While I was disappointed with THE 100’s focus on melodrama, it was a hugely addictive read, and one I powered through in a single sitting. Its premise – one hundred young adults returning to Earth more than three hundred years are the planet was decimated and irradiated – was ripe with potential that wasn’t fully grasped. Every plot thread that grabbed my attention quickly dissipated into humdrum teen romance. Many readers will gravitate, and latch onto it, for this exact reason. I just wanted a little more meat on the bone.
With DAY 21, Kass Morgan delivers.
It’s impossible to delve into the plot without spoiling events from the first novel. Suffice to say, DAY 21 amps up the tension. The stakes are higher, the mysteries deepen, and its climax will make you gasp. Pacing is still an issue – relationships constantly fluctuate, which is fine, but over the course of a mere 300 pages, it feels rushed. I’d love Morgan to spend more time delving into exactly how the human survivors are coping – for all their worries and concerns, they’ve learned how to fend for themselves remarkably quickly.
After a wobbly start, DAY 21 shifts the series into a higher gear, propelling it into must-read territory. I’ll be along for the rest of this ride.
Simon McDonald 