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The Jewel

(The Lone City #1)

Amy Ewing

3.87 · Rating details · 38,309 ratings · 4,501 reviews

"Today is my last day as Violet Lasting. Tomorrow I become Lot 197."

The Jewel is a shocking and compelling new YA series from debut author, Amy Ewing.

Sold for six million diamantes, Violet is now Surrogate of the House of the Lake in the centre of the Lone City, the Jewel. Her sole purpose is to produce a healthy heir for the Duchess – a woman Violet fears and despises.

Vi ...more

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Kindle Edition, 373 pages

Published September 2nd 2014 by HarperTeen

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Oct 28, 2014 Khanh, first of her name, mother of bunnies rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Shelves: why-do-i-hate-myself

DNF at 95%, because I just don't give a fuck.

My frail resolve wavers. I think about what sort of person I want to be. I owe Lucien my life, and I will be loyal to him until the end. But Ash has nothing to do with that. Ash is separate, a part of my life that is just mine. There are things that are bigger than us, it’s true. Saving the surrogates. Destroying the royalty. Is loving Ash worth the risk?

You get one fucking guess. What do you think she chooses?

This book is called The Jewel. It is DNF at 95%, because I just don't give a fuck.

My frail resolve wavers. I think about what sort of person I want to be. I owe Lucien my life, and I will be loyal to him until the end. But Ash has nothing to do with that. Ash is separate, a part of my life that is just mine. There are things that are bigger than us, it’s true. Saving the surrogates. Destroying the royalty. Is loving Ash worth the risk?

You get one fucking guess. What do you think she chooses?

This book is called The Jewel. It is a misnomer, because had the title been accurate to the contents of the book, it would have been called The Big, Stinking Pile of Shit.

This book is similar to Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale if it had been written for people who loved pretty dresses, Mary Sues, and hates being offended. In short, it's for people who watch Fox News.

The Handmaid's Tale is a true dystopia in which the ruling class keeps a group of women around, solely for reproductive purposes. The main character in that book is a breeding cow. There is where the similarity ends. This book had none of the complexity, an interesting setting that quickly descends into absurdity and a character who is bred for perfection...a pretty breeding cow, chosen for her genetic superiority. The difference is that every ounce of flavor, every bit of grittiness, every iota of realism, every implication of the dark side of surrogacy and sexual abuse has been bleached the fuck out of this so-called dystopia.

What's left is a flavorless, bland, utterly insipid "dystopian" version of every Mary Sue-insta-love you can ever imagine.

The Summary:

My skin is ivory, an odd contrast with my hair color, and my eyes are violet. I don’t need a mirror to tell me that. They’re what I was named for.

Our heroine is the fantastically-named Violet Lasting, who I will henceforce address as the html color code of #800080, the code for purple. Why? Because I can't type Violet Lasting without gagging, that's why.

In this Dystopian world, we have regions known as The Farm, The Smoke, The Bank. Each region has a ruler, a countess, a duchess...Due to some kind of genetic mutation, the upper class are no longer able to bear children. It would be an unusual world except for the stupid fucking fact that almost everyone is named after a theme. For example, all the people in one region are named after colors. Here are a sample of the names: Ochre, Hazel, Sable, Violet, Raven, Cobalt, Crow, Ginger. THERE ARE ONLY SO MANY COLORS, PEOPLE. YOU'RE GOING TO RUN OUT OF THEM EVENTUALLY.

Which is why I've decided to name our Violet #800080.

So no normal pregnancies for the rich here. Instead, they get genetically blessed girl like #800080 to have babies for them. But rather than being forced to go through, like, sexual abuse and stuff like that, these girls are more or less pets for the family that buys them. They are slaves, exquisitely dressed slaves, extraordinaryly pampered...sometimes abused---slaves. Not to mention breeding mares, who never have to have sex. EVER! Whoo! Totally PG, y'all. And the painful, excruciating, lengthy process of in-vitro fertilization? Turned into an artificial gloss of pain, without any authentic feeling of violation or despair.

In any case, #800080 is beautiful. Extraordinarily talented. Exceptionally lovely. In an auction of 200 girls, the highest ranked is the most beautiful, the most prized. #800080 is ranked...

