Crewel

Crewel by Gennifer Albin
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was expecting a lot from this book due to all the reviews of people I trust. I was not disappointed. I think this is right up there at the top of my favorites. That's 4.75 stars up there.

The two major reasons for this are 1-I am fascinated with string theory, and 2-I am a sewer and I get all that warp/weft/weaving stuff. It's easy for me to visualize what is happening with the tapestries.

On the dystopian front, this is a book that has probably the most interesting premise I have as yet encountered. Being able to "weave" time - that's quite a creative concept. And to handle it within the framework of a controlling futuristic society built on earth, well, wow. Just wow. The whole weaving time thing had me at the start. Taking matter and forming it into an entire world, formed "on top" of earth but really in a separate dimension. Mind = blown.

Albin's Pinterest page for the book is full of great visuals. I didn't realise it was quite so Art Deco in its setting, but I did get the whole women-in-skirts thing. A movie of this book would be a feast for the eyes.

I did like the characters, although I have to admit that Maela was a bit much. Corwin was interesting, since he wasn't a really bad villain but certainly bad in his apathy. A lot of villains are just horrid mean - he was more cocky in a detached way that conveyed his absolute belief that he was in control.

The standard love interest/triangle is there, but the triangle part is really incidental. While I wish I knew more about the characters, I knew enough about the ones I didn't care quite as much about. The ones I did care about will be appearing in the next installment, and I'm happy with that.

The pacing is good. I wasn't bored at all. It was slightly predictable, but that ending! And thank you Gennifer Albin for a cliffhanger ending that doesn't have me emotionally destroyed until the next book comes out. This book alone should probably be read a couple of times just to really get the science of what's happening. That whole time/matter/space thing is tricky.

All in all, one of the best books I've read this year. I liked it enough to get it on Amazon - I wanted a print copy to really read through the science. Can't wait (except I guess I have to wait) until October and the second book.

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