ARC Review: The 100 by Kass Morgan

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.

From Goodreads

ARC graciously provided by Around the World ARC Tours

After 300 years of solitude on a spaceship orbiting Earth, the time has come for an expedition to examine the toxic Earth conditions. Due to strict breeding laws & limited supplies, the laws have been tightened so much that young people are being executed at age 18 for the smallest infraction. Now, to make better use of those already sentenced to death, 100 have been selected to travel "home."

Clarke & Wells are the only ones officially sentenced to this task, Bellamy brazenly joins the trip through a hostage situation to save his sister, & Glass was fortunate enough to escape the trip and rejoin society. Following each character individually, the reader is presented with current events & flashbacks to how they landed in their present predicaments. Love, confusion, hatred, & heroism all play an important role in the survival of those who landed & in their futures. No one has been on Earth in 300 years, so why does it feel like something never left?

This was an at-times thrilling, but mostly tempered, science-fiction that I enjoyed. There was a lot going on in each chapter between the current situation & past experiences to keep you on your toes. But there wasn't necessarily and heart-pounding action to help things flow. This story was more driven in a Lord of the Flies way where we watch these kids struggle to continue their doomed existence.

I thought it was a great plot device to have 3 of the characters planetside while one got to remain in the "lap of luxury." It gave a great contrast that I think would otherwise be lost on the reader since we don't spend much free time on the ship with the other characters. What I didn't expect was to enjoy the relationship dynamics as much as I did. While there was definitely a lot of "wrong side of the ship" action going on, the personalities of these characters really blended well.

While I would have liked this to have a tidy ending, alas it is a series beginner so there is a massive climax that is kind of predictable but unique enough to give the reader pause. It'll make for an interesting intro to the next book.

What I didn't know when I got this book was that it had been tapped as a show premiering this fall on the CW. I think it could work very well as a show since it has so much potential. I'm not much of a fan of the crowd they seem to be running with for the show, but it I think I'll give it a shot. Check it out!