Empty

 

What would the world be like without fossil fuels? In Empty, Suzanne Weyn introduces us to the small town of Sage Valley. We see first hand how crazy the world would be without oil. Oil is a non-renewable resource that we never really expected to run out of. Without oil, cars cannot get around, boats can't run, and the truckers can't come deliver food or any other necessities of life. It makes the reader feel as if it's the end of the world. Everything is rundown and a complete mess.. I haven't talked about the characters very much, because they aren't near as important. But, Gwen's brother, Luke, is selling black market oil. He stashes the oil cans in the house, causing it to catch fire. Due to their family problems, Gwen runs off to a mine shaft they played in as kids. She finds an extremely up-to-date eco-friendly house. However, during the oil shortage super-hurricane, OscPearl, hits Sage Valley and the other towns extremely hard. People and towns are fighting each other for food. Gwen decides they need to help. The angry civilians break into the house and eventually get arrested. The characters really didn't do anything for me. But the idea of running out of fossil fuels terrifies me. This really opened my eyes to how badly our environment needs us.