Title: Bumped
Author: Megan McCafferty Website | Twitter
Genre: YA Dystopian
Publisher: Balzer + Bray (April, 2011)
Hardcover: 323 pages
ISBN: 9780061962745
Source: Library
Available on: Amazon | Barnes&Noble | TheBookDepository
Description from GoodReads:
When a virus makes everyone over the age of eighteen infertile, would-be parents pay teen girls to conceive and give birth to their children, making teens the most prized members of society. Girls sport fake baby bumps and the school cafeteria stocks folic-acid-infused food.
Sixteen-year-old identical twins Melody and Harmony were separated at birth and have never met until the day Harmony shows up on Melody’s doorstep. Up to now, the twins have followed completely opposite paths. Melody has scored an enviable conception contract with a couple called the Jaydens. While they are searching for the perfect partner for Melody to bump with, she is fighting her attraction to her best friend, Zen, who is way too short for the job.
Harmony has spent her whole life in Goodside, a religious community, preparing to be a wife and mother. She believes her calling is to convince Melody that pregging for profit is a sin. But Harmony has secrets of her own that she is running from.
When Melody is finally matched with the world-famous, genetically flawless Jondoe, both girls’ lives are changed forever. A case of mistaken identity takes them on a journey neither could have ever imagined, one that makes Melody and Harmony realize they have so much more than just DNA in common.
My Review:
In Melody's and Harmony's world humans become infertile at the age of 18. Teenage girls are urged to "bump" and get pregnant. There are even agents who help sponsored girls find a wealthy couple that will pay large amounts for a baby. When Harmony appears on Melody's front door after being separated at birth, they will have quite an adventure trying to understand each other and at the same time learn things they never knew about themselves.
What I liked: Bumped is different from other dystopian novels I have read. It focuses on the everyday life and the choices of the two main characters and not them fighting an oppressive government. Sure, they may disagree but they are not trying to save the world just make decisions that make them happy.The dual narrative allowed me to see Melody's mainstream philosophy and Harmon's religious, righteous way.It was great to see how two physically identical girls were molded by society and can have such different views. Fighting to be themselves and to find the right path for themselves adds a nice element to the story.
Did not like: The futuristic lingo without explanation was a bit confusing at first. They should have added a glossary to the beginning or explained and not just assume we can derive what these words mean. It would have also been nice to see more of their world. To get a bigger picture of how their world works. Hopefully this is done in the sequel.
The negative ideas such as teen pregnancy are not discouraged. It might give a younger audience the wrong idea. I am not saying they should die and suffer because they got pregnant but it would be nice to see realistic consequences being shown.
Why does it have to be series? WHY? They could have easily added a few more chapters and made it stand alone book. Unless they add something amazing to the next book I cannot see the point.
Overall, a good book that if you have time and want to read a dystopian that is more like Teen Mom than the Hunger Games or if you are tired of characters that want to change the world and want to read about two girls that are just trying to find themselves in a crazy world, then this is the book for you.
My Rating:
I didn’t get the feeling of “teen pregnancy is glamorous” as much as advocacy for adoption. You have to remember that in the world of Bumped, there’s a virus that makes pregnancy only possible for the teen generation. If the teens didn’t “preg”, that would pretty much mean the end of the human race. And I do think that the book shows the consequences of teen pregnancy, but fitting to the world of Bumped. Such as the one friend who became depressed because of separation from her baby, the friend that almost died in child birth, or how the drug given to the mothers made them uncaring and mean. The book even advocates for safe sex between Melody and her boyfriend. I think that even though teen pregnancy isn't discouraged by authority figures in the book, it really doesn't paint an appealing picture of teen pregnancy. I understand why you brought up the point of romanticizing and encouraging teen pregnancy, because there are some books out there that do. I just don’t believe that Bumped does.
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