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Book Review: Crewel – Gennifer Albin

Crewel
Author: Gennifer Albin
Series: Crewel World #1
Genre: Young Adult, Romance, Science Fiction, Fantasy, Dystopia
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
My Rating:

Summary:

What a tangled world she weaves…
For generations, Splinters have been called by Arra’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’s no turning back. Now caught in a web of lies and intrigue, Adelice must decide whom 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.

 
First Sentence: They came in the night.

My Review:

Crewel was one of the books that had a lot of mixed reviews that came along with it. Some liked people it a lot while others loathed it with a passion. I was planning on staying away from Crewel, until the beautiful book trailer caught my attention. I also loved the slogan that goes along with Crewel: What a tangled world she weaves. With that in mind, I decided to give Crewel a try.

The beginning of Crewel was fantastic. I was automatically sucked into the world of Arras and how it works: the dangers of it, the regulations and rules, and how the society functions. Every time I learned something new, other new questions automatically came up, making me want to read more. In my opinion, the world of Arras is common in the typical dystopian novel (controlling government, hidden secrets, etc.), but the way the book was executed was absolutely flawless that I didn’t mind. Simply, Crewel‘s world-building reached beyond my expectations.

However, when I got to the middle part of Crewel, things started slowing down dramatically. Adelice is basically going through the same things: hiding her true ability, fighting with Maela, and finding out what it really means to be a Spinster. Basically, it’s those three events continuing on in repeat.

As for the love triangle, I was dumbfound on why it even existed. Ever since the beginning, it was quite obvious (to me) who Adelice would end up with. When the other guy in the love triangle was fighting for Adelice’s attention, all I could think of was really? Since when was he even in the running? It made me feel that Gennifer Albin inserted a love triangle in Crewel to stir up a little drama, but that just didn’t work out.

Some things in Crewel also just didn’t make sense. It was said that the people of Arras are blissfully unaware of how the Guild really runs things, so they should be content and happy, but why are they scared and angry with the officials working for the Guild then? Will we ever meet the mysterious Guild? Also, why must Spinsters put on cosmetics and why are their looks so important to them? They should be satisfied that they have power other people don’t have and riches to come along with it, but why place such importance on their looks? Hopefully it’ll all be explained in the sequel.

Just a warning to readers: Crewel is a hard book to follow along with. When you read, you really have to pay attention or things will go flying over your head and you’ll be left with what did I just read? If you’re looking for a simple book, then Crewel is not the book for you.

I can already tell that the sequel to Crewel will be as good as Crewel too. With that cliffhanger and the ultimate weaving question left unsolved (I was totally expecting it to be answered in Crewel, but it wasn’t), the sequel to Crewel will definitely be stunning and hopefully, shocking.

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-Kelly

Posted by Kelly on 1-21-13 · 30 Comments
Categories: 2012 book, book review Tagged: 3.5 star

« Book Review: The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie – Jennifer Ashley
Top Ten Settings I’d Like To See More Of »

Speak Your Mind

  1. Brandi Kosiner says

    1-21-13 at 2:45 PM

    Great review. The beginning sounds promising at least, and that is what needs me to love a book. So silly but I want to love it because the awesome cover.
    Happy reading,
    Brandi @ Blkosiner’s Book Blog

    Reply
    • Kelly says

      9-29-13 at 2:34 PM

      Thank you! (:
      The beginning is promising, but as you read on, the book gets more and more confusing.
      And I dislike the cover change. (But then again, I dislike 98% of all cover changes.) They should have kept the old cover. :l
      Kelly recently posted…Blogoversary Day 2: Cover Guessing GameMy Profile

      Reply
  2. siriusyareader says

    1-21-13 at 6:31 PM

    Good job on the review. It sounds like it will be an overall good read and I am planning on reading it.

