Bumped

Megan McCafferty's Jessica Darling series were some of my FAVORITE BOOKS (Marcus Flutie made me ask Edward who?), so I was ecstatic to hear about Bumped.  It takes place in a future where humans are unable to have children after the age of 18 and having teens carry babies is big business!

Bumped follows twin sisters who were separated at birth.  Melody is a pro (paid to preg).  She hasn't "bumped" yet, but she has a major contract to fulfill as soon as the couple finds a suitable male.  Harmony was raised by The Church--a strict religious settlement that marries girls off at 13 to start families.  When Harmony arrives at Melody's door, both girls start down separate paths that will make them realize that neither one of them believes in the upbringings they are clinging to.  Add in a boy too short to bump with (but who Melody is probably in love with), a scared church boy trying to bring Harmony home, and a hot superstar with the fastest sperm in the world... and catastrophes are bound to happen in the classic McCafferty style.

First, Bumped jumps right in.  It took me about four chapters to catch up, but I trusted McCafferty, and I'm glad I did.  The world is a hilarious version of our own that shows how perverse our society can be.  Advertisements screaming that your extra sixty is sexy were funny and I laughed out loud when I found out that condoms were illegal.  Selling fake pregnancy bellies to pre-teens was a little gross, but believable within the world and I found that it mirrored our own.  Have you seen some of the latest fashion ads?  Hailee Steinfeld and Elle Fanning, 13 year old girls, are selling fashion to grown woman.  And that spread of sexy six year olds in French Vogue a few months ago?  As funny as this book is... it is also alarming in how well it mirrors the real world.

Melody's parents are the ones who pushed her to go pro.  They made me sick, but I've met my share of real life stage parents and I can tell you that they absolutely are not the worst out there.  As for the other characters... I loved them all.  Something I love about McCafferty's writing is how she can make these beautiful and complicated relationships.  I find I'm never rooting for a relationship from the beginning, because it is impossible to tell who the characters really are.  Are they good, are they bad?  Are they using the main character?  I find myself secretly hoping they are good so that the characters can fall in love and at the end, the big reveal is always a more emotional moment for me than any kiss I've been anticipating from the beginning of the book.

Overall, I think McCafferty does a wonderful job of dealing with delicate issues, like sex and religion.  I love how different the sisters are, but how alike they find themselves to be as well.  Both girls journeys were unique and honest.  They each do an incredible amount of changing over the course of this story and it sets them up for having to confront things they've been trying to avoid most of their lives.  AND I CAN'T WAIT FOR BOOK TWO.  I almost wish I hadn't read this so soon, because waiting for McCafferty's next book is harder than Harmony trying not to bump with Jondoe.