The Last Book in the Universe

by Rodman Philbrick

This fast-paced action novel is set in a future where the world has been almost destroyed. Like the award-winning novel Freak the Mighty, this is Philbrick at his very best.It's the story of an epileptic teenager nicknamed Spaz, who begins the heroic fight to bring human intelligence back to the planet. In a world where most people are plugged into brain-drain entertainment systems, Spaz is the rare human being who can see life as it really is. When he meets an old man called Ryter, he begins to learn about Earth and its past. With Ryter as his companion, Spaz sets off an unlikely quest to save his dying sister -- and in the process, perhaps the world.

Genres: Young Adult, Science Fiction, Dystopia, Fiction, Middle Grade, Adventure, Post Apocalyptic

234 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 1, 2000

About the author

Aka William R Dantz, Chris Jordan, W.R. Philbrick.

Rodman Philbrick grew up on the New England coast, where he worked as a longshoreman and boat builder. For many years he wrote mysteries and detective novels. The Private Eye Writers of America nominated two of his T.D.Stash series as best detective novel and then selected Philbrick's 'Brothers & Sinners' as Best Novel in 1993. Writing under the pen name 'William R. Dantz' he has explored the near-future worlds of genetic engineering and hi-tech brain control in books like 'Hunger', 'Pulse', 'The Seventh Sleeper'. And 'Nine Levels Down'.

Inspired by the life of a boy who lived a few blocks away, he wrote 'Freak The Mighty', the award-winning young-adult novel, which has been translated into numerous languages and is now read in schools throughout the world. The book was adapted to the screen in 1998 as 'The Mighty', starring Sharon Stone, Gillian Anderson, James Gandolfini, Kieran Culkin, and Elden Henson.

Philbrick, a screenwriter as well as a novelist, is the author of a number of novels for young readers, including 'The Fire Pony', 'Max the Mighty', 'REM World', 'The Last Book In The Universe', 'The Journal of Douglas Allen Deeds' and 'The Young Man And The Sea'. His recent novels for adults include 'Dark Matter', 'Coffins', and 'Taken'. He and his wife divide their time between Maine and the Florida Keys.

Reviews

[مجیدی‌ام · Rating 4 out of 5]

بطور کاملا ناخواسته، و بدون هیچ اطلاعی از محتوای این کتاب، بعد از تموم کردن کتاب فارنهایت، به سراغش اومدم و الان می‌بینم که بهترین انتخاب ممکن بوده! :))
توضیح می‌دم!
فارنهایت، که خب در نقدش هم گفته بودم چطور کتابی بود و از نظر من بی‌سواد، پروژه‌ای عجله‌ای و تقریبا شکست خورده بود و نتونسته بود اونجور که باید و شاید خوب باشه!
اما این کتاب، برعکس اسمش، که من فکر می‌کردم در مورد یک کتاب خاص باشه که مثلا آخرین کتاب جهانه، بعد از خوندن چند صفحه ازش، فهمیدم که به به، این هم یک کتاب آخرزمانی و پادآرمانشهریه! :))
یعنی دست سرنوشت قشنگ می‌خواست که من بعد از کتاب فارنهایت اینو بخونم تا ضعف‌ها و نچسبیدن‌های اون کتاب رو، بشوره ببره! :)) و الحق که موفق هم شد.

بدون لو دادن اگر بخوام توضیح بدم، داستان آخرین کتاب جهان، در یک دنیای عجیب اتفاق می‌افته.
دنیایی که بعد از یک سلسله بلایای طبیعی/انسانی، حالا غرق در خاکستر و خاک و غبار و رادیواکتیوه!
دنیای متشکل از برج‌های سقوط کرده، دنیایی پر از خانه‌های ویران شده، دنیای بدون درخت و سبزه و هرگونه گیاه، دنیایی بدون رودخانه و آب جاری!
دنیایی که انسان‌هاش همچون حیواناتی وحشی زندگی می‌کنن!
و از همه مهم‌تر، دنیایی بدون کتاب!

اگر بیشتر از این بگم، داستان رو لو دادم و هیجانش رو از اون‌هایی که می‌خوان روزی این کتاب رو بخونن گرفتم!
پس کافیه...

