Crewel by Gennifer Albin

Crewel by Gennifer Albin
Release Date – October 16, 2012
Publisher Website –  Farrar, Straus and Giroux/Raincoast Books
Publisher Social Media -  Twitter
Pages - 368 pages
My Rating- 4/5
**obtained from publisher via BEA for an honest review**

Here is the Goodreads synopsis

Incapable. Awkward. Artless. 

That’s what the other girls whisper behind her back. But sixteen year-old Adelice Lewys has a secret: she wants to fail. 

Gifted with the ability to weave time with matter, she’s exactly what the Guild is looking for, and in the world of 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 if controlling what people eat, where they live and how many children they have is the price of having it all, Adelice isn’t interested.
Not that her feelings matter, because she slipped and wove a moment at testing, and they’re coming for her—tonight. 

Now she has one hour to eat her mom’s overcooked pot roast. One hour to listen to her sister’s academy gossip and laugh at her Dad’s stupid jokes. One hour to pretend everything’s okay. And one hour to escape. 

Because once you become a Spinster, there’s no turning back.

Secrets, lies, and illusions of power. Beautiful girls who are capable of changing everything by removing a single thread. Crewel sets up a world where everything comes with consequences, including freedom.

A highly inventive and imaginative setting. The entire premise of being able to build and change the world by weaving was captivating. Just when you think you are getting comfortable with the world Gennifer has built a new curve or twist is thrown at you. Your entire perspective of what is going on is rocked a few times during the coarse of Adelice’s story.

My pulse raced many times during this gripping read. The stakes are high, and Gennifer Albin doesn’t hold back. She makes sure you know what the price of stepping out of line is, and sometimes the price is too high. A slightly political vibe with power plays, struggles, and everyone wanting to be in control. An atmosphere where you don’t know whose motives to trust and everyone seems to have a hidden agenda. It made you fly through the pages as quickly as possible to unearth the secrets.

The characters are just as compelling as the writing and setting. Adelice is a strong, brave, and determined. She is unwavering in what she thinks is right, and often acts without considering the fallout. I enjoyed many of the other characters as well. From the devilish Ambassador Patton, to the vindictive Maela we meet characters that capture your attention.

The themes of women and oppression run throughout the novel. The fact that women have to remain pure and chaste up until marriage. The fact that women are not entitled to certain privileges or given certain jobs. The Spinisters have power, but even they answer to the men of the Guild.  It made me want to rage and scream at the characters to challenge this. With current political agendas being discussed, it made my heart sing to have this come up in such a prevalent way. I want examples of strong women rattling the cage, and not accepting it.

The romance in the novel is in the form of a love triangle. The romance is not actually the primary focus of the story, even though it does feature a lot. It never feels overdone though. The triangle worked for me and mainly because of Adelice. She’s been segregated from boys her whole life. Women are to remain pure and chaste until they are married, so they are kept from temptation. Seeing her reaction to first meeting a boy, and all the emotions that come with crushing on someone was what worked. Jost and Erik are both handsome and treat Adelice well enough, but it’s Erik that I adored more. I can’t discuss why without giving spoilers, but he’s swoon worthy and I think he was there for Adelice even if she didn’t realize it.

After some stunning reveals, this packs an ending that will leave you with your jaw on the floor. It sets up an insanely excruciating wait for the second novel to see what this ending means for not only Adelice but also her world.