I exhale. “197.”
Raven grins. “Looks like we’re hot commodities.”

#800080 is bought by one of the wealthiest rulers, an extraordinary woman, The Duchess, for an unheard-of price.

“Sold!” the auctioneer cries, and all my muscles turn to jelly. “Sold for six million diamantes. To the Duchess of the Lake.”

And #800080 is so fucking perfect, so brilliant, so smart. So excellent at the magical art of Augury (wut lol), that for the Duchess, she is a prize beyond compare.

“Yes,” the Duchess murmurs, almost to herself. “I think you are exactly what I’ve been looking for."

“Yes . . .” The Duchess runs a manicured finger down her cheek. “I’ve been waiting for you,” she says, her dark eyes fixed on mine. “For nineteen years.

#80080 has the most dreadful existence in the world. #800080 can't believe the injustice of it all. Her body is not her own. She is a slave, a possession, there to be used, abused, and thrown away.

Horrifying. But then...Cora gets the chance to do something about it. There is a secret rebellion that could free the entire fate of her fellow caged brood mares. She can free herself.

“She must believe you are on her side. You have to make her trust you. It is our best chance of getting you out as quickly and safely as possible.”

So naturally, with this grand plot in mind, #800080 must focus all her energy on looking at her lovely reflection.

The stranger in the mirror has been transformed.
I blink rapidly, trying to reconcile her with the image I had of myself in my head. The image of a pretty girl, slightly plump, full face, big eyes. The woman I am looking at now is beautiful. Stunning. Her cheeks seem thinner, molded to accent her high cheekbones, and her eyebrows arch delicately over luminous eyes, lined in rich purple with accents of lilac and gold. Her lips are glossed in pale pink, and her hair tumbles over her shoulders in thick curls, one side pinned up with a jeweled clip, encrusted with amethysts that form the shape of a butterfly. There is a shimmer to her skin, almost like she’s glowing.

Exploring her enormous wardrobe. Wearing glamorous new nightgowns

I’m wearing a white silk nightdress, not unlike the one I wore at Southgate, embroidered with green and gold thread. The lady-in-waiting holds up a jade dressing gown, and I slip into it. Now I match this room.

Wearing lovely dresses.

At five to seven, I stand outside the doors to the ballroom dressed in a pale green gown that makes the footman’s eyes pop before he can stop himself. The bodice leaves my shoulders bare, and the skirt falls to the floor in layers like the petals of a flower, their edges woven with glittering crystals. A choker of diamonds wraps around my neck and diamond earrings hang from my ears.

And making judgmental calls on other people wearing beautiful dresses.

“My goodness, isn’t she just a vision,” the Electress gushes. She wears a gown of rich crimson velvet with a large dragon embroidered on its skirts—it seems like too much material for her small frame—and her lips are painted bright red. Like at the Auction, I am strongly reminded of a child playing dress-up.

#800080 is powerful, her magic in Augury is strong. She can change the world. Or she can explore the palatial mansion in which she is imprisoned.I want to explore a little more of this palace on my own, decide for myself where to go and what to see. Several maids are cleaning the windows that look out onto the garden, and I flit past the doors, pausing in between them to make sure I’m not seen.With so much power, so much strength, that is being built up and trained every day, #80080 can do extraordinary things.

Standing in the doorway is a boy. Not a boy, a young man—he looks to be about the same age as the Duchess’s son. Tall and slender, with tousled brown hair and a strong jaw. His mouth curves a bit at the corners, like he’s holding back a smile. One hand rests in the pocket of his pants and his shirt is open at the collar.
But it’s his eyes that have me pinned in place. They are a soft gray-green, and they look at me in a way I haven’t been looked at since I started my life in the Jewel—like I am a girl, a person, not a surrogate. And yet, it’s something more than that; they look at me in a way that makes me feel hollow and strangely buzzy.

Things like...fall into insta-love. Beautiful Boy Ash is a slave himself. He is a companion, a sexual boy toy to wealthy, older woman (who are, naturally, disgusting and nasty and so unlike the pure, beautiful, and virgin-Mary-like #800080). Together, they are not strong. Together, they are a danger. This is forbidden love, if there ever was one. He could be severely punished if they were caught. She could be killed at the Duchess' whim. And forget about her grand rescue mission.

