Green Book Campaign and 2017

My day was a lot busier than I had expected and I have not been sleeping well, all of this makes for a late review and I need to apologize to Raz at Eco-Libris for that. I was supposed to have this review up several hours earlier but sometimes life just gets in the way. I was supplied with The Carbon Diaries 2017 by Saci Lloyd by the publisher for the 2010 Green Book Campaign. I am honored to be a part of this event in the blogosphere (even if I did mulligan my portion of it.)  I was excited to read a dystopian book for this campaign because many environmental issues go hand in hand with dystopian fiction.  The environment is a major cause for many dystopian societies.   Reviewing a book in a series can be difficult because I never know exactly how much I want to say.  There is almost no way to talk about this book without spoiling the first one. I am going to talk about some of elements of the Carbon Diaries series as a whole.

 

The concept of the series is that carbon rationing has begun in Great Britain. Through both books we are able to see the impact of this.  The interesting things about these books is that 2015 (the time period for the first book) isn’t that far away. In ways it is easy to relate with the books and see how their events can relate to us. In other ways the books are so close to NOW, it just feels a little bit off base. Or maybe that is just our own wishful thinking.   In the opening pages of The Carbon Diaries 2017 the author shares with her readers an interesting story about what inspired her novels.

 

“About three years ago I walked past a newspaper stand and the lead story in one paper was  all about how we are going to fry, and in another how we are going to freeze to death unless we tackled climate change. I remember thinking ‘Whoah! Which on is it?’  before stepping about a roller-coaster research ride of heart-stopping bad news about how we’re messing up the world.  But the strange thing was, the more I found out, the less scared I got and the more I wanted to start fighting for the future.”

 

The fight for the future is really prevalent in Llody’s books.  There is a realism in The Carbon Diaries 2015 and The Carbon Diaries 2017 that really rings through. The voice is extremely authentic. And I don’t think there is any better way to connect with the realities of in a teen than in diary format. One of the most striking elements about The Carbon Diaries 2017 is the unique diary/scrapbook feel it has to it.  These added visuals really added depth to the story.

 

Green book are probably you don’t think about very much, but maybe you should. If you are a book lover like me do you consider the resources that are being used to create this thing you love to possesses?   I also love that Saci Lloyd’s story goes beyond the pages of her book. Through her author note and the production of the book we understand her personal dedication to the environment.  On the back flap of the book it says “This book is printed on environmentally responsible paper, FSC Natures B19, 30% post-consumer waste.  In addition, the printing process and ink reduce VOC (Volatile Organic Compounds) emissions and use less energy.  The paper meets the standards of the Forest Stewardship Council. FSC is widely regarded as the best practice in forest management, ensuring the highest protections for forests and indigenous peoples.”