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The Adventures of Jewel Cardwell
What would you do, if you knew you’d inherited an ancient curse?
What would do, if you found out you were racing against time to save yourself and your loved ones?
And what would you do, if you suddenly find yourself in the middle of a love triangle, amidst the unraveling curse?
******
When free-spirited and more than a little rebellious, seventeen-year-old Jewel Cardwell gained admission to Grayton Preparatory School, a prestigious, girls-only, top-notch private institution nestled in the South African farmlands of Limpopo, little did she know it would begin a trail of mysterious and unfamiliar events, changing her life forever! At Grayton prep, a battle line is drawn between ‘good and evil’ especially when there’s a full moon and dark forces swirl and turn up in the form of hideous monsters and frightening demons. With her school fr-nemies, rivalry and treachery become the order of the day and Jewel is forced to question everything she thought she knew as she struggles to stay alive in a dubious place riddled with demonic activity! Armed with a magical secret from her dying grandmother, a golden locket, she sets a new course in motion. In the middle of this whirlwind of events, she is caught between two boys: Darwin Morton, a lad she's known growing up, and Eric Broder, a soccer team leader with a silver spoon in his mouth. Why her love life has to get interesting now is a question she can't answer!
“"I welcomed death with open arms, closed my eyes and listened as the aircraft made rattling and shaking sounds through the dreary weather. If this was my time to go, I would embrace darkness, as I had nothing else to lose -- JEWEL CARDWELL.”
Will Jewel be able to solve the mystery before evil is unleashed against those she loves?
Join Jewel Cardwell as she sets out to unlock the aged secret to the demonic activities in pursuit of her family lineage.
What would do, if you found out you were racing against time to save yourself and your loved ones?
And what would you do, if you suddenly find yourself in the middle of a love triangle, amidst the unraveling curse?
******
When free-spirited and more than a little rebellious, seventeen-year-old Jewel Cardwell gained admission to Grayton Preparatory School, a prestigious, girls-only, top-notch private institution nestled in the South African farmlands of Limpopo, little did she know it would begin a trail of mysterious and unfamiliar events, changing her life forever! At Grayton prep, a battle line is drawn between ‘good and evil’ especially when there’s a full moon and dark forces swirl and turn up in the form of hideous monsters and frightening demons. With her school fr-nemies, rivalry and treachery become the order of the day and Jewel is forced to question everything she thought she knew as she struggles to stay alive in a dubious place riddled with demonic activity! Armed with a magical secret from her dying grandmother, a golden locket, she sets a new course in motion. In the middle of this whirlwind of events, she is caught between two boys: Darwin Morton, a lad she's known growing up, and Eric Broder, a soccer team leader with a silver spoon in his mouth. Why her love life has to get interesting now is a question she can't answer!
“"I welcomed death with open arms, closed my eyes and listened as the aircraft made rattling and shaking sounds through the dreary weather. If this was my time to go, I would embrace darkness, as I had nothing else to lose -- JEWEL CARDWELL.”
Will Jewel be able to solve the mystery before evil is unleashed against those she loves?
Join Jewel Cardwell as she sets out to unlock the aged secret to the demonic activities in pursuit of her family lineage.
- GenresYoung Adult
324 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 2012
5 people are currently reading
367 people want to read
About the author
Fumi Hancock
30 books40 followersFumi Hancock “Stephanie” Hancock is a walking example of how an ordinary person from a shackled life of broken promises and shattered dreams can live a fulfilled destiny. After twenty years of dropping her pen, she picks it right back up again by releasing the first in the Grimmlyn Series: The Adventures of Jewel Cardwell, Hydra’s Nest.
Though having graduated with a postgraduate degree in communication arts, and undergraduate degrees in English studies and nursing, she ascribes her writing to her life experiences, which were many times challenging. According to her, the protagonists and antagonists in her novels often come from the darkest moments of her life—a tribute to the fact that something good can come out of mysterious and difficult circumstances, if we choose to turn our challenges around. Age is merely a number where success is concerned. She also pulls some of her characters from her travels around the world—in particular, exotic Africa—uniquely weaving her tales.
Fumi loves to write for young adults, particularly urban fantasy, and paranormal fiction with a touch of romance. She aspires to one day write a mystery/detective novel for the adult audience. But for now, she is content with her young adult audience. With her background in nursing, she gently nurses her unusual characters to life for her readers to enjoy.
She lives in Tennessee with her husband, Dr. David Hancock, and her two grown sons, Bola and Demola Thompson. She cherishes her two stepdaughters, who reside in Michigan.
Though having graduated with a postgraduate degree in communication arts, and undergraduate degrees in English studies and nursing, she ascribes her writing to her life experiences, which were many times challenging. According to her, the protagonists and antagonists in her novels often come from the darkest moments of her life—a tribute to the fact that something good can come out of mysterious and difficult circumstances, if we choose to turn our challenges around. Age is merely a number where success is concerned. She also pulls some of her characters from her travels around the world—in particular, exotic Africa—uniquely weaving her tales.
Fumi loves to write for young adults, particularly urban fantasy, and paranormal fiction with a touch of romance. She aspires to one day write a mystery/detective novel for the adult audience. But for now, she is content with her young adult audience. With her background in nursing, she gently nurses her unusual characters to life for her readers to enjoy.
She lives in Tennessee with her husband, Dr. David Hancock, and her two grown sons, Bola and Demola Thompson. She cherishes her two stepdaughters, who reside in Michigan.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
November 10, 2012
The Adventures of Jewel Cardwell: Hydra's Nest
Fumi Hancock
Reviewed by S. Bree High YATR
Jewel Cardwell has Moxie. She is rebellion and spirit WRAPPED up in a seventeen year old girl. I enjoyed the story of Jewel, it was fresh and in a setting that was new to me. I think that the setting (South Africa) of the book held on its own merit for a story all in and of itself. The descriptions made me feel as if I was there. I experienced the place right along with our Jewel.
Jewel is not thrilled to be at this institution of education. Grayton Prep is top dog all the way. The all girls’ school and well sadly the last place she wants to be. Ever! Home is gone and she has to learn to do this on her own. Being here will change everything. The top notch education she receives happens to be in Evil. This is just a few of the life changing things that happen to Jewel. What does the full moon reveal and what is going on? We of course have boys… don’t we always have boys? Darwin and Eric are different and interested. Timing is everything, right? I mean of course we have love interests when everything we know is changing. Poor Jewel! I really enjoyed the story, I got caught up in it and wanted to know what she was up too. How is she going to come out here, will she be able to figure this all out and get the answers she needs? What does Jewel’s locket she wears have to do with any of this? You know my statement here right, READ the book! LOL!
Every page was beautifully written and I was engrossed from start to finish. Fumi I have to say well done, honestly. I am looking forward to seeing where you take us next. I can now mark South Africa off my bucket list; I have been there via your words. Unless of course someone wants to just give me a ticket for research, purely research people. Ha-ha. No really I think everyone should take the adventure with Jewel.
Fumi Hancock
Reviewed by S. Bree High YATR
Jewel Cardwell has Moxie. She is rebellion and spirit WRAPPED up in a seventeen year old girl. I enjoyed the story of Jewel, it was fresh and in a setting that was new to me. I think that the setting (South Africa) of the book held on its own merit for a story all in and of itself. The descriptions made me feel as if I was there. I experienced the place right along with our Jewel.
