THUMPED

This breezy and intriguing near-time dystopia concludes with the much-anticipated birth that was bought and paid for in the first installment, Bumped (2011).

After a virus destroyed the ability of anyone over the age of 18 to reproduce, teen pregnancy became big business and major TMZ-style entertainment. Now the whole United States eagerly anticipates the day that twins Melody and Harmony will each give birth to two more sets of twins, but Melody has a secret. She isn’t really pregnant but is faking it with the help of technology that can fool even doctors. Meanwhile, Harmony realizes that her religious cult will take her children from her, so she escapes. The famous stud Jondoe, who has fallen in love with Harmony, prepares for the birth with gusto, knowing that these are his twins, not Harmony’s husband’s. All the secrets finally explode, but not before readers have plenty of fun in McCafferty’s futuristic world. However, this book, even more strongly than the last, makes the deliberate point that teenage pregnancy and sex without love can seriously damage both the teens and society. Despite that serious message, the author serves it all up with bubbly banter, full of invented slang (“I’m not pregging!”).

A sparkling, imaginative romp that is nevertheless plenty provocative.