Destroy All Cars

Cover

Title: Destroy All Cars

Author: Blake Nelson

Summary: James Hoff is angry: He is sick of watching the people around him disregard the immediate peril of global warming and environmental destruction just because they like to shop and drink bottled water. He hates new clothes, preferring to cut the elbows out of his sweaters to make them look older than they are. And he hates the way his ex-girlfriend Sadie tries to change the community by working on silly projects like bike paths and conservation that can’t possibly make a difference. But most of all, as he describes in one of the many essays for his AP English class that form the bulk of this funny, quick read, he hates cars.

James is a great character, a dark and jaded loner who says he has no hope in the future but still obsesses over the possibilities of reunion with his ex, and a determined misfit who finds that it isn’t always so easy to practice what you preach. As you follow James through the ups and downs of his junior year, you will be drawn into his world, and maybe consider walking to school instead of grabbing a ride in your family’s giant SUV.

Who will like this book?: Budding political radicals and environmentalists, and the friends who would like them to relax a little bit.

If you  like this, try this: The Carbon Diaries 2015 by Saci Lloyd. If you are interested in making an impact, try The Virtuous Consumer: Your Essential Shopping Guide for a Better, Kinder, Healthier World by Leslie Garrett or Generation Green: The Ultimate Teen Guide to Living an Eco-Friendly Life by Linda Sivertsen.

Recommended by: Nicole, Teen Librarian