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Bumped (Bumped, 1) Paperback – April 24, 2012
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A virus has swept the world, making everyone over the age of eighteen infertile. Teenagers are now the most prized members of society, and would-be parents desperately bid for "conception contracts" with the prettiest, healthiest, and smartest girls—cash, college tuition, and liposuction in exchange for a baby.
Sixteen-year-old Melody has scored a record-breaking contract with a rich couple. And she's been matched with one of the hottest "bumping" partners in the world—the genetically flawless Jondoe.
But her luck is about to run out.
She discovers she has a sister—an identical twin. Harmony has grown up in a strict religious community and believes her calling is to save Melody from her sinful intentions. All Melody wants is to meet Jondoe and seal the deal—but when a case of mistaken identity destroys everyone's carefully laid plans, Melody and Harmony realize they have much more than DNA in common.
Sharp, funny, and thought-provoking, this futuristic take on teen pregnancy is compellingly readable and scarily believable.
- Print length352 pages
- LanguageEnglish
- PublisherBalzer + Bray
- Publication dateApril 24, 2012
- Grade level9 and up
- Reading age13 - 17 years
- Dimensions5.31 x 0.79 x 8 inches
- ISBN-109780061962752
- ISBN-13978-0061962752
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Editorial Reviews
Review
“McCafferty proves that― dystopias don’t have to be dreary to be provocative.” — Publishers Weekly
“Bumped has plenty to say about reproductive rights and girls’ place in society.” — ALA Booklist
“Bumped is wonderfully original, with an extremely well thought-out dystopian society...McCafferty’s future echoes just enough of current events to seem chillingly possible.” — Romantic Times
“Its central characters become voices of reason while everyone around them acts content with their questionable circumstances.” — MTV.com's Page Turners blog
“BUMPED is brilliant, innovative, and slightly terrifying. Megan McCafferty delivers!” — Carolyn Mackler, author of TANGLED and the Printz-Honor-book, THE EARTH, MY BUTT, AND OTHER BIG ROUND THINGS
“Megan McCafferty has conceived a hilarious, touching, truly original novel, told in her trademark, spot-on voice. Readers of every age will delight in this new arrival.” — Rachel Cohn, bestselling author of NICK & NORAH'S INFINITE PLAYLIST
From the Back Cover
A virus has swept the world, making everyone over the age of eighteen infertile. Teenagers are now the most prized members of society, and would-be parents desperately bid for "conception contracts" with the prettiest, healthiest, and smartest girls—cash, college tuition, and liposuction in exchange for a baby.
Sixteen-year-old Melody has scored a record-breaking contract with a rich couple. And she's been matched with one of the hottest "bumping" partners in the world—the genetically flawless Jondoe.
But her luck is about to run out.
She discovers she has a sister—an identical twin. Harmony has grown up in a strict religious community and believes her calling is to save Melody from her sinful intentions. All Melody wants is to meet Jondoe and seal the deal—but when a case of mistaken identity destroys everyone's carefully laid plans, Melody and Harmony realize they have much more than DNA in common.
Sharp, funny, and thought-provoking, this futuristic take on teen pregnancy is compellingly readable and scarily believable.
About the Author
Megan McCafferty is the author of Bumped as well as the New York Times bestselling Jessica Darling series, which includes Sloppy Firsts, Second Helpings, Charmed Thirds, Fourth Comings, and Perfect Fifths. She lives in Princeton, New Jersey, with her family.
Product details
- ASIN : 0061962759
- Publisher : Balzer + Bray; Reprint edition (April 24, 2012)
- Language : English
- Paperback : 352 pages
- ISBN-10 : 9780061962752
- ISBN-13 : 978-0061962752
- Reading age : 13 - 17 years
- Grade level : 9 and up
- Item Weight : 9 ounces
- Dimensions : 5.31 x 0.79 x 8 inches
- Best Sellers Rank: #1,326,349 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- Customer Reviews:
About the author
Megan McCafferty is working on a series of middle-grade prequels to the bestselling Jessica Darling novels. JESSICA DARLING'S IT LIST: THE (TOTALLY NOT) GUARANTEED GUIDE TO POPULARITY, PRETTINESS & PERFECTION and JESSICA DARLING'S IT LIST 2: THE (TOTALLY) NOT) GUARANTEED GUIDE TO FRIENDS, FOES & FAUX FRIENDS are available now. The third book in the series goes on sale in June 2015.
The original Jessica Darling novel, sloppy firsts (2001), was ALA Top 10 Quick Pick for Reluctant Readers, an ALA Popular Paperback, and a New York Public Library Book for the Teen Age. Its sequel, second helpings (2003) was also selected to the NYPL list, and was a Booklist Editor's Pick for one of the best novels of 2003. charmed thirds (2006) was an instant New York Times bestseller and a NYPL pick. fourth comings (2007) and perfect fifths (2009) also made the New York Times, USA Today, Publisher's Weekly, Booksense, Barnes and Noble, Borders and other national bestseller lists.
BUMPED and THUMPED were published in 2011-12 and described in Publisher's Weekly as "sharply funny and provocative...set in a world where only teens are able to have babies, and are contracted by adults to carry them to term." Megan also edited a short story anthology called SIXTEEN: Stories About That Sweet and Bitter Birthday (2004).
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Learn more how customers reviews work on AmazonCustomers say
Customers find the premise interesting and enjoyable. They describe the book as an entertaining page-turner. Readers appreciate the well-developed characters and their strong, conflicted portrayal. However, opinions differ on the story quality, pacing, and writing style. Some find it interesting and heartfelt, while others feel it's confusing and hard to read.
AI-generated from the text of customer reviews
Customers enjoy the premise of the book. They find it interesting and playful, with realistic scenarios and family drama. The writing style is upbeat and keeps them interested from beginning to end. Readers mention that the topic is intriguing and explores the realm of possibility.
"...He was handsome, funny, romantic and intelligent. He treated me like a queen. Yet... I wanted nothing to do with him...." Read more
"...forgetting it was a dystopia; it felt so real and there were no a-typical dystopia "I finally get that the world is awful" moments until the end, by..." Read more
"...For one, it's the most charming and playful dystopian novel I've ever read. Like Feed without any of the despair. And more girls...." Read more
"...Although I didn't hate this unsettling read, I definitely didn't love it either... I'm still not exactly sure where to go with the book as whole...." Read more
Customers find the book entertaining and a page-turner. They describe it as a fantastic novel and a delight to read.
"...undertones to this novel, but I would say it is more of a funny, lighthearted read...." Read more
"...I loved the best friend! And I really just think this was a fantastic novel. I can't wait for book 2. This so gets a 10/10 from me!" Read more
"...She's great to read. Harmony is another matter altogether...." Read more
"...Bumped is a wickedly entertaining read, but not a story that should be read lightly...." Read more
Customers enjoy the well-developed characters. They find the dialogue engaging and the cast of characters likable. The heroine is described as strong and conflicted, which is typical for young adult fiction.
"...McCafferty really knows how to write dialogue and character so well! And I love her other books that started with Sloppy Firsts...." Read more
"...Melody comes across as a pretty typical YA heroine, strong and conflicted, beautiful but without any of the ego that usually comes with that, on the..." Read more
"...It was hard to get into the characters because they're so deeply ingrained in the thought patterns of this AU where teens aspire to be pregnant,..." Read more
"...Bumped supplies a nail-biting plot and an endearing cast of characters...." Read more
Customers have mixed reviews about the story. Some find it interesting and heartwarming, with endearing characters. Others consider it disappointing, weird, poorly executed, and uninteresting.
"...Bumped reminds me a lot of this guy I dated a few years ago. He was handsome, funny, romantic and intelligent. He treated me like a queen...." Read more
"...There's romance. There's pissed off husbands. There's great twin humor. There's plenty of propaganda from both sides of the spectrum...." Read more
"...A GREAT message for any teenage girl. But so poorly executed. This definitely is not a book for anyone under the age of about 14...." Read more
"...comes across as a pretty typical YA heroine, strong and conflicted, beautiful but without any of the ego that usually comes with that, on the verge..." Read more
Customers have mixed opinions about the book. Some find the language and slang updated and engaging, while others find it confusing, with too much jargon and lack of explanation.
"...at a loss for words... BUMPED is bizarre, at times baffling and hard to follow, a bit contrived and if it weren't for the cleverly written male leads..." Read more
"...He's funny, self-sacrificing and intelligent, without being boring. Writing There's no doubt that McCafferty is a good writer...." Read more
"...The slang in Bumped is initially hard to follow, but after a few chapters I got use to it...." Read more
"...Secondly, the story moves at such a breakneck speed that it tends to become confusing...." Read more
Customers have different opinions about the writing quality. Some find it well-written and interesting, with no scribbling or writing on pages. They appreciate the author's voice and ability to keep them engaged. Others feel the writing is poor and hard to read, making it a "fluff" read.
