Crewel (Crewel World #1)

Without a doubt Crewel is the most creative novel I've read so far this year. When I first read the blurb I thought, "A dystopian society where people are weaving time?! YES! Gimme! Tell me more!" The dystopian genre has really taken off lately and sometimes it can be hard to find a novel that separates itself from the pack. Crewel does just that and does it well. It completely stands out with its complex concept, feisty heroine and a plot that kept me guessing over and over.

The beginning of Crewel reminded me a lot of Matched by Ally Condie. The set up is only similar because both societies involved tight monitoring of its citizens. This means they are given a small pool of marriage options, limitations on the amount of children they can have, restricted access to other parts of the society, jobs chosen for them, etc.

Adelice, our main character, has the ability to weave time on an actual loom. It is a highly coveted ability in her society because it pretty much guarantees a woman a higher social status and a comfortable lifestyle without needing a husband. I'll admit I was worried about how Albin would pull off a society that was generally misogynistic. Even though woman were considered second-rate in this world (needing a husband, only having secretarial type jobs, no real positions of power, can't travel without a man, etc.) and were held to unfair higher standards than their male counter parts (Spinters had to remain "pure", women were expected to always appear a certain way in public: Make-up, dressed up and heels, act like a "lady") I never felt that this was ever accepted by the main character or by other secondary characters. And while I contemplated how I could ever survive in a society that forced me to wear heels all the time, I realized that these ideals were being challenged especially through Adelice's character. She was a strong, formidable heroine who did not back down or allow anyone to push her around. She took action at her own personal risk. She was bold, gutsy and witty.

As for Arras, this is yet again another book that makes talking about the world building difficult, mostly due to how Albin tells the story. She doesn't lay out the world building in the beginning over the first few chapters like most dystopians. In fact, for the first half of the book I still had quite a few questions on how the society in Crewel actually functioned. But the reader is given pieces bit by bit. As I learned more about the world, the plot continued to open up along the way. At first I wasn't sure how I felt about that style because I prefer my world building laid out from the beginning, but it grew on me and by the end of the book I had an appreciation for how it was told.

Final Verdict: Overall, I really like Crewel and think dystopian fans who are looking for something completely different, will eat this up. I don't usually say this that often, but Crewel is definitely a debut that lives up to the hype and will have readers hungering for more. I know I am.

Oh my goodness, Crewel is one of the most intense, fast paced books I think I've ever read. Gennifer Albin wastes no time and jumps right into the action. Instantly readers are swept up into the world of the Guild to build one of the most fantastic books I've read in a very long time.

Crewel is one of those really cool books that is such a blend of genres that you can't really pinpoint it. The structure of the government fares with dystopian, but much of the weaving and the Spinsters lies with the fantastical. There also is an aspect of sci-fi within it as well and I just loved this blend.

Gennifer Albin has woven a beautiful story. I just love her prose - it is simply gorgeous. By the time I had finished the prologue, I had already known that Crewel would be a book I would love. The story was so captivating and refreshingly new. I just love the idea of putting Spinsters at the head of society - it is such the opposite of idealistic society.

The world is so expertly crafted. I loved the entire concept behind the world and everything is just really well done in regards to it. The government, the looms and threads themselves, it was all so new, which was completely refreshing.

I loved the whisperings of those who are for the rebellion and against the Guild. The foundation was very well laid and I am very curious to get some answers about it in book 2. There is just so much history that each character seems to have to tell and I want to hear all about it.

Adelice is a wonderful main character - I love that she has her spunk and won't let anyone shape her into the perfect Spinster. She remains true to her principles and morals, which is very admirable. All the other characters were really well written as well. Cormac is so interesting - his character is so multifaceted and I want to see more of him in the future. Erik is another character who really intrigues me. I really want to know what his story is.

The ending, oh the ending. It was so cruel! The book is intense throughout the entire book, but the last chapters completely escalate into a completely cruel cliffhanger. I am SO antsy to see what will happen next.

Crewel by Gennifer Albin is a brilliant debut. I flew through it in about two hours, not able to put it down for a moment. With its beautiful prose and captivating story, Crewel will be a book you will be sad to miss.

Crewel has a beautiful cover and a unique plot line, but I did not connect with it emotionally at all. The romance aspects particularly lost me. For other readers, I am sure this will be a great read, particularly those who read for world building over character.

The very best part of Crewel is, without a doubt, the world building. Adelice lives in Arras, a mysterious fantasy land. The Guild runs Arras in conjunction with Spinsters, so named because they are not allowed to wed. At 16, girls are tested to see if they have the skills to become a Spinster, a weaver of the threads that compose Arras, the tapestry of life. Those that are chosen never get to go home again. Those that aren't have two years to wed and begin their adult lives.

The concept of a woven world really kind of blew my mind. Really, it's a lot like the internet in that, on the surface, I get it, but the more I think about it the less I understand. The descriptions of the weaving and the threads are lovely, as is Albin's writing. Towards the end, I had some suspension of disbelief issues, but I still would rate this as one of the most unique worlds I've encountered.

So far as dystopian-ness goes, Crewel certainly qualifies. Arras is one heck of a creepy place. For one thing, there's the whole forcing women to do certain things: become a Spinster, wed, and all sorts of other misogynistic rules. Women always seem to get the short end of the stick in dystopias; I should go read Herland or Nomansland. Even more than the dystopian aspects to the daily life, the government, both the Guild side and the Spinster side is seriously suspect. Both seem far too apt to make people disappear, if you get my drift.

Despite all of that being seriously cool, I just did not care. Adelice (what kind of name is that anyway?) really doesn't seem to have that much of a personality. We start with the dramatic removal of her to be a Spinster, no visions of her on a normal day. All I really feel like I know about her is that a) she's a skilled weaver b) she loves her family and c) she likes boys. None of this really lets me know anything about who she is. What I do pick up from that last one really doesn't make me think kindly of her either.

The worst aspect of the book, imo, is the love triangle. Of course, love triangles are dangerous, because, when done wrong, they make the reader want to *headdesk* all over the place. Well, this one did not work for me, probably partially because I really didn't care if the heroine found happiness. Not only that, but I don't have much more interest in either of the guys involved in the triangle. I suspect that I'm supposed to ship her with Jost (these names!), and he is the 'better' guy, but meh. Erik (what did he do to get a normal name?) probably would be my choice if I had to pick one, just because he seems like the underdog. The moment I entirely gave up on this was this: at the end of one chapter, Adelice makes out with one of the guys, then, in the next chapter, she finds out the other guy had a romantic past and got jealous. *throws up hands* And, of course, anytime she seems close to making a decision, based on syrupy protestations of needing to be with one of the guys, she'll suddenly start thinking maybe she's not so sure.

The most interesting characters were not the main ones. Loricel is my personal favorite. She's clever, kooky and has shades of grey to her personality. Maela and Cormac make stellar villains, of different kinds and powers. I definitely want to throw both of them across Arras. Cormac seriously creeps me out, which is a good sign in a villain.

Crewel was not the book for me, and I don't plan to continue with this series, unless I see reviews that convince me otherwise by other people who felt meh about this one. Will you like it? Maybe. If you read more for world building than for characters, you could potentially love Crewel.