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Jewel
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Jewel
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Jewel
Ebook336 pages5 hours

Jewel

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

3.5/5

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About this ebook

A proposal she had no choice but to accept . . .

Though Eli Grayson is one of the most handsome, charming, and intelligent men in Grayson Grove, no one will take a chance on a confirmed bachelor. Unwilling to give up his dreams, Eli convinces his friend Jewel to pose as his wife. Their masquerade is to last just one night . . . but when word gets out, Eli and Jewel must tie the knot to save his career—and her reputation.

Became a love she never expected . . .

Angry at being forced to turn her life upside down, Jewel never imagined that a white-hot passion would consume her once she and Eli became husband and wife. Sharing a bed has turned their prim friendship into a sensuous love affair . . . but when a woman from Eli's past returns to stir up trouble, he and Jewel will learn just how far they'll go to protect the precious gem of their newfound passion.

LanguageEnglish
PublisherHarperCollins
Release dateOct 13, 2009
ISBN9780061737312
Author

Beverly Jenkins

Beverly Jenkins is the recipient of the 2018 Michigan Author Award by the Michigan Library Association, the 2017 Romance Writers of America Lifetime Achievement Award, as well as the 2016 Romantic Times Reviewers’ Choice Award for historical romance. She has been nominated for the NAACP Image Award in Literature, was featured in both the documentary Love Between the Covers and on CBS Sunday Morning. Since the publication of Night Song in 1994, she has been leading the charge for inclusive romance, and has been a constant darling of reviewers, fans, and her peers alike, garnering accolades for her work from the likes of The Wall Street Journal, People Magazine, and NPR. To read more about Beverly, visit her at www.BeverlyJenkins.net.  

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Reviews for Jewel

Rating: 3.715847038251366 out of 5 stars
3.5/5

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  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    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 idea, but not something I hadn't heard before. For a long time, the execution fell flat... until Violet is bought at the Auction and reaches the Jewel, as the new surrogate for the Duchess of the Lake.

    But let's start from the beginning.

    Violet Lasting lives in Southgate. When she became a woman, her blood test showed abnormalities, magical abilities, which meant she was to become a surrogate for the royal families.

    Every woman who has magical abilities becomes a surrogate. They live a sheltered life until they have proven their abilities, and then they are auctioned off.

    The Jewel reminded me of The Hunger Games ft. The Selection ft. Eve and I was delighted to find that it's not as bad as everyone makes it out to be. Yes, there's insta-love (but come on, what dystopia doesn't have insta-love?) and yes, the MC, Violet, comes across as a little bit too sheltered at times (she wasn't sure whether sex involved lying down. Really?) but in the context of the story, it worked.


    The Duchess gives some polite response, but the world is suddenly muted as I take in the surrogate attached to the chain.
    She is hugely pregnant.
    I can't quite make out her face through the veil, and her eyes are downcast. But she can't be much older than I am.
    Reality hits me like a block of cement.
    I'm staring at my future.


    The Jewel put the fear of God in me. That may sound melodramatic, but just imagine it: in the future, all girls between the ages of 11/12 and 18 will not have a future. They will be surrogates for powerful families, and then they will die. And if they aren't magical, they will be destined to live in the slums with no chance to get out. It was creepy, to see all these young girls attached to leashes, chained like dogs, and heavily pregnant.

    And it's even more creepy when you realise that these girls you're growing up with? They're not only your friends, but your sisters, your cousins, any female relative that has an inch of magic in their bodies.

    The girl sniffs and turns to another surrogate, pleading for information. The lioness catches me frowning at her and glares. "What?"
    "I don't understand you," I say. "She was just looking for help."
    The lioness laughs. "I don't understand you," she says. "All of you. You act like sniveling weaklings, afraid of your mistresses. WE make their children. WE have the power.


    And in the end, that's what it comes down to: power and there is nothing these women won't do.

