Review of The Jewel by Amy Ewing

Advance Review of Amy Ewing's The Jewel

Release Date: September 2nd, 2014

 

 

Synopsis as found on AmyEwingBooks.com:

 

The Selection meets The Handmaid's Tale in this darkly riveting debut filled with twists and turns, where all that glitters may not be gold.

The Jewel means wealth, the Jewel means beauty—but for Violet, the Jewel means servitude. Born and raised in the Marsh, Violet finds herself living in the Jewel as a servant at the estate of the Duchess of the Lake. Addressed only by her number—#197—Violet is quickly thrown into the royal way of life. But behind its opulent and glittering facade, the Jewel hides its cruel and brutal truth, filled with violence, manipulation, and death.

Violet must accept the ugly realities of her life . . . all while trying to stay alive. But before she can accept her fate, Violet meets a handsome boy who is also under the Duchess's control, and a forbidden love erupts. But their illicit affair has consequences, which will cost them both more than they bargained for. And toeing the line between being calculating and rebellious, Violet must decide what, and who, she is willing to risk for her own freedom.

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This is now 1 of my new favorite series of 2014. If I could suggest a book right now it would be this one. With feelings of The Selection, Crewel, & Bumped, this Dystopian masterpiece will be at the top of the Young Adult charts the minute it is released.

Violet is a Surrogate. At the age of 12, she is removed from her home and taken to a holding center where she is taught everything she needs to know on how to become the perfect surrogate to a Royal family, seeing as how no one in the Jewel (the center of a five sectioned bullseye, where only the wealthiest families reside) is able to give birth to healthy babies. After 4 years, she is sold at the Auction, as number 197 out of 200 girls... the last 10 being the most coveted spots. Ripped from her life from one of the poorest sections, she is not ready for the life of a Royal... but sadly she will not be Royal, only owned by one.

With more mystery & intrigue than I was expecting & more action than I thought was possible to fit into 1 book... I was happily kept on the edge of my seat wondering who is the bad guy in all of this. Who is friend & who is foe? With a ending that left me begging for the next book... must I wait a whole year to find out what happens next???