Release Date: April 26th, 2011
Publisher: Harper Collins
Challenges: Dystopia Challenge, Debut Author Challenge, 100+ Reading Challenge, eBook Challenge
"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."
I was very excited for this new dystopian novel centered around the concept of teen pregnancy. I loved the insight and the satire that McCafferty expressed in "Bumped." This exaggerated society wasn't exactly inconceivable. While exaggerated and frightening, I can definitely see something like this happening in the distant (or not so distant) future.
I went into this novel with the synopsis and a bit of an expectation. To not sugar coat it — this book wasn't for me. I found the futuristic terminology confusing and never really understood what they were talking about and where the words were coming from (why add Mi to everything?). From what I gather other reviewers had the same problem but eventually understood what was going on so maybe I'm just a bit more dense or structured. Obviously I understood some of the terminology, but a lot of the technology was lost on me. The MiNet completely confused me; is this something in their heads or is it a device?
I found the characters to be a bit lacking in depth. The two protagonists (Melody and Harmony — talk about confusing) alternated perspectives by chapter. So many times I would forget whose perspective I was reading which would only add to my confusion. This tends to happen to me when I'm reading a novel with alternating perspectives. I also never really got to know either character very well and as a result my relationship with either character never really developed.
I did really enjoy the society that was built and the classifications of people (Amateurs versus Pros, Worms, etc) and felt that it accurately described much of how our world actually works today (without the societal stigmas that accompany it). To clarify, Zen (the best friend) is classified as a Worm because he is vertically challenged and therefore isn't "paid" to mate. While I think few of us today would admit, the truth of the matter is there is generally some judgement made on looks. Many females refuse to date or mate with someone younger or shorter than them — it's a societal expectation or norm that the male be taller and older. Now, of course this isn't written in stone but I think that we can all agree that's the norm. I found these classifications to be understandable and eye opening.
Jondoe — I'm not really sure how I feel about him. At the end there it was back and forth too much and I'm not really sure what the truth is and what the act is.
Overall, this book wasn't for me. It had a great premise but I was unable to connect to the characters or the plot. I'm not sure if I'll be reading the sequel. Again, this is just me and for the most part I've only read great reviews. For more opinions check out — The Compulsive Reader, Good Books and Good Wine, Pure Imagination, and Sniffly Kitty's Mostly Books.
Originality: 10/10
Ending: 7/10
Characters: 7/10
Plot: 8/10
My reaction/enjoyment: 7/10
Cover: 10/10
Overall: 49/60 B
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To the FTC, with love: Review eGalley from NetGalley