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435th out of 468 books
—
1,434 voters
The Carbon Diaries 2015 (Carbon Diaries #1)
by
Saci Lloyd
In the year 2015, global warming has begun to ravage the environment. In response, the UK becomes the first country to mandate carbon rationing--a well-intentioned plan that goes tragically awry. One girl attempts to stay grounded in a world where disaster has become the norm, and tells her story through diary entries.
Hardcover, 330 pages
Published
April 1st 2009
by Holiday House
(first published 2008)
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I didn't finish this book, so take what you will of my review. Maybe it would have gotten better by the end, but I don't have much hope of it considering that I read all the way to page 104 and still gave up on it. The concept is great -- everyone in England needs to limit the amount of carbon they use, and usage is tightly controlled by the government. Maybe eventually there would have been a cool storm or two that would have killed a few million people. But up to page 104, it was mostly a lot...more
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...more
“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 do,...more
Mar 11, 2013
Talyn
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
journals,
realistic-fiction,
dysfunctional-family,
sisters,
siblings,
brit-british-britain,
global-issues,
global-warming,
annoying-character,
bitch-or-bastard-i-want-to-stab,
asshole-parents,
wtf-are-you-thinking,
music-band,
not-that-bad,
oh-give-me-a-break,
awesome-old-person,
bastard-boyfriend,
chaos-and-anarchy,
cold-male-interest,
fighting-against-all-odds,
this-could-totally-happen,
selfish-brat,
teenagers,
survival,
stupid-people,
teen-relationships,
think-of-the-kids,
unlikely-friendship,
ya-novels
I was surprised that I liked this book.
What is either poor characterization, or subtle genius, is the author's ability to take the characters from the start and morph them slowly from bratty to sympathetic to selfish to concerned to oblivious to righteous to stupid to...I don't know.
Laura is a brat. A "straight-edge" in a punk band, despite being very average. I find 12 year olds stupid and annoying and lookie lookie that's what their fanbase is.
Seriously, straight-edge people are violent? What...more
What is either poor characterization, or subtle genius, is the author's ability to take the characters from the start and morph them slowly from bratty to sympathetic to selfish to concerned to oblivious to righteous to stupid to...I don't know.
Laura is a brat. A "straight-edge" in a punk band, despite being very average. I find 12 year olds stupid and annoying and lookie lookie that's what their fanbase is.
Seriously, straight-edge people are violent? What...more
Set just 4 years in the future, Carbon Diaries 2015 presents the world facing dire circumstances due to global warming which has caused extreme climate changes. When England becomes the first nation to start rationing carbon dioxide in order to combat the damage that has already been done, 16 year old Laura records her life in short diary entries. Not only does Laura have to combat draughts, massive floods, and other disasters, she also has to survive her teenage years while her family and world...more
Geez, this book scared me. And enthralled me.
First of all, you'll probably only enjoy this book if you accept the reality of global warming. Climate change denialists will likely have a hard time with the premise of the story. So know that before reading. If you're not sure how you feel about global warming, this is definitely a good way to, ahem, light a fire under you to do some more research.
I was worried that this book would be more propaganda than literature, but I didn't think that was t...more
First of all, you'll probably only enjoy this book if you accept the reality of global warming. Climate change denialists will likely have a hard time with the premise of the story. So know that before reading. If you're not sure how you feel about global warming, this is definitely a good way to, ahem, light a fire under you to do some more research.
I was worried that this book would be more propaganda than literature, but I didn't think that was t...more
I read the blurb of this book and instantly wanted to read it. I am a big fan of dystopian teenage novels so I thought I would really like this book but sadly that was not the case. What I thought would be a well written and intelligent book turned out to be a book full of grammatical errors, spelling mistakes and scientific inaccuracies that really annoyed me.
