Posted by Lauren in Book Reviews, Fantasy, Featured | 10 Comments
Crewel by Gennifer Albin
Crewel by Gennifer Albin
Publisher: Farrar, Straus & Giroux
Release date: October 16, 2012
Pages: 368
Summary: Adelice has the unique ability to weave time and matter without the aid of a loom. She’s sent to the Coventry, where she will remain a Spinster, weaving things in and out of existence in order to keep the world working. But Adelice has never played by the rules.
My thoughts: Gennifer Albin creates a world so complex in Crewel that some readers, like myself, may have difficulty wrapping their head around it. That’s not to say that Crewel is lacking in world-building, because it absolutely isn’t. However the concept of the looms and the Spinsters is so abstract and strange that I had trouble fathoming it. For those like me, fear not: there’s a point in Crewel, about halfway through, that helps us relate Adelice’s world to our own, solidifying the concept in our minds.
On the topic of Crewel’s setting, I would like to applaud Gennifer Albin for thinking up such a unique idea for a universe. All things in our world are made up of atoms and matter, so it does make a strange sort of sense for things in Adelice’s world to be made up of strands woven together. I follow Albin’s logic, but man, I never would have come up with that idea on my own. Hats off to Gennifer!
Crewel is infused with tension from start to finish. (The misery of Adelice’s situation reminded me a bit of WITHER, for some reason. Those who enjoyed Lauren DeStefano’s debut will definitely like Crewel.) It’s difficult to put Crewel down once you’ve started, not because it’s fast-paced, but because it causes you to hold your breath due to the emotion within it. Crewel is a heartbreaking kind of novel.
On the surface, I loved Adelice as a protagonist. Her ability to be completely frank in life-threatening situations is very interesting (and occasionally humorous) to read about. However, as a whole, I didn’t feel very much for Adelice. I felt as if the focus was more about the dynamics of the Spinsterhood and those within it, rather than a single girl, no matter how special she may be. Considering the first-person narration, this is strange. Still, the way Albin expresses the politics of Adelice’s world is very well done, and again, full of tension.
In Summation
An incredible world
+ a tense and emotional story
+ a modestly likable protagonist
= Crewel, a book unlike any other
4/5 stars
For those who like: fantasy, social politics, stories about sexism
Find the author at genniferalbin.com.
Comment question: When’s the last time you read a book that was difficult to wrap your head around? What was it?
I just finished Tempest by Julie Cross and the time traveling concept was very well done, very unique and I had to learn about it along with the main character. It was a bit complicated but because Jackson also had to learn everything about it alongside me, it was easy to understand as he got more info. It was a difficult concept but the author was awesome at helping us get it.
That is one awesome review, and I really think I’ll love it as I loved Wither:)
I have to agree with you Lauren – I couldn’t connect with Adelice. In fact, I was so confused many times over why and how she had changed her mind concerning the Guild so quickly and the love triangle didn’t do much for me either. I’m glad you enjoyed this novel as a whole though, dear! Fantastic review! :)
Hmmm…the last book I read like that was Night Beach by Kirsty Eagar, an Aussie novel I’m actually reading right now. I have no idea how to make sense of so many qualities in its plot, so we’ll see how confused my review winds up being! ;)
Keertana @ Ivy Book Bindings recently posted..Review: Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater
Ugh! Love triangles!
Still, it sounds like an interesting concept set in a spectacular universe. Time to get back to dystopia!
Sydney Owen recently posted..Feature & Follow + Book Blogger Hop {10}
This book was actually the last book I read that had me a bit confused. I really loved it, but I wish we got to know more about the history of weaving and how it works. Great review!
Amy @ Book Loving Mom recently posted..Blog Tour: Valkyrie Rising by Ingrid Paulson Review & Giveaway
The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer defiantly had me confused. As I was reading the book, I couldn’t tell if Mara was having hallucinations, premonitions, or if some of the things going in were actually happening. It turns out none of the above! Lol! Ioved reading this book, but it did have me in a constant state of confusion!
Great review dear!! Heard a lot of people saying that this book was intense!! and also, the world building sounds fantastic! Cant wait to read it!
- Farah @ MajiBookshelf
Farah recently posted..Cover Reveal: Dark Nebula by W.J. May
This does look like something new & different. That’s a good thing.
I actually can’t think of a book that was difficult to wrap my head around. Chances are it was a DNF.
So glad you liked this one! I’ve heard so pretty mixed reviews on it so I’ve been putting it off but I might need to change that!
kailia Sage recently posted..Review: Babe in Boyland by Jody Gehrman
I think for me it was Incarceron by Catherine Fisher. For some reason I just could not picture the world they where in and some of the concepts I just did get..
I just bought this and I’m quite excited about it!! I keep hearing great things about it – and “unlike any other” sounds great to me!
As far as “hard to wrap my head around”… “The False Prince” is the first book that comes to mind. It was kind of mind-blowing, but I also had a hard time being ok with the events, even believing they had happened, because I felt my trust had been betrayed… But I won’t say anything else – you’ll have to read it to understand!
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