The 100 Review

A teen at the library recently picked a book up off the shelf called The 100 by Kass Morgan, and she loved it. She was really excited about it, so I decided to read it, and was lucky enough to get an e-book copy of it through NetGalley. Some of you may have heard of the new TV show on the CW that is based on the book, and although I haven't seen the TV show yet, it's on my list of shows to watch after reading this book.

The 100 Summary:
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.

The 100 Review:
This book reminded me a lot of Glow by Amy Kathleen Ryan in a few different ways, with a little bit of Lost mixed into it. I love worlds where civilization is living on space stations, so right away this book appealed to me. The plot itself is a little formulaic with 100 teenagers being sent down to Earth to see if they can survive, but I thought the novel overall was very well done. Background information was revealed at exactly the right time in the story, and the characters were very well developed.

There are four main characters that the book follows, and each character brings something different to the table. Each character was hiding a large secret, not only from everyone else, but from the readers as well. Although those secrets were hinted at throughout the book, they weren't revealed until the end, which could be frustrating for some, but overall I would say was very well done. And not only that, but the book itself kept secrets from not only the readers, but the characters too, and left the story open to a highly anticipated sequel.

Out of the four characters, I would definitely say I enjoyed Glass's story the most. She's a rich Phoenix girl, who falls in love with a poor Walden soldier. But their story is much more complex than that, and I loved it. And just when you think you've finally uncovered the characters' secrets, you get hit with another one. The same can be said for Wells, Clarke, and Bellamy's stories, which were also enticing reads.

If you're looking for a gripping read, a book based in space, or a book about survival, then this is the book for you. If you get the chance, pick this book up, it's well worth the read.