Review Detail

Crewel is the first book in an enthralling new dystopian series. It centers around the world of Spinsters - those with the gift to manipulate the threads of time and matter. Most girls hope to be chosen for this fate, but Adelice wants to be dismissed. In spite of her best efforts, Adelice is chosen to become a Spinster and is taken away to the Coventry. Her life will never be the same and things on the inside are even worse than she thought.

This novel is one of the most inventive and enchanting ones I've read. The world and it's workings are so detailed and intricate that I immediately fell under their spell. The politics, the lives of the Spinsters, the setting of Arras and the Coventry - not to mention the storyline of weaving the threads of time - all come together to create a thrilling page turner. The characters are flawed and endearing - especially the heroine Adelice, who has sarcasm and attitude to spare. I identified with her and was definitely rooting her on throughout the entire book. There is romance in the story, which made it all the more intriguing. It gives the plot more depth and the scenes are romantic but not cheesy (which I like). There are lots of twists in the story and you never quite know what to expect next. I liked the feeling that there is always something new to discover; another layer of the story to figure out. It was a bit hard to wrap my mind around the whole time weaving concept as well as figuring out the world of Arras and everyone's place inside it; but once I did, I was completely immersed in the setting and the plot. I really loved this book and the only thing I'm upset about is that I have to wait for what feels like forever for the next book to come out. I highly recommend this novel for fans of science fiction and dystopian fiction.