Jewel is not thrilled to be at this institution of education. Grayton Prep is top dog all the way. The all girls’ school and well sadly the last place she wants to be. Ever! Home is gone and she has to learn to do this on her own. Being here will change everything. The top notch education she receives happens to be in Evil. This is just a few of the life changing things that happen to Jewel. What does the full moon reveal and what is going on? We of course have boys… don’t we always have boys? Darwin and Eric are different and interested. Timing is everything, right? I mean of course we have love interests when everything we know is changing. Poor Jewel! I really enjoyed the story, I got caught up in it and wanted to know what she was up too. How is she going to come out here, will she be able to figure this all out and get the answers she needs? What does Jewel’s locket she wears have to do with any of this? You know my statement here right, READ the book! LOL!
Every page was beautifully written and I was engrossed from start to finish. Fumi I have to say well done, honestly. I am looking forward to seeing where you take us next. I can now mark South Africa off my bucket list; I have been there via your words. Unless of course someone wants to just give me a ticket for research, purely research people. Ha-ha. No really I think everyone should take the adventure with Jewel.
December 15, 2012
I have been largely dissatisfied during my occasional forays into reading YA. I started the first book in one popular series, and put it down because I felt the author was talking down to his readers. In another first book in a potential series, the high school students who were the main characters discussed scientific concepts like they had PhD's – in multiple specialties. (I'd previously read books in mainstream adult series by each author and enjoyed them.)
Fumi Hancock does not have a following from her non-existent adult series. Nor does she have a book or movie deal around any of her concepts as do the authors I previously alluded to. What she DOES have is “The Adventures of Jewel Cardwell: Hydra's Nest”, the first YA adventure, regardless of sub-category, that I have ever enjoyed reading.
Our protagonist, Jewel Cardwell, is removed from her comfort zone within a good neighborhood in a troubled South African township, and shipped off to Grayton Preparatory School. Before she leaves, her grandmother gives her a locket that has been handed down through their family, and warns of a supernatural threat – one that follows her to Grayton, and in fact may have been waiting there for her.
Grandmother does not warn Jewel about possible entanglement with cliques, school rules and politics, and growing interest and attention from members of the opposite gender, but those are out there, as well …
I found the characters believable, and the dialog actually seemed as though it was coming from people in their late teens. While it is tough to use the words “believable” and “paranormal” in the same context, the scenes involving external phenomena also seemed to play out well. The pacing worked, although we occasionally skipped over months at a time when the author felt nothing significant happened with the characters. Sometimes I missed the fact that we had skipped over a period of time; when we did, I always wondered what might have happened to the characters, even if not central to the plot.
The ending (spoiler tag omitted, it's not really revealing anything) … normally, I hate cliff-hangers. In this case, however, in seemed to work. One reason was that the author included a preview of the next book in the series; ignoring the fact that the selection reveals how the scene plays out, the simple fact that there IS a next book shows that the title character survives.
More importantly, this book is really telling TWO stories. The first, most obvious one revolves around the paranormal activity at a boarding school. The second, and in my opinion more satisfying of the two, shows the emotional growth of a young woman into adulthood. The ending to that first layer may seem to leave the reader hanging, BUT Jewel's reaction to the situation brings the underlying layer to completion.
I'm glad I had the opportunity to “meet” Jewel Cardwell and author Fumi Hancock before the rest of the world begins to clamor for their attention, and look forward to the next installment in the series.
DISCLOSURE: I was provided a free electronic copy of this book by the author in return for a review reflecting my honest opinions. Also, while I tried to read this with an open mind, I am not a regular reader of YA. As such, my views may differ from those formed by fans of the genre – or they may not; I leave that to the reader's opinion.
Fumi Hancock does not have a following from her non-existent adult series. Nor does she have a book or movie deal around any of her concepts as do the authors I previously alluded to. What she DOES have is “The Adventures of Jewel Cardwell: Hydra's Nest”, the first YA adventure, regardless of sub-category, that I have ever enjoyed reading.
Our protagonist, Jewel Cardwell, is removed from her comfort zone within a good neighborhood in a troubled South African township, and shipped off to Grayton Preparatory School. Before she leaves, her grandmother gives her a locket that has been handed down through their family, and warns of a supernatural threat – one that follows her to Grayton, and in fact may have been waiting there for her.
Grandmother does not warn Jewel about possible entanglement with cliques, school rules and politics, and growing interest and attention from members of the opposite gender, but those are out there, as well …
I found the characters believable, and the dialog actually seemed as though it was coming from people in their late teens. While it is tough to use the words “believable” and “paranormal” in the same context, the scenes involving external phenomena also seemed to play out well. The pacing worked, although we occasionally skipped over months at a time when the author felt nothing significant happened with the characters. Sometimes I missed the fact that we had skipped over a period of time; when we did, I always wondered what might have happened to the characters, even if not central to the plot.
The ending (spoiler tag omitted, it's not really revealing anything) … normally, I hate cliff-hangers. In this case, however, in seemed to work. One reason was that the author included a preview of the next book in the series; ignoring the fact that the selection reveals how the scene plays out, the simple fact that there IS a next book shows that the title character survives.
More importantly, this book is really telling TWO stories. The first, most obvious one revolves around the paranormal activity at a boarding school. The second, and in my opinion more satisfying of the two, shows the emotional growth of a young woman into adulthood. The ending to that first layer may seem to leave the reader hanging, BUT Jewel's reaction to the situation brings the underlying layer to completion.
I'm glad I had the opportunity to “meet” Jewel Cardwell and author Fumi Hancock before the rest of the world begins to clamor for their attention, and look forward to the next installment in the series.
DISCLOSURE: I was provided a free electronic copy of this book by the author in return for a review reflecting my honest opinions. Also, while I tried to read this with an open mind, I am not a regular reader of YA. As such, my views may differ from those formed by fans of the genre – or they may not; I leave that to the reader's opinion.
October 30, 2012
This book was very interesting. I could not stop reading it. The African background and mystery makes the reader want to read more. I am a teenager, so I know when a book becomes boring. This is one of the very few books in the world that are not boring. I urge you all to try it... You will love it too. I heard the sequel is on its' way. I can't wait.
I have read a lot of books like the Twilight, Harry Potter and some other scary ones.... But this is so unique....
If you are looking for "THE PERFECT BOOK" to give as a gift for the coming holidays, THIS IS IT!
The characters are ridiculous and deliciously appealing. Some make be laugh, some make me cry and some just flat out annoy me with their indecisiveness. All in all, Fumi's description of the settings are so vivid, I could literally see myself in these place.
Makes me want to take a trip stright to South Africa!
Oh by the way, as someone who love to read via my laptop, I p icked up the eBook first; then I bought the paprback.. the cover and the picture at the back of the book are totally cool.... I am nudging you to do the same... It is a collector's item.
I have read a lot of books like the Twilight, Harry Potter and some other scary ones.... But this is so unique....
If you are looking for "THE PERFECT BOOK" to give as a gift for the coming holidays, THIS IS IT!
The characters are ridiculous and deliciously appealing. Some make be laugh, some make me cry and some just flat out annoy me with their indecisiveness. All in all, Fumi's description of the settings are so vivid, I could literally see myself in these place.
Makes me want to take a trip stright to South Africa!
Oh by the way, as someone who love to read via my laptop, I p icked up the eBook first; then I bought the paprback.. the cover and the picture at the back of the book are totally cool.... I am nudging you to do the same... It is a collector's item.
November 21, 2012
I won this in a GoodReads First Reads Giveaway in order to give an honest review.
When I first saw the beautiful cover and read the blurb, I was instantly intrigued and wanted to read this book, so I entered the giveaway.
And I won!
Needless to say, I was excited to dig in once the book arrived.
