Told in short diary entries filled with scrapbook clippings, this riveting ecothriller is one girl's attempt to stay grounded in a world where disa...
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Feb 27, 2011
Clumsy
rated it: 
siamo nel 2015 e il mondo è squassato da disastri climatici. La Gran Bretagna è la prima nazione europea a introdurre forme di razionamento dell’energia per ridurre l’emissione di anidride carbonica. Laura è un’adolescente di Londra e questo è il suo diario, dove racconta un anno di vita, dal 1 gennaio al 31 dicembre. il freddo invernale, la mancanza d’acqua in estate, il tracimare della barriera che protegge Londra dalle alluvioni, la successiva fuga da casa, l’arrivo dei topi e del colera. e i
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Feb 16, 2011
“Carbon Diaries 2015” by Saci Lloyd is set in the United Kingdom in the very near future. With the entire world being affected by global warming and other environmental problems, the UK decides to implement Carbon Rationing. Sixteen year-old Laura Brown is given 200 carbon points just like everyone else. However, she has to deal with her changing family. Her sister Kim starts profiting from Carbon rationing; her mother has to give up driving her beloved car; her father does not know what to
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Nov 01, 2011
Marisa
rated it:
Very cool. It's 2015, and England has instituted strict carbon rationing in the wake of a catastrophic storm precipitated by global climate change. Natural disasters, teen angst amidst the break down of civilization. Like How I Live Now but not as dark. Or maybe more like the British version of Life As We Knew It, also maybe not quite as dark. Some quotes:
"And the funniest thing of all is the power was only out for 2 hours. All that for 2 lousy hours. 30,000 passengers tr More...
"And the funniest thing of all is the power was only out for 2 hours. All that for 2 lousy hours. 30,000 passengers tr More...
Jul 05, 2011
Corinne
rated it: 
In the very near future, Londoner Laura is keeping a journal while Britain begins some radical environmental changes. She’s now got a Carbon Card that she has to use for anything that leaves a carbon footprint and global warming has messed up the weather big time. All this is happening while Laura is just trying to live a normal life with her lunatic parents, pass her exams and be the bass player in a totally rockin’ band.
Laura’s diary is very British teen-speak. She’s snarky and bruta More...
Laura’s diary is very British teen-speak. She’s snarky and bruta More...
Jun 05, 2011
Karen
rated it:
Laura Brown lives in London, and her diary documents 2015, the first year of "carbon rationing" in Great Britain. Climate change has become such a problem that the government decides to cut all carbon emissions by 60% -- every person is issued a card that tracks their allowed use of carbon for the year. Everything is tracked: home heating, travel, food, use of cell phones and other electronics... and the limits of their energy seriously cut into Laura's band rehearsal time and social
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May 13, 2011
Brandy
rated it:
Laura Brown is not thrilled when London passes out carbon ration cards. Not only will it be that much harder to jam with her band, the Dirty Angels, but now she has to put up with her parents and sister, who are all reacting in strange ways. Her mom is distraught at needing to take the bus instead of driving; her sister (bitchy at the best of times) racks up so much carbon debt that she's enrolled in the mandatory Carbon Offenders program. Dad gets fired from his job, teaching about travel (beca
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Aug 12, 2010
Jbachelder
rated it:
Saci Lloyd imagines a world where global warming has gotten worse, and Great Britain has decided to take radical action. The book begins on January 1, 2015 just before carbon rationing will begin. Each citizen will receive a carbon card with a certain number of points each month, and the government will be watching to make sure they don't go over their limit. Laura Brown is a typical London teenager who plays bass in a band and has a crush on her gorgeous new neighbor. Through her diary, we
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Jul 26, 2010
Yvonne
rated it:
________________________________________
The Carbon Diaries 2015
by
Saci Lloyd
________________________________________
Could this really happen? Are we reading fiction or an account of the future?
On the first day of rationing Mum couldn't get on the bus because she had forgotten her carbon card.
The government has decided that we need to cut our carbon emissions by 60%. Now the UK has become a guinea pig for the rest of the world, and two months into carbo More...
