Book review: Crewel by Gennifer Albin

Crewel had been sitting by my bedside table for almost a month before I had the time to start reading it. After I began reading it, I couldn’t believe that I hadn’t started it earlier, and I couldn’t put it down either.

 Every girl wants to grow up to be a Spinster, one of the beautiful women who spin the fabric of life. It’s either that or working as a secretary. Once every girl turns 16, they are tested to see if they have the gift to become a Spinster. But Adelice’s parents have told her that she musn’t be chosen; so she tries to fail. But she knows that they will be coming for her. And the life of a Spinster isn’t exactly all fun and games. So how will Adelice escape this life that her parents tried to have her avoid?

Crewel is definitely not what I was expecting, in the best possible way. When the story begins, you think it’s a dystopia, but you’re not completely sure whether it’s sci-fi or fantasy. (I won’t spoil it for you.) As it goes on, you eventually figure it out, but not in the way you were expecting. The characters are also incredibly real, and aren’t just your normal cast – there are things that set them apart from your typical YA characters. The descriptions and the story itself are absolutely enthralling – once I picked up Crewel, I had an incredibly hard time putting it down, and I finished it within just a few days.

I would totally recommend Crewel to everyone; also look at Gennifer Albin’s website at http://www.genniferalbin.com/ . I hope you’ll not only read Crewel but come and see Gennifer Albin at TBF! (Check out our interview with Crewel’s author, Gennifer Albin.)

Happy reading!

Elizabeth