Posted by Lauren in Book Reviews, Dystopian, Featured | 9 Comments
Thumped by Megan McCafferty
Thumped by Megan McCafferty
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Release date: April 24, 2012
Pages: 304
No summary; this review is spoiler-free! If you’d like to read the synopsis for Thumped, click here.
My thoughts: After reading Bumped, it’s easier to adjust to the culture shock of the world Harmony and Melody live in. Thus, the sequel to Megan McCafferty’s fantastic 2011 release is not quite as shocking as its predecessor. However, it is just as exciting and fun. McCafferty is great at keeping readers engaged. She knows how to write a good story. The social commentary and ridiculous humor are merely bonuses!
Harmony and Melody are totally different girls in Thumped. In Bumped I preferred Melody, because Harmony seemed a bit too naïve for my tastes, but Thumped changed my mind. Harmony stands out in Thumped because of her tremendous personal growth. Melody remains relatively static throughout the book, but she is clearly different from the girl she was in Bumped.
Because Thumped has a much faster pace than Bumped, it’s a bit difficult to fully connect with each of the characters. The two protagonists are given the attention they deserve, but old favorites like Zane and Jondoe are more side characters than anything else. This is disappointing, but for the purpose of closing up the series, the lack of focus on characters makes sense.
If Bumped was your cup of tea last year, definitely pick up Thumped. (And don’t worry if you feel you’ve forgotten important details: Megan McCafferty does a great job of catching us up.) The quirky style is still there, and it ties up all loose ends from book one. There are a few twists to look for, too, so be prepared!
4/5 stars
For those who like: Bumped, satire, stories about teen pregnancy
Source: publisher. Thank you!
I’ve had this one sitting on my shelf and I’ve been a little nervous about starting it. I LOVED Bumped but it was so bizarre that I wasn’t sure if round 2 would live up to my expectations, or if I’d be tired of the outrageous world. I’m SO glad to hear you liked this one too! This makes me much less nervous about starting. I didn’t realize it was going to be a 2-book series, so now I’m especially curious as to how it will wrap up. And I’m glad to hear Harmony is more sympathetic. I found her frustratingly naive in the first one too. Can’t wait!
I haven’t read Bumped yet, but I bought it last year for my nook. The concept of the book sounds interesting, so I am looking forward to when I have time to read it. It sounds like this book continues on with the story pretty well. Fab review!
Glad you also enjoyed the sequel. I agree… the girls changed a lot from book 1 to book 2. I always like Melody but you are also right, Harmony was completely different this time around and I think it’s because she was finally stripped of these expectations of having siblings, being a woman, and what her life would mean in the end.
I really enjoyed this series and I am not a dystopian reader.
Good review!
I agree, the crazy language wasn’t quite as shocking in this one and was much easier to adjust to it because I was prepared for it. I loved how much Harmony grew as well, like you I preferred Melody in book 1, but I really enjoyed Harmony in this one:) Awesome review Lauren!
I still have not read Bumped, but the series looks to be very good. You have convinced me to read the first! Great review.
I loved bumped! I can’t wait to read thumped now!! :-)
That’s disappointing that it was difficult to fully connect with the characters, but the humor aspect to the story sounds great. I’ll have to check out the first book,
Nice review! :)
This is one of my most anticipated books this month! I can’t wait for it to come out tomorrow. It is pre-ordered!! Glad you liked it.
I really liked Bumped so I’m excited to get my hands on a copy of this one! I like fast paced books but I’m sad that it’s harder to connect to the characters. Thanks for the review!