Read It Like You Stream It: The 100

Unwind by Neal Shusterman

If The 100 had you questioning every moral choice and constantly yelling “WHAT?!” at your screen, you’re in for a treat because Unwind brings that same energy. With a government that “solves” overpopulation by harvesting teens for parts (yes, really), this book is packed with ethical dilemmas, rebellion, and survival under impossible odds. Perfect for fans of the show’s darker themes and wild emotional roller coasters.

“In a future world where those between the ages of thirteen and eighteen can have their lives ‘unwound’ and their body parts harvested for use by others, three teens go to extreme lengths to uphold their beliefs–and, perhaps, save their own lives.”

-COSMOS

The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey

Aliens. Apocalypse. Teens on the run. If you loved the intense fight for survival in The 100 and the blurred lines between friend and foe, The 5th Wave delivers. Cassie’s battle to stay alive—and find her brother—will resonate with fans of the show’s themes of loyalty and resilience. Think gritty dystopia with a sci-fi twist and enough trust issues to make you side-eye your best friends.

“After the 1st wave, only darkness remains. After the 2nd, only the lucky escape. And after the 3rd, only the unlucky survive. After the 4th wave, only one rule applies: trust no one.

Now, it’s the dawn of the 5th wave, and on a lonely stretch of highway, Cassie runs from Them. The beings who only look human, who roam the countryside killing anyone they see. Who have scattered Earth’s last survivors. To stay alone is to stay alive, Cassie believes, until she meets Evan Walker. Beguiling and mysterious, Evan Walker may be Cassie’s only hope for rescuing her brother–or even saving herself. But Cassie must choose: between trust and despair, between defiance and surrender, between life and death. To give up or to get up.”

-Amazon

Legend by Marie Lu

Day and June are basically the Bellamy and Clarke of their world: genius-level smart, on opposite sides of a war, but forced to work together. Sound familiar? Legend is full of rebellion, political corruption, and epic tension, with a fast-paced plot that’ll keep you flipping pages like your life depends on it. (Because in this world? It kinda does.)

“What was once the western United States is now home to the Republic, a nation perpetually at war with its neighbors. Born into an elite family in one of the Republic’s wealthiest districts, fifteen-year-old June is a prodigy being groomed for success in the Republic’s highest military circles. Born into the slums, fifteen-year-old Day is the country’s most wanted criminal. But his motives may not be as malicious as they seem. From very different worlds, June and Day have no reason to cross paths – until the day June’s brother, Metias, is murdered and Day becomes the prime suspect. Caught in the ultimate game of cat and mouse, Day is in a race for his family’s survival, while June seeks to avenge Metias’s death. But in a shocking turn of events, the two uncover the truth of what has really brought them together, and the sinister lengths their country will go to keep its secrets.”

-COSMOS

All That’s Left In the World by Erik Brown

This one is a must for fans of The 100’s post-apocalyptic world, man vs nature and man vs self themes, and slow-burn relationships. After a deadly virus wipes out most of the population, and the remaining survivors begin to turn on one another, Andrew and Jamie have to trust each other to survive—and maybe fall for each other along the way. Heartfelt, funny, and deeply human, it’s the emotional survival story you didn’t know you needed.

“Putting their trust in one another, two boys, Andrew and Jamie, search for civilization in a world ravaged by a deadly pathogen, but their secrets could cost them everything as they try to find the courage to fight for the future, together.”

-COSMOS

Across the Universe by Beth Revis

Space drama? Check. Conspiracies? Check. Teens waking up on a spaceship full of secrets? Double check. This one’s for fans of The 100’s early “life in space” scenes and the constant question of who can be trusted. With a mystery at its core and a romance brewing, it’s a stellar (pun intended) ride from start to finish.

“A love out of time. A spaceship built of secrets and murder. Seventeen-year-old Amy joins her parents as frozen cargo aboard the vast spaceship Godspeed and expects to awaken on a new planet, three hundred years in the future. Never could she have known that her frozen slumber would come to an end fifty years too soon and that she would be thrust into the brave new world of a spaceship that lives by its own rules. Amy quickly realizes that her awakening was no mere computer malfunction…”

-COSMOS

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Let’s be real: if you haven’t read The Hunger Games yet, now’s the time. It’s basically the blueprint for YA dystopia. Life-or-death challenges, fierce female leads, political rebellion … Katniss and Clarke would definitely have a lot to talk about (and possibly team up to overthrow the world together).

