I first discovered The 100 through the TV series adaptation on Netflix. My family and I got hooked in the first season and managed to season four. Then jumped a little to season five to see if it got better, but it didn’t. From the beginning, the level of stupid kept growing. Stupid decisions based on feelings or stubbornness that held no benefit for any group of people.
It was like the creators decided to ignore that it was a survival situation instead of a modern-day pep rally for encouraging certain behaviors. For example, one time Clarke was like, “I care about you so much, I’m going to kidnap you and imprison you to keep you safe.”
When I learned it was based on a book series, I wondered if maybe it was better. The situation and general plot were enjoyable to explore. So maybe, if the books were better, it would be a good read. I wasn’t disappointed. There were a few stupid decisions, but they were not ridiculous.
The book series is almost completely different if you ignore that the situation is the same at first. Other than Clarke, who is more reasonable in the book, and Bellamy, all other characters either don’t exist or don’t match the TV version.
The four-book series is a short read. I’m guessing the series targeted teens and young adults. Not to say it is a simple low-level drama, only that relationships and character feelings are predominant. Which, if you’re like me, is enjoyable to read every once in a while.
In case you know nothing about the books. The general situation is that the nations of Earth nuked each other until the planet was uninhabitable. Some humans managed to get to space, combined with other stations and created a large station. These people thought they were all that was left. After 200 years, the station is falling apart and they are forced to land on Earth (they thought at least 300 years were needed for the Earth to be habitable). On Earth, they learn some people survived in shelters. The rest is their attempt to survive on Earth with these other groups.
This is a picture of the fourth and final book. I recommend the series for a light, enjoyable read.
