Today is my last day as Violet Lasting. Tomorrow I become Lot 197.
Every year 200 girls are stripped of their identity and labelled a Lot number to be sold as a surrogate to a rich lady.
16-year-old Violet Lasting has spent the past 4 years of her life preparing for this auction.
But when the day finally comes and she is sold to the Duchess of the Lake, Violet struggles to hold on to what she values most: her sanity and identity. Violet is swept up into the deadly world of the Jewel, and while for most the Jewel means glittering gowns and extravagant balls, for Violet it means imprisonment and isolation and leaving everything she cares about behind.
Against her will, Violet is destined to carry the child of a woman she despises.
But then she meets Ash – the handsome royal companion – and as she grows closer to him and a forbidden romance erupts between them she learns that she is not the only captive enslaved as a puppet to the Royals. The consequences of their illicit love may cost more than they bargained for – and Violet discovers some shocking secrets about the Royalty.
This book is truly incredible. Every chapter there's a new twist and there are so many cliffhangers that left me in suspense that I just couldn't stop reading. Be warned – it's a real page turner and *SPOILER ALERT* the ending was a rather unpleasant stab to my heart. As soon as I finished it I was desperate to read the second book (sadly coming out in October 2015). It's not a challenging book but it's definitely a great teen read. I love dystopian romance novels, so I recommend The Jewel for anyone who likes dystopians, especially if you're a fan of The Hunger Games, Divergent or the Selection series.
• Buy this book at the Guardian Bookshop.
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