    The Duchess raises an eyebrow. "The Electress seems to have forgotten that I have been around much longer than she has. I am descended from one of the four founding Houses, not some shopkeeper in the Bank. She thought she could change the rules. She is a disgrace to the throne, and an embarrassment to her title, and yesterday she learned that no one is untouchable." She glances at my dumbstruck face and her mouth curls into a smirk. "Welcome to the Jewel."

    The Electress (which I assume is the queen of the Jewel) has just had a baby son. Every royal woman is racing to have a baby girl, so that their families can be joined in marriage. And Violet, having the strongest power in growth is being pressured into succeeding...



    "And this is why the Duchess bought me?" I say. "Because I'm so good at Growth?"
    "Has she spoken to you already?"
    I nod. "She gave me a whole list of qualities she wants her baby to have. But I don't know how to do any of it."
    "Not just that, Violet," Dr. Blythe says. "She wants her daughter to be born first. She believes that, with your abilities, her child can be born much faster than the usual nine months. And it will be... more advanced than your typical infant. You can speed up the developmental process as well as the physical."


    It's a race against time, but Violet is more and more against harming the child that way, especially when she meets Ash, a companion and cue the insta-love.

    I knew it was going to happen, and it didn't shock me, and I didn't buy into it. It felt very much like a teenage girl's wet dream, and it did nothing for me, but it helped the plot move along and if this was Ewing's intention, then good for her because it worked.

    And am I the only one who wants Violet to end up with Garnet, not Ash? I am so, so, SO over the sweet, pretty boy routine. Boring.

    The one thing that annoyed me was how this book quickly became a colour chart. I mean everyone in this book is named after a colour. Don't believe me?

    - Garnet, the Duchesses son.
    - Violet, the surrogate.
    - Pearl, the Duchess.
    - Raven, Violet's best friend.
    - Sapphire, another Duchess.
    - Carnelian, the Duchesses niece.



    WE GET IT. I highly doubt there's a reason behind this and even if there was, I wouldn't care. It's too much. TOO MUCH.

    If you don't mind your usual YA dystopia tropes, ie. insta-love, insta-attraction, an impending revolution and pretty surprising plot twists then this is the book for you. It does have all the tropes, and then some. So I highly recommend those who don't want to read something like that to stay away, because it'll annoy me.

    Also, what the hell was with that cliffhanger? WHY? THIS IS NOT OKAY.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    The story of the book is very original. I've never read a book like this before. I was very intrigued with the story when I started to read it and I couldn't stop. The thing about the girls having to carry the royalty's babies was very surprising. It's a very easy read, though the story might get complicated at some point the writer did a great job placing the words right in place. I really really liked this book and I can't wait to know how the story develops in the next two books.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Thanks to Edelweiss for access to this title.

    After reading so many not-so-good books lately, I was glad to find this one didn't disappoint.

    A great mix of intrigue, slavery, and mix of castes to keep the story strong. I found the characters believable and fairly well developed. I was hoping for more of an explanation for why the world is the way it is, but the reader is able to fill in slowly as the story goes on. Looking forward to book 2 and seeing how the cliffhanger ending of this one will be dealt with.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    I liked the concept of the book; young girls taken from the lower caste are used as surrogates for the royalty. The fact that those chosen to be surrogates have some special powers is pretty cool too. But there was something about the book that didn't make me like it as much as I thought I would. I think perhaps because this book is leading up to something bigger, so it had to lay down all the ground work now. And frankly some of that ground work was a bit repetitive, but it would be since the girl is only allowed to do so much. But the ending really picked up to what should surely be a great second book. So we will see where it all goes from here
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Enjoyable while reading, suffers from comparison with The Handmaid's Tale, which also had added elements of believability.I know several people in reviews who refer to the magic, which reads more like psionics to me, and falls into my Science Fiction box. The story centres around a young girl who is about to come of age and be auctioned off to one of the leaders to provide a child because inbreeding has left the women in this society unable to bear children. This is now law and they don't even try any more, the women are sterilised on marriage to this elite class. This is not what Violet wants for her life and when she discovers what happens to women afterwards she really wants out, so it's handy that she finds allies.It's interesting but the world has no background nothing that made it all rational to me and I wanted more from it, it suffers in comparison with Handmaid's Tale, Gate to Women's Country and several more.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Ok, so I've read a lot of other reviews of this book and they weren't very flattering. I also agree with what they were saying. This is not a literary masterpiece and shouldn't be read that way. What this is is a book that is entertaining enough to make me forget that I am on a crowded smelly train on the way home. If you like young adult dystopian and don't feel the need to take it too seriously, then read this book. But, if you have to pick apart an imaginary world and are far too serious a human being then don't bother.

    The cliffhanger at the end was downright mean. I really hope that Ewing gets the sequal out sooner rather than later. I would quite like to know what happens next.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I was on the fence about whether to pick up a copy of this book until I saw a fellow reader friend of mine had read it and enjoyed it. I did not really read her thoughts on the book but just saw the high rating she gave it. I don't particularly like to read others thoughts about a book until after I have tried the book myself or unless I am really on the fence about whether to read a book or pass on it. I just don't want others thoughts to really taint me until I have tried the book. I want to have a unclear idea going into the book. So having said all of that, I absolutely had a very enjoyable time reading this book. Although, not too sure about the love triangle at this time. I need to get to know more about Lucien and Ash before I can make up my mind about who Violet should really be with. So I was a little disappointed in this area that the author just pushed Violet towards the guys right away. Other than this I did love the world that the author built with this story. The story takes a little bit of a dark side which I liked. I can't wait to get my hands on book two and see what happens next to Violet, Lucien, Ash, and their time in the Jewel.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Warning: This book includes a cliffhanger ending which left me asking questions and ready to delve into the sequel (which unfortunately isn't likely to be released for quite some time!). Otherwise, I thoroughly enjoyed this book, set in a dystopian city surrounded by ocean. Violet, the narrator, is a surrogate, a class of girls with a genetic condition that allows them to carry the children of the city's royalty (who cannot have their own children without birth defects), and through the course of the novel, she finds herself plunged into a deceitful and dangerous world with limited options for escape. A great read, although I wish I had waited to read it until the sequel was published so that I could go straight into the next book!
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This is another book that I devoured in one sitting because it has such an interesting premise/storyline, I literally fell in the story.Plot: This is about a world that takes girls when they are young and grooms them to be surrogate. They must have children for the rich and serve them. I think the idea of just doing that is not only catchy but interesting. I wanted to know what kind of lives that they lead but also what is the drama behind it all. The Jewel call it a privilege but when people are doing that to young women, there is much more to the story. And you know what, I was right. The plot moved at a good pace keeping the reader entertained with the way that the girls are raised, auction off and life in the jewel.The Jewel: Once the author took me into the Jewel life is not what it seems. The royalty treat their surrogates horribly but well. The give them what they want (big fancy rooms, food, clothes, etc) yet if they put one foot out of line, BAM, punishment. I’m not sure if I’m wording this correctly but the vibe that I got off these royalty really felt wrong. But the jewel is as suspected filled with hypocrisy as well as drama. Much goes own within the royalty that they should have their own tv show called Real Housewives of The Jewel. These royalty do dark and dangerous things to get their way…even kill.Ending: I think the corruption within the Jewel and the surrogates wanting their freedom, leads to a very good ending. Every chapter has a nice build up to a very dramatic ending that makes me want more. I can’t wait to read the next book and see the development of the surrogates/royalty.A successful start in a trilogy, I look forward to read more of The Jewel. With plenty of surprise twists and great development of characters, The Jewel is favorable.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Oh where to begin. I will admit, I actually look at ratings of books on Goodreads. These reviews don’t sway me in anyway, but I use them to decide which book to read if I’m undecided. I’ve wanted to read The Jewel since I was lucky enough to get a copy from BEA 2014. There was so much early buzz about Amy Ewing’s debut that I knew I had to read. Fast forward almost four months, and here I am ready to read when all I see on Goodreads are ratings of 1-3 stars. Hmmm…this is interesting to me, but still I read. I read this in a few days, seeing that I had multiple baseball games, a sick hubby, and laundry to do; making my normal weekend reading nonexistent.Well, I have to say that some of the reviews were dead on. I mean, there are similarities to The Hunger Games and The Selection. For me, I also see ties to stories like Cinder and Beta. This means nothing to me, because ultimately the crux of the story is original.What did bug me about The Jewel is this:1. There is NO FREAKING WAY Violet didn’t know about pregnancy. In this world, having surrogates should mean that all girls know. This was unreal to me–it didn’t quite fit.2. The relationship/romance was way too…forced. There’s a part where trust is broken between two love birds and it’s like, “huh?!”3. The break up and the anger that ensues. Again, very weird to me. So while I totally get some of the low ratings, this whole “like a book hate a boo” thing is totally subjective. In the end, I gave The Jewel 3 out of 5 stars on Goodreads and I won’t be reading the sequel, but I
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    The blurb sums up what the book is about so I won't go into details on what THE JEWEL. I found the story to be extremely intriguing, thought provoking as well as downright shocking. There were so many things WRONG about the world of The Lone City and how they treat their surrogates, but I enjoyed exploring it and following Violet on her journey.Violet was taken away from her family as a small child and raised to be a surrogate. It has been a good life besides not being able to be with her family and her auction day is finally here. She quickly learns that everything she was prepared for isn't what she thought it was and the life of luxury she still has isn't worth everything she is soon put through.Violet had a wonderful personality for this book. She is an extremely strong character and I enjoyed the way her mind worked. Although she is willing to follow what she was raised to do she has questions and reservations from the beginning. She doesn't idly stand by, but sits and plans and thinks about what she can do. Which is why she gets the opportunities that she is offered. I wasn't crazy about the romance. The connection was rushed and felt unreal. The things that Violet was willing to give up to have this relationship were way too much for what she got in return. Hopefully it will feel more real and equal in book 2.THE JEWEL was a crazy ride. The ending left me reeling and wanting more, but I was left with a ton of questions. Book 2 will be interesting.* This book was provided free of charge from Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Creative, entertaining, and horrifying!
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Review courtesy of Dark Faerie TalesQuick & Dirty: I really enjoyed this novel, all but one aspect: the romance. It was insta-love and traveled way to fast.Opening Sentence: Today is my last day as Violet Lasting.The Review:A circular, lone city lies behind a great wall that keeps out the ocean that threatens to engulf it. In this city the people are separated into groups, with the Jewel at the center filled with the royalty, and the Marsh at the edge of the wall, poor and hungry. But some strange mutation, or something, says that the royalty cannot effectively have babies, and only those of the Marsh can do it for them. Because some poor people have developed magic that allows them to grow the royal’s baby in their belly and give birth to it, and they are tested for this ability. If they have it, they are taken away and sold to the royals for the rights to use them to give birth to their babies. Violet doesn’t want this life. But it’s too late.When I read the synopsis of The Jewel I couldn’t help being excited. It’s everything I love — pretty dresses (I’m talking to you, The Selection), a richly built fantasy world, and a forbidden romance. And The Jewel delivered on two of those three counts. For one, the pretty dresses. They made me swoon, not to mention the fan-tastic cover. It’s gorgeous! Reminds me of The