So what does Romeo and #800080 do?

“Violet,” he says, and when he looks in my eyes, my stomach somersaults. “I think . . . I think I love you.”
I feel myself dissolve into a thousand molecules, amazed at how three small words can completely alter my state of being.
“I think I love you, too,” I whisper.

...more

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May 27, 2014 Faye, la Patata rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult, stupid-heroes-heroines, what-the-hell, annoying-love-interest, possible-love-triangle-later, what-the-flying-fuck, bad-worldbuilding, romance, questionable-heroine, annoying-brats

A place where noble women cannot reproduce.

A place where these women buy beautiful, talented, peasant girls from the Auction.

A place where these teenage girls are bought to become surrogates.

A place where these surrogates have unfathomable powers that change shapes, colors, and sizes.

...

Is it me or are dystopian novels getting weirder and weirder every year? Either the world's running out of ideas and isgrasping at straws, or the world's trends have moved on ahead of me, 'cause I do not get it ...more

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Mar 24, 2014 Fenia rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: books-like-drugs, my-current-book-obsessions, favorites

OH MY GOSH. BRILLIANT BOOK!! I adore it!! ♥ It truly surprised me. I bought it because well.. because it was cheap,the reviews i read were bad,but i thought 'oh well,lets give it a try'. and OMG THIS BOOKS IS SOOOOO GOODDDDD!!!!! I JUST...UGH I'M SPEECHLESS!!!

Its not like Selection. (not that i didn't like Selection.BUT) This books is deep and it touches some really serious issues like slavery. Violet is a strong character and i love her for it. Ash is..hot and dreamy and kind and broken. All th ...more

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Feb 12, 2014 Aimee ♥ | Aimee, Always rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Shelves: eye-roll, oh-the-fluff, let-me-gouge-your-eyeballs-out, insta-love-lust-attraction, ending-sucked, arc, romances-i-cant-understand, predictable, no-chemistry, i-am-not-pleased-with-that-cliffie

Another example of wasted potential, The Jewel could have been the next big thing for many other readers--if not for that shitty, awful romance. That's pretty bad, considering I almost NEVER say something is awful--I call a lot of things shitty, but awful? That is a hundred times worse than shitty in the Language of Aimee.

Oh, and noticed how I said "many other readers"? Yes, because even without said shitty, awful romance, this book is just not for me. It was a bit similar to The Hunger Game ...more

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Aug 24, 2014 Lindsay Cummings rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

My first thought about THE JEWEL was that the gorgeous silver cover was strangely similar to the covers for THE SELECTION series. I wasn't sure, after reading the synopsis, if this book would also have a similar plot. I was totally wrong.

In one word, THE JEWEL is FANTASTIC. When I began reading, I was pleasantly surprised by the writing style and the very xmen like twist that this "ball gown" story took on. THE JEWEL is brilliant and unique, and so creepy in the way the society is run, that I fo My first thought about THE JEWEL was that the gorgeous silver cover was strangely similar to the covers for THE SELECTION series. I wasn't sure, after reading the synopsis, if this book would also have a similar plot. I was totally wrong.

In one word, THE JEWEL is FANTASTIC. When I began reading, I was pleasantly surprised by the writing style and the very xmen like twist that this "ball gown" story took on. THE JEWEL is brilliant and unique, and so creepy in the way the society is run, that I found myself unable to put it down. I flew through all 368 pages in just a few days (in the middle of a huge move and edit, as well--- it was that good!).

In Violet Lasting's world, identity isn't important. She's not a name; she's just a number. As a surrogate, raised to bear a child for whatever member of the royal Jewel section of society purchases her in an auction, Violet has been trained for years to be submissive and poised and perfectly fine with being in the background.

The twist to this story comes with something called the Auguries: special powers that each surrogate has, where they can change the colors and shapes of objects, as well as grow things. In Violet's case, the third augury, Growth, is her best gift.

When Violet is taken to the auction and purchased by the Duchess of the Lake, she's thrown into a world full of fancy balls and mansions and dresses and makeup. But there's a dark side to Violet's new, glittering world.