The Carbon Diaries 2015
by
Saci Lloyd
________________________________________
Could this really happen? Are we reading fiction or an account of the future?
On the first day of rationing Mum couldn't get on the bus because she had forgotten her carbon card.
The government has decided that we need to cut our carbon emissions by 60%. Now the UK has become a guinea pig for the rest of the world, and two months into carbo More...
Jun 10, 2010
Amy
rated it:
I have to admit that I rolled my eyes more than once through the opening pages of this book. The immaturity of teenaged Laura seemed over the top. While the rest of the country is worrying about pollution and carbon rationing and the crazy weather, Laura is worrying about a boy she likes and about all the things she can do to try and still be "normal." But then I realized, this is exactly what a teenager WOULD be doing during this type of situation. After that, reading this book we
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May 21, 2010
Ruhama
rated it: 
Laura lives in England and is 16. Her life has just turned upside down because of climate change, the government deciding to do something about it and a family that is on the brink of collapsing. Severe weather has caused major changes around the British Isles and carbon rationing has been instituted: every family is only allowed so much fuel per week. This means a change in television watching, computer usage, eating, washing and every other habit you can think of. It also means Laura has to th
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Jan 02, 2010
Annie
rated it:
The year is 2015 and global warming has begun to cause weather disasters around the world. Britain leads the world in trying to solve the problem by reducing pollution and monitoring its citizens. Supplies of food, water and heat are limited and we watch as a middle class family tries to cope. The main character, Laura, tries to finish high school and plays bass in her band while the world around her disintegrates. No one can say what the future will bring but everyone muddles along as best t
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Jan 01, 2010
Livia
rated it:
This was a fun and thought provoking YA novel that examines the effect of carbon rationing and other environmental disasters on one family in London in the year 2015. I thought the humor and pathos balanced each other well. The characters were authentic and realistically portrayed. I think most families would go through these shifting dynamics and conflicts in this same situation. It is something that we may experience ourselves sooner than later. As with most of these types of stories, it
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Nov 30, 2009
Suzanne
rated it:
This book grew on me as I read it. A bit like LIFE AS WE KNEW IT in that it covers the journal of a girl experiencing hardships in the face of natural disaster. However, while LIFE deals with the problems that evolve when the moon is knocked off orbit by a meteor, CARBON DIARIES 2015 deals with a slower catastrophe: England becomes the first country in the EU to cut personal carbon dioxide emissions as a sort of rationing to help counteract the weather changes that come as a result of global wa
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Oct 14, 2009
Kelly
rated it:
Full review at http://yannabe.com/2009/10/13/review-the...
Summary: By 2015, global warming is a reality no one can ignore. And unfortunately for 16-year-old Londoner Laura, the UK becomes the first country to mandate carbon rationing. Which means cutting back on her punk rock band practice and taking the bus to school, not to mention all the fights at home about who’s been using up too many carbon credits.
Review: Props for timing on this one. This is the kind of book I’d l More...
Summary: By 2015, global warming is a reality no one can ignore. And unfortunately for 16-year-old Londoner Laura, the UK becomes the first country to mandate carbon rationing. Which means cutting back on her punk rock band practice and taking the bus to school, not to mention all the fights at home about who’s been using up too many carbon credits.
Review: Props for timing on this one. This is the kind of book I’d l More...
Sep 15, 2009
Aaron
rated it:
The year is 2015, and the United Kingdom is preparing to confront global warning with a major shift in policy. This is all in response to the Great Storm, which resulted from a shift in the Gulf Stream. All citizens will receive cards to track the use of carbon. Each person has a limited number of carbon points to use for the year, and the goal is to decrease all energy use by 60 %.
Readers get to share the experience through the journal of Laura, a 16-year old girl living in London. More...
Readers get to share the experience through the journal of Laura, a 16-year old girl living in London. More...
