Carbon Diaries 2015 by Saci Lloyd

The year is 2015 and in an attempt to combat impending global warming, England has issued carbon dioxide rations and strict energy usage plans for families and individuals. At first it's no big deal. There are occasional blackouts and fuel shortages, but Laura Brown is busy focusing on other things like school, a really cute boy, and her band, the dirty angels. But when the weather begins to change and all of a sudden the summers are scorching and the winters unbearable. The snow and rain and drought begin to overwhelm the country and things become increasingly dangerous. The rationing and the eventual destruction begin to destroy Laura's family and she can't seem to hold onto anything "normal" in her life. She doesn't know if she'll ever be able to put together the pieces of her life, even if everyone she loves survives. The images included don't do much to enhance the text, and the personality of the characters might not connect with each and every reader, but the story is compelling enough to keep most interested. Like another "what will we do if the world comes to a crashing end?" story written in journal format, Susan Beth Pfeffer's Life As We Knew It, this book will remind readers how potentially fragile the world is, and how strong adversity can make anyone.

Recommended to most readers, especially those who liked Life As We Knew It and the dead & the gone and other dystopian novels or stories involving environmental crisis.
Call number: YA LLOYD (Teen Room)

Reviewed by kate the librarian