Let's Try Reviewing This Thing: Crewel, by Gennifer Albin

To compensate for reading something a little out of my boundaries, here’s a review on a book that is exactly something I’d read on my own—a sci-fi dystopian that follows all the general requirements slotted out for it in the genre. It even has a weird cover:

Apparently crewel is some kind of embroidery? I don't really know much about it, but I suppose it makes sense considering the dystopia this particular book is set in. The summary says enough:

For generations, spinsters have been called by Arras’s Manipulation Services to work the looms and determine what people eat, where they live, how many children they have, and even when they die. Gifted with the rare ability to weave time with matter, Adelice is exactly what the Guild is looking for, and in Arras being chosen as a Spinster is everything a girl could want. It means privilege, eternal beauty, and being something other than a secretary. It also means the power to embroider the very fabric of life. But once you become a Spinster, there’s no turning back. Now caught in a web of lies and intrigue, Adelice must decide whom to trust: her kind mentor, Enora; the handsome and mysterious valet Jost; or the charismatic Guild ambassador Cormac Pattron. They each have their secrets, but Adelice is about to unravel the deadliest one of all, a sinister truth that could destroy reality as she knows it.

Spinsters! Weaving! Crewel! Get it? I didn't. But other than that, this book is pretty much every other dystopian book I've read this year.

Weird title? Check. Strange somewhat interesting dystopian world? Got it. Rebellious main character who doesn’t like the status quo? Adelice doesn’t make this a secret. “Special powers” that make the main character desirable for whatever reason? Super Spinster-powers activate! Huge secret reveal at the end? Yep. Love interest? Heck, you’ve got more than one.

I don't really have a lot to say about this book. It's...okay. It's not great, nothing I haven't seen before, but it's not bad either. I could get through it, but it didn't wow me.

Plot-wise, this doesn’t offer anything new to people very familiar with the genre like me—most of the surprises I saw coming from several miles away. However, Crewel holds its own on narrative power, and the relatable main character and easy-to-read style make up for the rather boring plot. The world itself is also rich and imaginative, and not one I’ve really seen before, so it was interesting to read how the world worked and how the Spinsters played an integral part in it.

Overall, for someone who doesn’t read too much of the dystopian genre, this is a good read with an interesting storyline and engaging characters. But if you’re so familiar with Hunger Games-esque books and are sick to death of them, I’d give Crewel a pass. I give it a six out of ten.

Tl;dr: A good enough book, but nothing too interesting. If you want something similar to The Hunger Games and other such books, I’d pick this one up for a try.