The Carbon Diaries 2017 by Saci Lloyd
The Carbon Diaries 2017 by Saci Lloyd
The Carbon Diaries 2017 is about a group of teenagers about to start university in London. Times have very much changed for the worse. The country is ruled by an oppressive government who will not change their tough stance on antigovernment protests. Alongside this, the country is in turmoil and people are limited in the number of carbon emissions they can use each mouth to combat global warming.
The story is told from the point of view of the main character Laura, who plays bass in a punk rock band. She relays events to the reader through her diary. This style of writing limits the amount of information given to the reader in some places though the style does give a good insight into Laura’s emotions and feelings. At the beginning of the novel it is obvious she had no interest in the political situation around her. As the story progresses she begins to understand how powerful people are when they stand up for themselves. This novel has political messages woven through it. For example references pro-socialist and liberal ideas.
I listened to this story as an audio book and found the reader's voice to be slightly irritating at the beginning. However this passed with time and it does suit the characters. I found some of the situations they found themselves in where over dramatised. The story of a band trying to make it in an oppressive world was very believable. The most interesting aspect for me was the relations between characters which evolved over time to create real depth.
Jamie
