The 100 by Kass Morgan Series: The Hundred #1
Published by Little Brown Books for Young Readers on 9/3/13
Genres: Action & Adventure, Dystopian, Science Fiction, Young Adult
Pages: 336
Source: Library
My content rating: YA (Nothing more than kissing, Some violence)
My rating:
In the future, humans live in city-like spaceships orbiting far above Earth's toxic atmosphere. No one knows when, or even if, the long-abandoned planet will be habitable again. But faced with dwindling resources and a growing populace, government leaders know they must reclaim their homeland... before it's too late.
Now, one hundred juvenile delinquents are being sent on a high-stakes mission to recolonize Earth. After a brutal crash landing, the teens arrive on a savagely beautiful planet they've only seen from space. Confronting the dangers of this rugged new world, they struggle to form a tentative community. But they're haunted by their past and uncertain about the future. To survive, they must learn to trust - and even love - again.
I was a little late to the CW TV show. I just basically marathoned the entire first season and half of the second season over Christmas break. And, of course, after watching the show, I was curious to read the book that had started it all. I had heard that the book and the show were quite different, so I was prepared for that going in. There’s no Finn or Raven in the books, Wells doesn’t die, and we see life on the ship through the eyes of a character named Glass, not through any of the adults’ eyes. Still, I enjoyed seeing this new perspective on The 100 and I will definitely be reading the other books in the series.
What I enjoyed:
- Glass and Luke. I actually felt the most connected to the two characters who aren’t in the TV series at all. I really enjoyed Glass and Luke’s story because there was a bit of mystery behind what happened with them. You find out early on that Glass has been imprisoned for something related to Luke, but you don’t know what she did until well into the book. There is also suspense surrounding whether or not Glass and Luke would find their way back to each other, since he has moved on. I connected to Glass and sympathized with her throughout the book, and I was definitely rooting for Luke and Glass as a couple. In the end, you learn that Glass actually has an even bigger secret that just might threaten everything she’s gained, so I’m eager to see how it all plays out in the next book.
- Octavia’s struggles. The book portrays Octavia a lot differently than the TV series does (at least in this first book). Whereas, in the series, Octavia is sort of a warrior princess in the making, in the book, she has issues that turn her into a weaker character. I don’t really want to spoil what happens with her, but she has a problem that affects all of the 100, and she acts pretty selfishly. This could be an issue for some people, but I thought that it was realistic given the environment that Octavia was raised in and the nature of her problem.
The negatives:
- Issues not developed fully. There were quite a few issues explored in this book (I don’t want to list them off, because that would end up being spoilery), but none of them are really delved into. It’s all handled a little simplistically and quickly. I think that the book could have really developed these issues and made us feel for the characters a lot more. The plot was great (which is why it worked to be developed into a TV series), but the character development and the exploration into these issues could have been better.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book, and I think that it’s a great companion to the TV series, giving you a different perspective on the characters and the story. While the book definitely wasn’t perfect, I still recommend it for fans of the series. I give it 4/5 stars.
About the Author
Kass Morgan studied literature at Brown and Oxford, and now resides in Brooklyn, where she lives in constant fear of her Ikea bookcase collapsing and burying her under a mound of science fiction and Victorian novels. Kass is currently working on the sequel to The 100, which she’ll finish as soon as she finds a coffee shop that allows laptops on the weekend. (NOTE: Actually, the sequel has been published, but this is the most updated bio I could find for Kass).
Author Links:
Glad you liked this! I tried watching the show when it first came out and couldn’t really get into it but I have heard that season two is much better than the first so I have thought about giving it another try. Maybe over the summer I will try again. Glad this was a good read though.
Great review!
I don’t know if I would have been that crazy about the show at first if I hadn’t marathoned it. I definitely think it got better and better as it went on, and now I’m hooked!
The premise of this is so intriguing! I still haven’t decided if I will read it or watch the show, but I am glad you enjoy(ed) both.
There were so many bloggers talking about the show that I just had to give it a try. I think I might have given up on it if I hadn’t been marathoning it, but it got better and better (and I’m hoping the books will too).
I haven’t heard of that TV show or the book but it sounds interesting. I am always wary of reading books that TV shows are based on though. I guess I don’t want to know too many spoilers for the show. Ha.
Well, you really wouldn’t get spoilers on this one – the books and the TV show are very different. It’s like reading fan fiction where you get an alternate story, almost. 🙂
I too enjoyed Glass and Luke’s story development, but overall, I thought the narrative was just okay; gah! 😛
I can see that. It’s funny because I honestly do think I enjoyed the book more because of the TV show. When I was writing the review, I felt like it maybe had an unfair advantage there, but I can’t really separate my feelings on the two completely. So, I still ended up at four stars in the end.
Oo this is what got turned into the TV show? I don’t watch much TV but I do think I own a copy of this book somewhere. Maybe I’ll check out the audio and then have a peak at the show since I’m all caught up on Grim now.
The books and the show are very different, just to warn you, and the general consensus is that the show might actually be a bit better than the book. I do think that I probably agree with that – especially once the show has gotten into its second season.
Haha good to know maybe I’ll skip the book entirely then!
I definitely thought this book could have been fleshed out more, but I still enjoyed it. Like you Glass & Luke were my favorite characters to read about. The rest of the book didn’t really add anything to the story if you already have seen the tv series (at least I thought so), but the chapters about Glass showed really nicely what life on the ship was like. As much as I like the tv series it was definitely interesting to see what life was like for all the kids before they got send to earth.
Yes, I thought this was a great companion to the series to get that different viewpoint.
I have heard a lot about this TV show and book. I was surprised to read that you found some parts of the book less developed than the TV show. I usually find the film less developed than the book.
Yes, it is interesting that it seems a little backward from what’s typical.
Thanks for the post and your thoughts on this book. I have not heard of this or the television show before but it sounds interesting. I like Divergent, would you compare it to that?
Hmmm … I don’t know if it’s quite as exciting as Divergent. The show is a bit more action-packed than the book, though.
I have GOT to read this! It’s so funny, when I started reading your review, I was like “TIME OUT. Glass and Luke!?” I mean, I knew the books were different, but I guess I didn’t realize how different! But, I am really glad you liked it, I am pretty excited about reading it now. As long as I remember that half the people and stories are different 😉
Yes – it’s definitely VERY different. But you definitely need to read it because it’s an interesting addition to the series.
The premise of this book seems promising, I’ve heard of it before and I’m pretty sure I own the book somewhere too – I should start reading it soon though. Great review!
Isn’t that funny when you see a review and you think, “I think I have that one somewhere – gotta go find that!” 🙂
[…] The 100 by Kass Morgan (review) […]
I have’t read the book or seen the show, but it always amazes me hearing just how different they are. I know that things are different always when you look at a book vs show/movie, but the changes with this seem to be huge. And the one resounding thing that I have heard is that the show is so much better. Never ceases to amaze me!
I love the tv show and I had been planning on reading the book to obut hearing of the many differences between the two I might wait until the show is on hiatus again so I’m not cofusing the two together. I’ve heard the books don’t live up to the show though so I’ll just have to wait and see! Great review!!
I watched this show for awhile – I think I made it into season 3 but I can’t remember. I have this book and I’ve been meaning to read it for awhile! I’m glad you enjoyed it, but I’m a bit disappointed to hear that some things weren’t fully delved into. Oh well. I’ll probably still read it and eventually get around to finishing the show! Great review! 🙂
I’m behind on the show too, but I’m still enjoying it. I haven’t read past this first book yet, though. Need to get on that!