The 100    by Kass Morgan Order:  USA  Can Little, Brown & Co., 2014 (2013) Hardcover, Softcover, CD, e-Book     Reviewed by Ricki Marking-Camuto What would happen if convicted teenagers were sent to re-colonize Earth? That is the premise behind The 100 by Kass Morgan, now a hit show on the CW. By combining dystopia with space opera and focusing on four main characters, Morgan delivers a wholly unique YA novel. Clarke was appalled by what her parents did and never expected to be incarcerated for the same crime. Now, her eighteenth birthday approaches, and everyone knows that means a lethal injection for anyone confined on the ships. However, the government has something else planned for one hundred imprisoned teenagers – they need guinea pigs to check out the radiation levels on Earth, three centuries after nuclear winter forced civilization to abandon it. Wells, the Chancellor's son (thus in the know about what will be happening to those confined) purposely gets himself arrested so he can go to Earth with Clarke. Wells was the reason Clarke was confined and her parents killed, and he cannot stand that either of them should die without making peace. Also Wells' best friend Glass has been confined for an accident and still suffers from a broken heart. And Bellamy, well, he will do whatever it takes to protect his illegal sister, even if it means hijacking the dropship taking the incarcerated teens to Earth. Glass takes advantage of Bellamy's distraction to escape and be with her beloved, but life on the ship might be more dangerous than life on Earth, even though Clarke, Wells, and Bellamy are finding that is no cakewalk either. As there are four main characters, the plot is a little difficult to describe since their storylines weave in and out of one another's, but that does not mean that Morgan's writing is not tight. Every little incident plays into bigger ones, resulting in one hell of a cliffhanger. Morgan also does not info drop, and instead lets the reader get to know the main characters and their situations little by little, building the suspense throughout. The 100 is a very exciting read. Kass Morgan has created a unique, though not ground-breaking, story that has a lot of appeal. I cannot compare it to the TV show, as I have only seen commercials, but I can understand how this book would translate well to the small screen. Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more Teens books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews