Book Review: The Jewel by Amy Ewing

Title: The Jewel
Author: Amy Ewing
Published: 4th September 2014
Publisher: Walker Books

Every now and then a book comes along that I literally cannot get out of my head. A book that creates a world that all consumes me and has me desperate to find out what will happen next, and that is exactly what I found with the Jewel.
Violet is on the cusp of losing her identity, tomorrow she becomes Lot 197, ready to be auctioned off to the highest bidder to become a surrogate. Violet is about to experience first-hand the very real cruelty of The Jewel. Dystopyian novels are one of my favourite genres- I have read a LOT of them, so it takes quite a lot for a book of this type to really grab my attention and not make me think that this is too similar to what I have read before, but not with The Jewel, this manages to be unique in its story delivery and it's unpredictability. The Jewel is a fascinating, yet brutal and in places horrifying read. There are no rose-tinted glasses whilst you are reading this, and one particular scene made my toes curl. But this did not stop me from reading on. I don't know how Amy does it but nothing about this story is predictable. It is literally on the edge of your seat reading.
This trilogy is literally my new obsession. I was actually so pleased I took so long to start reading this series as book two was out already and a novella, which I am reading as I write this. It meant that I could start book two straight away. It has been ages since I started a book series and immediately had to start the second one.
For me this book really is up there with The Hunger Games and the Slated trilogy by Teri Terry, not because they are similar, but because the anticipation in finding out what is going to happen next is so great.
Amy has created a fantastically compelling and page-turning story that will sweep you up in it's entirety and leave very little room for thoughts of anything else.

        

The Jewel is out now!