One cover except, dare I say it — it’s better. And next, we have the fantasy world. Ewing also delivered for this one, and I loved delving deeper with every page into the Lone City. The world building was strong, and the premise unique with just the right amount of creepiness. So that leads me to the failed count — romance. Romance can be something that clears away any faults I had before, something that makes the story a definite hit in my mind. However, that was just not the case for The Jewel.The worst thing about the romance for me was the clear case of insta-love. Now, I am fine with insta-attraction, or insta-interest, or a version of their relationship that develops in some way. However, from the moment that the two meet, bam! They are deeply in love. Their relationship doesn’t build or develop, and it moved extremely fast into kissing (among other things). Thankfully, I was interested enough in the plotline itself that the novel was saved, but if the romance was better this might have been my favorite book of the year and received not only five stars, but the crown as well. I didn’t know why she was risking so much to be with a boy she just met. Also, let me tell you, I’m pretty sure they kiss the second or third time meeting and tell each other they love the other on number five or six. And they go beyond kissing by seven or eight. It was like a three year relationship squished into three weeks.Some have compared The Jewel to The Selection. Pretty dresses, check. Some version of a caste or ranking system, check. However their are many distinguishments I can make — for one, Violet is much less reckless then America. She has enough emotion for me to root for her but is also intelligent enough to hold her tongue when America would not. Also, The Jewel hits more sensitive subjects of slavery, with a little magic in the mix. But America is smart on some counts. Her romances grow and develop, both of them deeper by the time the series is over, while Violet’s do not (in the slightest). Don’t get me wrong, I love both books. I swallowed both in a day. They were both enjoyable and interesting and I’m so excited for book two of The Jewel.Basically, I loved everything about this novel except the love interest. One small problem that really isn’t relevant is that when Violet was listening to the royalty talk, they would name each other not by their titles but their first names, which I couldn’t keep straight. It was a tad bit confusing, not that it matters.Violet is such an amazing, strong heroin. The magic they added to the story that made it fantasy was just the icing on the cake, and I loved hearing about the three auguries. I really couldn’t put this book down, only when I had to for mundane tasks like eating and sleeping, uch. I was very impressed by the world-building and how it was dolled out pretty nicely so their were only small parts where you got info-dumped. Hearing about the magic, how the royalty were ranked, it was all great. I wish the author had touched the ocean behind the wall more, but I have a feeling it will be in the next books. I also loved the character of the Dutchess, just enough compassion to empathize, but just enough evil to hate. She was a prime candidate for an antagonist. And be prepared for a twist at the end that truly surprised me. The very last page, I reread over and over, saying “what?!” Altogether, I am a fan of The Jewel!Notable Scene:Lucien sighs. “You don’t talk much, do you, 197?”I clear my throat. “My name-”He holds up a finger and shakes his head. “Sorry, honey. I can’t know your name.”Even though I have no attachment to this man, and I’ll probably never see him again, the fact that he isn’t allowed to know my name, my name, not some number I’ve been assigned, brings tears to my eyes. My chest tightens.FTC Advisory: HarperTeen provided me with a copy of The Jewel. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Definitely reminiscent of The Selection (and not just because of the pretty dress on the cover [which I think Harper should start its own imprint of these]) but solidly written with a creepy walled city with old blood feuds, upstarts who have worked/slept/cheated their way up the ladder, and secret staircases and tunnels perfect for overhearing exactly what you're not supposed to. I was pleasantly surprised how much I liked this book.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    THE JEWEL takes place in a dystopian society where the royalty can't have children and have surrogates taken the poorest area to bear their children. Violet is one of those surrogates who was taken from her family at age twelve and groomed for her role. She was taught to use some magical abilities that came at the cost of pain and hemorrhaging. When she was sixteen she was sold. Now Violet finds herself in the home of the Duchess of the Lake. She also finds herself deep in a society that she doesn't understand. The royals all have their own political agendas, feuds and alliances. Violet is completely out of her depth. Then she meets Ash who has been purchased as a companion to the Duchess's niece and the two fall in love. Both are slaves and both are risking everything to be together.Violet is also involved in another conspiracy spear-headed by one of the ruler's ladies-in-waiting. He has promised to get her out of the Jewel and into a new life. But she doesn't want to go without her best friend who has also been sold as a surrogate to another of the ruling families. The setting was interesting. It was a walled city built with five rings. The Jewel where the royals live is the center; the outer ring where Violet lived is where the poor but fertile are from. The contrast between the lives of excess and privilege of the royals versus the poverty of those who live in the outer ring couldn't help but bring tension to the story. I liked Violet and Ash and felt very sorry for them. They were essentially powerless and at the mercy of capricious owners. The cliffhanger, and surprising, ending makes me eager for another book in this series.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    After today, a rich lady from Jewel will bid on Violet at auction, and she'll carry this woman's child to term. Violet doesn't want this life, but she knows the consequences of trying to run when she's known to have the Auguries - basically a magical ability to change something's color, something's shape, and make living things grow. This is the last day Violet can be herself; soon she'll just be a surrogate.This dystopia is definitely set on a different world where magic is real and who knows how the evil government ever got started? There's one city, as far as anyone knows, walling out the sea all around it, and having concentric circles from the poorest to the most rich. That inner circle, Jewel, has the most rich and powerful families, the duchesses and countesses who buy the girls from the poorer circles to have their babies. The set up was kind of interesting, but I found Violet rather lacking as a character. I had a hard time understanding her motivations for who she trusts or loves, and she rather passively sits back and waits for others to save her. I saw the twists at the end coming, and while I might recommend it to the most insatiable dystopia readers, I don't see it having the wide range appeal of the best.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Die komplexe Welt der "einzigen Stadt" wird von Adelsfamilien beherrscht, die in unermesslichem Reichtum im"Juwel" leben. Durch eine seltene Mutation ist es dem Adel nicht möglich, gesunde Kinder zur Welt zu bringen. Ein System der Leihmutterschaft durch "Surrogates", Mädchen, die über außergewöhnliche Begabungen verfügen und in "Southgate" auf ihre Bestimmung vorbereitet wurden, sichertdie Fortpflanzung. Violet, eine Surrogate wird auf der jährlichen Auktion von der "Herzogin vom See" ersteigert und erlebt die Hölle im Juwel. Zwischen brutaler Gewalt, prachtvollen Kleidern und Festen wird sie von der Herzogin,für die sie ein Kind gebären soll, gedemütigt, verliebt sich in Ash, den käuflichen Gefährten einer Adligen. Lucien, ein Eunuch will Violet zur Flucht verhelfen, doch ihre Beziehung zu Ash fliegt auf und der Tod scheint ihr sicher. - Die romantische Story mit märchenhaften Bezügen und äußerst brutalen Szenen ist einerseits sehr spannend,wirkt andererseits recht konstruiert. Das Cover ist ein Hingucker, die Reihe ist auf dem englischsprachigen Marktein Bestseller, Fortsetzungen werden folgen.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Diese und weitere Rezensionen findet ihr auf meinem Blog Anima Libri - Buchseele

