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Bumped
An unexpectedly funny and understandably pr ovocative science fiction novel is set in the not-too-distant future when a virus has rendered everyone infertile after young adulthood. Teen girls are now encouraged to get pregnant. Identical twins Melody and Harmony were given up for adoption at birth (prior to the virus). Harmony grew up in a conservative religious community where girls are expected to marry at thirteen and quickly become mothers. Melody was raised in Princeton, N.J., by high-achieving college professors who expect great things from their daughter ... on the reproductive front. They’ve engaged a high-power agent who has matched Melody with a couple wanting a baby. Melody is anxiously waiting for the couple to choose a male for her to “bump” with. Meanwhile, Harmony has arrived on her doorstep. Harmony says she wants to help her sister reject the path she’s on and find God. In truth, it’s clear both teens are struggling with the expectations of their families and societies. Alternating between Melody’s and Harmony’s distinctively delightful points of view, Megan McCafferty’s novel sheds light on our present-day cultural fascination with “baby bumps” and celebrity (when Melody’s match is finally chosen, it turns out he’s the most famous sperm donor in the country) while challenging readers to think about issues of free will, privacy, peer pressure, feminism (pretty much nonexistent in this future) and how cultural norms are shaped and can shift. The abrupt final chapter hints at a sequel in the works. ©2011 Cooperative Children's Book Center
CCBC Age Recommendation: Age 13 and older
Age Range:
Grades 6-8 (Ages 11-13)
Grades 9-12 (Age 14 and older)
Format:
Novel
Subjects:
Adoption
Celebrity/Fame
Faith, Spirituality and Religion
Feminism
Humor
Science Fiction
Sisters
Speculative Fiction
Teen Pregnancy
Publishers:
Balzer + Bray, HarperCollins
Publish Year: 2011
Pages: 323
ISBN: 9780061962745
CCBC Location: Fiction, McCafferty