There's death. There's destruction. There are lies and manipulations, and somehow, very well-twisted into the middle of it all, is forbidden love.

Violet soon discovers that she can never be who she truly wants to be. Danger is around every corner. Love is not an option. And when Violet discovers she might have a way out, even darker secrets are revealed. The characters are wonderfully fleshed out, from Violet herself, to her fellow surrogate and best friend Raven, to the horrible Duchess of the Lake. Even Violet's maid, Annabelle, a girl who can't speak, was so well done that I felt like I knew her. The love interest, Ashe, is totally shiptastic.

This story is just incredible. I fell in love with it, and by the time I finished (warning: there's a cliffhanger!), it was 1am and I was dying for book 2.

THE JEWEL is definitely not a copy of any other story---it stands out on its own, and is sure to be a bestseller. Fantastic. I loved the terrifying, beautiful world that Amy Ewing created. I need book 2 now! (And I've preordered my own hardcover copy for my personal shelves!) ...more

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Feb 13, 2014 Jessica ❁ ➳ Silverbow ➳ ❁ rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: dystopian, some-kinda-magic, rabid-reads-reviews, here-be-slaves, meh, ya, fantasy, edelweiss, cliffhanger-boo-hiss, matchy-matchy

9/30/17 - ON SALE for $1.99:

http://amzn.to/2gRVBRY

Reviewed by: Rabid Reads

3.5 stars

Violet Lasting is a Surrogate. She lives in a world where blue bloods can no longer produce viable offspring. BUT. Before they begin to die out, a doctor discovers a genetic quirk that (fortuitously) exists most frequently in the lowest caste of their society . . . a quirk that allows the girls who have it to carry a royal child to term . . .

And so it is mandatory--on pain of death--for every girl to be teste ...more

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Apr 01, 2017 Sana added it · review of another edition

DNF @ pg 65
Will come back to this sometime in the future. On hold for now.

BR with my friend IRL. I really want this to be good.

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Dec 16, 2014 Ben Alderson rated it really liked it · review of another edition

I really enjoyed this book! I loved the idea of it and can not wait for the next one!

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Jun 16, 2015 Sarah Elizabeth rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, sci-fi, dystopian, romance, netgalley-edelweiss, r2r-complete, read-2015, paranormal, young-adult

(Source: I received a digital copy of this book for free on a read-to-review basis. Thanks to HarperCollins and Edelweiss.)

“Sometimes, I wish I hadn’t been born a surrogate.”

This was an enjoyable dystopian, with girls with special powers being sold as surrogates.

I felt quite sorry for Violet in this story, her whole life had been changed by one blood test, and she was forced to carry someone else’s baby after being sold at an auction. I did think that she made some very dubious decisions at ...more

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Feb 12, 2014 Valeria Andrea marked it as to-read · review of another edition

When I saw this I couldn't help but think The Selection.
But with a better cover.
& a better blurb.
&, I hope, a better everything else.

Damn, oh, well. My curiosity has brought the better out of me yet again. ...more

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Feb 12, 2014 Anne rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: kindle, read-in-2015, sci-fi, mature-ya

2.5 stars

I was sort of bored throughout the book. I'm thinking the subject matter just didn't interest me, so you might have a different experience with this one than I did.
Fabulous cover, though!

The Royalty that live in the Jewel can't have babies anymore.
Poor people, yes. Rich people, no.
But the nobility have found that some of the poor girls have these abilities that can allow them to manipulate a fetus in their wombs. Make it a viable pregnancy. Even make the child better looking, smarter, ...more

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Feb 12, 2014 Sara Raasch rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

BRACE FOR FEELS.

This book is the kind of stressful/addictive/engaging story that is almost dangerous in its demand to be read. It will keep you up well past your bedtime with all the INTENSITY and PAIN and TENSION and just when you think you're nearing the end and maybe your heart will get a break...

NOPE.

That ending. THAT ENDING.

