The plot and premise of The 100 by Kass Morgan was one I just couldn’t pass up, No one has set foot on Earth in centuries — until now, but what we end up with is a novel that focuses too much on love story and not enough on the world building and character development.
Ever since a devastating nuclear war, humanity has lived on spaceships far above Earth’s radioactive surface. Now, one hundred juvenile delinquents — considered expendable by society — are being sent on a dangerous mission: to recolonize the planet. It could be their second chance at life…or it could be a suicide mission.
Clarke was arrested for treason, though she’s haunted by the memory of what she really did. Wells, the chancellor’s son, came to Earth for the girl he loves — but will she ever forgive him? Reckless Bellamy fought his way onto the transport pod to protect his sister, the other half of the only pair of siblings in the universe. And Glass managed to escape back onto the ship, only to find that life there is just as dangerous as she feared it would be on Earth.
Confronted with a savage land and haunted by secrets from their pasts, the hundred must fight to survive. They were never meant to be heroes, but they may be mankind’s last hope.
The 100 introduces us to a diverse cast of characters that each have their own struggles and motivations. However, despite the potential of deep character development, the story falls a bit short in fully exploring each character and focuses a ton of the budding love story. Additionally, with all these characters we get an abundance of points-of-view that can be confusing and overwhelming. Instead of focusing on a few of the key characters, we get a story that jumps between multiple viewpoints without allowing for a deep connection to any one character.
While The 100 has its flaws, it still managed to captivate us with fast-paced action and a suspenseful and unique storyline. Dystopian-style stories always have a place on my reading list and this novel meets the criteria for a good story.
The 100 by Kass Morgan ends up an entertaining read that will appeal to fans of dystopian fiction and young adult novels. While I feel there is room for improvement in the character development and narrative structure, the overall story is compelling and thrilling, making it a worthwhile addition to any bookshelf. We also see why CW turned this novel into a television series.
The 100 is available at bookstores everywhere. Listen to the audiobook on Libro.fm narrated by Justin Torres and Phoebe Strole.
