By Andrea Cerna, Stephanie Loder, Isamar Meza-Rendon, Brianna Naughton, and Mirna Ruiz
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Imagine having to ration the amount of carbon dioxide you use every day in a drastic effort to combat violent and damaging climate change while juggling relationships, homework, and out-of-wack parents. In Saci Lloyd’s novel, The Carbon Diaries: 2015, the protagonist, Laura Brown, tries to deal with England’s desperate attempts to reduce carbon emissions as the country tries to avoid further environmental disasters, like extreme cold, unmanageable blizzards, flooding, and droughts. On top of that, she must cope with her sister’s role in helping run the carbon black market and her dad’s transition first from teacher to unemployed drunk and then from drunk to makeshift farmer. In response to the government’s limitations on carbon, Laura’s dad is determined to become self-sufficient by gardening and letting farm animals run about on his property. Her mother also attempts self-sufficiency, but she does so through an exploration of her role as a wife, mother, and independent woman. Laura’s strained family relationships begin to fall apart as each family member’s role either changes or deteriorates. Political upheaval is a constant reality in their day-to-day lives. As the English government attempts to control the situation, it does more harm than good to its people. The residents of London must rely on themselves and on each other to overcome the struggles they face.
Through Laura, readers see the struggles of an average teenager in a society which has been ravished by the weather and human environmental irresponsibility. Everything from traveling to using the web requires the use of carbon. To control carbon use, the government issues Carbon Cards that function similarly to credit cards. The simplest things, such as riding a bus across town or using a toaster, can no longer be taken for granted. As a result of the economic switch and restrictions on carbon use, London is under a constant threat of rioting. Many of the novel’s youth, including Laura, find themselves in the midst of protests that seem to never stay peaceful and often lead to violent looting. The longer the people are restricted by the government, the more desperate their actions become.
The Carbon Diaries: 2015 is a young adult novel set up as a journal or diary, but it blurs the lines between a diary and a traditional novel. Laura’s diary is organized by the seasons, which highlights for the reader that the environment is essential to the story. The book features economic, social, and political crises that young adult readers may not have previously considered as being problematic during an environmental change. It encourages young readers to place themselves in these situations and come to a greater understanding of the links between climate, politics, and society. With the novel featuring political upheaval, personal family relations, first crushes, neighbors helping neighbors, and a big sense of community, there truly is something for everyone in this book. Fans of dystopian fiction and readers interested in their carbon footprint or in the consequences that could result from the constant abuse of the planet may especially enjoy this novel.
CSUF YA Book Reviews 