Meet Melody. She's beautiful, smart, athletic and has a contract for her first child to be born. With her one of a kind, rare genetics and adoptive parents making all the right choices it's no surprise that she got everything that she wanted from the couple who signed her: college tuition, a car and an impressive 6 figure signing bonus. Now she's just waiting for them to pick out the guy to bump with.
Meet Harmony. She was raised out in the farms of Goodside, with her large family. She is modest, and will always be covered. She is promised to her husband, and hopefully they will be blessed soon with children, the way God intended. Now she just wants to save her twin sister and bring her back to Goodside where they both can lead a righteous life.
Harmony and Melody are twins, adopted by two different families and living very different lives, that is until Harmony shows up at Melody's looking to save her from her decision. Life for both girls is about to take a turn for the totally crazy as their Harmony is mistaken for Melody on a very important day in her life.
Author Megan McCafferty has created a world where teenage girls are valued for their ability to get pregnant, as most people lose their ability to have children between the ages of 18 and 21. Teen-age pregnancy is the thing to do, with malls and scholarships built around the birthing industry. Melody is part of a more urban world where she grew up with adoptive parents who saw her has an investment of sorts, making sure she had the best of everything so that she would be worth more during her birthing years. Harmony was raised in a religious community where hard work and more traditional families were valued, even if it meant that girls and boys were married at a young age.
Bumped is a smart satire that looks at a world that seemed turned upside down, even if there are some similarities to the world we live in now. With shows like 16 and Pregnant as well as Teen Mom showing off pregnant teens, it can be very easy for teen pregnancy to be glorified. Melody and Harmony both have their reservations about becoming pregnant in their world that celebrates teen pregnancy. Each event that happens to the girls makes them think about why they haven't yet gotten pregnant, and what would mean if they did.
Fans of books like Feed by M.T. Anderson and Matched by Ally Condie will enjoy the look at a future that Bumped offers. Bumped may raise some eyebrows at the premise, but hold tight for a fast ride, some unexpected events and it will bring up some very good discussion questions.
I'll see you @ the library!
Katie (Now reading Anna and the French Kiss, based on what Megan had to say!)