tbandlerjohnson's review
3.0
I was surprised at how much I enjoyed reading this book. It wasn't a fantastic piece of YA fiction in my book, hence the 3 stars. However, it was a fun read that introduced a very, very different futuristic world than many of the ones I have read about already.
I liked both of the twins characters. Harmony made me laugh, and Melody's world was just so different that it was fun to get immersed in. The story was short and only took place over a few days or so. The plot was just very "out of this world" or unrealistic, but I mean, this is a completely different world so that's okay!
Overall I enjoyed reading this book, and I will definitely be reading Thumped as well.
I liked both of the twins characters. Harmony made me laugh, and Melody's world was just so different that it was fun to get immersed in. The story was short and only took place over a few days or so. The plot was just very "out of this world" or unrealistic, but I mean, this is a completely different world so that's okay!
Overall I enjoyed reading this book, and I will definitely be reading Thumped as well.
justcrystalxo's review
4.0
i found this book to be slightly weird in the whole aspect of pregging and such lol but it kept me interested enough to keep reading. im definitely interested in the 2nd bumped book to find out how life continues on for all of the characters. also i have to say i really loved all the terminology like preggs, bumping, etc. lol
setauuta's review
2.0
While I found the premise of this book very interesting, the writing has really put me off. There was so much nonsense slang thrown into the dialogue that it overshadowed the truly clever things the author did with the language. The characters also felt flat to me, and I found I didn't really care what happened to them.
rebbemcc's review
2.0
It was a quick read, with some clever turns of phrase. Not particularly deep...pretty superficial. Empty calories as far as books go.
cdeane61's review
4.0
Very clever, fun and readable dystopia novel where fertility is cut short by a virus and teenagers go "pro" hosting births for older clients.
Mix in some twins, separated at birth, one a player on this "Pregg" circuit and the other with a secluded religious upbringing and you have a great story.
Liked in particular the use of language around the whole situation, book made me laugh out loud more than once.
Mix in some twins, separated at birth, one a player on this "Pregg" circuit and the other with a secluded religious upbringing and you have a great story.
Liked in particular the use of language around the whole situation, book made me laugh out loud more than once.
leonajasmin's review
2.0
I've taken a few days to write this review because I honestly can't decide whether I liked this book or not. It felt like it wanted to be a dystopia, and that was pushing through near the end, but while I get the beginning was supposed to show how innocently naive the teens were in the situation the book covered, it just came across as irritating rather than that. The slang used was too jarring to read the text properly, and felt forced rather than natural speak. I think the main issue with this book was that the plot and the writing style didn't seem to fall under the same age demographic, which made a weird hybrid that didn't come across well on page. I really looked forward to the idea of the plot and was expecting more dystopia, but was sadly dissapointed by the choice of witing style.
yokorie's review
4.0
In the not-so-distant future a devastating virus has taken its toll on the world's population, leaving teenagers to foot the bill for sustaining the human race. Obsessed to its core about keeping teenagers pregnant, and happy to be such, society has developed countless new ways socially, economically, and technologically to sustain its need for reproduction, lest everything crumble.
Meanwhile, Melody and Harmony are about as different as two twins can be. Melody, a product of the society that she was raised in, has been groomed by her adoptive parents since infancy to be the perfect vessel for the spawn of the highest bidder. Smart, athletic, and attractive, she has a contract with an equally perfect couple to create a beautiful baby worth what Melody is being paid. If only the couple would hurry up and find someone for Melody to "bump" with, because time is quite literally running out.
Harmony, on the other hand, has spent her entire life in Goodside, a religious community known for its pious lifestyle, Godly worldview, and reluctance to accept anything but complete obedience from its followers, which is perhaps why Harmony runs away from it all. Living with Melody now, Harmony struggles to navigate a new world that goes against everything that she has been taught.
However, a case of mistaken identity leaves the two girls to challenge everything that they've ever known, including their relationship with one another.
...
I don't know if I would call this book as much of a dystopian as a satirical reflection. It is clear that McCafferty is trying to send a message here; her observations of current American society through the use of a futuristic one is spot on, and as a reader I was very eager to delve into more about it with every chapter. McCafferty's use of language remains masterful throughout the entirety of the book, and she has created numerous raps, jingles, and slang words to describe the indescribable in her book. Though some may find deciphering the slang difficult, I think it is an enjoyable challenge (think A Clockwork Orange, though not nearly as violent.)
I found Melody and Harmony to be a bit dreary as characters, and felt it hard to relate to either of them. Their very different revelations at the end came as a bit of a shock to me, seeing as neither one seemed willing to open up to themselves, others, or the reader as to what they really wanted out of life (again, until the very end.) Likewise, though the inside cover of the book describes Melody's attraction to her best friend Zen, we also do not see that emerge until the end of the book, making said feelings feel very rushed.
