Review: The 100: Day 21 by Kass Morgan

Although I really enjoyed the first book in this series, The 100, when I read it last year, I confess that I had forgotten pretty much all of it so I didn't have a whole lot of interest when The 100:Day 21 dropped onto the doormat. In fact, I only picked it up because I was exhausted and wanted to read the closest book to me. 

It doesn't matter though; I did read it and I'm so very glad that I did. 

Plot summary: It's been 21 days since the hundred landed on Earth. They're the only humans to set foot on the planet in centuries...or so they thought. Facing an unknown enemy, Wells attempts to keep the group together. Clarke strikes out for Mount Weather, in search of other Colonists, while Bellamy is determined to rescue his sister, no matter the cost. And back on the ship, Glass faces an unthinkable choice between the love of her life and life itself.

In this pulse-pounding sequel to Kass Morgan's The 100, secrets are revealed, beliefs are challenged, and relationships are tested. And the hundred will struggle to survive the only way they can -- together.

When I started this, I was very aware that I remembered very, very little about the first book. The first few pages were almost a trial by fire as I struggled to remember the four characters that the book followed without a dedicated 'recap' page. However, it only took three or four pages (literally) to find my bearings again. I think Kass Morgan went for the 'in at the deep end' approach, but it paid off - I knew where we were and it all made sense.

The 100: Day 21 is good; really good. Possibly even better than the first as there's less need for world-building and back story. That's not to say this is all action though - just when you think you know everything, there's another flashback and a startling new revelation that alters everything you thought you knew about the Colony.

That's possibly what I like best about this series, although I still don't appreciate the changing fonts to denote a flashback (I'm not a moron - I don't need a textual sock puppet to tell me that times are a-changing). It hasn't stopped trying, even though the middle book in a series is usually the worst. There are still little twists throughout that give the story a bit of 'oomph,' plot devices that I've not actually seen used anywhere else. 

I actually cared what happened to all the characters, which is always a mark of good storytelling. I needed everything to work out for them, despite simultaenously wanting to throttle every last one of them. I know I said this in my review of the last book, but they haven't gotten any better. Bellamy is an obnoxious thug who acts too impulsively and just wants to hit everything and Wells (who I liked in the last book) thinks he can just make decisions without every actually consulting anybody else.

The romance isn't brilliant either. There's an awful lot of InstaLove - characters suddenly declaring their love for each other based on nothing and I can't escape the feeling that they all ended up with the wrong person. I know that's just my person preferences but they hadn't developed enough for it to conclude that way.

So basically, I really do recommend reading this as it's even better than The 100 which I liked a lot anyway. The plot is fast-paced and interesting, and the few quibbles I had about the characters aren't drastic enough to refrain from reading it. I haven't seen the TV show yet, so I can't comment... but who cares? Read this!

The 100: Day 21 will be released on September 25th 2014.