در مورد المان‌های مختلف داستان‌نویسی هم، من تخصصی ندارم، ولی در این حد می‌تونم بگم که کتاب خیلی سرراست و تمیز بود، که اگر شلوغی‌های زندگی شخصی نبود، می‌تونستم در عرض دو روز تمومش کنم.
چه بسا اگر کتابخون باحوصله‌ای باشید، یک ظهر تا عصر هم بتونید تمومش کنید!

ترجمه کتاب، با اینکه اشکالاتی هم داشت اما خوب بود، عالی نبود، خوب بود، قابل خوندن بود.
البته کتاب دو سه جا مشکل نگارشی داشت که اون‌ها هم قابل تحمل بودن.
و اما بزرگترین مشکلی که کتاب در این زمینه داشت، و میشه گفت خیلی خطای آماتوری هم هست، نوشتن اسم غلط نویسنده‌اس! چه روی جلد و چه در شناسنامه کتاب...
به زبان انگلیسی اگر دقت کنین، نویسنده اسمش رادمن هست، که روی جلد و داخل شناسنامه نوشته شده رودهن!!!!! هر چیز دیگه‌ای بگم، از طنز ماجرا کم میکنه!!!!

در کل، خیلی دوستش داشتم، بسیار بیشتر از فارنهایت! :))
من امتیاز پنج ستاره رو فقط به شاهکارها می‌دم و از دید من، این کتاب شاهکار نبود. چهار ستاره براش کافیه.
توصیه می‌کنم بخونیدش...

[Sawsan · Rating 3 out of 5]

الكتب هي ذاكرة العالم.. الصلة التي تربط بين البشر وتاريخ الانسانية
يتسبب زلزال شديد في تدمير العالم وانقسامه إلى جزئين
جزء يحتكر الرفاهية والتكنولوجيا الفائقة والآخر يسوده الخراب والدمار والصراع
وتبدأ رحلة مليئة بالصعوبات بينهما يقوم بها بطل الرواية بصحبة العجوز رايتر
تفاصيل الشخصيات جميلة.. خاصةً رايتر الذي يسجل في كتاب كل ما في ذاكرته من معلومات عن الحياة والأدب والحضارة في الماضي
لم يعد أحد يقرأ الكتب أو حتى يتذكرها لكنه مصمم على الكتابة ليحفظ ذاكرة الكون للناس في المستقبل
رواية خيالية لطيفة تحكي الواقع, ومكتوبة بأسلوب جميل ومشوق

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

ANOTHER NEW FAVE! It starts out pretty slowly, but the ending is remarkable. Another book that shows how sad the world would be without books. Indulges the passion for books.

[Montzalee Wittmann · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Last Book in the Universe by Rodman Philbrick is a book far in a possible future, a thousand years after the great "shake". There are genetically engineered people who are designed for health and intelligence and live in a special lush area called Eden. Everyone else lives under grey skies, in a concrete world, trying to get by. Gangs control areas and it is deadly to cross the leader of the your boss or to cross into another zone. No health care, care for orphans, etc.
This is about a guy that gets word his foster sister is dying and he wants to see her one last time. The trip ends up with a orphan boy, an old man, an enhanced girl, and himself crossing many zones. Lots of suspense and action. A very terrifying look at what life could be like but with a glimmer of hope too.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good science fiction introduction for adolescents, but stealing too many ideas from other authors to be a worthwhile read for more experienced readers. Atwood, Bradbury, Orwell and Co. just do it a lot better!
It is a nice idea to have the protagonist carry the last book in his head as a story to be told later, when people appreciate books again, but it is far too close to the ending scene of Fahrenheit 451, in which all refugees wander around reciting lost books to themselves. The genetically improved human race brings you back to Brave New World with Alphas and Betas and Gammas.
And of course the Newspeak invented for this novel is not that new at all. We can draw from endless sources, beginning with 1984 and A Clockwork Orange,...
Here you are cancelled when you die, in The Giver you are released, in Never Let Me Go you complete. All the same euphemisms for passing...
Nevertheless, it is a good read for middle schoolers.

[Jenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are many reasons that I gave this book four stars. One, the main characters. Spaz is very sympathetic. He has weaknesses but mostly strengths. He sees the truth about himself and the others around him, but he's also cynical and skeptical when he should be. There is nothing about him that I didn't like or that came off as unrealistic or unlikely. Ryter is a perfect hero: he follows Spaz but isn't a Sancho Panza; he's more like a whispering voice in the head of Don Quixote. He sacrifices in order to save others. He is wise but also has flaws and gaps in his knowledge. Otherwise, he would be too perfect. Second, the narrative technique. At first, I felt lost by the jargon and the slang. That's the point, though. The reader should feel disoriented upon being thrust into this world that comes from our own but that is hardly recognizable. The further along the narrative progresses, the more that is revealed to the reader, and the more the reader becomes accustomed to words like "splatgun" and "mindprobe," "proov" and "takvee." These words become recognizable and connected to an image the deeper the reader becomes immersed in Spaz's world, the Urb and Eden. Third, the plot and theme. Anything that has to do with the importance of reading, writing, and words is special to me. I've always been a reader, and I've been writing stories since I was seven years old. I read the Bible every day. Words matter, they last, and there's nobody that can dispute that. The book is action-packed. There isn't a dull moment, yet it's not the action that matters. The words matter, especially the last word: "Yes." Despite all the "stuff" that happens in the novel, the most important thing is that the book ends with a word of affirmation, with a hope of the future, with the idea that because words continue on, people continue on. To me, that's one of the most powerful messages that a book can have. A book about reading and writing, a book that promotes the importance of words, will pretty much always get a four-star rating from me.
The only things I didn't like about this book, that I thought were unrealistic, were the dialogue between Lanaya and her "contributors," which was choppy and awkward, and the scene in Stadium, which was also awkward and somewhat abrupt.
Other than these small things, I think the book is nearly perfect.

*****************************************************************************
Interesting. Above, the only two things I didn't like about the book, well, I don't agree with my assessment of those things at all upon this reread. I think that Lanaya and her contributors' dialogue was spot-on for the relationship that they have, and I think the scene in Stadium is well-done. I have no clue what I was looking for or expecting differently. Still, I'm keeping my four-star rating because I find some things in the book a little cheesy, like the names (Mongo) and the blatant characterization of the people in the Urb as animals. I get it, but it could have been done more subtly than having them called the Monkey Gang and then having the mob at the end literally be animalistic. Otherwise, I still find this book nearly perfect.
What struck me the most this time in reading the book in preparation to teach it for Children's Literature, a 200-level English class, is the social commentary. I love that there are social and class issues explored and that the differences seen between the proovs and the normals are boiled down to ignorance. Philbrick really explores what makes us human and how genetically altering people doesn't make them better. He also shows us the difference between science put to good use and science that is used frivolously. I hope my students like this book. It doesn't feel outdated to me since it's dystopian, but I'm not sure how they'll take some of the language and the weird animal-human scenes. We'll see!!

Addendum on 1/23/23: I don’t know what I was talking about AGAIN because after class discussion last semester, the animal scenes make perfect sense. When you dehumanize people and force them to rely on technology that is literally a drug and alters their mind, of COURSE, they’re going to act like animals, and of COURSE, it’s going to be blatant. My students loved this book, and we had great discussions about it. Also, Y2K anxiety—Philbrick was right. I’m teaching it again this semester, and I can’t wait. Based on the first two days, I think these students will have a lot to say about it!

[Tracy · Rating 4 out of 5]

We listened to this as a family on a trip to Lake Powell, and we all liked it a lot. It first grabbed and held our attention because the hero is epileptic, as is one of our sons. How often does epilepsy play a part in saving the world? It does in this book :-) Thank goodness for authors who can incorporate teens illnesses into stories in a positive light without preaching. That bit of the story may mean nothing to most readers, but it was a nice boost for our family.

The reader was that same guy who was the translator/writer in Saving Private Ryan, and is now the twitchy scientist on LOST. He projects an overwhelmed, confused sense in his delivery, and it works well. It's set in a bleak, futuristic society, and his style and voice are a good match for the teen-age narrator. He reads all the voices, and does well with them.

It feels like a huge accomplishment to find a book and reader that will entertain two adults, an 18 year old, a 15 year old and a 9 year old. When I checked this out, I also checked out seven other books on CD. We tried out all of them and didn't make it even two chapters into any of the others. In contrast, when we reached our hotel, we kept driving around so that we could hear the last chapter of this book.

