Board Thread:Spoilers/@comment-2A02:C7D:49B4:900:132:25E7:AA6B:1E32-20180411012704/@comment-27794543-20190607074942

144.48.39.20 wrote: Janus100 - Is the story line different in the books? I'm thinking of reading the books but going from your comment, they don't sound anywhere like the tv series.

The book series and TV series are completely different. When the TV writers started working, all they had of the books was a single page synopsis of the first novel. So, they basically wrote their own story.

Both series start in a post-apocalypse world, on a dying space station which sends 100 juvenile delinquents to the ground. There are four characters with the same names (Clarke, Bellamy, Wells, and Octavia) and everyone else is different. Some of the background details are the same (Octavia is illegal second child; Clarke was medical apprentice & was locked up for treason for her parents' crimes; Wells's father is the Chancellor & Wells intentionally commits a crime to go to the ground with Clarke) while others are different (Octavia was discovered as a child, she & Bellamy were put in a care center & she was later arrested for stealing drugs; Bellamy is Chancellor Jaha's son, i.e. Wells's half-brother; both of Clarke's parents were 'executed'). In both series there are Grounders/Earthborns on the ground, which results in some conflicts. For more, check out this comparison chart

Personally, I'm not a fan of the books, I don't think they are well written. Then again, as an adult, I'm not the intended audience... I know there are many The 100 fans, especially those who want to see Bellarke, who love the books. So if you're a teen or love Bellarke, go for it, read the books. But TV series-wise, you're not missing anything by skipping them.