“In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. The Capitol is harsh and cruel and keeps the districts in line by forcing them all to send one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live TV. Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who lives alone with her mother and younger sister, regards it as a death sentence when she steps forward to take her sister’s place in the Games. But Katniss has been close to dead before—and survival, for her, is second nature. Without really meaning to, she becomes a contender. But if she is to win, she will have to start making choices that weight survival against humanity and life against love.”

-Provided by Publisher

Gone by Michael Grant

Imagine The 100, but every adult disappears and the kids are left to fend for themselves—with powers. Chaos, cliques, and survivalist drama ensue in this intense, explosive series. If you loved watching teen characters try (and often fail) to build a new society, Gone will scratch that itch big time.

“In the blink of an eye, everyone disappears. Gone. Except for the young. There are teens, but not one single adult. Just as suddenly, there are no phones, no internet, no television. No way to get help. And no way to figure out what’s happened. Hunger threatens. Bullies rule. A sinister creature lurks. Animals are mutating. And the teens themselves are changing, developing new talents – unimaginable, dangerous, deadly powers – that grow stronger by the day. It’s a terrifying new world. Sides are being chosen, a fight is shaping up. Townies against rich kids. Bullies against the weak. Powerful against powerless. And time is running on your birthday, you disappear just like everyone else.”

-Provided by Publisher

The Loop by Ben Oliver

Prison break meets high-tech dystopia. If the AI-driven tech, occasional criminal backgrounds, and oppressive systems in The 100 fascinated you, The Loop takes it up a notch. Luka’s countdown to execution and the secrets he uncovers along the way will keep your heart pounding and your brain spinning. Think fast-paced, high-stakes, and full of twists.

“Luka Kane has spent 736 days wrongfully imprisoned inside the Loop awaiting his execution. Each day is the same. Each day is torturous. But things are starting to change. Whispers of war are circulating. Strange things are happening to the prisoners. And the warden delivers a message: Luka, you have to get out … Now Luka must decide whether breaking out of the Loop is his only way to survive, especially if there’s any chance of saving the ones he loves. But the population on the outside may be far more terrifying than anything he could have imaged. And in order to save his family, he’ll have to discover who is responsible for the chaos that has been inflicted upon the world.”

-Dust Jacket

These Broken Stars by Amie Kaufman

Star-crossed lovers stranded on a mysterious planet? Yes please. If Bellarke’s slow-burn dynamic and the “new world survival” vibes were your favorite, this one’s calling your name. Add in some eerie planetary secrets and major sci-fi drama, and you’ve got a space romance that’s just as intense as any Earth-side rebellion.

“It’s a night like any other on board the Icarus. Then, catastrophe strikes: the massive luxury spaceliner is yanked out of hyperspace and plummets into the nearest planet. Lilac LaRoux and Tarver Merendsen survive. And they seem to be alone. Lilac is the daughter of the richest man in the universe. Tarver comes from nothing, a young war hero who learned long ago that girls like Lilac are more trouble than they’re worth. But with only each other to rely on, Lilac and Tarver must work together, making a tortuous journey across the eerie, deserted terrain to seek help. Then, against all odds, Lilac and Tarver find a strange blessing in the tragedy that has thrown them into each other’s arms. Without the hope of a future together in their own world, they begin to wonder: would they be better off staying here forever? Everything changes when they uncover the truth behind the chilling whispers that haunt their every step. Lilac and Tarver may find a way off this planet. But they won’t be the same people who landed on it.”

-Amazon

Carve the Mark by Veronica Roth

Looking for morally complex characters with mysterious powers and major world-building? Carve the Mark gives you that plus enemies-to-lovers tension and a brutal, unforgiving universe. Fans of The 100’s constant struggle between duty, loyalty, and survival will feel right at home here.

“Living on a violent planet where everyone develops a unique power meant to shape the future, Akos and Cyra, youths from enemy nations, resent gifts that render them vulnerable to others’ control before they become unlikely survival partners.”

-COSMOS

The 100 by Morgan Klass

Yes, it was a book first. Better yet, it’s a book that the show seriously diverged from … in season one. This story will feel fresh and keep you on the edge of your seat, all while letting you relive the characters and world that you already love.

“When 100 juvenile delinquents are sent on a mission to recolonize Earth, they get a second chance at freedom, friendship, and love, as they fight to survive in a dangerous new world.”

-COSMOS