*REVIEW* Bumped

Synopsis:

When a virus makes everyone over the age of eighteen infertile, would-be parents are forced to pay teen girls to conceive and give birth to their children, making teens the most prized members of society.

Sixteen-year-old identical twins Melody and Harmony were separated at birth and had never met until the day Harmony shows up on Melody’s doorstep. Until 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 religious Goodside, preparing to be a wife and mother. She believes her calling is to bring Melody back to Goodside and convince her 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.

Soooo... Bumped was really, really interesting. I have a habit of not reading the synopsis before reading a book and I really wish I had this time because being thrust into that world unprepared was mega-confusing! But once I had a firm grasp on what was going on, I found I quite enjoyed the world that Megan McCafferty had created, a world extremely unique and different from any of the books I've read recently.

Bumped is the story of two girls, identical twins split up at birth who have grown up in vastly different worlds. Both girls are raised in an age where a virus has made it impossible for people over the age of eighteen to procreate. This has created a world where teenage girls are coveted for their "breedy bits" as they so lovingly call them. While one twin, Melody, is raised by parents who encourage and foster her to be the best candidate for "bumping", the other twin, Harmony, is raised in a strict religious community who abhors bumping for profit, or any bumping (or humping!) done out of wedlock. This religious community regularly arranges marriages for girls at the tender age of thirteen, when there is still plenty of fertile years ahead.

Harmony flees her sheltered world to save her sister from a life of sin... or at least, that's what she believes are her reasons but deep down, Harmony is harboring a major secret of her own. Harmony is mistaken for Melody at a most convenient time, a time that allows her to make a decision that will impact her life in more ways than she could possibly imagine. When the repercussions from Harmony's decision become known, will they have an impact on Melody? Will Melody bond with her twin and help her no matter the cost, or will she stay locked in a world that has lost the appeal she once thought it had?

So what did I think of it? Well, there are the goods... and then there are the bads. The goods: A unique story in an outrageous future world. When thinking about it, it's easy to see how such a world could be created. What WOULD happen if a virus wiped out reproductive capabilities to all but the adolescent population? I think the author does a wonderful job of showing how such a thing could escalate to the point where teenage girls are pimping out their wombs. I liked seeing Harmony and Melody come to realizations about who they really are, and what they really want. I can't wait to read the sequel to see where these revelations take the twins next.

The bads: For me, some of the language bordered on HIGHLY obnoxious. If I read the word "neggy" one more time, I might have thrown the book at the wall. And then there's the comfort factor... reading about girls as young as eleven having babies for profit was uncomfortable. I work with teenagers and teenage pregnancy is a major issue. Realistically, I know that this world is a total product of fiction and that of course the author is not promoting or condoning teenage pregnancy. But coming from my counseling background, there were moments I found myself cringing and wanting to slap some of these girls in the face!

That being said, I still really enjoyed this book. I applaud the author for creating such an unexpected world and I'm really looking forward to the sequel, Thumped, coming out April 24th. Consider reading Bumped before then... I scored the Kindle version for 99 cents! For 99 cents, you owe it to yourself to try it out. Happy Reading!! *XOXO*