Then the struggle started once I hunkered in and started reading.
I would still recommend this book for lovers of YA Paranormal genre to give it a try. It's not a ringing endorsement due to my struggle with the majority of this book though. However, I'm not writing off the series completely since it did grow on me. I can see why others have rated it so high. I'm just unable to do that. Sometimes you just don't connect or fit with a book no matter how much you want to like it or how much others like it. There were minor things I noticed but really my biggest hurdle to liking the book was Jewel herself. I just didn't click with her. I wish I could sing its praises with other reviewers but hopefully the next book will work better for me. I'm optimistic about it because of Jewel's progression as a character; that's what really helped me get into and enjoy the book more towards the end. The sneak peak for the sequel The Sorcerer’s Purgatory really clinched my interest into continuing with the series as well. I had my issues with this book, which is why I have to be honest and give a lower rating of 2.5 stars. This isn't to scare away people from the series necessarily, since I'll be looking for the sequel myself. I'm just reporting my rocky reading experience truthfully. It's rare that a book redeems itself from such a rough start but this series I think is capable and worth a shot.
The places are described beautifully and I did enjoy learning about South Africa. I wish there was more of that actually – I really couldn't get enough. I liked every other character besides Jewel and thought they worked well. They made me smile, sympathetic or sad. This is the first book in a series so it's mainly set up, build up and more questions than answers. There's a lot happening but not much movement forward until the last part of the book, which of course is more suspense ending with a massive cliff hanger. If you get along or accept Jewel, I think you will really enjoy the book.
Hopefully, I can explain why I had such trouble with Hydra's Nest constructively.
--------------------------------------------------------
(Note: I've consciously tried to avoid spoilers and putting them behind tags, but I can't guarantee none are to be found below. There might be minor or soft spoilers.)
-------------------------------------------------------
Jewel
When there's a story with one main character the world revolves around with there's no subplots or characters to get involved in, it is really important for a reader to connect and 'get' the main character. I unfortunately didn't connect with Jewel. It was like Jewel zigs when I zag. There were moments where I appreciated her and cheered for her. Otherwise I was annoyed and didn't understand her, with her waffling resolve and wild swinging moods. She was consistently inconsistent. Then she does makes terrible decisions, defends them and the part that is suppose to be redeeming for her fell flat for me. She should have been apologizing and the other parties involved didn't have anything to apologize for. It would have felt better if she'd realize that.
When adults think teenagers are acting irrationally there's usually a reason they just can't express or deal with. YA fiction gets inside teenagers heads and explains it well usually. I didn't get that here personally. I felt as conflicted and confused by Jewel's actions as the people around her, even though I was reading her thoughts. Jewel came off as really immature for a 16 year old girl. She is sheltered so it's kind of understandable but it was hard to like her. I kept thinking she was a 14 years old at first, which worked. I got her, liked her and understood her if she's 14. I did a double take when I found out her sister was 14 years old. There's just something about her immaturity that I find hard to buy as a 16 years old. Maybe she's just really, really sheltered and a late bloomer. That works as an explanation but even so, I didn't enjoy riding along with Jewel for most of the book.
She does grow, have realizations about herself and makes better decisions so the Jewel at the end of the book is more relate-able and likeable for me. That's the biggest reason why I got more involved with the story and actually wondering what was happening next; I was freed from fighting Jewel almost every step of the way. This is also the main reason I'm willing to continue with the next book in hopes of getting more answers and getting along with the maturing Jewel.
The only other thing that stuck out to me is the inconsistent reporting of Jewel's age.
On pg. 29, “What do you know at sixteen riding on seventeen about those jittering feelings in the pit of your stomach?” - from Jewel herself.
On pg. 40, “Well, lucky for you, you're seventeen,” she [Mum] snapped.
Almost eighteen mom, Mum, in a few months,” I corrected right away.
The blurb for the book talks about Jewel being 17, but is that referring to her “almost 17” or her actually being 17 going on 18? There's mention of time passing like 8 months, 5 months, 3 months, and such. All total 2 years have passed since the start of the book yet there is no other mention of age. I have no idea how old Jewel really is currently. If she's 16 almost 17, then she's 18/19 at the end of the book. If she's 17 going on 18, she's 19/20 at the end of the book.
Yes, it can easily be put down as an accident to be corrected but while reading it threw me off. It made me stop to try and figure it out. I had a hard time with Jewel as 16 going on 17, so her being 17 going on 18 was harder to buy. I'm thinking she's 16 since that goes along with finishing the last two years of school but I don't know. Yes, even little things can disrupt the flow of reading; it disengaged me from the story, which really hampered my enjoyment.
Other Issues/Notes/Comments:
In the beginning I kept wondering why these people were acting that way. Like Darwin doing that whole scene in front of every one? And only one person noticed? With the kids I knew and know, a guy pulling a girl away for a private talk would get all kinds of attention and glances. Even if they grew up together at that age, teenagers usually separate into gender groups and interaction between the two are heavily monitored by all parties.
It starts out talking about a bike race then does an info dump for 4 pages. I found it off-putting. When I first read it I kept thinking that all the exclamation marks being used made her sound younger than I expected. I read a lot of YA so that's not unusual, there was just so much that it felt...off. Like it was too much for a 16 year old. It's weird but I've noticed in YA the younger the character is, the more exclamation marks are okay. Older teenagers usually get the bold, italics, all caps or underlined treatment for emphasis with occasional exclamations. (I know, this is all just IMHO and not everyone is going to agree.) I've gone back trying to pin point or correct my opinion but still my eyes skip around and gaze off when I try to read the first several pages. It might just be me but I found the start disengaging, which set the tone for stumbling through most of the book. It was hard to continue but I did want to like this story so I pushed through until it got better.
---------These pressure applying, reputation oriented, competitive parents allowed Jewel to stay home a week for being "sick"? Come on, either they are stupid for not being able to tell she's sick or they are stupid for letting her start late. Every parent as dealt with children not wanting to start school or move so they should know better. Her starting late just set her up for failure, or at least struggle. We know Jewel's parents love her, want the best for her and push her so, why the sudden slack given? And Jewel thinks she's slick for pulling it off? With all of the talked about issues in school in the previous year on top of all these factors, I just don't buy the parents letting her slide on a whole week of school. The very first week of school no less. They should be used to this kind of thing and I don't buy that those kind of people would let her go late.
--------Why did Lokinia talk to Jewel while she was talking a shower? I mean I get doing that with close friends, family and romantic partners but to introduce yourself to someone you've never met while that person is taking a shower seems...weird to me. Why not wait? Are there people that actually do this? How rude!
---------At the end there was yet no one else was affected by it? Not at all? They even talked about . Yeah, that's not how it works usually. There's an immediate effect, even for the mild version and it was supposedly fired right at them. They knelt on the ground in the area of effect, yet went unaffected. I don't buy it.
-------On pg. 69 the dorm room has 6 bunks for 12 girls, and Brie tells Jewel,”You're lucky to get a lower bunk.” Yet Jewel talks about “jumping down” from her bunk on page 112...how? Doesn't work with my mental picture due to bottom bunks not being high enough to jump down from. Maybe swinging legs down, hopping, springing from but jumping down has a different connotation that doesn't fit in my mental image correctly. There were a couple more instances like this that was just jarring for me.
Yeah, it's mostly minor things but added all up with my struggle to adjust to Jewel the overall effect wasn't pleasant. I'm admittedly the nit-picky type. I know other people will not have a problem with these things but I do, so omitting that fact feels like a lie. I feel responsible when doing reviews, especially for those from giveaways, to be completely honest and as detailed as possible.
