Interesting, gritty. Didn't realize it was a sequel until I was several chapters in. Plan to go back and read the first. Odd that there are a few characters that you don't know whether they live or die? ( )

Barely 3 stars. I didn't like the constant political rebellion stuff - don't know why people would purposely put themselves into danger and like it. Maybe I'm not adventurous enough. ( )

Riots, water wars, military presence, and a European tour with the band: 2017 is an interesting year for Laura.

A ton of action (it seems weird to tag this "adventure" but maybe action/adventure?), lots of discussion fodder, and a troubling look at a future that isn't all that far away. ( )

In The Carbon Diaries 2017, Laura Brown, now a college student, is still attempting to live a somewhat normal life while dealing with the fallout from global climate change and carbon rationing. Her band, the dirty angels, is growing in popularity though still not making any money. London is a hub of revolutionary activity, from neo-nazis to far-left resistance groups that advocate killing the Prime Minister. In the midst of it all, Laura must decide how to balance her convictions with a strong desire not to get involved with any of the cult-like resistance groups. Her private life is just as convoluted: she and her boyfriend Adisa seem to be falling apart as he becomes more and more revolutionary, and she finds herself feeling attracted to another guy, but still deeply connected to Adi.

For dystopian lit, The Carbon Diaries are relatively hopeful -- people go on with their lives, adapting to circumstances as they arise. This addition to the series is much less about climate change, and much more about revolution, as Laura's world rapidly degenerates into what looks like World War III. There is a lot of action, not all of it well-described, and that, combined with a writing style that is a close cousin to text-speak, makes for difficult reading at times. Moreover, there is less of a focus on human relationships (apart from Laura's boyfriend troubles) as characters always seem to be splitting up and going their separate ways. The author has left an opening for the series to continue, but fans of the original may be disappointed in the departure from so much of what worked well in The Carbon Diaries 2015. ( )

I love this series. It's creepy and scary and well written. I find these post-apocalyptic/dystopian novels to be, for the most part, seriously engrossing. Lloyd's Carbon Diaries series is one of those and I really liked it. ( )