OH IT HURTS. ...more

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Jun 25, 2014 Steph Sinclair rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: yabc, young-adult, print-arc, it-wasn-t-all-that-but-enjoyable, harpercollins, 2014-reads, 2014-release, could-have-been-better, omg-that-ending, serve-me-up-insta-love

I think on some level I should probably have disliked this book, but I ended up enjoying it quite a bit. It's a light read and I sped through pretty fast and none of the characters irritated me too much. This might have something to do with the fact that books that explore a Reproductive Dystopian world fasciate me. I didn't really love the romance because it is on the "quick" side of things, but somehow that did not seem to bother me much. The plot seemed to more than make up for that, and The ...more

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Feb 03, 2018 Sara rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction, young-adult, fantasy

Violet is a surrogate, born with unique gifts to shape the world around her, yet bought and sold to the highest bidder in a world where royalty rules all. This had a lot of flaws, and unfortunately it really hindered my enjoyment of what could have been a good story.

The main issue I had was just how unoriginal I found the story. Reading this felt like deja vu. Poor yet beautiful girl with unique gifts brought into a different world? Check. Evil ruling power that manipulates said girl? Check. Du Violet is a surrogate, born with unique gifts to shape the world around her, yet bought and sold to the highest bidder in a world where royalty rules all. This had a lot of flaws, and unfortunately it really hindered my enjoyment of what could have been a good story.

The main issue I had was just how unoriginal I found the story. Reading this felt like deja vu. Poor yet beautiful girl with unique gifts brought into a different world? Check. Evil ruling power that manipulates said girl? Check. Dull and one dimensional love interest leading to instalove? Check. I also think I rolled my eyes several times over the names of some of these characters. One character is called Cinder. And her brother is Ash. Seriously.

My other main issue was Ash. The love interest. The story takes a significant dip after his introduction, as he's so dull with no definable characteristics or charm. He's basically Finnick from The Hunger Games without the emotional depth. When Violet starts fawning over him after meeting him for all of ten minutes, I knew this story wasn't going to end the way I wanted it too. I much preferred the relationship between the various surrogates and their 'owners', and the dynamics and rivalries that are barely explored but had so much potential. I didn't think there was any need to introduced Ash at all. If anything, he hinders the plot. I found all of his scenes very cringy, and I often skim read them. Violet as a main character is also severely lacking in personality. She goes from petulant teen to submissive slave with no in-between. She's got no emotional depth, and bumbled from one scenario to the next, relying on other people to rescue her.

Several times I was also confused by the world itself. We don't see anything outside of The Jewel except very briefly at the beginning. The rules of the world aren't explained very deeply either, and are often contradictory. Why treat some surrogates well, others badly, yet always have them dressed up like dolls all the time? Why are they repeatedly drugged? It felt like an easy cop out to explain any passage of time. What are the various Auguries, and why do only poor girls have these powers? They weren't explained well, or integrated well into the story, and I often felt confused when Violet uses any of them. Also, their use with regards to childbirth is just...odd.

This really wasn't for me. The potential was there, but the execution fell flat. ...more

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May 27, 2014 AH rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Shelves: arc-edelweiss, fantasy, young-adult, zzread-aug-2014

ARGHH!

It is not often that I give 1 star to a book. I usually try to find the good in each book that I read. Even books that I have not finished do not get a star rating, that's just how I review. But - this book drove me bonkers and I must highlight the things that drove me crazy.

1)This is a dystopian book along the lines of The Selection (which I haven't had the pleasure of reading, but the synopsis sounds right) and The Handmaid's Tale (of which there is absolutely no comparison).

2)Young wo ...more

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Aug 26, 2014 Christine PNW rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Hello. If you've found this review, perhaps you are wondering why I appear so irked by this book. Giving it one star, and all.

Well, it's because MARGARET ATWOOD already wrote this book. Also, the girl on the cover, yeah, she is way too well-dressed to be a slave.

Some books do not need a dumbed-down romance version with a bunch of silly tropes. The Handmaid's Tale is one of those books*. It is a serious treatment of a serious subject. Why is there a need to publish a glossy new version with girls ...more

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Apr 25, 2015 Kiki rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: lolwut, ya, i-hate-that-i-love-you

Goddamn. That was a clusterfuck if ever I saw one. Review to come.

