Altered by Gennifer Albin

Altered by Gennifer Albin
Release Date – October 29, 2013
Publisher Website – MacMillan/Raincoast Books
Publisher Social Media - Twitter
Pages - 400 pages
My Rating- 4/5
**received from publisher for review via BEA**

**SPOILERS FOR CREWEL**

Here is the Goodreads synopsis

Life. Possibility. Choice.

All taken from Adelice by the Guild—until she took them back.

But amid the splendid ruins of Earth, Adelice discovers how dangerous freedom can be. Hunted by soulless Remnants sent by Cormac Patton and the Guild, Adelice finds a world that’s far from deserted. Although allies are easy to find on Earth, knowing who to trust isn’t. Because everyone has secrets, especially those Adelice loves most. Secrets they would kill to protect. Secrets that will redefine each of them. Torn between two brothers and two worlds, Adelice must choose what to fight for.

In this thrilling sequel to Crewel, Adelice is about to learn how tangled up her past and future really are. Her parents ran to protect her, but nothing can save her from her destiny, and once she uncovers the truth, it will change everything.

Crewel was a surprise for me last year. A novel that I didn't have strong feelings for either way and ended up enjoying quite a bit. It was thrilling, different, and unique. After the shocking ending of Cewel, Altered was high on my list of books to get my hands on. Altered has taken the world we know in Crewel and expanded and changed it. Everything we learn in Altered impacts and changes the story in some way taking it into an unexpected direction.

Altered is going to be a hard book to review. So much of Altered is information based and therefore talking about anything will spoil the book. It's a fast paced, plot twisting ride that left me wishing I had the third book to read immediately. 

Adelice is now on Earth, and the story picks up right where Crewel left off. The time frame of these novels and when they take place was not apparent in Crewel. Altered clears that up and it's one of the many reveals in store. Prepare to have your mind messed with because things you thought were true may not be, and things you didn't expect all of a sudden come into play. I am not sure if Gennifer plotted this series in full before writing Crewel, but everything meshes together rather well in either case. 

There is a lot of scientific information is given in this novel. It does get a little heavy with the details, and at times it's given in a manner that is more telling than showing. Some of these reveals left me with an insane amount of questions, and others left tantalizing possibilities for plot points to come. I will admit that my head spun at some points as the pacing is rather quick in some parts and the amount of information can be overwhelming. This put me in Adelice's shoes as she is just as overwhelmed, and processing the information at the same time as the reader. It's a perfect case of the character being as informed as the reader.

New characters are plentiful in this installment. There are surprising connections that are revealed, and everything Adelice thought about herself gets turned upside down. I enjoy Adelice's determination, her unwillingness to stand back, and her honesty. She knows her limitations, and is equally aware of her strengths. She is someone who wants to help if her skills allow it and it is admirable. With all these new characters being introduced Adelice, Erik and Jost are forced to navigate the unfamiliar. The fact that nobody can be trusted is never far from their minds, and it's something Gennifer Albin makes sure that readers don't forget either. Crosses, double crosses, and lies are plentiful and knowing this doesn't make them any easier.

The romance, surprisingly, takes a backseat in this. I tend to not like triangles that involve brothers, but this one some how works for me. There are cute moments and that aspect of the story progresses, but Adelice has a lot going on besides Erik and Jost. I do believe that there is a decision of sorts made in terms of who holds Adelice's heart. Is it a permanent one? I hope so, but realistically there is one more book so it could always change. If Adelice's affections have be claimed I would applaud this development because it ties up that storyline before the finale, something no series has done yet (to my knowledge anyways). It would be welcome, and based on the events of this book, Adelice is going to have bigger things to worry about. 

I predict many people may be split on this one. There is a lot of new information, and crazy plot twists which will either thrill or put people off. It did the latter for me, and I devoured this. The plot is unexpected, and surprising. I appreciated the payoff from things set up in the first book, and delight in what has been set up for the finale. 

A surprising sequel that stays away from the second book syndrome of having nothing happen that progresses the plot. Altered is filled with many shocks, thrills, and a story that is interwoven to unravel at just the right time. The third installment can not come fast enough as Adelice's story is far from it's conclusion.

#JoinTheAgenda

You may have the hashtag #JoinTheAgenda on Twitter. Gennifer Albin is launching something amazingfor her sequel Altered. Check out the promo video below.



You'll want to check out Gennifer Albin's site for more details on how you can win and take part.

Valentine's Day Contest from Gennifer Albin

Want to give your loved one a pretty incredible gift for Valentine's Day? Well Gennifer Albin, author of Crewel (which is amazing by the way) is offering up something pretty unique as a giveaway.

Here are the details straight from Gennifer herself -

The Contest 

Tell me who you want to immortalize in fiction this Valentine's Day. It can be a boyfriend, girlfriend, spouse, sibling, grandparent, parent, that cute guy at school, your favorite barista—whoever you want to wow this Valentine's Day. 

The Prize

The nominated name will appear as a character in Crewel #3. I won't know who this person is until I see the name. They could be a passing reference or the most important person in the world! As a bonus, I will send you a special signed copy of the page in which the character's name appears for posterity!

The Rules

Contest is opened internationally and will run from February 13, 2013 from 12:00 AM to 11:59 PM. The winner will be announced at noon (CST) on Valentine's Day! See rafflecopter entry form for additional legal stuff.

A pretty fantastic way to impress your bookish sweetheart on the most romantic of days if you ask me. So be sure to fill out the Rafflecopter link below. You can find out more details by visiting Gennifer's twitter, and her blog as well.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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.