    „Das Juwel: Die Gabe“ ist der Auftag zu einer dystopischen YA-Serie von Amy Ewing, der sich wie eine nicht gerade gelungene Mischung aus Margaret Atwoods „The Handmaid’s Tale“ (der deutsche Titel ist wohl „Der Report der Magd“) und der „Selection“ Serie von Kiera Cass liest: Erzwungene Leihmutterschaft zur Erhaltung einer unfruchtbaren Elite in einer post-apokalyptischen Gesellschaft trifft auf weichgespülten Disney Glitzer und Glamour inklusive Insta-Love und atemberaubender Ballkleider. Ach, und Magie gibt es auch. Juchee!

    Das Erste, was mich irgendwie irritiert hat, war tatsächlich die Magie. Denn in der Einzigen Stadt, deren Mittelpunkt das Juwel bildet, in dem der Adel lebt, der durch einen Gendefekt keine lebensfähigen Kinder mehr zeugen kann, werden in den äußeren Ringen der Stadt, die außer dem Juwel noch aus dem Sumpf, der Farm, dem Schlot und der Bank besteht, Mädchen mit besonderen Genen geboren, Mädchen, die die Gabe haben, mit der sich der kaputte Genpool des Adels reparieren lässt und die deshalb als Surrogate (Leihmütter – warum wurde das nicht übersetzt, sonst aber außer einigen Eigennamen alles? Und warum wird dann auch noch ein falscher Plural verwendet?! Das sollte Surrogates heißen!) herhalten müssen. Diese Gabe, die eigentlich aus drei Teilen besteht, nennt sich Auspizium und das hat sich mir dann doch das ganze Buch über nicht erschlossen: Warum sind diese drei Gaben nach dem antik-römischen Brauch der Weissagung durch Vogelschau benannt? Aber die Namen in diesem Buch sind sowieso etwas… seltsam, auch ohne die in meinen Augen leicht fragwürdige mal so, mal so Übersetzungspolitik der deutschen Ausgabe.