[Mohsen M.B · Rating 4 out of 5]

چرا من عاشق داستان های پسا آخرالزمانی هستم؟! به نظرم خیلی جالبه که ببینی نویسنده ها چه سناریوهای مختلفی برای پایان جهان در نظر میگیرن یا آخرین ارزش های انسانی که حفظ میشه چیا هستن
آخرین کتاب جهان هم از همین سبک هست، با ویژگی های مخصوص به خودش؛ داستان روایتگر زندگی یک خواهر و برادر هست که برای مدتی از هم جدا شدن اما با دریافت پیام کمک از طرف خواهر، پسر راهی دنیای دیوانه میشه تا جون خواهرش نجات بده
کتاب بسیار احساسی و زیبا و در عین حال بسیار هیجان انگیزه
امیدوارم از مطالعه اش لذت ببرید

[McKenzie · Rating 4 out of 5]

So much slang. Just so much. Some was good, some was bad, but there was a lot.

I was not the right audience for The Last Book In The Universe. Unlike Riordan where I can enjoy the ridiculousness even though I’m well above the target audience age, this was written super simply with no whimsy or even particularly good writing so it made the age gap quite obvious.

Good world-building or world tearing apart? I could imagine the smoke and the dirt and the complete lack of proper shelter. I could visualize it better than in some dystopian/apocalyptic movies I’ve seen so that’s a huge plus. I can absolutely imagine everyone teching out with videos injected into their brains. It’s basically Ready Player One but with even crappier shelter. It reminded me of Mad Max but with...

for the full review please visit https://www.literarydragonreviews.web...

[Jen · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was ok; I think if kids enjoy sci-fi then this is probably a good choice, but it felt dated, even though it's only 8 years old. There's a lot of word play that was interesting, and a lot of mature themes that would make an excellent adult book--it just didn't translate so well to a younger audience. A library consultant just lost his job because, after reading this book to sixth graders, someone objected to the book being included in an elementary school library. Instead of defending the book (as he should and could have), he refused to talk with his bosses about it until they had read the book, and he was fired as a result of this stubborness (IMHO) and other issues, apparently.

Is the book appropriate for sixth graders?

(Skip this paragraph for sort-of spoilers!) Sure, if they're mature enough to handle mind-probes, continual threats, and a short but graphic scene of a main character getting killed. Sure, if they can even "get" the point of the story.

(resume reading here!)
The language is easy, which makes it automatically look "easy" enough for sixth-graders to read. I'm just not sure it's all that great a read. Does it belong in an elementary school library? I wouldn't want a second grader who reads at a higher level to get their hands on it, that's for sure. But having sixth graders and first graders together in one school makes it tricky. I'd totally put this in a middle school or junior high school library that had sixth graders, so are we dumbing down the content for districts that put these kids with younger grades?

I don't know. I guess it could be an interesting enough book, but I wasn't superbly impressed.

[✨Bean's Books✨ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting story.
In a world where no one reads anymore and everyone gets information through brain probes there is Spaz, an epileptic boy that has lost his family unit, now survives by being an errand boy for the Bangers gang. "Stealing is my job" he says. But when he receives a secret message from his foster father informing him that his foster sister (whom he feels is like a blood sister to him) is deathly ill and wishes to see him, all bets are off. He must travel to the other side of the Urb across territories of three other gangs in order to get to her. With the help of an old gummy named Ryter and a proov named Lanaya and a little kid in tow, they set off for a greater adventure than they could have imagined.
Okay my first question has got to be who ripped off who exactly. This book parallels with verbiage aspects and storyline so close to the book Ready Player One that it is uncanny. considering this book has a copyright of 2000 where I was Ready Player One has a copyright of 2011 I would have to say that answers that question. Perhaps this book was the inspiration for the other, I don't know.
The book itself is written in a very easy to understand manner. It is obviously written to be read by young adults and teenagers as well as perhaps preteens. The plot is very to the point as the book really does not have the girth to go into too much detail. With that in mind the author makes up for it very well in their language and imagination. The names the author uses for things resemble names that we would use regularly but are slightly different and give it that extra feel love dystopian future.
All in all this was a very enjoyable read. This was referred to me by a very good friend (Hi Holly! 🤘🏻). I would definitely recommend this book to anybody who likes interesting dystopian novels and younger readers such as preteen and up.

[Juan Guzman · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book The Last Book in The Universe is in a dystopian setting and is really good book. This book contains a lot stealing, doing bad things, and futuristic events in which there is new technology but not just for anybody. The only people that had that type of technology were the perfect people. Also, if you like books about saving and caring for people than this is your book because there is a person who saves their sibling (don't want to spoil anything ) and it gets really intense. The book tells us that the protagonist which is Spaz Boy has a mental illness called Epilepsy and it tells us the rough and hard times he goes through.