When I first saw the beautiful cover and read the blurb, I was instantly intrigued and wanted to read this book, so I entered the giveaway.
And I won!
Needless to say, I was excited to dig in once the book arrived.
Then the struggle started once I hunkered in and started reading.
I would still recommend this book for lovers of YA Paranormal genre to give it a try. It's not a ringing endorsement due to my struggle with the majority of this book though. However, I'm not writing off the series completely since it did grow on me. I can see why others have rated it so high. I'm just unable to do that. Sometimes you just don't connect or fit with a book no matter how much you want to like it or how much others like it. There were minor things I noticed but really my biggest hurdle to liking the book was Jewel herself. I just didn't click with her. I wish I could sing its praises with other reviewers but hopefully the next book will work better for me. I'm optimistic about it because of Jewel's progression as a character; that's what really helped me get into and enjoy the book more towards the end. The sneak peak for the sequel The Sorcerer’s Purgatory really clinched my interest into continuing with the series as well. I had my issues with this book, which is why I have to be honest and give a lower rating of 2.5 stars. This isn't to scare away people from the series necessarily, since I'll be looking for the sequel myself. I'm just reporting my rocky reading experience truthfully. It's rare that a book redeems itself from such a rough start but this series I think is capable and worth a shot.
The places are described beautifully and I did enjoy learning about South Africa. I wish there was more of that actually – I really couldn't get enough. I liked every other character besides Jewel and thought they worked well. They made me smile, sympathetic or sad. This is the first book in a series so it's mainly set up, build up and more questions than answers. There's a lot happening but not much movement forward until the last part of the book, which of course is more suspense ending with a massive cliff hanger. If you get along or accept Jewel, I think you will really enjoy the book.
Hopefully, I can explain why I had such trouble with Hydra's Nest constructively.
--------------------------------------------------------
(Note: I've consciously tried to avoid spoilers and putting them behind tags, but I can't guarantee none are to be found below. There might be minor or soft spoilers.)
-------------------------------------------------------
Jewel
When there's a story with one main character the world revolves around with there's no subplots or characters to get involved in, it is really important for a reader to connect and 'get' the main character. I unfortunately didn't connect with Jewel. It was like Jewel zigs when I zag. There were moments where I appreciated her and cheered for her. Otherwise I was annoyed and didn't understand her, with her waffling resolve and wild swinging moods. She was consistently inconsistent. Then she does makes terrible decisions, defends them and the part that is suppose to be redeeming for her fell flat for me. She should have been apologizing and the other parties involved didn't have anything to apologize for. It would have felt better if she'd realize that.
When adults think teenagers are acting irrationally there's usually a reason they just can't express or deal with. YA fiction gets inside teenagers heads and explains it well usually. I didn't get that here personally. I felt as conflicted and confused by Jewel's actions as the people around her, even though I was reading her thoughts. Jewel came off as really immature for a 16 year old girl. She is sheltered so it's kind of understandable but it was hard to like her. I kept thinking she was a 14 years old at first, which worked. I got her, liked her and understood her if she's 14. I did a double take when I found out her sister was 14 years old. There's just something about her immaturity that I find hard to buy as a 16 years old. Maybe she's just really, really sheltered and a late bloomer. That works as an explanation but even so, I didn't enjoy riding along with Jewel for most of the book.
She does grow, have realizations about herself and makes better decisions so the Jewel at the end of the book is more relate-able and likeable for me. That's the biggest reason why I got more involved with the story and actually wondering what was happening next; I was freed from fighting Jewel almost every step of the way. This is also the main reason I'm willing to continue with the next book in hopes of getting more answers and getting along with the maturing Jewel.
The only other thing that stuck out to me is the inconsistent reporting of Jewel's age.
On pg. 29, “What do you know at sixteen riding on seventeen about those jittering feelings in the pit of your stomach?” - from Jewel herself.
On pg. 40, “Well, lucky for you, you're seventeen,” she [Mum] snapped.
Almost eighteen mom, Mum, in a few months,” I corrected right away.
The blurb for the book talks about Jewel being 17, but is that referring to her “almost 17” or her actually being 17 going on 18? There's mention of time passing like 8 months, 5 months, 3 months, and such. All total 2 years have passed since the start of the book yet there is no other mention of age. I have no idea how old Jewel really is currently. If she's 16 almost 17, then she's 18/19 at the end of the book. If she's 17 going on 18, she's 19/20 at the end of the book.
Yes, it can easily be put down as an accident to be corrected but while reading it threw me off. It made me stop to try and figure it out. I had a hard time with Jewel as 16 going on 17, so her being 17 going on 18 was harder to buy. I'm thinking she's 16 since that goes along with finishing the last two years of school but I don't know. Yes, even little things can disrupt the flow of reading; it disengaged me from the story, which really hampered my enjoyment.
Other Issues/Notes/Comments:
In the beginning I kept wondering why these people were acting that way. Like Darwin doing that whole scene in front of every one? And only one person noticed? With the kids I knew and know, a guy pulling a girl away for a private talk would get all kinds of attention and glances. Even if they grew up together at that age, teenagers usually separate into gender groups and interaction between the two are heavily monitored by all parties.
It starts out talking about a bike race then does an info dump for 4 pages. I found it off-putting. When I first read it I kept thinking that all the exclamation marks being used made her sound younger than I expected. I read a lot of YA so that's not unusual, there was just so much that it felt...off. Like it was too much for a 16 year old. It's weird but I've noticed in YA the younger the character is, the more exclamation marks are okay. Older teenagers usually get the bold, italics, all caps or underlined treatment for emphasis with occasional exclamations. (I know, this is all just IMHO and not everyone is going to agree.) I've gone back trying to pin point or correct my opinion but still my eyes skip around and gaze off when I try to read the first several pages. It might just be me but I found the start disengaging, which set the tone for stumbling through most of the book. It was hard to continue but I did want to like this story so I pushed through until it got better.
---------These pressure applying, reputation oriented, competitive parents allowed Jewel to stay home a week for being "sick"? Come on, either they are stupid for not being able to tell she's sick or they are stupid for letting her start late. Every parent as dealt with children not wanting to start school or move so they should know better. Her starting late just set her up for failure, or at least struggle. We know Jewel's parents love her, want the best for her and push her so, why the sudden slack given? And Jewel thinks she's slick for pulling it off? With all of the talked about issues in school in the previous year on top of all these factors, I just don't buy the parents letting her slide on a whole week of school. The very first week of school no less. They should be used to this kind of thing and I don't buy that those kind of people would let her go late.
--------Why did Lokinia talk to Jewel while she was talking a shower? I mean I get doing that with close friends, family and romantic partners but to introduce yourself to someone you've never met while that person is taking a shower seems...weird to me. Why not wait? Are there people that actually do this? How rude!
---------At the end there was yet no one else was affected by it? Not at all? They even talked about . Yeah, that's not how it works usually. There's an immediate effect, even for the mild version and it was supposedly fired right at them. They knelt on the ground in the area of effect, yet went unaffected. I don't buy it.
-------On pg. 69 the dorm room has 6 bunks for 12 girls, and Brie tells Jewel,”You're lucky to get a lower bunk.” Yet Jewel talks about “jumping down” from her bunk on page 112...how? Doesn't work with my mental picture due to bottom bunks not being high enough to jump down from. Maybe swinging legs down, hopping, springing from but jumping down has a different connotation that doesn't fit in my mental image correctly. There were a couple more instances like this that was just jarring for me.
