Crewel by Gennifer Albin [Review]

4 out of 5 Robots!

   

Crewel by Gennifer Albin

Series: Crewel World#1

Genre: Young Adult Sci-Fi/Dystopian

Release: October 16, 2012

Hardcover: 368 Pages

Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux

My Copy: Purchased

Reviewer: Shannon

Buy the Book: Amazon

Book Summary:

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

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

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

 
Shannon's Thoughts:

Crewel's strength lies in its originality of its world.  While this book is probably classified as dystopic, I actually got more of a alternate reality/fantasy vibe.  In fact, you don't find out anything to the contrary until over half way through the book.  I think I preferred the alternate reality setting.  I did think Gennifer Albin did great job in describing the world of the Spinsters and weaving.  I was able to really envision the looms and the weaving.  

The rest of the story leaves a little to be desired unfortunately.  Don't get me wrong.  It is fine.  I didn't dislike it, it just didn't feel...fresh.  Adelice is fine as a protagonist, but I feel like her character has been done time and time again and there is the obligatory love triangle.  I wanted to understand the character's motivations better.  I felt like their actions (or reactions, as it may be) drove the plot instead of their motivations.  I hope that makes sense!  

However, Crewel does end on a high note.  The ending was really very exciting and left me somewhat shocked.  It leaves a lot of room for exploration of new places and people and that makes me interested to continue reading.  I will be interested to see where Albin takes her series because she has opened a lot of possibilities.