This book has a lot of action and problems which makes it really interesting in how people in the future still have conflicts and problems in society. This book also can relate to other dystopian setting books that all have problems in society and how society still in the future separate some people from others. This means that in the future it would be the same with conflicts and various drama problems. Also, it has people that fight but then get back together and that’s what makes the book a review of four stars.

This book also has a lot of mystery and can make you want to read more and more once you find clues of what might happen. For example **SPOILER ALERT** in the end they stop stealing from old people and return to their family. That’s what makes this book unique and special.

Although the ending can get a bit exciting, the book is sad, has a lot of action, and is set in a dystopian setting so if you like all of those genres in a book than The Last Book in The Universe is your book I recommend you to read this amazing book.

[Batul · Rating 5 out of 5]

بسیار از خوندن این کتاب لذت بردم و بعد از مدتی توانستم کتابی پیدا کنم که به سختی زمین بگذارمش... از اوایل کتاب که ماجرای اصلی آغاز می شود، تا درست انتهای آن مدام باید منتظر یک اتفاق تازه بود و این یعنی هیجان.
البته من کلا آثاری که مربوط به آینده و در واقع آخرالزمانی باشد را می پسندم و این هم یک نمونه ی خوب از آنها بود.

[ZaRi]

مشخص است که پیرمرد دیوانه شده است ولی دلم نمی آید این را به او بگویم. اما می دانم قهرمان واقعی این سفر کیست و آن شخص من یا حتا لانایای شجاع نیست. آن شخص، پیرمرد ریش سفیدی ست که عصای پیاده روی به دست دارد و قلبی بسیار بزرگ. قلب بزرگش نمی گذارد این فکر را کنار بگذارد که می شود دنیا را با نوشتنِ_ کتاب تغییر داد، کتابی که هرگز کسی آن را نخواهد خواند!!

[L12_luisespinoza Espinoza · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a captivating futuristic novel where it's author, Rodman Philbrick, does a masterful job of engaging the reader through its characters and plot. "If you're reading this, it must be a thousand years from now. Because nobody around here reads anymore. Why bother, when you can just probe it?" From these very first sentences of the book, the reader is pulled in to this fascinating story.

The story tells of a journey taken by Spaz in a post-apocalyptic world (as a result of "the big shake", or earthquake). He starts on his journey to reunite with his younger sister after he finds out that she is gravely ill. However, this journey will be difficult and dangerous as he has to cross three zones that are ruled by powerful latch bosses. He is accompanied by Ryter, an old man that he tried to steal from in the beginning of the story and one of the last few people remaining who can read and write, and a very young boy named Little Face, who communicates through gestures and sounds. As they move from one zone to another, they run into trouble but are helped by a young proov girl (a genetically improved human). They finally reach Spaz's sister, Bean, and realize that the only way to save her from death is to take her to Eden, where the Proovs live. The only problem is that normals (people who have not been genetically improved) are not accepted in Eden. And so the plot thickens.

The author does an exceptional job of depicting two worlds, the Urb (where the normals live) and Eden, and how each has its own strengths and weaknesses. What I find interesting is how the themes of addiction, abandonment, poverty, and violence in this futuristic world are the same themes that we see in our world today. At the end of the book, there is a glossary of words that are used throughout the book which helps the reader to understand some of the slang being spoken by the characters. The well-described scenes and adventurous plot will appeal to a variety of readers, and is suitable for students grades 6-12. This book lends itself to activities such as compare+contrast, cause/effect, and the 5 steps of the writing process to name a few. This is a great book for students who want to read a book filled suspense and adventure. The book is also available via CD and is read by Jeremy Davies (who has been in movies such as "Twister" and "Saving Private Ryan"). I tried reading the book while listening to the audio CD, however the audio CD was a bit too slow for my pace. Another excellent complimentary book would be "The Giver" by Lois Lowry. This book also deals with the same subject of a futuristic utopian society.

[Sylvia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kalo ditanya sejak kapan suka science fiction-kind-of books? I'll say sejak baca bukunya Scott Westerfeld yg judulnya Uglies. Tadinya kurang begitu suka dengan ide membaca buku science fiction, secara yang ada dalam pikiran adalah cerita yang mengada-ada, dan menggunakan bahasa scitific yang aneh dan njlimet. Tapi surprisingly, I like them. And I like this book a lot.

