Thursday, August 28, 2014

Review: The Jewel

THE JEWEL
The Lone City #1
Amy Ewing
Young Adult/Dystopian
358 pages
HarperTeen
Available September 2nd
Source: BEA

THE STORY (from Goodreads)
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.


MY THOUGHTS
The Jewel, like the overall design of its cover, has some notable similarities to a number of well-known dystopian tales, familiar elements stealing much of our focus in the early chapters since we can’t help but draw comparisons. Before we can get ourselves too tangled up trying to figure out which plot threads or world-building elements we’ve seen where though, our attention is beautifully redirected, and we find ourselves riveted as Ms. Ewing takes those familiar pieces and reworks them to create something that stands on its own.

Perhaps the key element in shifting our focus from what we’ve seen before to what’s in front us currently is Violet herself, Ms. Ewing isolating her socially to such a degree that our time with her feels uniquely intimate, we as readers sharing in her fear of the future in a way those who are with her physically simply can’t. Her isolation comes after she’s auctioned off, waking up in her new home with a mistress so brilliantly hateful that our allegiance to Violet–already strong–soars off the charts. Though she has a friend in Annabelle, her mute lady-in-waiting, that friendship is shallow at best simply due to the fact that they both exist under the Duchess’s thumb. True friendship is based on loyalty and trust, two things that neither Violet nor Annabelle can give to one another no matter how much they wish to, so we become the only ones capable of supporting Violet fully.

Even though our extreme distaste for the Duchess would have had us rooting for any heroine forced to endure her changing moods and the rewards and punishments that accompany them, Violet proves herself more than worthy of our unwavering affection. Through her stark terror of the unknown she stands tall and strong, fighting well-chosen battles with the Duchess to show she is not going to lose herself in the title of surrogate, but also knowing when to let the Duchess win a round or two as well. We fear for her with every chapter, the Duchess utterly unpredictable in her day to day treatment of Violet, and so we spend our time wondering if the next chapter will be the one to show us that what we’ve already seen of this world isn’t yet the worst of it.

While both Violet and the Duchess inspire a great deal of love and hate respectively, the romance between Violet and Ash leaves us a bit wanting. Part of the problem is Ash comes into the picture late in the story, past the halfway mark, so we simply don’t have the same time to get to know him as we do Violet. By that point we’ve also come to value the aforementioned intimacy established by Violet’s loneliness, and Ash’s presence adds a new distance to our relationship given the speed with which their feelings develop. Granted the seriousness of their circumstances make the swiftness of their romance a touch more believable, but there just isn’t enough page time between them to achieve the emotional depth always hoped for with a romantic relationship.

Overall, there are some true highlights to The Jewel, namely in protagonist Violet and the villainous female royalty who believe social status is the only determining factor of human worth, but the romance and the initial similarities to other books of the same genre keep this first installment from a higher rating. We’re left rather abruptly at an enormous turning point as well, so those who dislike being kicked out of the story right when the action picks up should be aware upfront of the type of ending they can expect.

Rating: 3.5/5


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This book was sent to me by the publisher free of charge for the purpose of a review
I received no other compensation and the above is my honest opinion.

37 comments:

  1. Huh. I like when when characters are the 'love and hate them' type. I don't know if this is one I'd want to read right now, but I'm curious about it.

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    1. Oh yes, you will hate the Duchess. And love every second of it:) I love to despise a good villain Christy!

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  2. If done right then maybe, cos I already have a lot of world building questions

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    1. This world was horrifying. And fascinating. Horrifyingly fascinating.

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  3. Between the abrupt ending and the similarities to other dystopians I think I'm going to wait until more books release in this series before I give it a try. Though Violet does sound like a heroine worth rooting for! Glad you enjoyed this, and thank you for this thoughtful, balanced review!

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    1. I very much enjoyed Violet Lauren! I wanted more from the romance for sure though, and I did wish we didn't have a brutal cliffhanger at the end, but that seems to be the way of it in YA lately!

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  4. I was really intrigued by this one because on the cover (yeah I'm superficial) but after that I saw a really mixed review and well I'm not sure now. But it's nice to see you had a good time. I think I'll finally keep an eye on other reviews now.

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    1. There were some really great things about this story I thought, but then there were also things that didn't work so well, but overall the good mostly outweighed the bad for me.

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  5. I'm glad to see that despite all the things that made you pause you still enjoyed the book, Jenny! A heroine you want to root for is always something that can make or break a book!
    I'm gonna be skipping this one for now, insta love and massive cliffhanger ending? Nope, maybe next year when the sequel is out!
    Fantastic review as always, Jenny!

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    1. Yes, the cliffhanger is brutal. *sobs* Probably not a bad idea to wait until you have book 2 in your hands!

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  6. I am almost done this novel and so far, I completely agree with your review. I was surprised to see Ash's entrance at about half way through the novel. A bit late for that and to get to know him. I'm not really feeling their romance at all. What I do like is the whole creepy duchess/power struggle between the classes. Great review, Jenny!

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    1. He just came in too late for me Christina! I would have been fine with him coming in that late if they didn't jump right into a romance - maybe if the romance developed in the second book or something? That being said though, their romance was the catalyst for some other major events, so I get why it had to happen in this book.

