***The Starry-Eyed Revue***: The Jewel

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week's WoW selections are...

's Pick:

Title: The White Rose
Author: Amy Ewing
Series: The Lone City #2
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Publication Date: October 6th, 2015

Violet is on the run. After the Duchess of the Lake catches Violet with Ash, the hired companion at the Palace of the Lake, Violet has no choice but to escape the Jewel or face certain death. So along with Ash and her best friend, Raven, Violet runs away from her unbearable life of servitude.

But no one said leaving the Jewel would be easy. As they make their way through the circles of the Lone City, Regimentals track their every move, and the trio barely manages to make it out unscathed and into the safe haven they were promised—a mysterious house in the Farm.

But there’s a rebellion brewing, and Violet has found herself in the middle of it. Alongside a new ally, Violet discovers her Auguries are much more powerful than she ever imagined. But is she strong enough to rise up against the Jewel and everything she has ever known?

The White Rose is a raw, captivating sequel to The Jewel that fans won’t be able to put down until the final shocking moments.

I read The Jewel last Summer and I really enjoyed it. It was fun. Also, I think I like this cover even more than the first. So pretty.

's Pick:

Title: Slasher Girls & Monster Boys
Author: various, stories selected by April Genevieve Tucholke
Series: anthology
Publisher: Dial
Publication Date: August 18, 2015

For fans of Stephen King, Neil Gaiman, Lois Duncan, and Daphne Du Maurier comes a powerhouse anthology featuring some of the best writers of YA thrillers and horror

A host of the smartest young adult authors come together in this collection of scary stories and psychological thrillers curated by Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea’s April Genevieve Tucholke.

Each story draws from a classic tale or two—sometimes of the horror genre, sometimes not—to inspire something new and fresh and terrifying. There are no superficial scares here; these are stories that will make you think even as they keep you on the edge of your seat. From bloody horror to supernatural creatures to unsettling, all-too-possible realism, this collection has something for any reader looking for a thrill.

Fans of TV’s The Walking Dead, True Blood, and American Horror Story will tear through tales by these talented authors:

Stefan Bachmann
Leigh Bardugo
Kendare Blake
A. G. Howard
Jay Kristoff
Marie Lu
Jonathan Maberry
Danielle Paige
Carrie Ryan
Megan Shepherd
Nova Ren Suma
McCormick Templeman
April Genevieve Tucholke
Cat Winters

I don't read all that many anthologies, but I loved April's series about delicious devil boys with sparks and burns, so I know she won't fail to impress with this collection of thrillers. And some of my other favorite authors' works are included, which makes me doubly excited to get my hands on this.

What are you desperately waiting for this Wednesday? Let us know in the comments or share a link to your own WoW post!

Labels: amy ewing, anthology, april genevieve tucholke, harperteen, penguin, slasher girls & monster boys, The Jewel, The white rose, thriller, waiting on wednesday (wow)

Title: The Jewel
Author: Amy Ewing
Series: The Lone City # 1
Publisher: HarperTeen
Publication Date: September 2nd, 2014
Source: From Publisher via Edelwiess
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

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.

I was a little nervous about starting The Jewel. You see, there have been many comparisons to The Selection out there. Why should this bother me? It doesn't really, because I haven't read The Selection books yet, so really what do I care? Well maybe that's why I liked The Jewel, because I didn't have The Selection to compare it to. Jen wasn't a huge fan of The Selection books, and we were supposed to read this together but we are busy, so I took on this one all by myself.

I'm kind of glad I did! I mean, I really liked The Jewel. I had my issues, but over all it was fast paced and kept me interested. That's big guys, because I've got some things going on right now, and I'm so freaking distracted. I could not put this one down though, and when I did, I kept thinking about it.

The whole surrogacy thing is creepy as hell. Can you imagine being forced to grow some crazy bitches baby? Um, no thank you, but that's what these girls are purchased to do. Those royals are all friggen nuts, and those poor girls.

There is a special reason certain girls are auctioned off, and it's interesting. Interesting as in different and I still don't fully understand. I get why they are being used for those reasons.. but why are they the way they are? Why? I want to know.

One thing I didn't buy was the romance. There was no build up. They met and bam, couldn't stay away from each other. Even when it was the stupidest of things for both of them to do. I wanted to slap that girl, let me tell you. Their romance felt forced and fake to me.

Overall, it was a good story. I wasn't blown away by any means, but it did suck me right in. I would probably give it 3.5 stars, but I'll round it up just for the sake of keeping my mind of things.

I really hope that's not real. lol

About the author:

Amy Ewing is the young adult author of The Jewel, the first in a trilogy from HarperTeen, coming out September 2014.

She grew up in a small town outside Boston, where her librarian mother instilled a deep love of reading at a young age. Amy moved to New York City in 2000 to study theater at New York University. Unfortunately, her acting career didn’t quite pan out. She worked in restaurants, as an administrative assistant, a nanny, and a sales representative for a wine distributor before the lack of creativity in her life drove her to begin writing.

Amy received her MFA in Creative Writing for Children from The New School, where she was lucky enough to meet a fabulous community of YA writers who keep her sane on a daily basis. She lives in Harlem, where she spends her days writing, eating cheese, and occasionally binge watching The Vampire Diaries.

Find Amy:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads