By Colin Duffy
North Pointe
Grosse Pointe North HS
1st Place
Division 3, News Writing
In a post-apocalyptic world, Clarke Griffin, along with 99 others, must try and survive on a possibly radioactive Earth. Filled with unseen developments and unique characters, author Kass Morgan creates a new take on the classic end-of-the-world story in The 100.
After humanity put the world into a nuclear apocalypse, they abandon it for a life in space. Hundreds of years later, supplies are running low. Taking drastic measures, the colonies’ leader sent 100 juvenile delinquents-who were previously sentenced to almost certain death–to Earth as a second chance to see if it is now safe for humans to recolonize it. Main characters Clarke, Glass, Bellamy and Wells each bring an unique point of view towards the action on Earth and on the ships as both groups fight for survival.
Morgan demonstrates what is happening on the ship and what life was like living there for hundreds of years, a stand-out detail about the book. With a strict class structure and lots of corruption, the book is more realistic. Instead of an almost utopian society living peacefully in space, Morgan creates a struggling community willing to turn on each other in seconds. This makes the novel unique as it reveals both sides of the story instead of just the 100 on Earth.
The unwanted love triangle is the only bad thing about this book. The attraction between Clarke and Bellamy or Clarke and Wells feels forced. Even so, the reader will find themselves unable to resist rooting for a side, even if each relationship seems excessively artificial.
Even though many of the characters are criminals, it was often hard to picture them as such. Most seem reasonable, though there are a few who take things to the extreme. This spins the book in a more realistic direction as some of the teenagers act how stereotypical juvenile delinquents are expected to.
Even with an unnecessary love triangle, the plot and characters more than make up for it. Readers will find themselves unable to stop reading as Morgan creates an unforgettable story.
NW-05. News Analysis
Stories should be interpretive in nature, not straight news stories. The elements “why” and “how” should be examined through research, but the writer’s opinions should not be expressed. An analysis covers issues and problems that relate to specific events of a news nature. Submit a PDF of the print page(s) on which the story was published or the URL to the story on an online news site.
JUDGING CRITERIA
- Sharp, attention-getting lead that underscore the why/how elements of the news
- Clarifies the news elements, i.e. timeliness, nearness, impact and prominence
- Clarifies through research the background necessary to understand current news
- Develops an understanding of the issues/problems through interviews with varied and balanced sources
- Avoids personal opinion unless properly attributed
- Sentences, paragraphs of varied length, written clearly, concisely and vividly
- Effective use of facts/quotes from both primary and secondary sources
- Proper diction/grammar; use of third person