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  7. I'm glad that you liked this, Jenny. As you know, the romance just killed the book for me, and I wish it hadn't been even implemented into the story. It was way too hasty for me to think of it as believable. Anyways, I did like the world building and I'm curious to learn more about it.
    Lovely review!

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    1. I liked it overall Nick, but the romance didn't work for me either. It was just too fast, and cheapened what was for me an otherwise brilliant story. Still, I loved the world, Duchess, and pre-romance Violet so I'll definitely be picking up book two:)

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  8. Not gonna lie, the setup makes me want to take my Regency romances and their nobility and thrust them into an entirely different world of my own choosing. That would make a fun story....

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  9. I am so surprised that you enjoyed this one, Jenny. I was prepared to pass up on this book but you made me take a second look. I'm not sure I'll have enough patience for this kind of romance but it's good that despite the story being familiar with other works, it could still stand on its own and that Violet is a heroine we can root for. Fantastic review, Jenny!

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    1. The romance was the main flaw for me Sarah, but I was horrified and fascinated by the world in turn, and I loved to hate the Duchess, so all in all it was a solid read:)

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  10. Hmm, I'm torn on this one. I keep hearing mixed things, and while I really, really, REALLY want to read it, I'm afraid I won't love/like it. I especially don't like when the romance turns out icky. Eh. Thanks for the lovely review, Jenny!

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    1. I could have done without the speed with which the romance develops. I would have loved if Ash was introduced earlier so their relationship had more time to grow along with them:)

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  11. Gorgeous review Jenny! You make me hopefully that I just might like this after all.

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    1. There were some things I really loved about this one Ali, I just hoped for more from the romance, and the cliffhanger was a nasty one:)

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  12. I've seen mixed reviews for this one and can't really muster up interest for it based on the synopsis, but I'm glad you found this one enjoyable. Although I like that Violet and the Duchess are well developed, it's too bad that the romance is weak. And thanks for mentioning that this one ends somewhat abruptly as that's a huge pet peeve of mine.

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    1. I thought Violet and the Duchess were both fantastic, as was the world-building. The romance was a bit of a letdown, but I'm hopeful it will become a highlight in future books!

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  13. I read very few of those other dystopias, the ones similar to Jewel, especially in the beginning, but I've learned pretty quickly that they're simply not for me. I tend to lose patience very quickly, I'm afraid. That said, Violet certainly sounds like a character worth knowing, so if I do decide to read this after all, it will be because of her.
    Thanks for the lovely review, Jenny!

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    1. I did very much enjoy Violet Maja. And I think you'll like the Duchess too, she's spectacularly awful:)

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  14. I've read so many different mixed reviews for this one I can bottle up my feelings about this one in one sentence: I'm curouis about it. I really want to learn more about the world in The Jewel and Violet but I know that I most likely wouldn't be a fan of the romance *sigh* so I really don't know! I am very curouis though!

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  15. Hmmm... I had thought I'd skip this one but I have to say that I'm more curious now. This sounds like one I would get emotionally invested in, which is good. I might have to consider giving it a try.

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  16. Oh this sounds like it has complex characters. I really like that. I do love the sound of Violet and even the Duchess. Someone you love to hate is just enjoyable! LOL You have added this one to my wishlist.

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  17. No one is overly thrilled about this one. I am reading that it isn't original and the romance isn't good plus a cliffhanger... Ugh. I am skipping this one. Thanks, Jenny for a balanced review.

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  18. I'm not sure what to think of this honestly. I've heard some...varying reviews for it, so I don't know which side of the spectrum I'm going to fall under. The characters sound intriguing at the very least though! Thanks for sharing Shannon, and, as always, BRILLIANT review! <3

    ~ Zoe @ The Infinite To-Read Shelf

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  19. Hmmm, I'm wondering if I'd enjoy this one. Before reading this review, I have read many others...but with lower rating and they said some things about our MC that I'm like what? She doesn't do anything to leave that place?? Although I think the concept is pretty interesting and the side characters too. Too bad for the action, it's always nice to have some. Still, glad it wasn't so bad for you. :)

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  20. I'm not quite sure this is my cup of tea so I'll likely be waiting to see how this series unfolds before diving in but I'm glad to see that you did find redeeming qualities in this narrative. Lovely review, Jenny! :)

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  21. I've seen mixed reviews of this books. I should go and read it to see for myself my take to this book. Thanks for the review. It's great

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  22. Thanks for your honest review, Jenny but I don't think this the right book for me.

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  23. Love the new change to your blog. I read this book and really like it. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.

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  24. Hmm. I'm not sure yet whether to invest in this series. If I'm being honest, that typical dress cover doesn't make me want to pick it up, precisely because it is like so many others. I really like what you said about being emotionally connected to Violet in her isolation, however, That was very appealing. I really like stories about characters who are controlled by others, seeing how they face that. Romance is so so important to me, so that is very disappointing to hear. Plus he doesn't show up until half way? I don't know about that. I'm also not sure about this cliffhanger, so for now, I think I'll wait on future books.

    Have your read STORM SIREN? It is the first in a fantasy series that I read this summer, and I LOVED it. The MC is bought by someone at a slave auction in the beginning of the novel, and for that it reminds me of this book a little. But I loved how it all played out, and the romance made me sa-woon! IT does have an evil cliffy tho :(. But I think you'd really like the book a lot! Also, curious about your thoughts on FIREBUG!

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