25 modern book-to-screen adaptations that didn’t let us down

The 100

Another young adult series that can be said to have been enhanced by its television adaptation is The 100. Kass Morgan presented the concept of sending 100 juvenile delinquents to Earth 97 years after the nuclear apocalypse to see if they could survive in her novels, but The CW’s adaptation took that idea and ran with it, creating an entity of its own in the process.

The book series and television series are two completely different stories, but honestly, we have to admit that the show is just a little bit more compelling. To start with, the book versions of our lead characters, Bellamy Blake and Clarke Griffin, are nowhere near as morally complex and powerful as their television counterparts. There’s also the fact that many of the characters we meet in the show — including Raven, Finn, and the majority of the Grounders — don’t even exist in the books. Perhaps it’s from watching the show first, but their presence is definitely missed.

Like many of the other adaptations on this list, the television version of The 100 has also traveled far beyond the plot laid out in the books. We’ve gotten to see a second and third apocalypse unfold in the adaptation, we’ve witnessed Octavia’s descent to becoming Blodreina, and we’ve discovered an entirely new planet — all storylines that the novels are unlikely to cover given that the author’s story bears no relation to the TV show’s.

With a seventh season already confirmed, The 100 is also likely to continue exceeding expectations of book readers by introducing even more fascinating storylines. The show always manages to come up with something new for its viewers, and that’s why we keep coming back.