Yeah, it's mostly minor things but added all up with my struggle to adjust to Jewel the overall effect wasn't pleasant. I'm admittedly the nit-picky type. I know other people will not have a problem with these things but I do, so omitting that fact feels like a lie. I feel responsible when doing reviews, especially for those from giveaways, to be completely honest and as detailed as possible.
January 2, 2013
I wasn't sure what to expect when I started reading this book. I knew that there was some supernatural elements that would be found in the story, along with some family drama . I wasn't ready for the powerful writing and fantastic character development that is found in this story. Right from the beginning, you are drawn in when main character Jewel finds out about a dark curse that has been placed on her family. Now, while her Grandmother is dying, she finds out that she is the designated family member to battle the curse and the dark forces behind it. Along with the curse, she has been sent away to a boarding school where the monsters and demons start attacking her, as well as other students. Nothing seems to be going well in her life at all. Along with all of of the crazy things happening on campus, Jewel is caught between two young men who are very interested in her. The reader is swept away in the intrigue of the curse, the battle for supremacy at the school between students, and the all out fight for freedom for her family and loved ones in the turbulent South African cities. This book kept me up until...Shhh don't tell anyone...4:00 a.m. I could not stop reading until I found out what happened with Jewel, her friends and family and of course the curse. Now, I'm left here waiting for book two,The Sorcerer's Purgatory, to come out. I hope that I will be included in the next blog tour. This book knocks it out of the park for high levels of angst, fascinating characters, and spooky demons, that total up for one enjoyable read!
May 16, 2013
This cover is just amazing! PhatPuppy Art really did a great job with it. It’s eye catching and just lovely!
The writing is good, too. The setting was just lovely. I ate it up! The plot was intriguing and kept me moving. There was a great attention spent on the writing of this book, which is sometimes lacking. Each sentence was carefully crafted. Honestly, it was a little beautiful! I just have to say again that the setting was AMAZING! I felt like I was there.
However, my issues with this book happened on the character level for me. It felt as though Jewel was being a teenager written from the perspective of an adult. As Jewel worked through her issues her way, she came across very immature. Now, an adult would see that, but I distinctly remember as a teen thinking I was very mature for my age. Really, I wasn’t. I was about as far from it as I could get.
There were also a few irregularities, details that were missed. I think there was so much focus on Jewel by the author, that Ms. Hancock missed the reactions of the people in the background. For some, that works because then the secondary characters aren’t being distracting. However, I’m the type of reader who’s looking at everyone going, “Hey, dude, why aren’t you reacting to the tear gas? Huh? Are you wearing a mask? Got lungs of steel?”
The story itself is a good one and one definitely worth reading. It was really, really close to getting four full dragons. Good, good story!
The writing is good, too. The setting was just lovely. I ate it up! The plot was intriguing and kept me moving. There was a great attention spent on the writing of this book, which is sometimes lacking. Each sentence was carefully crafted. Honestly, it was a little beautiful! I just have to say again that the setting was AMAZING! I felt like I was there.
However, my issues with this book happened on the character level for me. It felt as though Jewel was being a teenager written from the perspective of an adult. As Jewel worked through her issues her way, she came across very immature. Now, an adult would see that, but I distinctly remember as a teen thinking I was very mature for my age. Really, I wasn’t. I was about as far from it as I could get.
There were also a few irregularities, details that were missed. I think there was so much focus on Jewel by the author, that Ms. Hancock missed the reactions of the people in the background. For some, that works because then the secondary characters aren’t being distracting. However, I’m the type of reader who’s looking at everyone going, “Hey, dude, why aren’t you reacting to the tear gas? Huh? Are you wearing a mask? Got lungs of steel?”
The story itself is a good one and one definitely worth reading. It was really, really close to getting four full dragons. Good, good story!
November 23, 2012
I bought this book as a present for my daughter because everyone in her class at school has read it. After my daughter finished reading she was talking about this book for probably 2 weeks and finally convinced me to read it too.
Jewel Cardwell is very courageous and smart girl which faces such challenges that most adults would find difficult to solve. The action in the book is developing very quickly and I was never bored. In fact my wife had to postpone our family dinner for 2 hours to let me finish reading it:) I enjoyed reading about how Jewel Cardwell found solutions in very challenging life situations. It was very interesting to follow the development of relationships among Jewel Cardwell, Eric Border and Darvin Morton. What is very special about this book is that the action takes place in South Africa. I also learned a lot about the country.
I read all the books from the Hunger Games series and find that Jewel Cardwell is in certain way similar to Katniss Everdeen. They are both teenagers, both very brave and very smart. If you liked Hunger Games or just want to read a great book that will keep you excited about what will happen next all the time I highly recommend this book.
Jewel Cardwell is very courageous and smart girl which faces such challenges that most adults would find difficult to solve. The action in the book is developing very quickly and I was never bored. In fact my wife had to postpone our family dinner for 2 hours to let me finish reading it:) I enjoyed reading about how Jewel Cardwell found solutions in very challenging life situations. It was very interesting to follow the development of relationships among Jewel Cardwell, Eric Border and Darvin Morton. What is very special about this book is that the action takes place in South Africa. I also learned a lot about the country.
I read all the books from the Hunger Games series and find that Jewel Cardwell is in certain way similar to Katniss Everdeen. They are both teenagers, both very brave and very smart. If you liked Hunger Games or just want to read a great book that will keep you excited about what will happen next all the time I highly recommend this book.
January 13, 2013
The Adventures of Jewel Cardwell has the makings of a great series. In the first few pages, Jewel catches your attention and leaves you craving more. Jewel is a character that starts as a rebellious teen, but by the end of Hydra’s Nest, she grows into herself as a young woman. This coupled with the fact that she is under a curse that could endanger her loved ones, in a country on the brink of civil war, and trying to decide between two very hot…er…. different boys makes for one of the most interesting plot lines I’ve ever seen.
Mrs. Hancock has written a beautiful, mysterious novel that captured her characters perfectly. Jewels’ sidekicks bring a sense of humor and sadness to this novel and they provide a perfect offset to the mystery. I can’t wait to read the sequel, The Sorcerer’s Purgatory, and see what Jewel (or Mrs. Hancock) does next.
Mrs. Hancock has written a beautiful, mysterious novel that captured her characters perfectly. Jewels’ sidekicks bring a sense of humor and sadness to this novel and they provide a perfect offset to the mystery. I can’t wait to read the sequel, The Sorcerer’s Purgatory, and see what Jewel (or Mrs. Hancock) does next.
December 21, 2012
‘Jewel Cardwell’ is a 17 year old high school student has much to learn of her dark ancestry. As the mysteries surrounding her family is unravelled, so does it unleash the supernatural evil that has been lurking to devour all that she loves. Jewel is in a fight to save those she loves but to do so she must first learn of what she is fighting against. Sorcery and dark magic are the cores to this supernatural adventure.
A wonderful, exciting and thrilling novel that takes place in the exotic lands of Africa. Hard to put down and definitely looking forward to the next in the series. Recommended to all who would love a great YA Adventure!
A wonderful, exciting and thrilling novel that takes place in the exotic lands of Africa. Hard to put down and definitely looking forward to the next in the series. Recommended to all who would love a great YA Adventure!
December 6, 2012
I was a good book. I can't wait to see in the sequel what happens to Jewel. Is she going to find her family? Is she going to stop the evil? I think this book would be very enjoyable for tween and teenage girls. Good job Fumi!
April 15, 2013
ADVENTUUUUUUUUURE!
Normally I stay the ever-flippin' Hell away from ANY book that seriously has the word "Adventure" in the title or subtitle. The only freakin' thing that should EVER have the word "Adventure" in the title is freakin' Adventure Time.
Or maybe Adventures of Xanth, if Piers Anthony ever did that. Then again, if Piers Anthony did ANYTHING I'd be okay with it, even hardcore porn. :3
Strike that, ESPECIALLY hardcore porn.
So. The Grimmlyn Series: The Adventures of Jewell Cardwell: Hydra's Nest has a title that is just...wow. Way too freakin' big.
I know that's not the way it's actually written (that second colon is a comma instead), but I've seen it as either:
>The Grimmlyn Series: The Adventures of Jewell Cardwell, Hydra's Nest
or
>(The Grimmlyn Series) The Adventures of Jewell Cardwell: Hydra's Nest
To be honest, it's quite disconcerting.
Now, the other thing is that the book is written, and perhaps edited, from a "English as a second language" point of view. This CERTAINLY isn't bad, and speakin' as a barbaric, bull-headed American it's always interesting to see how other people live in other countries. Reading about little Jewell growing up, comfortable and feisty at her street, and her later adventures in Grayton Prep, is entertaining in a slice-of-life kinda way. But, here's the thing...
IS this a slice-of-life coming-of-age story? Is it a mystical battle between good and evil? Is it a Harry Potter-ish, Ender's Game-ish kind of school battle saga? Is it a Twilight-esque three-way romantic love story?
...it's kinda striving to be all of the above, and that is a bad thing in my opinion. "He who chases two rabbits shall not catch one," y'know?
Frst and foremost, as always: SPOILERS AHOY!
...you still readin'? Alright. Lemme hit ya with this: the entire arc concerning Eric Broder, complete with silver spoon in his mouth, was completely superfluous. There was more than enough teenage hormone-laced drama going down between Jewell and her childhood rival, as a reader I neither needed nor approved of her being able to attract not only the bad boy/playboy of her street (who fell head over heels for her in a rather believable way - y'know how little girls punch little boys in the shoulder to show they love them? Or how little boys taunt and chase little girls with dead frogs? Yeah, it's kinda like that.) but also the star soccer player with even LESS than a furtive freakin' glance.
Yeaaaaah...no. No, nonononono. Leave the forced romantic triangle at home or with Twilight fanfics where they freakin' belong!
The other thing - for a place filled with mysticism, monsters, ghosts, and all KINDS of supernatural phenomenon, the magical part of her "adventures" are pretty much waylaid in the background in superstitious and goblin-infested Limpopo. Most of the time it's the slice-of-life stuff and the forced triangle, but when things heat up the book actually gets interesting.
And they normally involve another girl who, unlike Jewell, never got rid of dressin' up in gothic clothes, messin' with mysticism and fightin' monsters. When the focus is on THAT, then yeah, this freakin' book ROCKS! Kaya is the daughter of a local magic man, one with (apparently) a history and a temper. He's already killed one man with a curse, and has apparently taught Kaya everything he knows - the girl tangles with goblins, speaks in the tongue of monsters, and is generally intimidating, cold, and freakin' awesome.
For a side character, she certainly is SUCH a main character! The MOMENT magic-based stuff goes down (including a curse or two), she's the first person Jewell runs to and, begrudgingly, she helps, almost always with an interesting take on Jewell's curse.
Yeah, did I mention the curse that is plaguing Jewell's family? Sure it pops up from time to time, and the Hydra itself makes more than one fiery appearance in the wake of terror and black magic, but really I was just halfway expecting Kaya to just show up and kick ass.
Like, seriously. It's not that I didn't find Jewell an interesting character (a passionate hothead who cares about her friends and lets her mouth get her into trouble? I dig characters like that, yo), it's just she's too...tooooo....
...not Kaya. :3
So, with ALL THAT STATED, suffice it to say I am VERY looking forward to the sequel, in the hopes that with a sub-subtitle like "The Sorcerer's Purgatory," I get that itch for Kaya scratched.
So to sum everything up (wait, did you read this whole review or just skip to this part?!), I'm giving this a nice 3/5. The writing is good, and the magical moments are VERY vivid - Fumi Hancock can draw up scenes both surreal and completely normal and imbue them with a wonderful vision.
Yet...yetyetyetyet, this series could very well do without the forced love triangle issue, and then there's the basic issue of introducing a character like Kaya, whose very personality and presence waters down the impact of Jewell as the main character.
I'm not looking for immortal, omniscient, super-powered battles in a coming-of-age, slice-of-life, mystical good versus evil YA novel that is also about a young warrior coming to terms with her accursed heritage which grants her magical powers....
but Kaya certainly fit the freakin' bill, y'knowwhatImean?
SO. Shyah, I recommend this e-book. Check it out, and don't act like you haven't even SEEN this woman's five hundred other things - I swear to whatever glorious God exists, Fumi Hancock is a freakin' MACHINE when it comes to artistic endeavors and marketing.
3/5, jolly good show, and I DO wanna read the sequel~!
Sincerely,
~Thomas Duder, Author of the Things
http://www.facebook.com/AuthorOfTheTh...
P.S. - The one thing I forgot to mention is the ending, and Fumi's superb handling of pathos. I know I was just doggin' on Fumi about how less of an impact Jewell had compared to Kaya, and while it COULD be argued that her concerns about Grayton Prep weren't inexactly unfounded, there's also the viewpoint of mine that as a grown man I could care less what a freakin' teenager angsts about when it comes to leaving their school.
On the other hand, seeing your friends die, your hometown become a war zone in the middle of a military coup...yeah. That entire segment was MASTERFULLY handled, simply well done~!
Just sayin'. <3
Normally I stay the ever-flippin' Hell away from ANY book that seriously has the word "Adventure" in the title or subtitle. The only freakin' thing that should EVER have the word "Adventure" in the title is freakin' Adventure Time.
Or maybe Adventures of Xanth, if Piers Anthony ever did that. Then again, if Piers Anthony did ANYTHING I'd be okay with it, even hardcore porn. :3
Strike that, ESPECIALLY hardcore porn.
So. The Grimmlyn Series: The Adventures of Jewell Cardwell: Hydra's Nest has a title that is just...wow. Way too freakin' big.
I know that's not the way it's actually written (that second colon is a comma instead), but I've seen it as either:
>The Grimmlyn Series: The Adventures of Jewell Cardwell, Hydra's Nest
or
>(The Grimmlyn Series) The Adventures of Jewell Cardwell: Hydra's Nest
To be honest, it's quite disconcerting.
Now, the other thing is that the book is written, and perhaps edited, from a "English as a second language" point of view. This CERTAINLY isn't bad, and speakin' as a barbaric, bull-headed American it's always interesting to see how other people live in other countries. Reading about little Jewell growing up, comfortable and feisty at her street, and her later adventures in Grayton Prep, is entertaining in a slice-of-life kinda way. But, here's the thing...
IS this a slice-of-life coming-of-age story? Is it a mystical battle between good and evil? Is it a Harry Potter-ish, Ender's Game-ish kind of school battle saga? Is it a Twilight-esque three-way romantic love story?
...it's kinda striving to be all of the above, and that is a bad thing in my opinion. "He who chases two rabbits shall not catch one," y'know?
Frst and foremost, as always: SPOILERS AHOY!
