Author: Amy Ewing (Twitter)
Publisher: HarperTeen
Publish Date: September 2, 2014
Genre: YA, Dystopian
Pages: 304
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.
While I admit that the dystopian genre is really quite tiring to me these days, I can't help but be utterly captivated by the synopsis of The Jewel. Combining a story of the "haves" and "have nots" with a forbidden romance and a broken, horrible world is usually the perfect combination for me. I must say that this cover looks like a bit of a cross between The Winner's Curse and The Selection, but it also sounds like it might just be fitting for this novel. Here's hoping that a dystopian novel can still surprise me in the best possible way! What do you think, and what are you waiting on this week?
Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly feature from Jill at Breaking the Spine.
I can't wait for this one either Melissa! Though I do completely agree, I honestly thought this was a spinoff of The Selection or related to it in some way because of the cover. I actually just did a guest post for Heidi comparing the two. So pretty, but very, very similar. Doesn't make me want to read it any less, that's for sure:)
ReplyDeleteWow! This seem interesting! Kind of reminds me of The Winner's Curse. I was hesitant going into that book but ended up LOVING it. I bet this book will be a good one too. Thanks for sharing, I definitely adding it to my TBR list, like, RIGHT NOW :)
ReplyDeleteCheck out my W.O.W Y'all!!
Michelle @ Book Hangover Blabs Books
The cover is gorgeous! And I agree there's so many dystopian reads around lately that I never know what to go for, but it sounds like this book has so much to offer! Thanks for putting it on my radar! :)
ReplyDeleteThis sounds soooo good, and that cover is gorgeous! Great pick.
ReplyDeleteJenea @ Books Live Forever's WoW
It does sound pretty good
ReplyDeleteI'm a little tired with dystopians too, Melissa, but this one is one I'm impatiently waiting for. I just love the cover and of course the forbidden romance part is more than enough to make me want to read the book.
ReplyDeleteLovely pick!
Absolutely gorgeous cover! Been seeing this a lot today!
ReplyDeleteHere's my WoW
Have a GREAT day!
Old Follower :)
I do love the cover of this one, how her dress is laid out like the facets of a jewel. I'm hard-pressed to pick up a dystopian but this one's been on my radar for a while and hope it lives up to its premise!
ReplyDeleteOh, I am always willing to try another dystopian. This one sounds good. I like it when we see the life of the haves, live in that world. That's why Aimee Carter's Pawn worked for me, it was so different. We also see the underdogs suffering. But put the underdog in the world of the haves, that's something else. I think I'll put this on the TBR! I agree about the cover.
ReplyDeleteI thought this looked like a cross between The Winner's Curse and The Selection as well, Melissa! I'm not sure I'd likely pick this up anytime soon - especially with the forbidden romance element going on, which I'm quite tired of - but I hope this lives up to your expectations and I fully expect to be convinced to read this if you enjoy this. Wonderful pick, dear! :)
ReplyDeleteI hadn't heard about this before, but sounds really interesting! I need to add it to my wish list. :) Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteI'm also feeling a bit tired of the dystopian genre, but like you this one has capture my attention. I quite like the cover, here's hoping the story is just as good!
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