    Aber wie dem auch sei, unsere Protagonistin, die getreu der thematisch sortieren Namensgruppen Violet heißt, ist natürlich nicht nur einfach eine Surrogate, nein, sie ist auch außerordentlich gut aussehend (offenbar scheint die Veranlagung für Schönheit mit der Surrogate-Genanomalie einherzugehen, völlig unabhängig von ethnischen Gruppen oder irgendwelchen Regeln der Vererbungslehre) und natürlich auch klug, intelligent, talentiert und wahnsinnig begabt in Sachen Auspizien. Kurzum, sie ist perfekt. Und sie ist langweilig. Grenzenlos langweilig. Ich meine, sie ist halt perfekt, da bleibt nicht viel Spielraum für Charakterentwicklung und dergleichen. Allerdings muss man auch zugeben, dass über weite Teile des Buchs nicht allzu viel passiert. Klar, die Surrogate(S!!!) landen bei ihren neuen Besitzerinnen und man bekommt zumindest etwas Hintergrundinformationen, aber ansonsten? Das Motto lautet Kleider, Kleider, Kleider! Oh, und Instantliebe. Denn, ganz ehrlich, nachvollziehen konnte ich diese absolute Anziehung zwischen Violet und dem Objekt ihrer Begierde überhaupt nicht, so wie ihre Treffen geschildert wurden, wirkte das alles eher wie gesteigerter Sextrieb zweier vollpubertärer Teenager denn eine tiefe, herzergreifende und unsterbliche Liebe.