    siriusyareader @ Devoured by Books

    Reply
    • Kelly says

      9-29-13 at 2:35 PM

      Thanks! :D
      I hope you like it as much as I do or enjoy it even more than I did! (:
      Kelly recently posted…Blogoversary Day 2: Cover Guessing GameMy Profile

      Reply
  3. Ash says

    1-25-13 at 12:00 PM

    I’ve been drooling over this one ever since it came under my radar but I haven’t read it it yet.. :( Great review, I drooled again on the screen. :)

    Reply
    • Kelly says

      9-29-13 at 2:36 PM

      LOL, drool away Ash! <3
      I hope you'll enjoy the book as much as I did Ash, especially with the gorgeous cover it has. ;D
      Kelly recently posted…Blogoversary Day 2: Cover Guessing GameMy Profile

      Reply
  4. Star @ ReadingToTheStarsAndBack says

    3-09-13 at 1:00 PM

    I really want to read this one but have you seen the UK cover? Not as pretty as this one! I really dislike books that keep repeating and books that have unnessesary love triangles. I mean, nessesary love triangles, Sure!

    Star xx

    Reply
    • Kelly says

      9-29-13 at 2:43 PM

      Nope, I haven’t seen the UK cover yet. I’ll have to check that out.
      I know, what’s with books and love triangles? It’s not a requirement to a young adult book.
      Kelly recently posted…Blogoversary Day 2: Cover Guessing GameMy Profile

      Reply
  5. Mariam says

    3-15-13 at 7:44 PM

    I loved this book. It was a bit boring, but then it kind of made up for it. I was shellshocked at the end. Eric and Jost are BROTHERS?!!!!!! Wow. I thought Eric would’ve been Jost’s brother-in-law, but woah! Plus I have a question. Which one did you think didn’t stand a chance? Was it Eric? I did like Jost though. He was good, and I think they are perfect for each other. My question for the author of course is; What happenend between Jost and Eric?

    Reply
    • Kelly says

      9-29-13 at 2:45 PM

      Yeah, some parts of Crewel is definitely boring. :P
      I thought that Jost didn’t stand a chance since it’s quite obvious that Adelice will pick Eric in the end, unless Eric dies a sad death or something.
      Hmm, I don’t know, but hey, at least we’ll definitely find out what happened at the end of this year right? ;D
      Kelly recently posted…Blogoversary Day 2: Cover Guessing GameMy Profile

      Reply
  6. Ashfa Anwer says

    6-05-13 at 10:51 AM

    I loved Crewel, its was one of the books that held you interest until the very end. Cant wait for the next book in the series. One of the best covers too!

    Reply
    • Kelly says

      6-05-13 at 7:04 PM

      The good news is Altered is coming out soon!
      And yes, the cover is absolutely gorgeous! :D
      Kelly recently posted…Another Book Signing + A GiveawayMy Profile

      Reply
  7. Jamie says

    6-06-13 at 6:15 PM

    Nice review. Very informative. While I love the cover of this book, I think it will be awhile until I will get to it. Since you say it needs focus. With all the other series’ i am working on, I better clear out some space first. Thanks!
    Jamie recently posted…Review, Author Q&A, and Giveaway for Nameless by Joe ConlanMy Profile

    Reply
    • Kelly says

      6-07-13 at 5:16 PM

      I hope you’ll enjoy Crewel when you finally read it. :D
      Kelly recently posted…Series Overview: The Revenants Trilogy – Amy PlumMy Profile

      Reply
  8. Susan T. says

    9-20-13 at 5:58 PM

    I just picked this one up. Thanks for the warning about it being hard to follow. I hate it when I feel confused while reading and wonder if it is just me lol!