The secondary characters, including Lib (Melody's agent), Shoko (Melody's pregnant friend, who gladly carries her boyfriend's baby for the sake of scholarship money), and Ram (one of the many complicated reasons that Harmony left Goodside) help to paint the picture of a complicated society obsessed with only one thing, human reproduction, and are enjoyable to read about in and of themselves.
Overall, Bumped is a pleasurable (no pun intended) jaunt through what it means to be a teenager, to be a lover, and to be a sister.
4/5
Meanwhile, Melody and Harmony are about as different as two twins can be. Melody, a product of the society that she was raised in, has been groomed by her adoptive parents since infancy to be the perfect vessel for the spawn of the highest bidder. Smart, athletic, and attractive, she has a contract with an equally perfect couple to create a beautiful baby worth what Melody is being paid. If only the couple would hurry up and find someone for Melody to "bump" with, because time is quite literally running out.
Harmony, on the other hand, has spent her entire life in Goodside, a religious community known for its pious lifestyle, Godly worldview, and reluctance to accept anything but complete obedience from its followers, which is perhaps why Harmony runs away from it all. Living with Melody now, Harmony struggles to navigate a new world that goes against everything that she has been taught.
However, a case of mistaken identity leaves the two girls to challenge everything that they've ever known, including their relationship with one another.
...
I don't know if I would call this book as much of a dystopian as a satirical reflection. It is clear that McCafferty is trying to send a message here; her observations of current American society through the use of a futuristic one is spot on, and as a reader I was very eager to delve into more about it with every chapter. McCafferty's use of language remains masterful throughout the entirety of the book, and she has created numerous raps, jingles, and slang words to describe the indescribable in her book. Though some may find deciphering the slang difficult, I think it is an enjoyable challenge (think A Clockwork Orange, though not nearly as violent.)
I found Melody and Harmony to be a bit dreary as characters, and felt it hard to relate to either of them. Their very different revelations at the end came as a bit of a shock to me, seeing as neither one seemed willing to open up to themselves, others, or the reader as to what they really wanted out of life (again, until the very end.) Likewise, though the inside cover of the book describes Melody's attraction to her best friend Zen, we also do not see that emerge until the end of the book, making said feelings feel very rushed.
The secondary characters, including Lib (Melody's agent), Shoko (Melody's pregnant friend, who gladly carries her boyfriend's baby for the sake of scholarship money), and Ram (one of the many complicated reasons that Harmony left Goodside) help to paint the picture of a complicated society obsessed with only one thing, human reproduction, and are enjoyable to read about in and of themselves.
Overall, Bumped is a pleasurable (no pun intended) jaunt through what it means to be a teenager, to be a lover, and to be a sister.
4/5
kikkrareads's review
3.0
This book caught my eye as the ARC made the rounds on the blog. After reading the blurb I just HAD to read it, and I all but jumped with excitement as I found it on NetGally.
I found this book to be really interesting. It wasn’t like other dystopians I have read before. Melody and Harmony are so alike yet so different, and both of them struggle with the same problems, only they never talk about it out loud to one another. Separated at birth, they were sent to live completely different lives but feel unhappy with the way things are laid out for them.
Melody was the sister I seemed to get a better understand of. Her relationship with her best friend, Zen, is just so bitter-sweet. Her parents seemed to have just pimped her out and then taken off to see the world, using their daughter like an investment other then anything else and a lot of her friends don’t even seem to know the real her.
Harmony is different. Her religious order background is strict. She has so many questions but has been punished for asking them. Her parents seem to have no real connection with her and so she decided to just run away. I think out of the two sisters she is the bravest. She fights more, but she is also the most scared and unsteady.
I enjoyed this book. I wouldn’t say I loved it but I wouldn’t mind reading it again and I also hope there is a sequel because a lot was left wide open. I recommend this if you are a fan of dystopian novels. It is quiet an eye opening read, especially when you compare it to the vast amount of teen pregnancies that are happening all over our world today. Especially those being led by the celebrity teens. McCaffery brought up some great points in her introduction and great parallels in her book to the real world.
I found this book to be really interesting. It wasn’t like other dystopians I have read before. Melody and Harmony are so alike yet so different, and both of them struggle with the same problems, only they never talk about it out loud to one another. Separated at birth, they were sent to live completely different lives but feel unhappy with the way things are laid out for them.
Melody was the sister I seemed to get a better understand of. Her relationship with her best friend, Zen, is just so bitter-sweet. Her parents seemed to have just pimped her out and then taken off to see the world, using their daughter like an investment other then anything else and a lot of her friends don’t even seem to know the real her.
Harmony is different. Her religious order background is strict. She has so many questions but has been punished for asking them. Her parents seem to have no real connection with her and so she decided to just run away. I think out of the two sisters she is the bravest. She fights more, but she is also the most scared and unsteady.
