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.
*Do not read the spoilers unless you have read the book and watched the show or just don't care. Spoilers are between these: [ ] Highlight to read.
If you've been around for a month or two, you should know that I love the TV show The 100. Love it. I love the characters, the intensity of everything-- ALL OF IT.
So I started this book feeling really optimistic.
I ended it feeling confused and mildly annoyed.
I ended it feeling confused and mildly annoyed.
How did they get the TV show from this book? They are nothing alike. Nothing. Right from the first chapter, I could tell that this was very, very different, mainly because [Clarke's mom and dad were BOTH dead] and later you learn that [Wells DID tell his dad when Clarke had begged him not to] and also [Octavia was not arrested for being born, but rather for stealing pills].
There are four POVs. Clarke, Wells, Bellamy, and Glass (a girl who escapes the pod and stays on the Ark).
Also, Finn and Raven don't exist. Instead, there are Luke and Glass. No Jasper or Monty either.
 |
| I'M SORRY I JUST REALLY LOVE RAVEN AND MONTY. |
Instead of being called Privileged, like Bellamy was yelling about in episode 1 or 2 ("She's one of the Privileged. She had it good. Don't listen to her." *queue rebel leader rampage*) there are a bunch of other names of the units of the Ark, which I'm not sure I have all sorted out. To my knowledge there are three, but there are probably lots more. There's the Pheonix unit (which equals Privileged) and they get more oxygen, better food, etc. for some reason. Yeah. The Council (totally didn't see that name coming) is made up of jerks.
There's the Wanden or Warden or Something, and it's a lower class unit. And then there's something that starts with an "A" that doesn't get mentioned a lot. Possibly something that starts with a "C."
There's the Wanden or Warden or Something, and it's a lower class unit. And then there's something that starts with an "A" that doesn't get mentioned a lot. Possibly something that starts with a "C."
I read somewhere that Finn and Bellamy in the show were actually Book-Bellamy split into two, taking one of his personalities with Bellamy and the other with Finn. If that's the case, then I could tell. Book Bellamy is so much different from Show Bellamy that they might as well have been two completely different people. The only thing they have in common is their fierce need to protect Octavia.
Who is FOURTEEN in the book.
Now, if you've watched the show, then you know that First Few Episodes Octavia was very flirtatious and quite stupid. (Who strips off and jumps into a weird lake right after seeing a two-headed deer?) Book Octavia flirted a little bit, but it was more teasing and innocent.
Let me put this very simply: The 100 is basically the show's first episode.
- they come to the ground
- they discover that it is not, in fact, toxic anymore
- they do stupid things
- The Council continuously confuses me
Where is the logic? They make these super strict laws but then are super lenient when the characters need them to be. [Glass was SUPPOSED TO GO TO EARTH. She was supposed to go or DIE. But then they suddenly let her off the hook? Why?]
- Bellamy hates everything
- Clarke hates Wells
- Clarke/Bellamy are basically:
- Bellamy hates everything (except Octavia)
- Bellarke shippers die with happiness
Octavia was the only person in the world who truly knew him. There was no one else he really cared about ever seeing again. But then he glanced over Clarke, who was leaning over to breathe in the scent of a bright pink flower, the sun catching the gold strands in her hair, and suddenly he wasn't so sure.
This is all great and wonderful. But if you're reading this book only because of Bellarke DON'T DO IT. Yeah, you'll freak out over some of the stuff that happens. But they are such different people that I had to get to know them all over again and it just wasn't as magical as the show.
- Things happen that DO NOT MAKE SENSE
[Wells takes leadership. WELLS. Why would they listen to the Chancellor's son when the Chancellor is the one that basically gave them a death sentence? The show makes much more sense-- Bellamy is older and knows about survival + he's good at getting people pumped up to crush the empire.]
- Relationships develop very quickly
Too quickly, in my opinion. These 100 delinquents (seriously, whose idea was this?) are down on very, very different Earth that they don't know anything about and they're making out and sleeping together in moments??? Where are the kids with the adventurous streaks that want to explore?? Where are the logical ones that try and keep everyone together???
In the book, there are only two or three teenagers who actually try and think about the situation. The rest either blend in or make trouble.
I feel like too many adults just assume that a bunch of teenagers in one place are going to only care about making out and doing sexual things and not actually about surviving.
- And then it ends with a cliffhanger
If you've watched the show, you know what this cliffhanger is. [GROUNDERS. BOOM.] But for those who don't know, it is quite the good cliffhanger. It does makes you want to read the next book.
The writing style is good. It's poetic. There were moments when it seemed to be not really well-placed, but for the most part I liked it. It brought a depth to the book that was hard to see past the romance and other drama and reminded me of what I really, really wished this book was 100% about: Teenagers coming to a harsh, transformed Earth and seeing the brutality of what it had become.
Goodreads for The 100 + Day 21 (Book 2) + Homecoming (Book 3)
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