Aug 12, 2009
Jennifer
rated it:
Reviewed by Karin Librarian for TeensReadToo.com
Laura Brown lives in the U.K. - and unfortunately the U.K. is the first country to establish carbon rationing. Everyone will be expected to reduce their carbon consumption by 60%. Everyone has 200 Carbon Points per month to spend on travel, heat, food, and fun. The 200 Carbon Points are loaded on a card. In order to use anything, you have to swipe your card. If you have enough points - fine. If not, your oven could shut off in the middl More...
Laura Brown lives in the U.K. - and unfortunately the U.K. is the first country to establish carbon rationing. Everyone will be expected to reduce their carbon consumption by 60%. Everyone has 200 Carbon Points per month to spend on travel, heat, food, and fun. The 200 Carbon Points are loaded on a card. In order to use anything, you have to swipe your card. If you have enough points - fine. If not, your oven could shut off in the middl More...
Jul 06, 2009
Jay
rated it:
A very easy but delightful read. What I enjoyed most about this book was the realism of the downward spiral of the UK and the narrator's London hometown. I enjoyed reading of the outside world's impression of the UK's drastic move in carbon rationing, and just how the system worked. I would have liked a more in depth look at the carbon cards and what was worth what. Of course, in a book aimed at teens, the story can't be dragged down in details.
The story seemed to slow down after the More...
The story seemed to slow down after the More...
Apr 13, 2009
Chrissy
rated it: 
Laura Brown is a pretty normal British Teen. She plays guitar in a band, has a good group of friends, a crush on the boy next door, an annoying older sister, and parents who spend too much time talking about the old days. However, life in London cannot be normal anymore, despite what the government says. The entire country is being placed on carbon rationing, limiting what each citizen can buy, where they can travel, and even the length of a hot shower. Every single action that uses electricity
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Apr 07, 2010
Chelsea
rated it:
I enjoyed the premise of this book - the world is being shaken by natural disasters and Britain agrees to be a test subject for the rest of the world on a controversial nationwide program of carbon rationing. It doesn't seem that far off, and Lloyd makes it a very convincing possibility. Of course, it's a bumpy ride for teen protagonist Laura Brown and her family: mom pines for her Saab, dad goes sustainable (alienating the rest of the family), and sister Kim gets involved in the highly lucrativ
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Jul 13, 2009
Laura
rated it:
I've read quite a few futuristic/we ruined the environment and the world books, but this one scared me the most...probably because this possible future isn't too far off. The year is 2015 and London has had a Great Storm that devastated the infrastructure. Now England is rationing energy in the form of individual carbon cards. All Laura wants to do is play in her band and hopefully score a date with her next door neighbor, Ravi. Her diary from the year 2015 shows, though, that the reality of her
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Sep 13, 2010
Jennifer
rated it:
This book was... OK. It is supposed to be set in 2015, but it feels just a tad more distant than that. Maybe around 2025? There are many references that work with the timing, but there are also many styles of music & bands that are referenced as being "old skool" or current to the time that don't exist at all (makes it feel a bit further out)
Overall I think it is a great glimpse into the future that we may be creating for our kids - a future where the "get it now" More...
Overall I think it is a great glimpse into the future that we may be creating for our kids - a future where the "get it now" More...
Oct 03, 2010
Becky
rated it:
After The Great Storm nearly destroyed British civilization, London has instituted a carbon-reduction policy in 2015 to stop global warming. 16-year-old Laura is disgruntled by what this means, recording it all in her diary: No car, only 2 hours per day of computer time, five-minute showers. Laura finds solace in her band, the dirty angels, and with the hope of romance with Raavi, the boy next door. But the stress of increasing energy cutbacks exacerbates the already existing family problems
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Aug 28, 2011
Kimberly
rated it:
In 2015, England has decided to curb climate change by "rationing" carbon emissions; each person is only allotted a certain amount of carbon credits each month. An airplane flight pretty much wipes out a month's ration. Most people avoid heating or cooling their homes because they can't afford it; water becomes a precious commodity. Millions of people lose their jobs as industries are now too big of a luxury for most people.
The aspects of the climate change were interestin More...
The aspects of the climate change were interestin More...
