The White Rose
The White Rose book cover

The White Rose

Hardcover – October 6, 2015

by
Price
$15.43
Format
Hardcover
Pages
320
Publisher
HarperTeen
Publication Date
ISBN-13
978-0062235817
Dimensions
1.3 x 5.6 x 8.1 inches
Weight
13.6 ounces

Description

From School Library Journal Gr 9 Up—The sequel to The Jewel (HarperCollins, 2014) picks up within hours of the first volume's end. Violet and Ash's love affair has been discovered by the Duchess of the Lake. In order to save Ash and to survive, Violet must trust The Black Key, a secret society bent upon the destruction of the royals in the Jewel. Violet escapes from the Jewel circle to the Farm circle, along the way learning that surrogates are not the only ones who are being used by the royals: boys are forced to be companions for the wealthy, girls are being kidnapped into slavery, servants are killed on a whim, boys are being conscripted into military service, and children are dying from disease. This realization makes the protagonist determined to end the reign of the royals and discover the true meaning behind the Auguries, the powers that the royals find so desirable in their surrogates. What Violet learns about those powers will change the future of the city. This work has its own fast-paced plot and doesn't just bridge the first book to the third. Questions are answered from the first installment in this tale, backstory and history are provided for better understanding of the workings of the Lone City, and a surprise twist will make readers anxious for the next series entry. VERDICT A must-read for fans of the previous title; they will not be disappointed.—Lisa Nabel, Dayton Metro Library, OH “This fast-paced plot and a surprise twist will make readers anxious for the next series entry. A must-read for fans of the previous title; they will not be disappointed.” — School Library Journal “The story’s setting is interesting. A decadent matriarchal society is thought provoking. This is a quick read. Good storytelling.” — Voice of Youth Advocates (VOYA) “Ewing bravely blends several genres. This solidly sets fans up for the next volume.” — Kirkus Reviews 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. Amy Ewing earned her MFA in Writing for Children at the New School and received her BFA at New York University. The Jewel started off as a thesis project but became her debut novel, the first in a New York Times bestselling trilogy. The other books are The White Rose and The Black Key . She lives in New York City. Visit Amy online at www.amyewingbooks.com or on Twitter @AmyEwingBooks. Read more

Features & Highlights

  • The Selection
  • meets
  • The Handmaid’s Tale
  • in the epic sequel to the
  • New York Times
  • bestselling author Amy Ewing’s
  • The Jewel
  • .
  • Violet is on the run. She’s escaped the Duchess of the Lake, who bought her at auction, and the lifetime of servitude she was once resigned to.
  • But no matter how far Violet runs, she can’t avoid the rebellion brewing just beneath the Jewel’s glittering surface or the fact that she wants in on it. With Ash and a new ally by her side, Violet discovers her Auguries are more powerful than she could have ever imagined.
  • But is she strong enough to rise against the Jewel and everything she has ever known? And is she willing to risk the lives of everyone she cares about to find out?

Customer Reviews

Rating Breakdown

★★★★★
60%
(1K)
★★★★
25%
(421)
★★★
15%
(253)
★★
7%
(118)
★
-7%
(-118)

Most Helpful Reviews

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Saying I’m sorry isn’t enough. And saying I wish this hadn’t happened is a lie.

