"When a virus makes everyone over the afe 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 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, on that makes Melody and Harmony realize they have so much more than just DNA in common.
From New York Times bestselling author Megan McCafferty comes a strikingly original look at friendship, love, and sisterhood-- in a future that is eerily believable.
What an astonishing writer! What a superb story! I fully expect Megan McCafferty to come out with a sequel, because she just can't leave us hanging like this.
Melody, Zen, Harmony, and an assortment of other characters are so well developed and when they come together, they work magic and create a thing of beauty.
I thought that since this book revolves primarily around sex (or the talk of sex and pregnancy) I would be reduced to my inner middle school self and giggle at every sexual term that passed by me. Maybe it was me and maybe it was the way the book was written, but talking about sex and pregnancy didn't give this book a feeling that one should be uncomfortable. The conversations are so much apart of this society that you are tricked into believing that these aren't significant conversations to have like they are in many societies today.
I found the vocabulary quite interesting as well. They used a lot of words that loosely related to pregnancy: neggy, preggy, pregg, humpy, bump, fertilicious, etc. I couldn't help but smile because I found them rather funny (there's my inner middle-school self! I knew you'd come out sometime!)
I liked some of the points that Harmony brought up about religion. I think I related to her very well as she began to question what she was told she must believe. I highlighted something she said while I was working, which might not have been smart because the kids that were awake at the time might be more impressionable than I think, and if they saw their teacher write in a book after telling them not to... oh dear...
"...you can find a verse to support just about any argument, and another verse to shut it down. If it's all the word of God, how can we simply ignore the parts that don't fit our beliefs?"
(Page 244)
What a great quote and what an amazing something to think about! I thought it rung pretty true, though I'm not much of a biblical scholar. Maybe I should read the bible just so I can match their level of argument by quoting something to support my point. It seems to be the only thing that can convince anyone of anything these days... (wow... what bold statements, Jude).
Any way, what a great question to ask.
'Bumped' was a very imaginative novel that touched on many serious subjects (not just sex and religion, but the power of choice and making your own decisions despite what a higher power-- who might just be your own parents or extended family-- wants.
I give it:
--Jude
SO SO SO SO RIGHT. LOVED IT.
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