    Reply
    • Kelly says

      9-20-13 at 9:08 PM

      When it comes to this book, it’s definitely not you Susan. This is one confusing book. :P
      Kelly recently posted…ARC Book Review: The Chaos of StarsMy Profile

      Reply
  9. Elena says

    9-28-13 at 9:44 PM

    Great review! I have heard some absolutely amazing things about this so I was thinking of giving it a shot. The summary seems fairly original despite the typical dystopia format. **looks for your review of the sequel**
    Elena recently posted…Waiting on Wednesday [13] – Just One YearMy Profile

    Reply
    • Kelly says

      9-29-13 at 2:47 PM

      Thanks Elena! (:
      This is a surprisingly original dystopian, which is really surprising. In fact, it’s kind of like paranormal and dystopian mixed together.
      I hope I’ll be reading the next one in the series – it really depends on my reading schedule. o:
      Kelly recently posted…Blogoversary Day 2: Cover Guessing GameMy Profile

      Reply
  10. sarah c. says

    9-29-13 at 5:08 PM

    Great review!!! I just recently got a copy and waiting for it to be shipped.. I cant wait to read it!!!

    Reply
    • Kelly says

      9-29-13 at 5:10 PM

      Thanks! (:
      I hope you’ll enjoy your copy Sarah! -crosses my fingers for you-
      Kelly recently posted…Blogoversary Day 2: Cover Guessing GameMy Profile

      Reply
  11. Michelle @ Unraveling Books says

    10-03-13 at 12:17 PM

    I’ve been thinking about getting this book from the library just because I love the cover so much but I’m a little iffy about it after your review even though you did like it overall. I don’t think I’d be able to pay attention to everything in it.
    Michelle @ Unraveling Books recently posted…The Road to You – Book Blitz!My Profile

    Reply
    • Kelly says

      10-05-13 at 6:25 PM

      Yeah, to read Crewel, you really have to pay attention to all the tiny details and read the book carefully.
      I hope you’ll like it though Michelle! (:
      Kelly recently posted…Stacking the Shelves [52]My Profile

      Reply
  12. HIllary R. says

    10-04-13 at 3:45 PM

    I’ve always thought the cover of Crewel was interesting. I remember the first time I saw it I thought it was a pink flower, but once I started hearing more about it I put more attention to the cover and realized that it was a girl on the front. Either way, I still think it’s pretty :)

    Reply
    • Kelly says

      10-05-13 at 6:27 PM

      Ha ha, I have to admit that the cover of Crewel still kind of confuses me with the whole swirly thing going on on the cover. Plus, did you notice the webs? ;D
      Kelly recently posted…Stacking the Shelves [52]My Profile

      Reply
  13. Cali W. says

    10-16-13 at 3:34 PM

    Great review! I love the cover and the story sounds like a nice little read. <3

    Reply
    • Kelly says

      10-19-13 at 9:00 PM

      Thanks Cali! (:
      I like the cover of this one, but the cover redesign is pretty too.
      I hope you’ll enjoy this one!
      Kelly recently posted…Stacking the Shelves [54]My Profile

      Reply
  14. Armando Read says

    10-19-13 at 5:20 PM

    I haven’t read the book, but I have it here, just waiting its turn. The cover is beautiful and the story sounds really good. I like to read that the beginning is fantastic because of that way is more easy and fast read the book, because yo y enojoy it from the beginning. Maybe soon I read the book.

    Reply
    • Kelly says

      10-19-13 at 9:02 PM

      You should really read Crewel soon Armando, especially since the sequel, Altered, is coming out sometime in the next month or so.
      Kelly recently posted…Stacking the Shelves [54]My Profile

      Reply
  15. Vivien says

    12-17-13 at 11:52 AM

    This series really surprised me. I didn’t expect to like it as much as I do. I even enjoyed the sequel and the free short stories on tor.com I’m really eager for book 3 now!

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Monthly Wrap Up: January 2013 says:
    3-26-13 at 2:28 PM

    […] (Rating: 3.0/5.0) 13. The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie by Jennifer Ashley (Rating: 3.0/5.0) 14. Crewel by Gennifer Albin (Rating: 3.5/5.0) 15. Revolution 19 by Gregg Rosenblum (Rating: 2.0/5.0) 16. Ten […]

    Reply

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