The White Rose by Amy Ewing
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌺🔥🌊💨❤
Yep. Still one of my new all-time favorite series. But, again, not for everyone. As a flat-out, upfront warning, this series revolves around a lot of sexual abuse, including but not limited to forced surrogacy, prostitution, and castration. But you probably already know that since this is the second novel. Moving on…
I LOVE IT. The White Rose deepens the overall world, went in a direction I NEVER saw coming, and tied everything up with the most heartbreaking cliffhanger of all time. (AMY, I NEED BOOK 3, AS DOES EVERYONE.) I’m attached to every character, and each character is human in his or her own way. I adore how—due to their circumstances—they treat other characters differently from one another, even if they are on the same side. It really adds a 3-D effect you don’t always see in such a short amount of time, especially during a rebellion.
Beyond that, Violet continues to grow, and so do those around her. I particularly have a soft spot for Garnet. Even though he is such a small character, his impact is voluminous. I suspect his connections will have an even bigger impact in the last book of the trilogy (which I need. Right meow. Have I said that yet? Amy? Amy?) In this book, as difficult as it was to read, I truly appreciated seeing more of Lucien’s backstory. But seriously, what a terrible, gut-wrenching moment. I had to put the book down for a minute after that. The reason I use the word “appreciate” is because of the author. She is tackling unspeakable issues without apology, and she does it in a way that isn’t gratuitous, insensitive, or heartless; for that, I love her even more. She is truly a talented and brave author for writing this series, both carefully and imaginatively. Everything in The White Rose is delicate, which is exactly why Amy Ewing is brilliant.
I imagine this book is leading up to a truly epic ending. I cannot even begin to imagine how the finale will unravel…but I bet it will be enthralling, crushing, and empowering. It might even be epic. wink emoticon
~SAT
Recommended to: First and foremost, readers who can handle mature topics relating to sexual abuse, such as forced surrogacy, prostitution, and castration. Fans of romance, fantasy with elemental magic, rebellion, and made-up worlds (in this case, an island).
Favorite Quote: I struggle for something to say, words of comfort or inspiration, but there’s nothing. Saying I’m sorry isn’t enough. And saying I wish this hadn’t happened is a lie.
4 people found this helpful
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Get Ready to Dive Deeper

Oh you beautiful, beautiful book. There was such growth and such movement throughout this book. I loved how we dove so much deeper into each aspect of the story. The way she arranged the Society of the Black Key with members popping up here and there when they were needed was intriguing and mysterious. It really added a great revolutionary feel to the story. The development of the abilities was intriguing as well. I liked how she arranged it as a connection to life and how she made what they learned in the Jewel something twisted and warped like everything else there. The backstory for the abilities was short but satisfactory, and I really appreciated how it linked the characters to their ancestors giving the story a richer feel. Then the ending! It was as if time stopped. I have no memory of turning the last few pages. I was in such a trance as I read the last few words of the story, knew what was going to happen, and felt my heart stop when it came to pass. Such a rush of emotion. As an older sister, I think she hit the nail on the head of what I would feel and how much I would want to protect my little sister if something were to happen to her. It's beautiful motivation and sets up such a wonderful group of elements for the next book. This is one of those books where at the end you can see all of the components and how they have amazing potential to blossom into a truly stunning conclusion to a story. If I had to touch on one drawback it would be Violet and Ash's relationship. They seem very devoted to each other and yet their relationship seems very superficial. I guess I don't really understand why she loves him so much. However, this is consistent with the first book, and it is nice to not have to read a book where the relationship is so dominant that it takes away from the more action packed parts of the story. It's been awhile since I've read a book that has made time stand still with the intensity of the moment the way the excellently crafted moments in The White Rose did. I received a copy of this book through the GoodReads FirstReads program.
1 people found this helpful
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Expectations Met!

More like 4.5 stars!

Book series worry me. You read the first book and are wowed by the addictiveness, by the story, by the characters. First books are new and different and can easily pull you in. You have the beginning of a romance, the beginning of the story, the beginning of everything. But a first books leads to a second book which can sometimes not live up to the expectations built by book one. Luckily for The White Rose that was not the case. Amy Ewing delivered and delivered it precisely.

The White Rose picks up where The Jewel ended. Violet is on the run after all hell broke loose when she and Ash were discovered. Now Violet, Ash and Violet’s best friend Raven are being helped by unexpected allies to get out of the Jewel and to a mystery house in the Farm. But as the 3 make it closer and closer to safety they all learn things about themselves and each other that could change everything.