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Nov 03, 2014 Melanie rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult, omg-the-cover-people, romance, fantasy, sci-fi, dystopian-utopian, could-have-been-so-much-better, take-your-instant-love-and-get-lost, books-i-own, arc

See more reviews at YA Midnight Reads

Mini review:

After the early reviews started rolling in for this one I was getting less and less excited about reading this one. I mean, JUST LOOK AT THE COVER! HOW COULD I NOT WANT TO LOVE THIS?! Anyway, I had this period of time where I just decided that I was going to skip this completely, BUT THEN I saw three people give this 3-4 stars and they're all people whose reviews I completely trust... and well I gave in to the cover and read it. Well, I didn't rea ...more

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Sep 05, 2014 Aly (In Wonderland) rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult, fantasy, dystopia

There are perks to being a surrogate. We get to dress how we want, eat what we want, sleep late on the weekends. We get an education. A good education. We get free food and water, we always have electricity, and we never have to work. We never have to know poverty -- and the caretakers tell us we'll have more once we start living in the Jewel.
Except freedom. They never seem to mention that.

For a long while, this was two stars for me. It was good, but not exceptional. It was an innovative ide ...more

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Feb 12, 2014 Kassidy rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2014-release, arcs, for-review, books-i-own

I was really captivated by the characters, the world, and the plot. However, the insta-love just did not work for me!

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Jan 13, 2017 Nenia ✨️ Socially Awkward Trash Panda ✨️ Campbell rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: ya-ya-land, pretty-cover-sparklies, fantasy, help-help-i-m-being-repressed

Instagram || Twitter || Facebook || Amazon || Pinterest

Don't be fooled by the pretty cover sparklies; THE JEWEL is actually pretty messed-up. Violet lives in a dystopian city that's organized like the nine circles of hell, with the Marsh, or the slums, on the outer rings; and then Farm, the agricultural; Smoke, the industrial; Bank, the financial; and in the very heart of the city is Jewel, where are the filthy rich members of royalty reside.

Violet was born in the Marsh but has been raised i ...more

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Feb 17, 2014 Ashley rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: physical-arc, arc, bea14

Nose Graze — Book reviews & blogging tips

The Jewel was an awesome book! ...until the romance. But more on that later. ;)

I really loved the plot in The Jewel. I think it's definitely similar in vibe to The Selection (which it's being compared to). However, my feelings about it are the total opposite. In The Selection, I adored the romance but didn't care much about the rest of the plot. In The Jewel, I adore the plot but hate the romance. The Jewel has a lot of political/royal scandal.. and i Nose Graze — Book reviews & blogging tips

The Jewel was an awesome book! ...until the romance. But more on that later. ;)

I really loved the plot in The Jewel. I think it's definitely similar in vibe to The Selection (which it's being compared to). However, my feelings about it are the total opposite. In The Selection, I adored the romance but didn't care much about the rest of the plot. In The Jewel, I adore the plot but hate the romance. The Jewel has a lot of political/royal scandal.. and it's fascinating! Everyone is basically frenemies. The royals invite each other over for tea parties and dinners, but they actually hate each other and plot against each other.

Also, the whole idea of surrogates was HORRIBLE! ..but in a good way. Like obviously it was sad and disgusting, but that's what made the book so interesting. I mean, the girls are bid on at auction, purchased, given collars, walked around on leashes, compared as if they're trophies or trading cards (bragging about "stats" or talents their surrogates have), etc. That whole part of the book was really disgusting, but fascinating. I was outraged and felt so sorry for Violet! I love that the book got me so riled up.

My only gripe with the plot side of things was I didn't fully understand why the surrogates existed. It was only briefly explained why the royals couldn't have their own children. The author explained how their children died early or were sickly, etc., but I didn't fully understand WHY.

But then somewhere around page 250, the romance kicked in.. and it sucked. Violet meets this guy Ash, they exchange about two glances, then his lips are on hers, then they're making out, then they're saying "I love you". They have like three interactions, zero conversations, and they're already in love? Waaaa??? I was really disappointed because there could have been a lot of potential with this romance, but it was easily the weakest part of the book. I didn't connect with it at all. I went from being addicted to The Jewel to kind of making a "wtf" face at it while reading.

