The 100

The 100 is the first in a four-book series and is succeeded by Day 21, Homecoming, and Rebellion. The entire series follows the perspectives of the four protagonists (Clarke, Wells, Glass, and Bellamy), detailing the recolonization of Earth and the destruction of the space colony and its oppressive ruling council. Day 21, as the title suggests, resumes the narrative on the 21st day after the teens arrive on Earth. At this point, the mysterious humans who attacked them at the end of The 100 still pose a threat, as do the many disagreements that crop up as the teens struggle to survive. With the capture of an Earth girl, the group learns that people who were supposedly executed aboard the colony were actually drugged and sent to Earth. This discovery forces them to question everything they thought they knew about the council’s leadership; such disillusionment is a common trope of young-adult dystopian fiction, which often focuses on the hidden ugliness of society. 

In addition, the people who have been on Earth are now divided into a group residing underground and a faction of violent renegades. This division deepens the themes of power and oppression that the first book introduces, highlighting the divisions that arise as priorities and philosophies diverge. The ever-present conflicts of class and privilege are also continued aboard the space colony, where Glass, Luke, and others fight for a place aboard transports heading to Earth as the oxygen levels decline. As in The 100, Phoenix is given preferential treatment, and this injustice is most intensely embodied in the villainous vice chancellor, who uses his status to engage in violence and seize a place for himself aboard the transport.

Homecoming picks up immediately after Day 21 as the transports from the colony crash-land on Earth. Clarke, Wells, and Bellamy resume their protagonist roles, leading a rescue party to help those who crashed and contending with the vice chancellor, who is the main antagonist of the series. Homecoming also ties up many of the series’ loose ends, featuring a reunion between Clarke and her long-lost parents, who were not actually executed. The novel also describes the overthrow of the vice chancellor’s oppressive reign. In terms of the brewing romances and personal relationships, Clarke chooses Bellamy over Wells, indicating her choice to embrace the future rather than the past. However, her reconciliation with Wells suggests that she no longer allows the past to rule her life. 

Glass and Luke also regroup with the other teens on Earth, and these reunions bring everyone together for the events of Rebellion. The fourth installment serves mainly as closure for Bellamy and Clarke’s relationship and explores themes of new leadership and rebuilding in the aftermath of an oppressive regime. However, when a new threat captures Wells, Glass, Luke, and others, Clarke and Bellamy’s relationship is tested as they work together to rescue their friends. With the success of the mission comes the resolution of their interpersonal conflicts, and the final installment ends with the two becoming engaged.