The Jewels (The Lone CIty #1) by Amy Ewing

Publisher : Harper Teen
Publish Date : August 2014
ISBN :9780062235794
Format : Paperback
Pages : 384
Personal Rating : 6/10
Summary :

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 :

The Jewels is definitely not something that I usually read. While most of the times I choose to read books with more familiar environment, this book gives me quite a strange world. I mean, yes, there are some divided society like some kinds of dystopians. But how the writer introduce the world is not easy to accept. It's more like we are forced into the world. It's kinda hard for me to relate the world in the book and the world around us.




Anyways, some people says that this book is similar with The Selection. So, I guess I put my expectation too high and honestly I'm kinda disappointed. I mean I fell in love with The Selection. I fell in love with America, with Maxon, with Illea, and everything. But in this book, the world that was thrown to me  is not something that I would go crazy about. Instead, the book sent me some chills and shivers. I mean slavery and gender discrimination aren't the kind of topics that I like to talk about. I mean putting women down is really against what I believe.

Now, let's talk about the writing. It's more slow to medium pace kind of writings, which again, not really my type of preference. But the way the author describe things is very good. I could imagine the fancy dresses and houses that she described.

Last thing, the character. Really, what I despise most about this book is the characters. Honestly, this book is lacking character development. The leading girl, is definitely not Katniss Everdeen or even America Singer. Yes, I usually prefer strong-heroine-type of girl but this girl doesn't have that charm, if you know what I mean.

Overall, this book is not something that I would recommend. I guess I have some problems with the topic and how the author keep bringing the pregnancy topic, which I found quite disturbing. I guess this book is just not for me.

So, am I going to read the sequel? Well, it's a question that I hate to answer. At first I wanted to say yes, but the ending of the book made me want to read it more. You understand the situation right? You despise a book but you still want to read it. Well, if I'm going to read it,the author better make a better book or else. Well that's all I guess.

"And not because I'm gifted, not because it makes me different or special in any way, but because I love it"-Violet Lasting