Name: Crewel
ISBN: 9780374316419

Gennifer Albin

Gifted with the unusual ability to embroider the very fabric of life, sixteen-year-old Adelice is summoned by Manipulation Services to become a Spinster, a move that will separate her from her beloved family and home forever.

Crewel World #1

Crewel

Enter the world of Crewel: a world of secrets and intrigue. Where a girl with talent will thrive...or be destroyed.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 and matter, Adelice is 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, power and beauty, the ability to embroider the very fabric of life. It also means entering a world secrets and lethal intrigue. But unlike the others, Adelice isn't interested in controlling what people eat, where they live and how many children they have and will do anything to hide her talent from the Guild. But when she slips up during her final test, her gift is identified. Now she has one hour to eat her mum's overcooked dinner. One hour to listen to her sister's school gossip and laugh at her dad's stupid jokes. One hour to pretend everything is OK. And one hour to escape. Because once you become a Spinster, there's no turning back...

Jess

Read this review on my blog! --&gt; <a href="http://gonewiththewords.com/2013/04/22/review-crewel-by-gennifer-albin/" rel="nofollow noopener">Crewel by Gennifer Albin</a> In a sea of Dystopian novels, I’m surprised Crewel isn’t making more waves. For one, it’s a completely unique setting, with layers of complex world-building. Second, Crewel has a smart heroine who is strong and likeable. And finally, it has TWO hot guys and KISSING! Lets start with the the world Gennifer Albin has created. At first, you may feel a little bit lost trying to make sense of it all. I know I struggled a bit at first, but the more I read, the easier it got to understand. Since the story is told in first person, you only know what the main character does, so she’s learning what the Spinsters REALLY do right along with us. It’s definitely way too intricate for me to try to describe it to y’all. I’d fail at it. Arras, the world these characters live in, is not Earth…OR IS IT?! There’s a mystery there and it felt very Matrix-y, except without the computer stuff. You’ll have to read it to get what I’m talking about, because I’m not telling you anything else! It was just really cool getting deeper and deeper into the layers of this story. Adelice was certainly not a naive character. She has smarts and she knows how to use them. She also has a penchant for letting her mouth get her in trouble, which is something I can relate to. I have a smart mouth and it didn’t do me any favors growing up…especially around authority figures, which is what Adelice is surrounded by. I did find it odd that she wasn’t more shy around the guys she comes in contact with, considering her whole life girls and boys were segregated in her town, so she’s never really talked to any. It’s not like there’s insta-love in this book, but there’s definitely flirting early on. She has to put up with a lot of crap after she’s taken to be a Spinster, including getting advances from a man that could easily be her father. Yuck! Also, a bitchy superior who instantly makes her life hell. But she never stops fighting. :) I guess that’s all there is…sorry, what was that? Oh, yes! THE TWO HOT GUYS AND THE KISSING! How could I ever forget. *bats eyes innocently* Seriously. We all know this is what I’ve been dying to talk about. First we meet Erik. He’s a guard at the coventry where Adelice now lives. He is gorgeous, charming, cocky, and completely belongs to the bitchy superior I was telling you about. At least, everyone says he does, but they make it seem like he also gets around. Then there’s Josten, the head valet. He is dark haired, blue eyed, sometimes prickly, but always kind. I thought it was so cute how he teased Adelice all the time. These two guys seem so different, yet they both watch out for Adelice in a lot of the same ways. There isn’t really a love triangle here though…at least not on Adelice’s end. She knows who she likes. The ending was very intense! There are confrontations and secrets get out and I definitely want Altered NOW! I think Altered is going to be really interesting and different from Crewel. I can’t wait to read it.

Cindy Lee

More of my reviews at Secrets of Lost Words.

I haven't really made up my mind about this one. All my favorite bloggers were saying this is awesome and gave it five stars. I think I'm teetering on either a 3 or 4.