...you still readin'? Alright. Lemme hit ya with this: the entire arc concerning Eric Broder, complete with silver spoon in his mouth, was completely superfluous. There was more than enough teenage hormone-laced drama going down between Jewell and her childhood rival, as a reader I neither needed nor approved of her being able to attract not only the bad boy/playboy of her street (who fell head over heels for her in a rather believable way - y'know how little girls punch little boys in the shoulder to show they love them? Or how little boys taunt and chase little girls with dead frogs? Yeah, it's kinda like that.) but also the star soccer player with even LESS than a furtive freakin' glance.
Yeaaaaah...no. No, nonononono. Leave the forced romantic triangle at home or with Twilight fanfics where they freakin' belong!
The other thing - for a place filled with mysticism, monsters, ghosts, and all KINDS of supernatural phenomenon, the magical part of her "adventures" are pretty much waylaid in the background in superstitious and goblin-infested Limpopo. Most of the time it's the slice-of-life stuff and the forced triangle, but when things heat up the book actually gets interesting.
And they normally involve another girl who, unlike Jewell, never got rid of dressin' up in gothic clothes, messin' with mysticism and fightin' monsters. When the focus is on THAT, then yeah, this freakin' book ROCKS! Kaya is the daughter of a local magic man, one with (apparently) a history and a temper. He's already killed one man with a curse, and has apparently taught Kaya everything he knows - the girl tangles with goblins, speaks in the tongue of monsters, and is generally intimidating, cold, and freakin' awesome.
For a side character, she certainly is SUCH a main character! The MOMENT magic-based stuff goes down (including a curse or two), she's the first person Jewell runs to and, begrudgingly, she helps, almost always with an interesting take on Jewell's curse.
Yeah, did I mention the curse that is plaguing Jewell's family? Sure it pops up from time to time, and the Hydra itself makes more than one fiery appearance in the wake of terror and black magic, but really I was just halfway expecting Kaya to just show up and kick ass.
Like, seriously. It's not that I didn't find Jewell an interesting character (a passionate hothead who cares about her friends and lets her mouth get her into trouble? I dig characters like that, yo), it's just she's too...tooooo....
...not Kaya. :3
So, with ALL THAT STATED, suffice it to say I am VERY looking forward to the sequel, in the hopes that with a sub-subtitle like "The Sorcerer's Purgatory," I get that itch for Kaya scratched.
So to sum everything up (wait, did you read this whole review or just skip to this part?!), I'm giving this a nice 3/5. The writing is good, and the magical moments are VERY vivid - Fumi Hancock can draw up scenes both surreal and completely normal and imbue them with a wonderful vision.
Yet...yetyetyetyet, this series could very well do without the forced love triangle issue, and then there's the basic issue of introducing a character like Kaya, whose very personality and presence waters down the impact of Jewell as the main character.
I'm not looking for immortal, omniscient, super-powered battles in a coming-of-age, slice-of-life, mystical good versus evil YA novel that is also about a young warrior coming to terms with her accursed heritage which grants her magical powers....
but Kaya certainly fit the freakin' bill, y'knowwhatImean?
SO. Shyah, I recommend this e-book. Check it out, and don't act like you haven't even SEEN this woman's five hundred other things - I swear to whatever glorious God exists, Fumi Hancock is a freakin' MACHINE when it comes to artistic endeavors and marketing.
3/5, jolly good show, and I DO wanna read the sequel~!
Sincerely,
~Thomas Duder, Author of the Things
http://www.facebook.com/AuthorOfTheTh...
P.S. - The one thing I forgot to mention is the ending, and Fumi's superb handling of pathos. I know I was just doggin' on Fumi about how less of an impact Jewell had compared to Kaya, and while it COULD be argued that her concerns about Grayton Prep weren't inexactly unfounded, there's also the viewpoint of mine that as a grown man I could care less what a freakin' teenager angsts about when it comes to leaving their school.
On the other hand, seeing your friends die, your hometown become a war zone in the middle of a military coup...yeah. That entire segment was MASTERFULLY handled, simply well done~!
Just sayin'. <3
February 1, 2013
The Adventures of Jewel Cardwell: Hydra's Nest
Fumi Hancock
Reviewed by S. Bree High YATR
Jewel Cardwell has Moxie. She is rebellion and spirit WRAPPED up in a seventeen year old girl. I enjoyed the story of Jewel, it was fresh and in a setting that was new to me. I think that the setting (South Africa) of the book held on its own merit for a story all in and of itself. The descriptions made me feel as if I was there. I experienced the place right along with our Jewel.
Jewel is not thrilled to be at this institution of education. Grayton Prep is top dog all the way. The all girls��� school and well sadly the last place she wants to be. Ever! Home is gone and she has to learn to do this on her own. Being here will change everything. The top notch education she receives happens to be in Evil. This is just a few of the life changing things that happen to Jewel. What does the full moon reveal and what is going on? We of course have boys��� don���t we always have boys? Darwin and Eric are different and interested. Timing is everything, right? I mean of course we have love interests when everything we know is changing. Poor Jewel! I really enjoyed the story, I got caught up in it and wanted to know what she was up too. How is she going to come out here, will she be able to figure this all out and get the answers she needs? What does Jewel���s locket she wears have to do with any of this? You know my statement here right, READ the book! LOL!
Every page was beautifully written and I was engrossed from start to finish. Fumi I have to say well done, honestly. I am looking forward to seeing where you take us next. I can now mark South Africa off my bucket list; I have been there via your words. Unless of course someone wants to just give me a ticket for research, purely research people. Ha-ha. No really I think everyone should take the adventure with Jewel.
Fumi Hancock
Reviewed by S. Bree High YATR
Jewel Cardwell has Moxie. She is rebellion and spirit WRAPPED up in a seventeen year old girl. I enjoyed the story of Jewel, it was fresh and in a setting that was new to me. I think that the setting (South Africa) of the book held on its own merit for a story all in and of itself. The descriptions made me feel as if I was there. I experienced the place right along with our Jewel.
Jewel is not thrilled to be at this institution of education. Grayton Prep is top dog all the way. The all girls��� school and well sadly the last place she wants to be. Ever! Home is gone and she has to learn to do this on her own. Being here will change everything. The top notch education she receives happens to be in Evil. This is just a few of the life changing things that happen to Jewel. What does the full moon reveal and what is going on? We of course have boys��� don���t we always have boys? Darwin and Eric are different and interested. Timing is everything, right? I mean of course we have love interests when everything we know is changing. Poor Jewel! I really enjoyed the story, I got caught up in it and wanted to know what she was up too. How is she going to come out here, will she be able to figure this all out and get the answers she needs? What does Jewel���s locket she wears have to do with any of this? You know my statement here right, READ the book! LOL!
Every page was beautifully written and I was engrossed from start to finish. Fumi I have to say well done, honestly. I am looking forward to seeing where you take us next. I can now mark South Africa off my bucket list; I have been there via your words. Unless of course someone wants to just give me a ticket for research, purely research people. Ha-ha. No really I think everyone should take the adventure with Jewel.
January 8, 2013
My Rating 3.5 Stars
I had a bit of difficulty getting into this book initially. Jewell lives in a quiet secluded, safe neighborhood. She enjoys playing outside with her friends, and gives little consideration to what is happening outside the community walls. Her life is one of privilege; her younger sister idolizes her, and her friends want to emulate her. She is opinionated, stubborn and balks at the restrictions her parents try to force upon her. In fact, her world changes drastically when her parents cheerfully inform her she has been accepted at an exclusive girls’ school far from home. To say Jewell takes the news badly is putting it mildly. During this part of the story I really sympathized with her parents, disliked Jewell, and basically wanted her to straighten up and quit being so sulky and rude.
