As you probably know if you've been following and reading my reviews for awhile, I'm a big fan of dystopia. And this is definitely a dystopian story. And the story I really enjoyed, I truly cared about the characters and learning more about this "perfect" society. The only problem I had with the story was my science teacher brain had trouble really following what would be called the "science" behind this world. I don't feel it was ever quite explained to the point that I could grasp it really. But really, once I just forgot about that and read the story, and let my science teacher brain go sit in the back, I loved the story.
In the story, the world is planned and supplies are created in order to create a "perfect" world. No one should go hungry thanks to the women who "spin" the threads to make these things happen. They spin to create food in different areas. They spin to create the weather and all the other things that are needed. The women who do this are special, revered. Although once people hid their daughters from being taken to do this, now it is an honor. These women, actually girls when they are chosen, are called Spinsters. And see, I just love that this is what they are called, because they do not get married or have children, so grow to be old women who are alone, which is what a "spinster" is. The ones who are the best weavers get to work with the highest/most complicated of layers in the world. They get to rip people as needed, which basically means they disappear from the world. Death it is assumed. They can reprogram people, neighborhoods, even whole towns to make sure things don't become a problem for the government and keeping the peace. Something that the world before them didn't do, and so now it is a "perfect" world the way it is ran. Only, really it seems quite sexist. The women can only have jobs like teachers, secretaries, the kind of jobs women only used to be allowed earlier on Earth. Families are segregated in most towns based on whether they have sons or daughters. Girls and boys are kept separate until the age of 16 when girls take the test to see if they have the talent to be given the honor of becoming a spinster. If they do not, then they will be married off, and take one of the available jobs for women. Adelice is our main character, and while her parents have known from when she was very young that she did have the talent, in fact a very advanced talent of being able to spin the threads without even needing a loom, they have trained her to be clumsy, and how to fail the test. They have taught her how a life as a spinster is a sad and lonely one, where she will never get to come home and be with her family. Unfortunately, all the training is lost when Adelice slips on the test and shows her talent. She doesn't want to tell her family, decides to enjoy one last dinner as a happy family before she is taken. Only when the Guild shows up to get her, Adelice finds out just how far her family will go to protect her from being taken. And she also learns just how much she can lose by trying to fight the Guild.
Like I said, a really good, creative, unique take on a futuristic dystopian world. I love how the weaving is like the Fates in ancient Greek myths. And I love how the author tries to give it some scientific explanation, even if I just didn't see it as a real science, it was woven into a beautiful tapestry of a story. And yet again, what a beautiful cover!