I was pretty devastated to have my love for this book plummet so hard, because up until that point, I was ADDICTED. I read the whole thing in less than 24 hours. I loved it so much, then the romance just sucked! WHY DID YOU DO THIS TO ME?!?!

But the book is still worth reading, even if just for the cool plot and crazy political scandals. The different houses of royalty are constantly plotting against each other and it's pretty crazy what lengths they go to! ...more

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May 14, 2014 Sue (Hollywood News Source) rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Shelves: edelweiss-arc

I picked up The Jewels salivating, thinking this book could be a better and finer version of The Selection. Both books offer the same “prose” in some way. Trust me with this, we do not need another disastrous The Selection Trilogy, one is enough.

There were so many bad things about this book I don't even know where to start.

The writing is sloppy. In other circumstance I don't mind when authors don't use huge words as long as the characters and plot is compelling enough but this book isn't giv ...more

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Dec 04, 2016 Maddie rated it really liked it · review of another edition

This was the perfect dystopian style book for me. I love The Selection by Keira Cass and Wither by Lauren DeStefano, and The Jewel fits perfectly into that category of girl-in-pretty-dresses-doing-badass-things. I thought the Lone City itself was well explained and easy to imagine, and the magic system was simple to grasp. The concept of surrogates made a lot of sense, but the actual 'how?' behind the procedure is what's tripping me up.

I was also warned about the insta-love in this book, and ye ...more

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Mar 04, 2017 Grüffeline rated it really liked it · review of another edition

"Violet, they do not tell you anything at Southgate. They do not even allow you to look at yourself in the mirror. The less you know, the less identity you have, the easier you are to control."

Initially, I picked up this book because I liked The Selection and I was not disappointed. I've been thinking about rereading this series for quite some time now and the second time around didn't diappoint either.
The writing is really good, the story gripping and the world Amy Ewing built here, is pur ...more

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Sep 06, 2014 ☙ nemo ❧ (pagesandprozac) rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: dystopia, fantasy, magic, romance, young-adult, read-more-than-once, romance-erotica-mf, physical-books-i-own, ya-hall-of-fame, 4-star

So, I wasn't originally going to write a review for this, since I guess I'm not really a review-writing sort of person. But then I saw the overwhelmingly bad reviews, and I felt sorry for this book - which I thought was actually rather good - getting so much negative attention.

First of all, I didn't have tremendously high hopes upon starting this book. I expected it to be mediocre at best, and awfully problematic and rage-inducing at worst. To my surprise, it was actually far better than I was e ...more

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Dec 16, 2013 Danielle (Love at First Page) rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: cover-love, fantasy-scifi-paranormal, genre-young-adult, dystopia, own-kindle-book, read-in-2015, pleasantly-surprised

Edit: Screw it. I'm bumping the rating up after thinking about the book all day!

3.5-4 stars

Hey, now, this is an enjoyable book *and* romance! (I see you judging me. Haters to the left.) I will gladly say that The Jewel is very, very readable and addicting. From start to finish, I was glued to the pages. Maybe it's not wholly unique (a few too many things reminded me of The Hunger Games), yet the premise is interesting and has potential. The idea of girls being raised as surrogates for the highe Edit: Screw it. I'm bumping the rating up after thinking about the book all day!

3.5-4 stars

Hey, now, this is an enjoyable book *and* romance! (I see you judging me. Haters to the left.) I will gladly say that The Jewel is very, very readable and addicting. From start to finish, I was glued to the pages. Maybe it's not wholly unique (a few too many things reminded me of The Hunger Games), yet the premise is interesting and has potential. The idea of girls being raised as surrogates for the higher echelon of society is terrifying. Really, my main complaint would be the fantasy aspect to the worldbuilding, which I don't understand at all. See, the surrogates have command of the "Auguries", meaning they can change things by color, shape, and size. Born with this mutation, these girls from the poorer side of town have become the highest commodity since it means they can be impregnated and produce healthy offspring, which the royal women can no longer do. There is absolutely zero explanation for how this has happened or how it's even possible. It defies logic and feels completely random. I'm hoping the next book at least attempts more clarification, but as it stands, I wish that part was left out entirely.

