Eliana is a model citizen of the Island. She works as a weaver, living in the prestigious House of Webs. She also holds a secret – she can read and write – two things that are forbidden to the women of the Island. She can also dream – an ability that is forbidden of all residents by the mysterious Council. To dream is to be ostracized and cast out.

Much like the weaving she is so proficient at, Eliana has woven a web of protection around herself. The web begins to unravel though when an injured young woman is washed up on the shore outside the House of Webs. Unable to speak, the only clue to the girls’ identity is a tattoo on her palm. A tattoo in invisible ink that bears Eliana’s name.

The Weaver is the second novel by Emmi Itaranta. Like her first one, it takes place in a future dystopia where some unknown event has changed society. The resulting world is both familiar and yet also new to the reader. It is vast and yet it is tiny, much like the island where our story takes place.

Itaranta’s style of writing is very unique. Like the water that plays such an important role in her books, her prose has a kind of ebb and flow. We the reader are subjected to the push and pull of emotions by her words. We experience the highs and lows just as the characters do.

An engaging read, I found The Weaver to be imminently enjoyable. Much like Itaranta’s other book, I recommend it to my readers and look forward to seeing what she creates in the future.