Book Title/Author: Bumped by Megan McCafferty
Publisher/Year: April 26, 2011/Balzer + Bray
Series: Yes
Source and Format: Bought
Rating: 3.6 stars (4 stars on Goodreads)
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.
Bumped was a little hard to get into. You’re thrown into the world in the future (2036), where only teenagers are able to reproduce. And they have basically changed the entire English language, like lolcats, but with pregnancy related terms.
There are two passages in the book that really stood out to me as important to who Melody and Harmony are, and where they’re going.
Melody:
They predicted 16 years ago, almost before anyone else, that girls like me – prettier, smarter, healthier – would be the world’s most valuable resource.
Harmony:
I was told to put my faith in the Council, who knew more about the Scriptures than I did. They would tell me what to read. And they would tell me what to think.
And now, 4 years later, I didn’t know what to think about anything.
Which, I’m finally realizing, is exactly the way the Church wants it.
Towards the end of the book (this isn’t even spoilery, I swear) it’s brought up that Melody is allergic to ink and paper books. Like, deathly allergic. Which is just so tragic and hilarious and I love it. Also, the phrase ‘cock jockey’ gets thrown around and I really regretted not reading this sooner.
Paperback Heart 