Gennifer Albin

I know we all have a bit of dystopia-fatigue at this point and Crewel does follow some stereotypical plot points - its contents include a love triangle and a teen girl forced into saving the world by changing it. However, Crewel is full of intricate story threads (pun intended) and some genuinely awesome plot-twist surprises. Not since "The Handmaid's Tale" have I been so disgusted and challenged by a dystopian society. Crewel is a feminist allegory which takes place in a world where women show more are the talent and the pawns in a patriarchal oligarchy. This enthralling dystopian series is epic in depth without becoming so heavy that it is no longer enjoyable. If you love Teen lit with a bit of romance and adventure and a lot of brains, I highly recommend giving this series a go. show less

This review is bound to make no fucking sense. My mind is complete mush after having read this. I basically have no idea what the hell happened, and I would really like to ask Ms Albin why she only included the first half of the book. This book has no ending! It barely has a main character.



I want to start with the good things first so then we can lead right into the bitchy rant that is sure to follow and end things on a fun note.

The world building of Crewel was superb. Standing ovation show more worthy. Arras is ruled by the Guild and manufactured by Spinsters. Spinsters weave the fabric of life (time, matter, etc) under the strict supervision of the Guild. I had a hard time working my head around the fabric of time and life and weaving and shit, but jesus I love it when something blows my mind the way this did. Albin created this masterpiece of Arras, with the hierarchies, the segregation, the conventries, all of it. I've rarely come across world building like this that has taken my breath away. She really did stumble upon something spectacular in her creations of Arras.

As far as dystopian governments go, I'd want to stay as far away from Arras as possible. The strict rules mostly apply to women here:



they're expected to be wedded (or become Spinsters) by the time they're eighteen. The government controls where you work, the makeup you wear, how many children you conceive, where you live, everything. Women aren't allowed to travel. The Guild considers it imperative to have a husband, and homosexuality terrifies them and their sense of order (because, you know, if women like women they won't have husbands, and if men are attracted to other men, where does that leave the women in search of husbands?) This is the first time I've seen a dystopian book really acknowledge and even answer questions about homosexuality in its government. And while the conclusions of the book (NOT the author) grind my gears, it's still refreshing.

Now, this book, while really captivating in its world-building, is severely lacking everywhere else.

Adelice is the most nonexistent main character I've ever met. She has no personality at all. At all! She basically listened to her parents her whole life and never really developed opinions of her own other than she doesn't really like how sweet cake is. Yawn. She was very passive, and I didn't feel like she was making any connections. The plot was happening to her, rather than her leading the story. She was very bland, and I don't understand why Maela hated her, or why anyone liked her.

Which leads me to my next point: the romance. The romance(s) (oh, yeah, another love triangle) were fucking dumb. They really didn't need to be there. There was a total of three kisses and two guys who are brothers. Gross. It would have been much more compelling had they just been friends, considering Jost and Erik's individual and connected pasts. I feel like these romances were thrown in there to cater to the stupid "Team" mentality that is plaguing YA right now. News flash, authors/publishers: WE ARE TIRED OF IT.

There were some fantastic characters, though. I particularly loved Maela. She was so cray-cray and completely devoted to the destruction of Adelice that I sometimes found myself cheering her on. She makes some stupid decisions though, and once or twice steps over the line, but I found her to be the most interesting character. Crazy like that has a back story and I want to know it!

Also, I loved Enora. She was sweet, and kindhearted, the exact opposite of Maela. Her maternal, nurturing instincts really grew on me. The rest of the side characters were wonderfully drawn out, too. Every single other character in this book was more interesting that Adelice in every way. That's just sad, folks.

My favorite character was Cormac, though. He was just so damn interesting. He was a total douche, but beyond his bluntness and callousness, he actually treated Adelice like she was a competent human being. Adelice even remarks that though Cormac is douche-canoe of the century, at least he talks to her with some modicum of respect. And, I know it's all sorts of wrong but dammit:



Finally, I want to comment on the writing. Now I don't claim to know Albin or her writing process, but I have a feeling I can pick out which parts were written first, and which were written later. I do not think Albin wrote this chronologically. There were some chapters that really stuck out as beautifully written with awareness and forethought. Then there was the rest of the book, which wasn't poorly written, but wasn't exceptional either. It's just that some parts (especially the beginning of chapter eight) were so beautiful and startling in their composition, that I know, just know that Albin worked harder there.

Well, that's all she wrote, folks. I really loved the world-building of Crewel, with it's total creep-fest of a government, and Spinsters who literally weave time with their hands. Some of the writing was beautiful, and there are many characters I'd love to see again. I'm not sure that I'll continue on with the series, but I will revisit Albin's other works should she write something else. I do think that this book will resonate with many readers, especially those geared toward love-triangles, and also fantastical, well-thought worlds. show less

I am surprised by how much I loved this book. My expectations were not set too high, although they weren’t set too low either. I skimmed over a few reviews and decided to give it a go (it helped that I caught it so cheap on Book Outlet). And let it be known, I hate that I didn’t discover and read this book much sooner than I did. I’ve really been missing out on a lot of good books like Crewel, apparently.

I don’t find too many series that I actually like enough to follow. Sure, show more I’ll read the first book of a series and maybe like it, but more often than not I usually move on and just not bother picking up the second or third book. BUT, a really big but, I’m thrilled with Crewel and am currently, desperately glancing at the second book as I type. My curiosity has been caught.

Crewel is no simple tale. It’s so different, in the good way. There are the usual things, of course, like the sorta love triangle, guy-in-love-with-practically-a-stranger-mc, and the ‘specialness’ of Adelice. I could overlook them because the actual story is front and center, most importantly interesting and fresh.

I can’t do this book justice, but I can’t seem to write a clear review when I really like a book. So if you haven’t read Crewel, consider adding it to your to-read list. show less

This is my favorite out of the three stories of Clara & Alexander. This book has so much character development and growth. Sure, there are a lot of steamy scenes, but Alexander and Clara have a relationship, not just sex. There's a plot line outside of just sex. There are things happening in each character's life that affects their relationships.

Though I will admit, the sex is absolutely spectacular. Incredibly hot scenes there and well-written without being too cliché. There are a few show more authors that I like their plot lines but their sex scenes are so full of cliches they drive me nuts. Not true with Geneva Lee’s books. The woman knows how to write a hot, steamy sex scene without using all those over done cliches.

The King is making no qualms about letting his opinion of their relationship be known. As far as he's concerned, Clara's just a tart that Alexander is screwing. The Royal Brat Pack (as Clara calls them) are being as mean as ever. And to top it off, all is not well in Clara's parents' marriage.

All of this, plus Clara's job and the threat of her ex-boyfriend is looming large between them, but through all of it, Alexander and Clara seem to grow stronger together instead of being torn apart. Alexander's never thought of himself as being capable of loving anyone, but after a traumatic event, he learns that he just can't fight it anymore and finally admits to himself and to Clara that he loves her. show less