"...I've read her previous works and she has a fantastic voice in her writing...." Read more
"...And with terrible writing. Which is so sad, because like I said the message is AWESOME. 8 May: About half-way done. Let me preface...." Read more
"...Well, I'm very confused by this YA book. On the one hand, the writing is solid, the characters are excellently crafted, and the story is very..." Read more
"...Put that together with YA, a great author who knows how to keep you turning pages, and you've got a great book I finished in two days...." Read more
Customers have mixed opinions about the pacing of the book. Some found it fast-paced and worth reading, while others felt the story was uneven, rushed, or slow in the middle. The alternating point-of-view writing style is also mentioned as a factor.
"This was definitely a book I needed to read slowly, to savor each moment. McCafferty really knows how to write dialogue and character so well!..." Read more
"...The story is written in alternating (Twin) point of views...." Read more
"...(which wasn't much, it's a pretty quick read, a couple hours at most)...." Read more
"...Secondly, the story moves at such a breakneck speed that it tends to become confusing...." Read more
Top reviews from the United States
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- Reviewed in the United States on May 20, 2011Plot
Bumped reminds me a lot of this guy I dated a few years ago. He was handsome, funny, romantic and intelligent. He treated me like a queen. Yet... I wanted nothing to do with him. There were a few times in the relationship that I got wrapped up in it, but ultimately, it didn't do it for me. I look back on it now with fondness, but with absolute certainty that he was not for me, despite his good qualities.
The first half of Bumped was so filled with jargon that I couldn't stay in the world. I could tell there was a story underneath, but all of the silly words and references made it difficult to get into the rhythm of the novel. Somewhere around the half-way mark, I found myself getting into the groove of this world. Around three-quarters of the way through, I was racing through and I found myself immersed in the plot. At the end, I was sad to get to the last page (especially because it ended right when it sucked me in), but I still wish that first half had been more engaging.
Characters
I was so taken aback with the lingo of this book that it took me a while to even notice the characters, to be honest. I had no idea what they were talking about for the first two or three chapters. Eventually, I started to like them. For the first half of the book, I was really rooting for Melody. I felt that her story of being primed for a future she had no real say in would resonate with any teenager who felt pushed to succeed, regardless of the context. It was Harmony's character that surprised me. With her religious ranting, I thought I'd hate her. By the end of the book, I found her journey to be the most complex and heartwarming. I really felt her confusion between what she's always known and what she thinks is right.
The character of Jondoe was my favorite. He plays a "prime-specimen" picked for Melody to "bump" with due to his virility, good looks and health. At first, he seemed like a shallow one-dimensional character. He takes quite the journey in the story, however, and I loved it. I was also a fan of Zen, Melody's good male friend. He's funny, self-sacrificing and intelligent, without being boring.
Writing
There's no doubt that McCafferty is a good writer. I've read her previous works and she has a fantastic voice in her writing. I prefer a voice that is more soothing and beautiful (think Wither or Water for Elephants), however I can surely appreciate her strong descriptions.
I think this book was marketed wrong, to be fair. It was presented to me as being on a similar note to Wither, Delirium or The Hunger Games, which are all pretty heavy books. Two of those three are steeped in romance. There are some serious moments and certain romantic undertones to this novel, but I would say it is more of a funny, lighthearted read. I would love to see a take on this topic that is more serious in nature. I'm a glutton for a sad story.
Total Score
This book, in my eyes, it's a 3/5. It's second half makes up for most of those points, because I honestly struggled to get to the halfway point. I'm glad I did, in the end, because it was a fun and interesting story.
- Reviewed in the United States on April 9, 2012This was definitely a book I needed to read slowly, to savor each moment. McCafferty really knows how to write dialogue and character so well! And I love her other books that started with Sloppy Firsts. I got this one the day it came out, but it somehow got vacuumed up into my never-ending TBR piles. But, the sequel comes out in a few weeks, and I remembered to read this one!