Jan 09, 2010
Jackie "the Librarian"
rated it:
Have you heard about global warming? Come on, you can admit it! You know you have. There'll be heat waves, water shortages, big storms, all kinds of scary things happening, and civilization will struggle to survive under the strain. But teenagers will still be teenagers, never fear!
Laura is a sixteen-year-old Londoner who plays bass in the band dirty angels, whose sister is determined to make everyone pay for her not getting her year abroad, and who has parents who could not BE more embarr More...
Laura is a sixteen-year-old Londoner who plays bass in the band dirty angels, whose sister is determined to make everyone pay for her not getting her year abroad, and who has parents who could not BE more embarr More...
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Apr 28, 2011
Rochelle (Books Like Stars)
rated it:
Two emotions invoked by this book?
Fear and guilt.
Look, we all know who's destroying this planet. You (yes, you) and me and everybody else. Though most of us aren't in a panic about the negative effects of airplane and car fumes and litter and leaving your t.v. on for 72 hours straight. Because the damaged we're doing to Earth isn't devastating yet. No real serious consequences for us to be truly concerned, right?
Well...maybe we should be.
Yes, the carbon More...
Fear and guilt.
Look, we all know who's destroying this planet. You (yes, you) and me and everybody else. Though most of us aren't in a panic about the negative effects of airplane and car fumes and litter and leaving your t.v. on for 72 hours straight. Because the damaged we're doing to Earth isn't devastating yet. No real serious consequences for us to be truly concerned, right?
Well...maybe we should be.
Yes, the carbon More...
Sep 15, 2009
Raina
rated it:
"You never think it's gonna happen to you, but all that pollution and dirty fumes and flights and factories and shit we don't need and suddenly there you are, a stupid girl sitting alone on some steps, waiting to see if your family is ever coming back." (pg. 298)
This one started slow for me. It's in a diary format, with an entry of at least a few words for virtually every day in the year 2015 for a teen in London. It's fascinating as a prediction of how things could reall More...
This one started slow for me. It's in a diary format, with an entry of at least a few words for virtually every day in the year 2015 for a teen in London. It's fascinating as a prediction of how things could reall More...
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Jul 27, 2010
Izzy
rated it:
I picked this up because I loved Life As We Knew It and I thought this would be similar. Although I still liked Carbon Diaries 2015, I must admit I was rather disappointed by it. While bad things certainly happened to Laura and I liked her as a character, the book wasn't very dark. It didn't provoke much emotion in me at all, other than wondering what I would do if I was Laura. Perhaps it was just me, but I really felt like I was merely reading her story rather than getting emotionally involved
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Apr 21, 2011
Mazohyst
rated it:
An extremely interesting take on the consequences of how we treat the Earth. I imagine the concept of rationing to be extremely plausible. It's hard to imagine that in three years, something like this could happen, but with the natural disasters that have been occurring, I wouldn't be surprised if it did.
Although the book was hard to get into, I found that it got better as I went deeper into the book. Laura has an authentic voice, but the people around her are a tad bit unrealistic. Yo More...
Although the book was hard to get into, I found that it got better as I went deeper into the book. Laura has an authentic voice, but the people around her are a tad bit unrealistic. Yo More...
Jan 05, 2012
Amber
rated it:
It's 2015 and the world has changed for the worst. After what was called the 'Great Storm' hit London, The governerment choose Britain to test out 'Ration Carbon' for a year. Baisically, you only get 200 carbon points for a month, you can use money to buy an extra 50 but that's all, and you have to survive on that. If you go over, everything shuts down on you. Join Laura Brown as she experiences the Raition Carbon first hand. She has troubles with the family, boy trouble, and school, but she has
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Jul 25, 2011
Fred
rated it:
Could not put this book down! Targeted at young adults, this diary in the voice of a 16-year old girl describes the first year of life in London - in 2015 - under strict carbon rationing that came about in response to the "Great Storm" triggered by global warming. The book is written in language that rings true to modern life (a bit raw at times), and the predicaments and conflicts are extensions from things we've already seen. The author has given her young witness to these events an
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