Setting cerita adalah di masa depan. Jauhhhh setelah terjadi gempa yang menghancurkan seluruh dunia dan hanya beberapa hal dari masa lalu yang tertinggal. Manusia terbagi menjadi dua jenis: normal dan sempurna. Manusia normal tinggal di reruntuhan yang di sebut Urb, dengan langit kelam abu-abu dan berlaku seperti kriminal untuk mendapatkan makanan, bahkan sebagian berlaku seperti hewan. Sementara manusia sempurna yang gen nya sudah disempurnakan, tinggal di Eden; tempat tinggal seperti surga, dengan langit biru dan rumput hijau.

Spaz boy adalah pengidap epilesi. Spaz bukan manusia sempurna, bukan juga manusia normal. Dia dianggap lebih rendah dari manusia akibat penyakitnya itu. Bahkan Spaz dibuang dari keluarganya. Suatu hari Spaz mendapat berita bahwa adiknya menderita sakit parah dan ingin bertemu dengannya. Spaz memutuskan untuk menempuh perjalanan berbahaya pulang kembali ke rumah yang dulu mengusirnya untuk menemui Bean, sang adik.

Ditemani seorang penulis tua dan bocah ingusan yang hanya bisa mengatakan satu kata: 'chox', Spaz menghadapi berbagai kejadian bahaya dalam perjalanan mereka. Di tengah perjalanan mereka membantu dan dibantu oleh Lanaya, seorang gadis yang berasal dari Eden. Semua hal tentang Lanaya adalah cantik dan pintar. Tidak hanya berhasil menyelamatkan mereka, Lanaya juga akhirnya bisa membantu Spaz mencapai apa yang menjadi tujuan awalnya berpetualang: yaitu menyelamatkan Bean.

Novel ini berawal dari cerita pendek yang ditulis untuk antologi Tomorrowland. A very good science fiction :)

[Hava · Rating 2 out of 5]

Such an interesting premise - a future without books. A future where everything you want to think or dream about is shot into your brain with a needle. When I first heard the idea behind this book, I was intrigued. I checked it out and read it that same day (it's a really easy read and I sped through it at lightning speed).

However, the book did not live up to its premise, at least to me. It was okay, and I can see how others would enjoy it more, but to me, it just wasn't my cup of tea. There was a lot of slang, a lot of violence, and the storyline seemed forced, like the author had come up with a really cool setting for a story (a post-apocalyptic world) and then had to come up with a story to fit into that setting.

It just didn't gel for me. I've always enjoyed apocalyptic stories (I think it's a fascinating look into how the author thinks, and I've always loved to play the 'what if' game) so I enjoyed that portion of the book. I think that the book just tried to fit too much in too small a space in order to keep from being overly long and scaring off its target audience. But in the process, the storyline felt under-developed and simply didn't do anything for me. If the author had spent more time building the story and the characters, that would have gone a long way with me.

IMHO.

[Art · Rating 4 out of 5]

Think of Farenheit 451, 1984, Alas Babylon & Z is for Zachariah.
Mr. Philbrick quotes various authors throughout this story w/a surprise ending.
I found it interesting of his description of the near future when no one reads.
WOW!

[hope mohammed · Rating 4 out of 5]

من اجمل الكتب التي قراتها على الاطلاق تتحدث عن الكتاب الاخير الذي يدونه البطل سماغ والذي يعيش في عالم انقسم ع نفسه نتيجة سياسات مدمرة .. قراتها متعبه وممتعه صعبه الا يتعلق قلبك بما يحدث وبما لا تتمنى ان يحدث ..
اعتب عليها قلة صفحاتها .. واتمنى حقا ان يتغير العالم للافضل والا ينتكس هكذا

[Lisa Rathbun]

I really enjoyed this story of a grim futuristic world sharply divided between the "normals" in Urb and the "proovs" in Eden. Lots of comparisons could be made here - for example with "The Giver" especially in the aspect of old man/mentor passing on knowledge to a younger man. The story was violent but did not use bad language. Speaking of language, do not let the strange vocabulary in the first chapter throw you off. The slang words help make this universe convincing. The words are consistent throughout and are clever ("googan" means buffoon or silly person). I really liked the richness the new words added to this distopia.



