Release Date: October 16, 2013
Publisher: Farrar, Straus, and Giroux (BYR)
Source: Borrowed ARC from friend
Reviewed by: Jenn
Links: Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Goodreads / IndieBound
My rating: 4 stars out of 5 stars
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 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.
I'd been hesitant to start this book but once I heard that Gennifer Albin was doing the Fierce Reads Spring 2013 Tour and was stopping in Miami, I had to start it. Once I got over my initial "what the hell is happening?" confusion that always overtakes me when starting a new book, I was sucked in and finished within the week. I haven't read anything quite like it. The plot is so unique and I'm so curious about the world of Arras and how the Guild works. I found myself so immersed into what was happening to Adelice and beyond, that I realized I was reaching the final chapter fairly quickly.
I found Adelice, the main character, to be an okay heroine. I like her but there's something that just stops me from loving her. However, I am curious to see how she fairs with the Guild. My only complaint is that there seems to be a bit of a love triangle. We all know that love triangles is one of the kisses of death for a book for me and it a very hated tool used in books that I wish weren't around so often. So, there is a hint of a love triangle but not really at the same time. But I can overlook it since it not all the book is focused on.
Crewel has such a unique story line and world and I can't wait to start Altered, which I got at BEA back in May. With the way Crewel ended, and it was very good, I'm curious to see what the repercussions of Adelice's actions will be.
I loved Crewel. I agree, very unique story, but I was confused a lot of the time with the world and what they were really doing. The ending was quite a cliffhanger and I was really excited to read Altered. I should have reread Crewel before I read Altered, though, because I only remembered the basics and I think that affected how I felt about Altered. I agree, love triangles are definitely overused, but they can be done well. ~Pam
ReplyDeleteI felt the same way! My biggest problem though was the "science" issues I had. But I also hurried and read it because the author is coming to my town for the Fierce Reads Tour as well.
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