Bumped

Title: Bumped
Author: Megan Mccafferty
Rating:4/5
Summary: 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

My Thoughts: WOW! The book starts off slow, it takes a while to adjust to the terms the characters use, but once you catch on it was an amazing read. This book was strikingly original, and it covered all depths of love, family, and sisterhood in the future. I must say its the best YA book I've read on reproductively oppressive dystopian societies, and perhaps the only one. Megan (the character, not author) lives in a world where children are brought up to be bumped. Because of the Virus that is spreading, most teens are only able to reproduce until the age of 18. Melody has an agent, has all of the right looks and talents, has a family to bump for, and is just waiting for the right guy to bump. A professional. Not an everything-but. Harmony was raised in a completely different way. Being a slightly sickly child at birth, she was sent to be raised by the church. They taught her what to think, and she was never allowed to question the teachings. She was due to be married at 13, but things didn't follow through. Now she has a new finance, Ram. When Harmony reaches Megan's doorstep, everything changes, not necessarily for the better.  Overall, I would really recommend this book to anyone, and everyone!