The Jewel Review

Title: The Jewel (The Lone City #1)
Author: Amy Ewing
Release Date: September 2nd 2014
Publisher: HarperTEEN
Source: ARC for Review
Rating: 4.5/5

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:

I think most, including myself, will be drawn to The Jewel because of it's gorgeous cover, this books is much more than just a gorgeous cover though. The actually story is much more dark and intriguing than the cover lets on and I loved every minute of reading The Jewel.

The Jewel was not what I was expecting at all, I didn't know that it was a dystopian when I first started it. It unlike any dystopian I have read, which is hard to do these days, they all seem to have the same plot points they must hit. I would compare The Jewel to The Hunger Games, the Eve trilogy, and The Selection  it has minor qualities that remind of certain aspects in these other dystopian worlds. There are some magical elements tied into story as well, I will only say that just to tease you.

I loved Violet as a character she is more mentally strong the physically unlike other heroines in a dystopian world. She is not the initiator the rebellion, characteristic of dystopians, but gets caught up in while trying to find a way to survive in this deadly world hidden beneath the wealth and beauty. The side characters were also amazing, they really added to the plot and my overall enjoyment of the book.

The reason this book gets a 4.5 rating and not a 5 is because her love interest, Ash, does not come in until a good portion into the novel and their was a bit of instant love. Prior to his addition into the story I had assumed her love interest would be with one, or both, of the other guys who appear close to the beginning of The Jewel.

I would definitely recommend The Jewel, it was an amazing debut that surprised me with its content. I was eagerly awaiting the next book, The Jewel had a killer cliffhanger that left me wanting more, immediately. Pick up The Jewel is you are looking for a unique dystopian that has dark and somewhat disturbing elements and a very well thought out and executed plot.