Crewel by Gennifer Albin

Title: Crewel
Author: Gennifer Albin
Genre: Dystopian, Young-Adult
Series: Crewel World #1

Hardcover, 368 pages
Published on October 16, 2012 by Farrar, Straus and Giroux

Buy the book
|AMAZON|BOOK DEPO|

Source: Publisher

|SUMMARY|
Gifted with the ability to weave time with matter, she’s exactly what the Guild is looking for, and in the world of Arras, being chosen as a Spinster is everything a girl could want. It means privilege, eternal beauty, and being something other than a secretary. It also means the power to embroider the very fabric of life. But if controlling what people eat, where they live and how many children they have is the price of having it all, Adelice isn’t interested.

Not that her feelings matter, because she slipped and wove a moment at testing, and they’re coming for her—tonight.

Now she has one hour to eat her mom’s overcooked pot roast. One hour to listen to her sister’s academy gossip and laugh at her Dad’s stupid jokes. One hour to pretend everything’s okay. And one hour to escape.

Because once you become a Spinster, there’s no turning back.

|REVIEW| 

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).

  

FTC disclaimer:  Farrar, Straus and Giroux  provided me with a copy of Crewel, and in return I provide an honest review.