Title: The Jewel (The Lone City #1)
Author: Amy Ewing
Publisher: HarperTeen
Acquired Via: Around the World ARC Tours
Release Date: September 2, 2014
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.
Debut author Amy Ewing expertly crafts an enchanting story full of riches, rivalries, and riveting twists and turns that will keep readers on the edge of their seats until the very end.
My Review
A lot was promised of Amy Ewing's debut novel, The Jewel. It has been compared to The Handmaid's Tale and The Selection, both of which I love. Hell, it even started out strong with a heroine who saw the gross unfairness and horror of the system, yet did not lose herself while surviving. She even fought against it when she could. However, despite all the promise The Jewel held and how good the first half was, it ended up being the biggest disappointment to me so far in 2014.