Action:
Holy cow was there action in The White Rose. The book moved fast. Very fast, but not so fast that you had no idea what was actually going on. Basically it moved fast in the way that the story progressed. There was a lot of information about the past and what it meant for the present and Violet specifically, but it wasn’t overwhelming. All the action and information did was make me more and more invested in the plot and Amy’s narrative. Plus you can never go wrong with a good rebellion in a story. ;-)

Backdrop:
The thing I like the most about the setting of this series is that they almost play a character themselves. The Jewel is a very vibrant place where the most colorful and powerful people live. While the Smoke and the Farm are the working sectors. Just the names of these places alone can tell you what they are about and that is what I love about this story. First names and last names and places tell a story all by themselves and leave you with an image in your head that is clear and easy to pinpoint.

Characters:
There is no denying what brings me back more and more for The Lone City series, the characters. I just love them. Violet is so naïve yet she is learning how things really work in the world and by learning she is growing. Raven hasn’t had it easy at all yet she continues on even with the struggles she faces on a daily basis. And Ash, oh my Ash. I just love him. He is different than any male character I have come across as he is the one with the “improper” job but he did what he had to do for his family. He struggles a lot in The White Rose for his place in all of this and his place with Violet, but they are understandable troubles and I love him even more for it. And don’t even get me started on Lucien and Garnet. They are two eggs I would love to crack and see what they are made of. ;-)

Final Thoughts:
I love this series. I love the story. I love the characters. I love the setting. I love the author. I can’t help it Amy has sucked me in and sucked me in good. She has tormented me with endings that are just not fair and yet I come back for more. Seriously I can’t wait for the last part of this addictive story.
1 people found this helpful
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great product at a fair price.

great product at a fair price.
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Things are now really, really interesting for the finale.

As soon as I finished the first book in The Lone City trilogy I had to start this one right away. The cliffhanger at the end of The Jewel had my heart in my throat. I had to know what would happen next. So, if you haven’t read the first book in the series, this one is most definitely not for you. As hard as it is to write reviews for sequels, I promise not to disclose any spoilers related to the plot or characters.

This book picks up right where its predecessor left off. It starts off all action packed and full of drama, but then unfortunately falls into the second book slump. I totally enjoyed it but not as much as the first. It lacked the urgency and pacing of The Jewel. The first half of the book was the reader being told what the characters were doing. They went here…now they will try to go here… I was bored and kept wondering how this could have been written by the same author? However, things do get better in the second half. A lot of the questions I had about the world were answered and a new magical dimension was added to the story. Also, some scenes from the first book that I didn’t blink an eye at where connected to others and I just love when authors do that. Everything is mentioned for a reason and impacts something later on. This really saved the story for me and setup the action for the finale in book three.

While Violet is still very much the focus of the book, I really enjoyed how in The White Rose many supporting characters had their backgrounds and personalities fleshed out. I honestly didn’t care about Ash in the first book, but here he becomes much more than the love interest. His story broke my heart and I wish I could’ve given him a huge hug. Raven, Violet’s best friend, also features more and I just loved how brutally honest and upfront she was. Several other interesting characters were also introduced in the book. I also enjoyed how they weren’t just there to be there, but added another dimension to the conversation on choices and free will, two of the main themes of the series.

So, while this sequel wasn’t what I expected, it was still an enjoyable read that added some interesting twists to the storyline. Things are now really, really interesting for the finale. I have so many questions and guesses as to what will happen next. Bring on book three!!!!
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Five Stars

Great book. I love the series
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SO SO SO SO GOOD!

ABSOLUTELY AMAZING. I loved it. What a great world that was created here. What great characters.
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Four Stars

Love the world building
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Good sequel

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 (longer) review:

I am glad that I continued with this series, and will read the next one as well. I liked the romance more in this one, and I liked the character development, not only of main character but side characters as well. Some characters and plot twists surprised me, but still enjoy the ones that I saw coming. I like the strength and power that has developed in Violet, and the ways that she sees she can help, and love the continuance of her seeing through other people.
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... wanna cry a lil bit k i just really love this

i wanna cry a lil bit k i just really love this book

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