The story really picked up after Jewell finally is delivered to Grayton Preparatory school. At Grayton, the Seniors rule, as Jewell and some other unfortunate classmates learn the hard way. At this point, my feelings for Jewell turn around and I begin to appreciate her grit and tenacity. Secrets are revealed as Jewell begins adjusting to campus life. By now, I am fully invested in this story and eagerly swiping my reader screen to discover what will happen next. The political situation continues to deteriorate but the Grayton girls are insulated from the troubles.
Personally, I would have preferred to have read about Jewell’s idyllic life in Milner Court prior to her Grayton experience in snippets via a series of flashbacks after her arrival there. Regardless, however, after a slightly rocky start, Jewell Cardwell, her family curse, and the creepy, demonic goings-on at Grayton really captured my imagination and led me on an exhilarating journey all the way to the startling, pulse-pounding cliff-hanger ending.
This book was given to me by the author in exchange for my honest review.
Reviewed by Laurie-J
I had a bit of difficulty getting into this book initially. Jewell lives in a quiet secluded, safe neighborhood. She enjoys playing outside with her friends, and gives little consideration to what is happening outside the community walls. Her life is one of privilege; her younger sister idolizes her, and her friends want to emulate her. She is opinionated, stubborn and balks at the restrictions her parents try to force upon her. In fact, her world changes drastically when her parents cheerfully inform her she has been accepted at an exclusive girls’ school far from home. To say Jewell takes the news badly is putting it mildly. During this part of the story I really sympathized with her parents, disliked Jewell, and basically wanted her to straighten up and quit being so sulky and rude.
The story really picked up after Jewell finally is delivered to Grayton Preparatory school. At Grayton, the Seniors rule, as Jewell and some other unfortunate classmates learn the hard way. At this point, my feelings for Jewell turn around and I begin to appreciate her grit and tenacity. Secrets are revealed as Jewell begins adjusting to campus life. By now, I am fully invested in this story and eagerly swiping my reader screen to discover what will happen next. The political situation continues to deteriorate but the Grayton girls are insulated from the troubles.
Personally, I would have preferred to have read about Jewell’s idyllic life in Milner Court prior to her Grayton experience in snippets via a series of flashbacks after her arrival there. Regardless, however, after a slightly rocky start, Jewell Cardwell, her family curse, and the creepy, demonic goings-on at Grayton really captured my imagination and led me on an exhilarating journey all the way to the startling, pulse-pounding cliff-hanger ending.
This book was given to me by the author in exchange for my honest review.
Reviewed by Laurie-J
December 30, 2012
Right away this reminded me of the Harry Potter series because Jewel is cursed and she is immediately sent away to Grayton Preparatory School. The thing though is that I didn't think Jewel was as lovable as Harry because honestly? She's a bit of a brat and you can bet she's probably a handful at home. Armed with a chilling family secret passed onto her from her dying grandmother and this locket, she is quickly in the middle of a pretty harrowing adventure. And while her parents think she's going to a safe place, the place is basically a doorway to Hell with all of the demonic forces/evil lurking everywhere.
Some problems with this book for me is that Jewel is a really angry person and for no real reason. In fact, her mother really is too and I just didn't understand any of that. A lot of the writing seemed a bit forced for me and honest to god, if I saw one more exclamation mark I was going to lose it. Those should be sporadic and reserved, you shouldn't count on there being two per page. Nothing is that exciting. I've seen some very rave reviews for this book and none of them really rang true with me. Sure, the book is good and there is enough to keep you going through it, but compared to some other YA books I've read recently, I'd have to put this one lower on the list. That's not to say you won't like it because if you are a big YA fan, you will love this. It certainly is not a boring book, there is a LOT of story happening in a relatively short book so if you prefer action packed books, definitely pick this one up.
http://strandupdate.blogspot.com
Some problems with this book for me is that Jewel is a really angry person and for no real reason. In fact, her mother really is too and I just didn't understand any of that. A lot of the writing seemed a bit forced for me and honest to god, if I saw one more exclamation mark I was going to lose it. Those should be sporadic and reserved, you shouldn't count on there being two per page. Nothing is that exciting. I've seen some very rave reviews for this book and none of them really rang true with me. Sure, the book is good and there is enough to keep you going through it, but compared to some other YA books I've read recently, I'd have to put this one lower on the list. That's not to say you won't like it because if you are a big YA fan, you will love this. It certainly is not a boring book, there is a LOT of story happening in a relatively short book so if you prefer action packed books, definitely pick this one up.
http://strandupdate.blogspot.com
December 13, 2015
The one thing this book has going for it more than anything else in my opinion is it's setting.
Africa but South Africa particularly is my hunting ground and not even I found this overly familiar.
This has an everyday type of feel to it set in a world yust outside of reality.
I loved this mystical look at an Africa I found as foreign as the States or France or Norway.
Jewel however is a girl with issues I don't get. I have no idea where the animosity between her and her parents originated. At the beginning of the book Jewel has the coolest parents ever and she deserves their trust then in a flip of a coin her parents turn away from her. Dishing her out to her aunt so as not to be embarrassed? Seriously? These are mot the same people we met at the start of the book.
The one character that remains true is Jewel's younger sister. I adore this kid. Too bad we don't get to know her better.
The love triangle is well written even though it is over done.
In all I enjoyed the reading of this book. And I think my issues comes from the fact that it is a YA coming of age novel and I am a bit old for this.
Still. A fresh new voice from Africa.
Africa but South Africa particularly is my hunting ground and not even I found this overly familiar.
This has an everyday type of feel to it set in a world yust outside of reality.
I loved this mystical look at an Africa I found as foreign as the States or France or Norway.
Jewel however is a girl with issues I don't get. I have no idea where the animosity between her and her parents originated. At the beginning of the book Jewel has the coolest parents ever and she deserves their trust then in a flip of a coin her parents turn away from her. Dishing her out to her aunt so as not to be embarrassed? Seriously? These are mot the same people we met at the start of the book.
The one character that remains true is Jewel's younger sister. I adore this kid. Too bad we don't get to know her better.
The love triangle is well written even though it is over done.
In all I enjoyed the reading of this book. And I think my issues comes from the fact that it is a YA coming of age novel and I am a bit old for this.
Still. A fresh new voice from Africa.
December 28, 2012
This book was busy. There was so much going on I wasn't sure where to focus. I love books that challenge the reader to keep up, but this one almost burnt me out. The writing is good and the main character Jewel is strong and stays true to her description throughout the book.
Plots, we have a few. There is the relationship between Jewel and her parents, the family curse, being shipped off to school, two love interests, the demons and ghosts at school, the mystery that is Kaya, a sabotaging cousin, oh yes and that whole coup. It gets difficult to know which plot to devote the majority of your energy to. This made the book a bit overwhelming.
That being said I will read the next one as I am curious about just what happens to Jewel and how all of these plots will hopefully begin to resolve themselves.
Plots, we have a few. There is the relationship between Jewel and her parents, the family curse, being shipped off to school, two love interests, the demons and ghosts at school, the mystery that is Kaya, a sabotaging cousin, oh yes and that whole coup. It gets difficult to know which plot to devote the majority of your energy to. This made the book a bit overwhelming.
That being said I will read the next one as I am curious about just what happens to Jewel and how all of these plots will hopefully begin to resolve themselves.
September 25, 2013
Amazing story! As I was reading it I felt like I was in South Africa. The author has a gift of taking you right to the place in the scene. I encourage you all to read it. I hope that the book will be a movie soon. It will be a hit!! Great job Fumi Hancock
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February 9, 201350 pages in...lots of inconsistencies plus a writing style I just can't get into. DNF for now.
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