Kirstiekins Blogs: BOOK REVIEW || The 100

Like a lot of other people, I discovered The 100 through the CW's hit show of the same name. I binge watched the first two and a half seasons in about four days, and then had to wait for new episodes each week. Imagine watching thirty-six episodes in a row, and the last one you watch is the one with THAT Lexa scene - I did not know it was coming, I was not ready.

You could say that I was suffering from withdrawal symptoms, but in all honesty, I think I was. Watching that many episodes in a few days is probably not a good idea. After a bit of research (A quick google whilst munching on a rich tea) I discovered that the show was based on books, and swiftly ordered them via Amazon Prime.

What is it about?
Three hundred years after a nuclear apocalypse, the only remaining members of the human race are those that live in a space colony that orbits the now-uninhabitable Earth. No one has been to the ground since the bombs went off, however, that is about to change.

A group of one hundred teenage criminals have been sent to the ground in order to see if Earth is once again safe for humans to live on. Among the hundred are three of our protagonists, Clarke, Bellamy, and Wells, who land with ninety-seven other prisoners somewhere on what used to be the east coast of America. With no rules and no communication to the colony they now have to fend for themselves on a planet they aren't even from - the only problem is, they aren't alone.

Meanwhile our fourth protagonist, Glass who narrowly escaped being sent to earth is facing a bigger problem on the colony, one that could change the fate of the human race for good.

Review
I enjoyed this, but I cannot decide if I like it because I liked the show, or because I actually do like it. The use of different POV chapters worked really well on a whole but did get a little annoying from time to time. Morgan has taken the time to develop her characters and their story arcs; each character has a distinguishable voice and presence which has to be commended as that is not always something that is easy to maintain.

A large theme of this book is love, and what people will do for those that they love. It would have been enjoyable if like the show its primary focus was the strength of the human race.

I will say, though I have heard a few say that they did not like the flashback element to each character's POV, I thoroughly enjoyed them. They added a much-needed back story which was achieved without writing a prequel novel.

Should you read it?
If you're a fan of the TV show, then reading the book is definitely something I would recommend. You get to see the characters through a different light which is really refreshing. Both the book and TV show follow the same premise, but they have very different story lines.

This is probably the only time I have ever said this about a novel, but the TV show is much better than the book.