Title: The 100
Author: Kass Morgan (Twitter)
Publisher: Little, Brown BYR
Publish Date: September 3, 2013
Genre: YA, Dystopian, Sci-Fi
Pages: 277
Source: Publisher

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.

Clarke, Wells, Bellamy and Glass live in a world in which the Earth has been abandoned. To survive, humans live in vast cities in space, but it was never meant to be a permanent solution. The population is growing, and the resources are growing slim, leading the government to find a way to repopulate the Earth. 100 convicted teen felons are to be sent to Earth including Clarke, Wells and Bellamy - but Glass fights tooth and nail to stay on the ship. Which is more dangerous though? The wild, untamed Earth that's long-since been abandoned, or life aboard the ships?

For a long while now, I've been avoiding dystopian novels. It's not that I don't still love the idea of a broken world desperate to rebuild. It's simply that genres grow tired, and it takes a really strong book to break that mold. The 100 by author, Kass Morgan, seems to fit that bill in a nutshell. Combining genres, and giving us a shattered, dysfunctional future world in which we cannot even live on our own planet, The 100 explores what lengths we might go to to reclaim what was once ours...and how we might survive doing so. Dramatic, futuristic and deceptive, this is one world that you'll want to explore.

Before I begin my review, I must start out saying that I truly believe this is going to make one heck of a CW television series. It embodies teen drama, and it embraces the dystopian genre that is now thriving on both the big and small screens. The 100, however, perhaps translates better cinematically than on paper. That's not to say that I didn't enjoy this book (because I really did)...but we get a little bit different than what we've bargained for when we begin. The novel follows four points of view - Clarke, Wells, Bellamy and Glass - and the aftermath of both boarding the ship to Earth and staying behind in space. Now, it's difficult to manage two proper points of view in a great novel, so to balance four distinct characters and voices in a fairly slim novel for the genre would be quite the feat. While I felt like I got to know the gist of each of their characters, I also felt as though I never really got the essence of them either. For example, I understand Clarke's demeanor due to her wrongful conviction, but I never really got to see past her hurt, betrayed exterior. Wells was abrasive and manipulative, and I actually felt dirty reading from his perspective. Bellamy was the rare exception, as I actually really liked him, but I feel as though his character is like an onion, and we only managed to peel back maybe one or two layers. And, to be entirely honest, I didn't feel as though Glass stood out all that much. However, we're also offered characters who really stand out, but we don't get nearly enough of them. I think that my biggest issue with The 100 was that I was expecting a battle for survival once the teens got to Earth because they all had their own agendas and something to lose, plus they'd never not  lived on the spaceship. What we got though would imply otherwise. Seemingly flawlessly, the teens can hunt and survive with limited distress. There were definitive highlights to the story though, too. Ms. Morgan has given us a great setup to a broken world. Society is so irreparably damaged that execution is the solution to breaking the one-child limit. Classes are distinct and set apart from one another. It's a world that I'd really, really like to explore more, though perhaps with less points of view.

All in all, The 100 really sets the state for a fantastic TV series because, frankly, it reads like one. With a cliffhanger that, despite my reservations, had me salivating for more, I can't help but get invested in this series. I give it a 3.5 out of 5, and I recommend it to fans of YA, especially those who enjoy dystopian and science fiction.

I received this book free of charge from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This, in no way, affected my opinion or review of this book.

Becca Ritchie is the young author of the Wynter Chelsea books - a series about two families with a legacy of hunting those things that go bump in the night. After beginning Wynter Chelsea: The Legacy when she was just 14 years old, the book was published when she turned 17. Now a student at the University of Georgia, she's released the second installment in the series, Wynter Chelsea: The Sublimity, and she's actively working on book three.

I read book one a good while ago and was impressed by the dynamic cast of characters, fully-fleshed plot and intense action sequences. To view my full review of Wynter Chelsea: The Legacy, please click HERE. Otherwise, please welcome Becca Ritchie to my lovely lil' blog!