I enjoyed this book. I wouldn’t say I loved it but I wouldn’t mind reading it again and I also hope there is a sequel because a lot was left wide open. I recommend this if you are a fan of dystopian novels. It is quiet an eye opening read, especially when you compare it to the vast amount of teen pregnancies that are happening all over our world today. Especially those being led by the celebrity teens. McCaffery brought up some great points in her introduction and great parallels in her book to the real world.
onedizzypenguin's review
4.0
Although this is a young adult book, it was really intense. It's beyond freaky to read about a world where being a pregnant teenager is the norm but it was incredibly interesting and I couldn't put the book down. A quick and intriguing read! I can't wait to read the next one!
its_tara's review against another edition
2.0
When I first heard about this book, I was intrigued. To me, it sounded like an interesting idea – what if teen pregnancies were encouraged, and actually essential to world-wide reproduction? What if teen girls were being paid as surrogates for wealthy couples, who would battle it out to secure contracts with the most intelligent, healthy girls?
And then I heard about the bad reviews. People seemed to hate this book, and I can actually see why having read it myself.
Firstly, the start of the book was confusing. I had no idea what was going on, and whilst I don’t want to be way neggy, it rilly, rilly wasn’t helped by the not-so-brilly slang language used by the characters. Yes, it really (not rilly) does read like that. What actually annoyed me more though was that this language wasn’t consistent throughout the book. Sometimes, it actually read fairly normally, and was actually easy to follow!
Secondly, the characters were ridiculous. They kind of made me feel like I’d watched far too much Sixteen and Pregnant, then danced around at an under-18’s club where everyone was trying to cop off with each other. Then there was Harmony – and I get it, she was meant to have been brought up in what sounded like an oppressive religious compound of sorts, but really, dressing head to toe? Then going from that to stealing her sisters clothes and ‘bumping’ with an known stranger set up for her ‘prostitute’ (her words, not mine) of a sister? It was one extreme to the next. Actually, the kind of describes the whole book.
Part of my problem was that I went through a lot of the book being disgusted with the characters, and the society, and the attitudes. I get it, it’s meant to be a satyr of sorts, but it seemed to have found the line which one has to cross to become a satyr, then did a triple jump past it, followed by a 200m sprint. Basically, it found the line, then crossed it. By a long shot.
I think I’m feeling disappointed by the fact that given the idea for this book, it could have been really thought-provoking and interesting. I’m even trying to consider whether to shelf this as dystopian or not, given that it’s more of a fight against ideology and attitude rather than oppressive government.
The only thing I liked about this book really was that it was short, and that the premise could have been interesting. Due to said factors, I didn’t struggle to finish it, and that’s the only reason this is a 1.5* rather than a 1*.
I really wouldn’t recommend this one, unless you like to see what all the fuss is about. I also wouldn’t give it to younger teens – mainly due to the fact I really felt it glamorized teen pregnancy, and I wouldn’t want younger people getting those ideas. There are also certain racial comments I raised my eyebrows at, and again, I’m not sure that I’d want to expose a younger audience to it.
Overall, could have been a good idea, sadly, I don’t think this works.
And then I heard about the bad reviews. People seemed to hate this book, and I can actually see why having read it myself.
Firstly, the start of the book was confusing. I had no idea what was going on, and whilst I don’t want to be way neggy, it rilly, rilly wasn’t helped by the not-so-brilly slang language used by the characters. Yes, it really (not rilly) does read like that. What actually annoyed me more though was that this language wasn’t consistent throughout the book. Sometimes, it actually read fairly normally, and was actually easy to follow!
Secondly, the characters were ridiculous. They kind of made me feel like I’d watched far too much Sixteen and Pregnant, then danced around at an under-18’s club where everyone was trying to cop off with each other. Then there was Harmony – and I get it, she was meant to have been brought up in what sounded like an oppressive religious compound of sorts, but really, dressing head to toe? Then going from that to stealing her sisters clothes and ‘bumping’ with an known stranger set up for her ‘prostitute’ (her words, not mine) of a sister? It was one extreme to the next. Actually, the kind of describes the whole book.
Part of my problem was that I went through a lot of the book being disgusted with the characters, and the society, and the attitudes. I get it, it’s meant to be a satyr of sorts, but it seemed to have found the line which one has to cross to become a satyr, then did a triple jump past it, followed by a 200m sprint. Basically, it found the line, then crossed it. By a long shot.
I think I’m feeling disappointed by the fact that given the idea for this book, it could have been really thought-provoking and interesting. I’m even trying to consider whether to shelf this as dystopian or not, given that it’s more of a fight against ideology and attitude rather than oppressive government.
The only thing I liked about this book really was that it was short, and that the premise could have been interesting. Due to said factors, I didn’t struggle to finish it, and that’s the only reason this is a 1.5* rather than a 1*.
I really wouldn’t recommend this one, unless you like to see what all the fuss is about. I also wouldn’t give it to younger teens – mainly due to the fact I really felt it glamorized teen pregnancy, and I wouldn’t want younger people getting those ideas. There are also certain racial comments I raised my eyebrows at, and again, I’m not sure that I’d want to expose a younger audience to it.
Overall, could have been a good idea, sadly, I don’t think this works.