The book is set is 2015 and the UK, due to Global Warming, had been placed on Co2 rationing. I really did think that the plot would be re...more
The book is set is 2015 and the UK, due to Global Warming, had been placed on Co2 rationing. I really did think that the plot would be re...more
May 09, 2012
Beth Bonini
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
children-s-book-club
This YA dystopia has a frighteningly plausible concept: the UK, after catastrophic flooding, goes on carbon lock-down. Within a short space of time, "modern" life -- with all of its carbon producing conveniences and luxuries -- drastically changes. Every individual is given a carbon card, homes are put on carbon meters, and violators WILL be prosecuted. Meanwhile, just to stiffen the country's resolve, one environmental catastrophe after another (snow, rain, drought) contribute to making life in...more
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 trapped till midnight, 8 m...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 trapped till midnight, 8 m...more
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 brutal but I li...more
Laura’s diary is very British teen-speak. She’s snarky and brutal but I li...more
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 life. Her f...more
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...more
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 witn...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 carbon rationing the country seems to be falling...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 carbon rationing the country seems to be falling...more
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 went a little sm...more
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...more
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 they...more
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 made...more
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 war...more
Full review at http://yannabe.com/2009/10/13/review-...
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 love to write. So yeah, I w...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 love to write. So yeah, I w...more
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. Before the r...more
Readers get to share the experience through the journal of Laura, a 16-year old girl living in London. Before the r...more
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 Brown famil...more
The story seemed to slow down after the Brown famil...more
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...more
The first in a series of what I'm mentally calling enviropocalypse fiction, The Carbon Diaries 2015 is a startlingly plausible look at what may be a few years in our future. Britain has imposed carbon rationing, the first in Europe to do so, and The Carbon Diaries chronicles a year of the new regime now faced by Londoner Laura Brown and her family. Carbon rationing affects everything, and everything in her world changes.
I've tried the Carbon Diaries before and not been particularly enthralled. I...more
I've tried the Carbon Diaries before and not been particularly enthralled. I...more
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...more
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...more
Feb 16, 2013
Lucy
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
People with a good suspension of disbelief
Shelves:
sheer-disappointment
Laura Brown is a teenager being brought up in the first year of carbon rationing. She keeps a diary, trying to muddle through both school and personal issues while London collapses around her.
I was really torn about this book.
Good points:
-- Saci Lloyd creates characters and sticks to them.
-- Good pacing. I'm never really bored.
-- Story set in the UK. I'm so incredibly bored of American teenagers.
Negative points:
-- Laura bored me. I didn't find her that interesting and a lot of her initial proble...more
I was really torn about this book.
Good points:
-- Saci Lloyd creates characters and sticks to them.
-- Good pacing. I'm never really bored.
-- Story set in the UK. I'm so incredibly bored of American teenagers.
Negative points:
-- Laura bored me. I didn't find her that interesting and a lot of her initial proble...more
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" and 'disposable everything"...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" and 'disposable everything"...more
http://lectures-petit-lips.blogspot.f...
Suite au réchauffement climatique, la consommation à outrance et autres joyeusetés (comme c'est le cas dans nos pays occidentaux), l'Angleterre est le premier pays à décider officiellement de réduire de 60% ses émissions de carbone. Les habitants du pays sont désormais rationnés sur leur consommation d'énergie, et cela entraînera bien sûr beaucoup de conséquences (peuple non libre de ses mouvements, emplois menacés, la nourriture qui vient à manquer...). N...more
Suite au réchauffement climatique, la consommation à outrance et autres joyeusetés (comme c'est le cas dans nos pays occidentaux), l'Angleterre est le premier pays à décider officiellement de réduire de 60% ses émissions de carbone. Les habitants du pays sont désormais rationnés sur leur consommation d'énergie, et cela entraînera bien sûr beaucoup de conséquences (peuple non libre de ses mouvements, emplois menacés, la nourriture qui vient à manquer...). N...more
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: He...more
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Future | 3 | 10 | Sep 14, 2012 12:26pm |
Saci Lloyd was born in Manchester, but raised in Anglesey where she spent a lot of time lost in nature or down by the shore.
Saci returned to Manchester as an undergraduate, but soon quit University for a life of glamour. At various points in the glitz she has worked as a very bad cartoonist, toured the States in a straightedge band, run an interactive media team at an advertising agency, co-founde...more
More about Saci Lloyd...
Saci returned to Manchester as an undergraduate, but soon quit University for a life of glamour. At various points in the glitz she has worked as a very bad cartoonist, toured the States in a straightedge band, run an interactive media team at an advertising agency, co-founde...more
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“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.”
—
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