Your Book:

1. Amanda is the sole girl in a world dominated by men - supernatural hunters, if you will. How did you infuse her with the strength to match the others, and would you say you put a bit of yourself into her character?

She’s pretty much nothing like me. She’s not into pop culture, and I absolutely love everything about entertainment like television and movies. I think she even makes a reference about not understanding why people make collages of celebrities, and I’ve made my fair share. As for strength, she runs on impulse so she will do a lot of things the men won’t. She makes up in that regard. A lot of her strength does come from her family and her parents. I’m very close to my entire family as well.

2. Each character within Wynter Chelsea had a significant role and personality that balanced the others. Was it tedious creating such a dynamic cast for such a long story?

In any movies, television, or books I love, characters are the most important aspect for me. I once watched a commentary for a film and the director said that he wouldn’t hire even Leonardo DiCaprio without testing to see if he has chemistry with the cast. When I write, I almost do the same thing by making sure each character can play off each other. As the book grew, it became a natural development and the action became secondary to the character dynamic.

3. How did you balance the budding romance between Dustin and Amanda with the intense action within Wynter Chelsea: The Legacy?

I just kept telling myself to let the romance progress as naturally as possible. I really did not want to rush anything or force something for the sake of plot. During the action, I didn’t want the romance to be the entire focus, but I wanted it to be there because, well, I wrote this for myself when I was 14, so entertainment-wise, that’s what I wanted to see.

4. If you could name your three biggest inspirations for writing Wynter Chelsea: The Legacy, what/who would they be, and why?

My sister. She asked me to write a supernatural book for her, and I ended up writing Wynter Cheslea. Any bad YA books became an inspiration. I know that sounds pretty weird, but when I was 14 it was the reason why I started writing. I had a list of things I wanted in a YA book, but I picked up some pretty terrible ones that had none of those qualities from the list. These books inadvertently made me start writing in order to entertain myself. I was finally able to put that list to good use when I wrote Wynter Chelsea. Television shows like Angel, Charmed, Buffy, and Roswell also helped me understand plot as a kid. So yes, television inspired me.

5. The world of Wynter Chelsea: The Legacy is one filled with magic, lore, and creatures. Where did this world evolve from, and can readers expect the same amazing world-building in book two, Wynter Chelsea: The Sublimity?

The lore is pretty straight forward demonology that can be found in old horror movies, the internet, or even television shows right now. The demonology I pulled from did scare me at times. With each book, the world becomes bigger and bigger because Amanda Chelsea is being brought into it with the readers. Book two is a little darker than the first, and I tried to focus on the changes between the characters as well as the lore.

All About You:

1. If you had to describe yourself in just five words or less, what would they be?

Out of control imagination

2. You're going to be condemned to either live in the world of Gossip Girl or that of Supernatural (and yes, Sam & Dean are there)...which do you choose, and why?

If Sam and Dean are there, it’s a no brainer. Supernatural all the way.

3. Finish this sentence, and explain, please...If I weren't a writer, I would be_________.

 A physical therapist. My father kept pushing me to become a doctor, and by the end of my senior year of high school, we compromised with physical therapy. When my book came out, I went ahead and switched my major to television production in hopes of becoming a television staff writer.

4. What, if anything, do you need to be able to sit down and write a book?

Passion. If you have a love to create people, worlds, and an overall story then you have what it takes to write a book because you need that drive in order to complete it and push it to make it even better.

5. What are some of your favorite books and why?

All of the Harry Potter books, The Hunger Games trilogy, Uglies trilogy, Twilight series… obviously all these have something in common; they don’t end after one book. I love television for the same reason. I never want any stories to stop, and if I can fall in love with the characters then they usually top my favorite list.

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Becca has graciously offered a giveaway for all my lovely followers! ONE lucky winner will receive a signed copy of Wynter Chelsea: The Legacy, in all its glory. Here are the rules to enter: You do NOT have to be a follower, but it's always appreciated. This giveaway is US ONLY and ends promptly at midnight EST on June 20, 2011.

Still interested? Click HERE to fill out the form and enter!