Parents' Guide to

Love in the Time of Global Warming

By Carrie R. Wheadon, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 15+

Compelling apocalyptic survival story with four LGBTQ teens.

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A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this book.

Community Reviews

age 12+

Based on 1 parent review

age 12+

A wonderful YA urban fantasy novel.

Francesca Lia Block has an otherwordly way with words. I've been reading her work since I was a teenager myself, and she was a big part of my inspiration to write. There is some swearing and violence in this book, as well as discussion (and mild action) regarding sexuality and gender, but no more than kids begin talking about in their tweens. I don't believe it's 'too much' of those subjects. If Love in the Time of Global Warming had been around when I was a kid, I think I would have felt far less isolated and more understood.

This title has:

Educational value
Great messages
Great role models

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (1 ):
Kids say (1 ):

LOVE IN THE TIME OF GLOBAL WARMING gets extra kudos for the title alone; it promises to be provocative, especially when you see the author behind it. Francesca Lia Block has never shied away from tough subject matter: see her Dangerous Angels series for proof.

Here Block has teens already grappling with their sexual identities now wondering how to survive in a harsh new world. And they have strange and new magical powers. And then there are the scary lab-created giants. And the sirens. And so many parallels to The Odyssey that they keep Homer's classic handy as a reference. All those ideas are packed sardine-tight in a surprisingly low page count. This book definitely could have dug deeper into how each teen got a special power, why they were the ones to survive, and why and how the villain went crazy with his giants. By leaving much of this unexplained, those issues become simply the apocalyptic scenery. It's a brutal backdrop that draws four fascinating characters -- unique ones in teen lit -- together in a compelling and touching survival story.

Book Details

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