    Aber so grässlich das jetzt auch klingt, gelesen habe ich Amy Ewings Roman „Das Juwel: Die Gabe“ trotzdem innerhalb weniger Stunden und ich fand es eigentlich auch recht unterhaltsam – ziemlich gehaltlos aber unterhaltsam. Die Geschichte hat halt durchaus Potential, die Idee mit den Surrogate erinnerte mich an den bereits erwähnten Roman von Margaret Atwood, allerdings fehlt die düstere, brutale Ausstrahlung fast vollständig, die Geschichte wirkte ziemlich weichgespült, in Disney-Manier verniedlicht und für ein jüngeres Publikum angepasst – die gesamte Atmosphäre und auch der Stil erinnern irgendwie sehr an die ebenfalls schon erwähnte „Selection“-Serie von Kiera Cass – die ich ja aber auch mit relativ großer Begeisterung verschlungen habe.

    Alles in allem eins dieser Bücher, deren zweiten Band ich mir nicht zwingend zulegen muss, sollte ich ihn aber zufällig in die Hände kriegen, werde ich ihn wohl lesen – einfach, um zu sehen, wie es weitergeht (ich mochte den Cliffhanger am Ende nämlich). Ansonsten gibt es hier eine tolle Idee und einen guten Schreibstil, kombiniert mit weichgespültem Disney-Glitzer und stereotypischen Charakteren – nichts, was man gelesen haben muss, aber wer drauf steht, für den könnte es ziemlich unterhaltsam werden!
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Seemingly a retelling of Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale, Ewing submits a beautifully-covered tale of young girls groomed to become surrogates for rich patrons who reside in the “Jewel,” a coveted inner circle of royalty and wealth. Violet is auctioned off as an enviable surrogate and becomes subject to the cruel whims of her mistress, who slaps/hits her and leashes her like a dog. The action does not pick up until about the middle of the book; until then, it is all just backstory and preparation for the auction.If you dislike a cliffhanger, then be warned: this book has quite a cliffhanger, almost guaranteeing that you will be waiting and waiting for the sequel.
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    As I began reading this, my initial thought was "this sounds like The Hunger Games meets The Handmaid's Tale." Violet (named for her striking eye color) is a Surrogate, a teen girl chosen for her magical genetic powers to be auctioned off to the royalty to bear their children. The Duchess who owns her is volatile; the Duchess's son is a drunken embarrassment; Violet's best friend Raven, purchased by another house, seems to be losing her mind; the companion hired to escort the Duchess's unpleasant niece (the ludicrously-named Ash Lockwood) is super hot and becomes the obvious love interest. General opinion: meh. None of the characters interested me and though the book ended on a serious cliffhanger, I honestly don't care enough to read the rest of the series. I'm generally a fan of dystopian YA romance/adventure stories but this simply wasn't very good.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Violet Lasting is no more. Now she is lot 197, which is better than lot 53 if one has to be known only by a number. lot 197 is part of the surrogate auction. She is property. For the rest of her days she will be poked and prodded, then inseminated, give birth, and then she will die. Childbirth always kills surrogates.

