Crewel by Gennifer Albin

Crewel
by Gennifer Albin
Reading level: Ages 12 and up
Hardcover: 368 pages
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR) (October 16, 2012)
Language: English
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What a tangled world she weaves...

For generations, Spinsters have been called by Arras’s Manipulation Services to work the looms and determine what people eat, where they live, how many children they have, and even when they die. Gifted with the rare ability to weave time with matter, Adelice is exactly what the Guild is looking for, and in 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 once you become a Spinster, there is no turning back. Now caught in a web of lies and intrigue, Adelice must decide who to trust: her kind mentor, Enora; the handsome and mysterious valet Jost; or the charismatic Guild ambassador Cormac Patton. They each have secrets, but Adelice is about to unravel the deadliest one of all, a sinister truth that could destroy reality as she knows it.

In a powerful and original debut about a world where the Guild decides everything, one extraordinary girl dares to defy the power of men and the boundaries of love.

At a Glance:

Though often confusing, Crewel was one of the most imaginative and creative books I've read in a long time.   With an intense storyline, a strong female lead, and two dangerously attractive love interests, Crewel was a book I didn't want to put down.

Confusion:

To me, Crewel felt like a mix of The Matrix, Minority Report, and Wither (by Lauren DeStefano).  I absolutely loved this, and was fascinated by the complexity, but at the same time, I had a really hard time actually visualizing it.  I found the weave to be confusing, and even though it was talked about a lot, I never got a full vision of what it looked like, or a complete understanding of how it functioned.  However, this didn't bother me all that much.  I got the gist of it, and even though I can't "see" it, I can appreciate what it does and how it applies to the story.  I do wonder how well younger readers will be able to grasp it all, though (it's marked 12 and up).

Ferocity:

Adelice is a force to be reckoned with.  I loved her!  There were times that she didn't make the smartest decisions, of course, but overall, I thought she was awesome.  Her smart-mouthed comments to her captors always gave me a sense of satisfaction, and the way she handled herself with compassion, when the situation called for it, or snark when it was needed, was seriously fantastic.

Looove Triiiiiangle.....

Whether you love them or hate them, I think you might just appreciate all there is to love and hate with these guys.  Are they good?  Are they bad?  Whose side are they on, anyway?   Erik and Jost are two dangerous guys who are full of surprises and loaded with mystery.  I have to admit, I liked pieces of them both.  And if that weren't enough, let's throw in a little Cormac.  Oh, yes, a villain you love to hate (he had a kind-of Warner-ish quality about him).  I really did enjoy the dynamic between Adelice and all these guys, and I can't wait to see where it goes from here.....especially given the state of things when the book ended.

And the Cliffhanger:

I really enjoyed reading this book, the storyline was fascinating and I didn't want to put it down until I finished it.  As I was getting to the end of the book, I realized that there was no way the story would be wrapping up by the time I ran out of pages, and yeah....I was right about that.  WHAT a cliffhanger!  I can't say anything about it, but I'm very interested to see where this story is going to go from here.  I just hate that I have to wait!

Book Doppelgangers:

Wither by Lauren DeStefano, Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi, Matched by Ally Condie, The Matrix, Minority Report by Philip K Dick

Content:

• Sexual Content:  Mild (Moderate Dialog)
• Profanity:  Mild
• Violence:  Moderate
• Other Notables:  Suicide

For more details, check out Crewel on Parentalbookreviews.com