Adelice is a special girl who has the talent to weave the fabric of reality. At a young age, her parents have taught her to hide it and trained her to fail the mandatory test. Of course, she slipped up and passed the test. Now she's in the world of Spinisters and she's learning how to weave and get out alive.

One of the best things about this book is the world-building. You can clearly see all the different parts of the world and the author does a good job of describing everything. I can't quite put my finger what's making me hesitant about giving this book a 5.. it just didn't completely pull me in (though I did read this until 1am). I liked that Adelice was a strong girl, perhaps a bit too stubborn. She doesn't know when to keep her mouth shut and gets in trouble many times. If it wasn't for her special talent, she would've been dead -__- Well, you know, the protagonist always gotta be that one special person.

I'm still quite torn over this one but I definitely will pick up the second book. The ending was epic, and I really wanna know what happens next >__<

Stephanie

If you have not read this book. I have no idea what you've been doing with your life. That is all.

Deadly Secrets Tangled Lies Woven truths 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 to work the looms is everything a girl could want. It means privilege, eternal beauty, and being something other than a secretary. It also means the power to manipulate the very fabric of reality. 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 used her hidden talent for a moment. 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 jokes. One hour to pretend everything's okay. And one hour to escape. Because tonight, they'll come for her. Crewel is the first book in Gennifer Albin's gripping young adult series.

A Novel

Berry Smoothy

✨A story where people can control the destiny of things, people and the whole world, this is the story of Adelice, a very special girl, she’s destined for great things, but she decides to take her destiny between her fingers and twist the threads to escape.✨
🧵Is a good story but I didn’t agree with some of Adelice actions or attitude.

Siobhán

Originall Reviewed on Totally Bookalicious

Crewel is one of those rare books that is simply amazing! I don't have anything negative to say about it. I was hooked from the description. I knew I wanted it and I just knew I would love it. And I did love it.

Crewel is very hard to explain without giving away spoilers. It has a mix of so many genres; fantasy, dystopian, scifi. It is set in the world of Arras which is ruled by the Guild. Girls with special abilities are sent to train as Spinsters. Spinsters help keep this world going by taking care of the looms to control time and matter in Arras. However, Adelice has trained all her life to fail. Her parents knew she has the gift but didn't want her to be sent to trained. So they had been teaching her to fail the tests. When taking a test Adelice slips up and this changes her life forever.

Adelice has got to be one of my favourite characters is YA fiction. She is feisty and can't seem to stay out of trouble. She creates enemies because she is willing to fight and talk back. However, she also manages to attract a couple of love interests. Yeah, a love triangle! Now I like a good love triangle if it fits the story that this certainly does fit. Her love interests are Jost and Erik. She has an attraction to both these male characters and the both offer something special to the plot and make it very exciting.

Crewel is completely different to anything I have ever read before. The idea of this world is fascinating and once you learn the real backstory of how Arras was created it's even more fascinating and you want to know even more. What I really like about this was that is so beautifully written. Gennifer's attention to detail is out of this world. She describes everything so the reader really gets a vivid image in their heads. It felt like I was there with the characters.

I am really trying not to spoiler anything so I am keeping this review short and sweet. I highly recommend that everyone reads this as soon as it is released!! It was truely amazing and 100% unique. It has a gripping plot that is actually quite dark, amazing characters and the writing is beautiful and the ending was perfect and leaves you begging for the sequel!!

Thank you Gennifer for writing the phenomenal debut novel that has really set the bar for me on what makes a good YA Dystopian novel. And a massive thank you to the publisher to letting me review this. I am now going to be pushing the book on everyone :)

Jacklyn O’Brien 

This was one of the more unique YA dystopian novels. It was very dark for a YA, which made me love it even more. I will definitely be reading the next one.

Anna Pinto

Interesting concept, so-so execution.


(view spoiler)[
If Adelice has the power to see the weave and manipulate it anytime, why didn't she just weave out Cormac or her other enemies? Is it because she doesn't want to kill? If so, this should have been more explicit in the book.
 (hide spoiler)]

Crewel Crewel World #1

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