The Jewel (The Lone City #1) by Amy Ewing

    

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.

2.5 stars 

Welcome to the Jewel. A dystopian story that follows a young girl on her journey as a surrogate of a royal family. In a future where the royals are not allowed to bear their own children and force poor teenagers to bear babies for them. 

The residents are seperated in five categories. The Marsh, the Farm, the Smoke, the Bank and the Jewel. From the poorest , to the royals. The girls who become 'women' take a medical examination & those who seem compatible, are taken against their will to a Holding Facility, until the day of the Auction, where the royal women bid on them , in order to buy them as their baby's surrogate. 

I am now officially Lot 197. Violet Lasting is gone. 

Sounds cruel, right? You have no idea. The girls are treated like pets. They no longer are allowed to have a name or even a personality. They deal with abuse from their owners, even death threats from their enemies. Because which rich person with ambitions doesn't have enemies? And especially when there's a reason to buy those surrogates, a reason more important than to give life to your child. A reason that could bring you to the top of the food-chain? 

They put something inside me, without my permission, against my will. Knowing that it would happen and experiencing it are two entirely different things. 

I have to say that this book reminded me a lot of other books. It reminded me of Hunger Games, Divergent, the Selection. I mean, Lucien was like watching China from HG. Also, the dresses and the maids and stuff reminded me of the Selection. I wasn't really thrilled while reading this book. It challenged me. I wanted to stop it and I didn't want to finish it. The fact that those girls didn't want to take part in this and they were sold like slaves, doing something against their will and treated so badly, god, it tore me up. As a woman, I would hate for this to happen to me. And even if I couldn't bear my own child, I would treat in a nice manner the woman who would do me that favor. But no, this book shows the cruel reality of some facts, like the matter of the politics and that those with power have no interest in the lower tanks. It is cruel , but it's also true. Even if it's a dystopian book, this fact was the same. 

I liked the little romance that it contained, it pushed slightly away the pity I was feeling for her. Even though , the romance that exists is forbidden and dangerous at the same time. Also the friendships. I liked her relationship with Raven & I can only hope that everything will be fine for them in the next books.

“I’ll never forget you,” Raven says. “I will never forget you, Violet.” 

The book ends with a cliffhanger, but I can't say I'm impatient to read how it will continue. I may give it a chance , when it comes out, but I'm not too thrilled about it either. 

PS: I loved Garnet. He was such a fun character and I definitely needed that!!

Garnet chooses this moment to scratch himself in a very inappropriate place.I barely stifle my laugh. The Lady of the Downs’s cheeks redden.
“Yes,” the Electress says with a smirk. "He is quite a catch."