Review: The Jewel by Amy Ewing

Release Date: September 2, 2014

Publisher:  HarperTeen
Pages: 358
Source: eARC for Review

ISBN-10:   0062235796

Rating: 4 Hearts

Book Description

"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."

Review

Short and Sweet:

The Jewel is a dark, intriguing tale! It has an unputdownable quality and a shocking conclusion. 

To Elaborate...

 Violet was stolen away from her home and taken to be trained as a surrogate for royal women who can't have their own babies. It hasn't been a completely terrible life; she has friends, luxury even. However, the day of her Auction will change everything and for the first time, Violet has nothing but the unknown stretching out before her. She's only certain that she will completely lose her identity and all illusion of freedom as soon as she steps off the train bringing her to the Jewel.

The Jewel is the heart of the city; the space where the rich and powerful live their lives of excess and rivalry. A place that Violet, or #197, is completely unprepared for. After she is purchased by the Duchess of the Lake, she awakes to the most beautiful room she's ever seen. But the Duchess soon makes clear that only complete obedience will be tolerated by violently hitting her the moment they meet. And as the story becomes increasingly disturbing, the Duchesses behavior only becomes more terrifying and erratic.

Meanwhile, Violet meets a boy. The first boy, in fact, to not look at her as subhuman property to be ignored or possessed. For the first time, Violet feels something worth fighting for and must decide if it's worth risking it all. 

Overall, I really enjoyed this one. The romance moved a bit faster than I found realistic, but I felt like in this world, and as a result of the situations of the characters that it would likely play out this way. Still, there is so much more to this story than the romance aspect. I was especially happy with the friendship dynamics between Violet and a fellow surrogate, Raven. It also has one hell of a cliffhanger that I had to read twice to be certain it really happened. BUT, I am very interested to see what happens next! 

4 Hearts!