    There are five rings and a center in this world. The Marsh, where 197 is from. The Smoke, where her father worked. The Farm, where her brother works. The Bank, where 197 hopes she will go. Finally, The Jewel, where she will likely end up. Most surrogates go to The Jewel, the center where the royalty lives. Royals, are, after all, a dying breed...

    This book was surprisingly good, I really connected with Violet; I was absolutely enraged several times at what is done to her. the imagery was quite good, though, for the life of me I couldn't settle on what certain characters looked like.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Shades of The Selection by Kiera Cass, with a much darker undertone. A very quick read and an endearingly captivating heroine who alternates between accepting her fate as a surrogate and wanting to rebel. I can't wait to read what happens next for Violet.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This was a pleasant surprise. Violet's story is actually a shocking tale of slavery, survival, and forbidden love, but I was intrigued from the early pages. I found myself thinking back on Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale. In Violet's world, there hasn't been a religious war or a breakdown in government. Instead, The Lone City is focused on maintaining the organized lifestyle they've built for all the social classes. The highest class, the royal wives, are consumed with politics, strong family bloodlines, and power...especially augury power. To become the best and most powerful family, they have to scheme, manipulate, keep the royal gene pool pure, and make a good marital match for their children. But most important of all, they need a surrogate with the highest augury skills to bear their child. If you can get past the whole slavery thing and the way these girls are used as broodmares, there is a deeper story here. It's worth reading to see where the author is going with the overall plot. I will definitely be moving on to the next book. This is shelved as young adult, but due to the subject matter it's better suited (IMHO) for the more mature (16+)
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Karen at For What It's Worth and Mary at The Book Swarm occasionally post twitter-style reviews. Karen calls hers Short and Tweet, and I am going to borrow that review style here.My short and tweet review: I liked the main character and premise. Romance felt like insta-love. Agree with others that it has "The Selection" by Cass feel. Will continue the series. reviewed by Brandi at Brandi Breathes Books
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Fast paced and interesting. Hard to put down, I read it in two sittings. I really enjoyed the unique subjects of royalty and surrogates. Plus the added powers that the characters posses. The only annoying parts are the romance scenes. Although brief, they do take away from the story. As always the girl meets boy and becomes foolish due to "love". Overall a good story and I'm looking forward to the next book.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I received the UK paperback copy from the publisher Walker Books in exchange for an honest review.The royals can’t have children and this is why they bring in the surrogates, seeing as these specific girls are able to bear healthy children. Every year, an auction takes place so the royals can buy their own surrogate. Violet is one of the surrogates, and even though this wasn’t a live she wanted, the Duchess of the House of the Lake, is kind to her but things are not always as they seem and there are secrets Violet still needs to uncover.The Jewel is very brutal and dark, at times. It is not easy to read, though. I would flinch and cringe at various scenes. I would bite my nails a few times because this was intense to read. When I went into this story, I thought it was a Contemporary book, but I was so wrong. It is a mixture between Fantasy and Dystopian and readers will devour this story in a heartbeat.The ending had my heart racing faster than throughout the book and so hard it might have popped out of my chest. I loved my journey with this story. It is so different from anything I have read and so intriguing. I recommend this book to readers that are looking for something new, something daring, something brutal and engaging.