Bumped by Megan McCafferty

Bumped by Megan McCafferty

Source: Library
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Release Date: In stores (April 26, 2011)
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 323

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.

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.

Bumped is... bizarre. I can safely say that I have never read anything quite like it and that I did really enjoy it.

Megan McCafferty doesn't give readers a chance to adjust to the dystopian world she has created. The unfamiliar ideals, lifestyle and vocabulary come full-force from the first page and you sort of have to let go of any confusion you may and just go with it. I know a lot of others have complained that they had difficulty understanding the language at first but I really never had that problem - if you read carefully, I think the slang is easy enough to pick up from the context of the novel.

I don't know if I really liked Melody or Harmony, to be honest. Then again, I don't know if I was supposed to (can you see how confused this book has made me?!). The circumstances they have both grown up in are on the extreme side of the spectrum and as a result, their way of thinking is far from anything I'm used to. For instance, Melody can't "bump" (translation: have sex with) her best friend, Zen, because he is - wait for it - too short. Seriously! He's kind, funny and smart but that height? Forget about it. On the other hand, Harmony has been brought up in a strict religious setting where she has been taught that what Melody is doing is the worst thing a person can do. I could actually handle more of Harmony than Melody (I have a lot of close friends that are very religious) but I seem to in the minority there.


I really liked Megan's style of writing. The beginning was a little slow but the action does pick up and the text is sprinkled with clever slang. Seriously, some of the phrases that were added ("motherhumping!" "fertilicious!") were such clever play-on-words that I think it really added to the overall tone of the story. It makes you think, and I definitely believe that there are things that I missed while reading just because of how fast I read it (it's hard to put down) but it's also a satire which lightens it considerably.

Definitely one of the most confusing books I have ever read, but also one of the most thought-provoking. Nice job!

Cover Comments: Oh, it's adorable. I love the egg and the colour scheme - white with pink is always cute on a cover.