I'm so glad this book was not forgotten. McCafferty's style reminds me so much of Libba Bray's, and that is a high compliment coming from me! The best thing about this book was I kept forgetting it was a dystopia; it felt so real and there were no a-typical dystopia "I finally get that the world is awful" moments until the end, by which point I was just so sucked up in the awesomeness of these characters that I had to remind myself what kind of story it really was.
It's about Melody and Harmony (long-lost twin sisters) connecting for the first time. Melody and Harmony live in a world where no one past the age of 18 can make babies. And girls, once they hit puberty, are paid to conceive and give birth to babies for the highest bidder. Melody was the first girl in her school to go pro and sign a contract with a couple who wants her to give birth to their baby. The only issue is that the couple is taking its sweet time to find Melody the perfect guy to sleep with. And while Melody is waiting, other girls are going on to baby number two. And all of the girls who sign these contracts are set for life money-wise.
Harmony grows up in Goodside, a place that sounds a lot like an Amish colony. There's little to no technology. Any form of touching with anyone but your husband is considered sin. And girls tend to be arranged into marriage as early as 13 so they can start doing what God wants them to do: make babies. At first, I couldn't stand Harmony's character because every other word out of her mouth was about God or Jesus and how she wanted to give God to people and convince her sister to move back to Goodside with her.
And it was so easy to start feeling like the whole teen girls selling their uteruses thing was normal. McCafferty wrote this in such a way where it was almost hard for me to see this as wrong. I was getting sucked into the propaganda as much as the main characters were! And I'm not used to this happening! I definitely liked Melody more to begin with because of this. It made sense that this is what the world would come to when adults couldn't give birth any more. And I liked that teen girls seemed to be so valued in society.
Yet, as the book went on, the more I realized how messed up things were. For starters, Melody is clearly in love with her best friend, but since he's short she can't get involved with him. No couple wants short babies. Guys are all mixed up with drugs to make them taller and stronger. There's group sex parties where the intent is for girls to get pregnant all at the same time. There's drugs going around that make you more attracted to your paid sexual partner. There's stores where young teens can buy baby humps. And the advertisments, slang, culture, and even the parents of all the main characters are so wrapped up in promoting teen pregnancy and making teen pregnancy sexy and even the norm.
It almost makes sense that the religious zealots take such a firm, opposing argument to the way the Otherside works. The story really gets interesting when Melody's couple finally pick a famous guy to have sex with her, and the guy thinks Harmony (the religious twin) is the one he needs to get pregnant. There's romance. There's pissed off husbands. There's great twin humor. There's plenty of propaganda from both sides of the spectrum. There's evil parents. There's sex, a ton of teen pregnancy, and a lot of heartache. One girl looses it completely after her pregnancy and decides she can't give up her baby. So, she's institutionalized. Most girls never get to see the babies they give birth to. Another girl almost dies in childbirth at 16. And a lot of tough themes are addressed in this one.
It took me just a little bit of time to officially dive into the book. I had to fully immerse myself in the language and get used to all the baby-promoting before I really understood what was happening. And I liked that. The author didn't make it easy for you to understand immediately or pick sides immediately either. The best part is when you realize how rebellious both twins are, how neither one (in their own way) will conform to what everyone else wants and expects of them. They both feel that sleeping with someone you don't love is wrong. And it does take Melody a little longer to come to this realization, but she does it all the same. And you can't help but want more girls to come to this same conclusion.
I loved the drama! I loved the dialogue and the culture! McCafferty developed an almost brand new consumerism language. And it was just so believable! It's a book that makes you think about how much you take for granted and makes you ask, "what should I be questioning right now?" Each twin was so different and both had such a unique voice to them. I loved both of them. I loved the best friend! And I really just think this was a fantastic novel. I can't wait for book 2. This so gets a 10/10 from me!
Top reviews from other countries
- JaimeReviewed in Australia on October 5, 2018
4.0 out of 5 stars Easy reading
An interesting read. I feel like I wanted it to go a very different direction but it was still enjoyable.
- LaylaaReviewed in Canada on February 13, 2014
3.0 out of 5 stars Shipped Quickly.
A little more YA fiction-y than I would have liked, but not a bad story for the right age group.
- LindaReviewed in the United Kingdom on April 3, 2014
3.0 out of 5 stars "Bumped" by Megan McCafferty
This book was a lot better for the second time around. I am not sure why. I liked the idea of it the first time, but the writing did not grip me like some books do. But I read it the second time today. And I say today because I went through the whole thing in a day. Granted I was in a read’y mood, but still.
