA that I'm tiring of: slut shaming; girl/women hate; abusive relationships being gussied up as "edgy" and romantic when they're not; me saying no to a book only for friends to say it's great and then I realize my gut feeling was right when I read said book; bland love triangles that don't really capture how difficult being in that situation can be; and so many more that I can't even remember at the moment. Crewel, thank God, does not have all those elements to it, but it does have a few. A few too many, sadly.

The bright lights in this experience are the worldbuilding and writing of Crewel. Albin's world is fascinating and will draw many readers in with its fairly original concepts, though certain pieces can be a little derivative of other novels, and the idea behind the looms. And ooh, what delicious writing! The scenes describing how it felt to work on the looms made me feel like I was eating the most decadent chocolate to ever exist. It was beautiful to the point of almost being torturous, it was so good.

Fantastic writing and compelling worldbuilding, no matter how great, are unable to save this novel from its weak characters, lack of explanations, and how tired I am of seeing this dystopians aim for women in particular.

Perhaps I've read too many novels lately where women are once again forced into obedience to men. I can't do it anymore. I really can't. Seeing this time after time in novels, even though Crewel and most other novels end up objecting to this nasty treatment of women, has gotten depressing and at some points, it made me not want to read anymore. Even calling Adelice and girls like her Spinsters when that is such a loaded term to me hurt, though I'm sure the author used it with its negative connotation in mind--which will be great writing and something I thumbs-up her if it's true. It's stressing me out and I can't keep doing this. I really can't. (But none of this counts against the novel. I just needed a moment.)

The weak characters make it difficult to keep going despite the novel's strong points. Adelice lacks the distinctive personality to really make her pop off the page and the supporting characters, to the two bland love interests that make up the love triangle to the shallow cartoon villains, are no better. She flip-flops between Jost and Erik and I simply don't care. There's no life to it.

Not everything about this worldbuilding makes sense. The neighborhoods are segregated so that boys and girls rarely, if ever, meet before it comes time to set up courtship appointments when they're sixteen and older. Yet fathers live with their daughters and mothers presumably live with their sons. There's sense in keeping that family unit together because the Guild likes the family unit, but that sense disappears when we remember the sexes are segregated to keep the girls' purity standards in place. What, like adult men and adult women don't ever sexually abuse children--even their own children?

More questions, such as what happens when married couples have sex and conceive without permission, the full limits of what Spinsters can do,, how these social dynamics came about, how people began to develop the ability to be Spinsters and Crewelers in the first place, why the men are still in control when it's the women who really have the power, and more are left unanswered. These questions and Crewel's cliffhanger ending are perfect lures to bring readers back for book two in the Crewel World series, but readers who are unenthralled by the book may not want to come back.