Publisher: HarperCollins
Publication date: April 2011
ISBN: 9780061962745
Source: e-book provided by NetGalley
Melody is set for life - she got a huge pregging contract that provides her with enough money to go to college. Now, she's just waiting for her sponsor couple to decide who her partner will be. In a future where teen girls are the only ones who can have children, there are many choices available for them - to go pro, to try for an amateur contract, even to join a religious group and marry to have your own children. When Melody's twin sister Harmony, raised in one such religious group, shows up on Melody's doorstep, she little expects the dreadful consequences of her presence.
Things I Liked:
This really was a clever and fairly unique premise. It wasn't unique in that teens are the only ones who can have kids (see Wither), but unique in the implications of that in the future world. The writing is witty, with lots of clever jokes on pregnancy and childbirth, as well as some thoughtful ideas about what that future might end up like. McCafferty has created a terrifying future world complete with slang, factions, and profitable companies that still manages to capture a lot of what teens and young adults feel today.
Things I Didn't Like:
Despite knowing that this is a satire, and a good one at that, it was just not for me. I didn't like any of the characters, with the slight possible exception of Zen. The whole thing seemed a little too icky for me, call me a prude, whatever. I also was annoyed at the religious characters, since I'm a religious person myself and I don't think I'm that weird. I think I need to find some books that portray religious people in a better light than closed-minded crazy people. Eh, I'm not very good at explaining what I didn't like, just that it was not a good fit for me. I will, however, send you to Becky of Becky's Book Reviews thoughts on the book. A lot of it is how I feel (though somewhat less vehemently).
Read-alikes:
Wither by Lauren DeStefano
XVI by Julia Karr
Maybe a little like Girl in the Arena by Lise Haines (for its cultural system)
BOOK CONTENT RATINGS:
s-factor: !@#
not a lot in number, but quite a few f-bombs
mrg-factor: XXX
lots of talk, though not a lot of actual action
v-factor: none
Overall rating: **
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