The whole issue this book deals with. It sort of mocks, but also makes you think about teenage pregnancy. It mocks it and you can’t help but think that this is ridiculous, but that is the point! It is completely insane but all I could think was that I could completely see how this would be happening. Give a few decades, a virus, and we will have girls selling off babies at the age of 14. I also liked the jabs on iEverything. It was more on the background, but still. And the issues with church/religion. This book deals with a lot of issues that are very present in today’s society.
Which is probably why it seems that it is not completely committed to any of the problems other than teenage pregnancy. It is what bothered me the first time around. That it wants to deal with very complex issues yet put in the regular teeage’y story. Second time around I knew what was going on and took in the extra details. Which made this book likeable to me. Sure it is a little flimsy at times and I sort of realize why a lot of people did not like it, but as a personal opinion, it was not half bad.
Apart from the world, the story itself sounds a little bit like a Latina soap opera. A lot of humping, people liking people they shouldn’t, mix ups between people and so on. All that was missing was someone having amnesia. It was not necessarily bad but it seemed a little much. I’d say that tone down the crazy, I mean the drama, and focus on the issue at hand.
I did like the characters though. Even though they were in such silly situations at times, they made a lot of progress through quite a short book.
Melody was my favourite twin. She was so pro-pregging. So up for what she was doing. It was great to see her evolve, doubt her way of life. And at one point, turn not only her world but the whole world around her, upside down. You go girl.
Same for Harmony. She started out completely different. The journey was similar, away with the old in with the new (bad side effect, after reading this book you read the phrase “in with something” and you already think kinky). I liked that she and Melody did not have identical reversed stories, Harmony actually kept a lot of her former beliefs.
Side guys, Jondoe was a little overdone with being the perfect match for his twin. I would have liked to see the more human side of him. Zen was adorable. He was a lot more on the sidelines at first, but I think that might change. He also gave insight to how the people who are not genetically built for this world might feel.
To wrap it up let me just say this, give this book a chance. You might not like it right away after you put it down. Put it just might grow on you. It gets 3.5 stars from me. It is not quite 4 worthy, but before I figured it around 2.5. So 12 months and a second read got it a whole star. Maybe I should pick it up again after next Christmas.
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This review is also on my blog:
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- Jill BReviewed in Germany on August 22, 2012
2.0 out of 5 stars 30 Nights Insomniac Reviews
So, this book is basically a big WTF. That's what I wanted to write last night when I wasn't sure about the rating yet. Now I am however, and I have to retract that statement somewhat - although the core message remains.
Obviously this means that Bumped had huge problems - likeable characters were far and in between, the plot was holey at best, and so on. My biggest problem was with the way the characters behaved. Sure, they are sixteen and bound to do some dumb things. However some things were beyond dumb. Why the hell didn't Harmony just tell Jondoe that she wasn't Melody? Everyone can see that the religion-freak she is has to be the twin sister of the self proclaimed pretty, smart and social girl Melody. In fact, someone who is religious might as well stay away from this book I imagine.
You have to know that I am not religious. I'm not quite sure whether I'm an atheist. Maybe I just don't care either way. This makes the chapters told from Harmony's point of view rather hard to read for me. I just roll my eyes at her prayers and think to myself: Girl, praying not to contract a virus will NOT save you from it! Maybe someone with faith has less problems with that, but for me it was just ... no. In the end, I kept skipping her chapters because most of what Harmony does is compare people (Jondoe) to Jesus, pray and pray some more.
Melody was the same in a way. She doesn't do anything, just accepts everything as a fact. Oh, Harmony tricked her out of her contract? Nothing she can do about that. Ventura wins the vote? I'm just not going to check my messages, that will make it go away for sure. Zen says I love you? Let's just run away. Exasperating at best, a reason to make this book a DNF (Did-Not-Finish) at worst. So yeah ... decide for yourself if you want to read it. I read it, because I liked the blurb and the general topic. It was not executed well, however. I cannot recommend this read.
- SelinaReviewed in Canada on October 10, 2024
5.0 out of 5 stars Great book for the collection
As for quality, the book arrived looking like I just got it from any bookstore and looked great. As for what the book is about, you have to read it and see! It's definitely something more for teens and young adults but worth a read for dystopia future enjoyers.