Review : Crewel by Gennifer Albin

Summary (from Goodreads)

Title : Crewel (Crewel World #1)
Author : Gennifer Albin
Publisher : Farrar, Straus & Giroux
Publication Date : October 16th 2012
Goodreads - The Book Depository

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.

Personal Thoughts

Crewel, with it's stunning cover, was a book teeming with originality. Amidst the vast number of dystopian novels, it stands out with its creative and unique world-building. I will admit that I wasn't sure whether I would love this book because basically all dystopian novels have the same ideas, so you can imagine how surprised I was when Crewel presented something new.

Adelice has always known that she was different. When her parents realize that she has a unique gift, the ability to weave time, they train her endlessly so that she's not selected as a Spinster, who holds the life of the community in her hands, during a testing. Things don't go as planned during the testing and she finds herself in the Western Coventry. At the Coventry, Adelice comes to the realization that everyone has secrets that threaten her entire existence.

Unlike other heroines in YA dystopians, Adelice was not a character I would call kick-butt. Instead, I thought of her as a normal girl, in whom I could find characteristics similar to mine. Because of that, it was quite easy for me to identify with her. I loved how sharp-tongued she was. Adelice wasn't the kind of girl to bow down in fear. She would say whatever came to her mind, not really caring who she was talking to, be it her leader or her parents. Adelice was heavy on sarcasm and I loved that because it ensued so many witty comments on her part. The secondary characters in Crewel were the best kind. Gennifer Albin went to great lengths to ensure that they were well-fleshed out. It made me so happy to read about characters that all had depth. From the villain to the love interests, every single character was developed. My favorite secondary character was for sure the villain, Cormac. He was utterly charming and so, it was kind of hard not to like him even though he was evil in a really messed up way. I wasn't sure whether I hated him or I adored him. In the end, I think it was a mixture of both.

My favorite part of Crewel was like I mentioned above the solid world-building. A couple of pages into the book, I was boggled by what was happening. I was left in a state of confusion, not knowing what was really occurring. Slowly though, things take a turn, and grasping the world-building in Crewel became a lot easier. Like I mentioned above, the world-building was bubbling with originality. I was absolutely fascinated by the idea of weaving the world. However, I do think there was a lack of information as to how this world sprouted. I would have liked to learn more about the history and the background, but I'm hoping that will explored more in the sequel. As far as the plot went, there wasn't much of a difference from your usual dystopian, but it was the execution that made it such an exciting read. The romance in Crewel was the perfect kind for a dystopian. It was slow and sweet, but never overwhelming the plot, but blossoming in the sidelines. Although, at first there were indications of a love triangle brewing between Adelice, Jost and Erik, rest assured that it didn't develop because early on, it was clear who Adelice had the most affection for. Thankfully, I approved of her choice although both Jost and Alex were charming and very likeable. There was something about Gennifer Albin's writing that captivated me from the first page. All throughout the book, I was completely immersed in Crewel and it's writing. One thing I really appreciated in this book was the ending. I was so glad that the book didn't leave me in one of those cliffhangers, but instead it had an ending that has me anticipating the next book but not in an annoying way.

Crewel was a fantastic debut by Gennifer Albin. For fans of dystopian novels, Crewel is not a book to be missed out because it has a fantastic cast of characters, a gripping world-building and an entertaining plot together with a cute romance.

Rating

Cover : 5/5
Plot : 4/5
Characters : 4/5
Writing : 4/5