Crewel by Gennifer Albin

"Remember who you are."

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. (from Goodreads)

Flo's Review
WOW. I absolutely was not expecting that ending! 

But let me back up. Crewel got a lot of buzz leading up to and after its release in late 2012. I was lucky enough to meet Gennifer Albin at the Miami Book Fair shortly after it came out and attend a panel discussion where she talked about her book and her world building. I was immediately fascinated. Also, how pretty is this cover?

Gorgeous, right?!

Anyway, the beginning of the book was a little off for me. It seemed to me that Adelice was so quick to be distrustful of the Guild for no particular reason. I think that her parents should have explained a little bit more -- still discreetly, of course -- why they were against the everything and training her to fail. Adelice was training to fumble for so long and never got a reason from her parents?! I think the, "Because we said so!" could only get them so far before she demanded some of the truth. As she learns more about Arras and how the Guild is controlling everything, then she has reason to be so sassy. But not right away for no reason. Also, I know she blamed herself for what happened to her family and I did, too. (Sorry.) Shoulda been real instead of sitting there eating cake. Obviously it's a big deal that you DIDN'T mess up if you've been trying to mess up.

All that being said, I'm thinking we will get more information and back story about that whole situation later on in the series. At least, I hope we do..

But now onto the accolades! Crewel was the first book I've read in awhile that had me thinking about it when I wasn't reading it. Like, during the work day I would be thinking about how much I wanted to get home and just read this book. This book was a great escape, and I feel deeply into this other world. I kind of heart the way that the word "spinster" has a negative connotation in our society of old, unmarried women, but in this book they are beautiful young women (albeit still unmarried) to be revered and treated with the utmost respect and adoration. The character descriptions were fantastic -- I was almost literally cringing when I read about Cormac because I could totally smell him! Eew! And Maela -- what a villian! Her evilness was so evil, I almost wanted to rip her.

The ending threw me for a COMPLETE loop. I absolutely did not see that coming. It changes the game completely for the second book Altered! And -- not to brag -- but thank goodness I already have it, so I can jump right in! 

(P.S. If you read and liked Crewel, you may want to #JoinTheAgenda:  http://www.booknerdsacrossamerica.com/2013/08/jointheagenda.html)