Back on the plus side, I liked Violet, the main character, much more than I expected to. She's caring and has a good heart, but she's not a doormat in the least. I love how passionate she could be (the cello scene was beautiful), and that she stuck up for herself in small ways. She's strong in her convictions, not once wavering in the belief that, if she stays in the Jewel, she'll lose her freedom and freewill forever. Is she a little naive at times? Sure, but look how this girl was raised! Taken away at a young age, kept in a sterile building, and given very little information about what her life would be like with the royals... I can cut her some slack. She's an admirable and easy to like heroine, I think. The other characters don't have as much depth, but I felt something for all of them - Raven (more of her, please), Ash (a sweetheart, but also a character I want to know better), Annabelle (Violet's mute lady-in-waiting), Garnet (cannot resist the token drunk, charming boy), and the Duchess (*shudders*). And, yeah, okay, there is definitely insta-love going on and some cheesiness, but I was mostly on board with Ash and Violet's romance. When you like someone for the first time, especially at that age, there is going to be some infatuation. While I wish it hadn't moved so quickly, there are good, swoony scenes between them. No love triangle!

Soooo, I will definitely be reading The White Rose ASAP. I know many bloggers didn't care for The Jewel, but if you haven't read it yet I'd reconsider. It's, at the very least, an enjoyable, perfectly paced story.

This review can also be found at Love at First Page. ...more

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Jan 07, 2015 Chelsea (chelseadolling reads) rated it really liked it · review of another edition

SO GOOD. SO SO GOOD. This book had SO MUCH POTENTIAL to be a 5 star book but it just missed the mark because of the instalove. If that hadn't happened, it would have been a 6 star book for me. But still. SO GOOD. ...more

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Apr 19, 2016 lolo' rated it liked it · review of another edition

Hooray for cliffhanger endings....

I feel very 50/50 towards this book. I love Violet, Raven, Annabelle, Ash, and Garnet.

But other than that I pretty much despise the whole surrogacy thing and the power moves. And all that is done to the girls disgusts me.

I did enjoy the dialogue. Certain parts were perfectly swell.

It's just hard to look over what makes this book a dystopian.

I love the writing though.

And those last 70 pages were amazing and the reason why I gave it 3 stars.

...more

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Jul 12, 2014 Grace (LovingDemBooks) Z. rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: review-books, books-i-own, hardcover, paperback, read-something-like-this-before, ehhh

Buy this book HERE on Amazon or buy this book HERE on BookDepository with FREE WORLDWIDE SHIIPPING

I received an advanced reader's edition of this book from EpicReads as a giveaway prize and I received a finished copy of this book for free in exchange for an honest review from the publisher before the release date. All opinions are my own.

2 of 5 stars (Please read my rating system further below. As soon as I received my early copy of The Jewel, I picked it up right away because of my ...more

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topics	posts	views	last activity
YA Buddy Readers'...: The Jewel (The Lone City #1) by Amy Ewing - GBR - Starting March 1st 2019	21	36	Mar 16, 2019 11:23PM
YA Buddy Readers'...: The Lone City Series by Amy Ewing - Reading from ' The Jewel (The Lone City #1)' from October 1st 2018	85	66	Oct 31, 2018 04:45PM
YA Buddy Readers'...: The Jewel (The Lone City #1) by Amy Ewing - Restarting March 25th 2018	179	225	Mar 28, 2018 11:27PM
Crazy for Young A...: The Jewel (The Lone City #1) by Amy Ewing → Start Date: November 20, 2017	16	18	Dec 03, 2017 07:27PM
Am I the only one who sees hints of Garnet and Annabelle?	4	45	Oct 21, 2016 11:06AM

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About Amy Ewing

Amy Ewing

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Amy Ewing is the young adult author of The Jewel, the first in a trilogy from HarperTeen, coming out September 2014.

She grew up in a small town outside Boston, where her librarian mother instilled a deep love of reading at a young age. Amy moved to New York City in 2000 to study theater at New York University. Unfortunately, her acting career didn’t quite pan out. She worked in restaurants, as an ...more