Book Review: The Jewel by Amy Ewing

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The Jewel
The Lone City #1
Author: Amy Ewing
Reading Level: Young Adult
Genre: Science Fiction | Dystopia
Released: September 2nd 2014
Review Source: HarperTeen

The Jewel means wealth. The Jewel means beauty. The Jewel means royalty. But for girls like Violet, the Jewel means servitude. Not just any kind of servitude. Violet, born and raised in the Marsh, has been trained as a surrogate for the royalty—because in the Jewel the only thing more important than opulence is offspring.

Purchased at the surrogacy auction by the Duchess of the Lake and greeted with a slap to the face, Violet (now known only as #197) quickly learns of the brutal truths that lie beneath the Jewel’s glittering facade: the cruelty, backstabbing, and hidden violence that have become the royal way of life.

Violet must accept the ugly realities of her existence... and try to stay alive. But then a forbidden romance erupts between Violet and a handsome gentleman hired as a companion to the Duchess’s petulant niece. Though his presence makes life in the Jewel a bit brighter, the consequences of their illicit relationship will cost them both more than they bargained for.

Dear Amy Ewing,
That was not nice of you leaving us hanging the way you did with that ending. Not nice of you at all!
The End.

Okay, now that I got that out of my system, let’s start with the cover. WOW. BEAUTIFUL. Stunning. What and eye catcher. Heading to BEA, I had this book in mind, but thankfully I didn’t have to worry about it at BEA because Yara-awesomeness sent me the book beforehand. This book had my attention the moment I laid eyes on the stunning cover. And if you know me, I love dark books and well… this one is one of them! Major points already.

The Jewel is placed in dystopian world where royals die giving birth. A world where girls are tested. And if one passes this “genetic” test, she becomes a surrogate. These girls are brought to a surrogacy auction and become a property to a royal. And if you dare to disobey them, you are dead within seconds.

To many of these girls, this is the life. The life to live wealthy. But Violet doesn’t seem to think the same. She rather be poor than to eat and dress well. She rather have her freedom. With what she is about to face and discover at The Jewel, I don’t blame her.

The Jewel begins on the last day of Violet’s day at the Southgate. Tomorrow she will on a train to the heart of the city, The Jewel. A place where she will live to serve the royal. To be a slave. She will live comfortably as long as she conceives a child to her master. To be a pet. Once she is bought by the Duchess of The Lake, Violet will face hard and disturbing experiences. She will have to please her master.

You may think this book is brutal, which it is, but I loved its uniqueness and its many twists. What I love most about it is Violet. This girl doesn’t give up easily. As clueless as she was from the beginning, this clever girl comes to learn so much within matter of days.

Even though this book is not yet released, I need the second book, like right now. It brutally left me hanging. So if you need to read something unique, then give The Jewel a try! I know I will be picking up a finished copy when this book releases.