Review: Bumped by Megan McCafferty

Title: Bumped

Author: Megan McCafferty

Publisher: Balzer + Bray

Pub. Date: April 26, 2011

Source: Netgalley

Length: 336 Pages

Series: Bumped #1

Summary (from goodreads):

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.

My Thoughts: I think I'm in love with this. So excuse me for writing this awful review, it just means I loved Bumped so much that I'm at a loss of words.
As you know, Bumped takes place in the future, during a time where the human race is threatened because any one over the age of eighteen is infertile and cannot have babies. It is told in chapters alternating between Harmony and Melody, identical twins separated at birth. Despite never knowing about one another, they have simliar names because their biological mother named them, rather than their adopted parents (and yes, I got confused between the two and still have trouble remember who is who. This also left a small gap in the story, because the society didn't allow birth parents to name their children).
This was a lighter book than I have expected it would be. There was no one going "oh my goodness, us humans may become extinct because of this virus," so I guess there wasn't a real threat of that happening.  When I think of dystopian, I usually don't think of books such as Bumped, which is like a very mild type of dystopian. It usually bothers me when books claim to be dystopian when they aren't really, but surprisingly, I am really liking this lighter and less serious take on the genre.
The Lingo was very interesting and a good addition to the story, but I wish the author could have come up with more unique names for some of the places, like Goodside (I mean, really? It makes me mad that their wasn't a better name for the place. grrr). 

I really enjoyed McCafferty's writing and I am kind of disappointing with myself that this is the first novel I have read by her, especially because of how good her Jessica Darling series is (supposedly, since I obviously haven't read it yet...) Unfortunately, she gave no explanation as to why this future was the way it is. I do have my ideas, and I hope the cause of the virus will be revealed in the sequel. Her characters were all very well written, from the minor characters like Zen (I really loved that guy!) to the major ones. I loved Bumped, I really did. But, I'm not giving it a five like I usually give to books I loved, because there were quite a few minor flaws, that all together are too much it simply ignore. This was a great book though, and I highly recommend it!

Rating:

4 Moons