I have to admit right off the top that I only started reading this book after I saw the series (or rather the first season), which absolutely blew me away. However, I will try not to compare it to the series.
So … not the best book in the world, but not a complete waste of time either. The story begins (as in the series) by introducing the main character when she is in prison and the guards would come for her, and take her to a pod in which she is transported to Earth along with 99 other teenagers.
I didn’t really like the flashbacks that were in every chapter. Each chapter was narrated by a different character, which wasn’t too bad. However, these glimpses into the past, and the reasoning behind it, always just flew in front of my eyes. The story is basically told by four characters: Clark, Bellamy, Wells, and Glass. The lastly named is still on the Ark (she managed to escape after Bellamy secured a spot on the Earth-bound pod) and brings us to a situation that leads to the end of the Ark and the likely death of everyone who fails to reach the escape pods left behind.
While in space they face a lack of air and a shortage of space on the escape pods, it’s not much easier on Earth. They may not be in any danger in terms of radioactivity, but there are other threats. Someone sets a fire in their makeshift camp and burns all their supplies, and also kidnaps Bellamy’s sister Octavia.
The first volume is basically about how a hundred teenagers get to Earth and find out they’re not alone. They find that they are in danger not only from nature (poisonous plants and animals) but also from humans who have never left Earth.
But it’s quite entertaining to watch their personalities and knowledge assert themselves. How they adapt to their new environment and new circumstances. Anyway, if you’ve seen the TV series, you’ll probably have trouble reading this book… Nevertheless, I didn’t find it as bad as some of the reviews say.
About book:
Author: Kass Morgan, born and living in Brooklyn (New York, USA)
Published: September 3rd, 2013
Pages: 323
Series: The Hundred #1
Description:
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.
(Source: Goodreads)
