If a new virus wiped out the fertility of everyone over the age of 18, what do you think would happen? Would our society start paying teenagers to have babies so the world would continue to be populated? That’s the premise of this book — teenagers are selling their wombs and their fertility to the highest bidder, and for some reason that’s never really explained, in vitro fertilization technology isn’t an option. Only “bumping” is. You hire the best genes you can and then pay for a baby to be conceived and carried for you. Pregnancy is THE coolest thing — and so is the process of creating a “preg.”
Sixteen-year-old Melody has spent her whole life preparing to create the perfect pregnancy, but when an identical twin suddenly drops into her life, from a crazy religious sect, no less, things get complicated. REALLY complicated. Harmony has a story of her own and despite her love of God and desire to live a sin-free life, living in Melody’s world gives her opportunities that even she has a hard time resisting. In a baby/conception/pregnancy-crazy world, these sisters have a lot to learn about each other — and about themselves and what they really want.
It’s an interesting premise, isn’t it: teens being the only ones who can get pregnant? I really thought it was, and the book is well-written; it’s definitely a page-turner as we switch between Melody’s and Harmony’s stories. Sometimes ALL the made-up slang gets annoying. But honestly, having sex and all the intricate details involved be talked about in such a blasé and base way makes for uncomfortable reading. Pop culture in this book is absolutely obsessed with “bumping.” T-shirts and music and school clubs, you name it — baby-making is the hot thing. So, while I liked the story, I’d be cautious about handing it to my own daughter — I’d avoid it for her until she was in her late teens, if at all.
Rated: High (bordering on “dirt”). The entire book is about sex. Sex, all kinds of slang for sex. There are no graphic sexual scenes, but the act happens twice between teens. The book also contains strong and moderate language.