The story is suitable for middle school, but it deals with deep topics: leadership, compassion, policial power, mob rule, the dangers of removing oneself from reality, isolation and elitism, and more. There were a few holes for me: *SPOILER* at the begining, Spaz references mindprobes which supposedly have been recently disabled. Also could Ryter's grandfather have seen the Grand Canyon? Does the tremendous devastation of the Big Shake only go back three generations? However, I think younger readers will be touched by the story of a damaged, shrinking young man whose is transformed through the friendship of a wise, old man and his own love for his foster-sister and his determination to reach her.

[Willa · Rating 1 out of 5]

CAUTION: NEVER READ THIS BOOK. Why? First of all, the cover of the book is super wierd. Second, the book that Ryter is writing in doesn't seem that important at all and does not affect the plot at all, and if it did, it would be by a microscopic amount. Third, at the beggining the author is constantly having to explain what these stupid words he made up mean, and that just happens to be one of my MANY pet peeves. Explain words a couple times, that is fine, but the author, Rodman Philbrick Just lengthens it all out. Some people aren't sensitive to this stuff, but who is doing this review. Me? Or you?

I also have some problems about when they were visiting the masters, to decide if they would be banished or not. I was mainly confused about why the proovs were there. I thought that the masters were designed to make every decision, and the other people weren't. In that case, shouldn't it just be the masters deciding?

The only reason why I liked this book is the name Lanaya (a girl that is a proov and a hero of the book designed to be a master).

Who I recommend this to: NOBODY!!!

[Andres · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book struck me as an interesting book. It takes place 200 years after the "shake." It was this huge earthquake that apparently was world wide and destroyed if not everything the most important thing on earth, a pipe with the width of a football field and the length around the world that held all of the earths water supply. The shake killed a lot of the population. So what it really did was mess up the earth and man-kind is struggling for it's survival. Over time man-kind forgot reading and writing and slowly became uncivilized. There is, one place that still has hope for man-kind. It is called Eden and there are perfect people called proovs and they know everything. Spaz, the main character lives out a normal life until a messenger tells of his half sister, Bean, is sick and she want to see him. On the way to see Bean, Spaz encounters Ryter, the only person outside of Eden who knows how to read and write. The rest of the story has a lot of drama and Spaz learns more about his past. I'll let you figure out the rest by reading The Last Book in The Universe.

[Carmyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was twice recommended this book by students and finally decided I had time to squeeze it in to the reading queue. It's a bit like other dystopian teen books, only it's shorter and written for a slightly younger crowd. It uses its own lingo which is pretty easy to figure out... To kill someone is to cancel them. An old person is a gummy. The Big Shake seems to be an earthquake that changed the world and led to things as they are at least where Spaz lives. Spaz is a boy who is also our protagonist and suffers from epilepsy, hence the nickname. His world is called the Urb, short for suburbs, perhaps? Within the Urb are latches and each is ruled by a different crime boss and has its own dangers. He works as a street thug for the Bangers, but he once had a family and a younger sister who he loved. It's his connection to Bean, his little sister, which brings him on the journey of a lifetime and teaches him about hope, courage, and something he's never considered before -- a future. I'd recommend this one!

[Adamaris Jauregui · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was about a boy whose name was Spaz Boy but they call him that since he has no mom or dad.He was adopted and lived with a nice family with a really nice sister but soon they kicked him out of their home. He had to go live in the Urb where he had to steal and do many bad things to bring and suit a guy named Billy Bizmo who. While Spaz was ripping off people he found two amazing friends Ryter and Little Face. These two amazing friends help Spaz save his sister's life(Bean) and they went to many adventures. I really liked this book because this book because it is dystopia book and this is saying how many people imagen the perfect world but really that perfect world because a nightmare. I also liked the book because this was really showing the difference it many places and how some places may be amazing and beautiful while some are just a trajity.I would recommend this book to many people especially to the ones that believe that violence and stealing is good to show them how those things can really change the world and the environment.

[Julianmontes · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think this is an amazing book for so many reasons but one of the things that I like the most about it is the adventurous aspect that the author puts in to the book so well. Another thing I like is how well the world after the big shake is described and how it changes every part of the book. I also like how heroic and brave Spaz is in the book even though he doesn't know it. Spaz is also respectable for his determination and the importance of his sister bean to him. The addition of Ryter was very necessary because without him this story simply wouldn't be possible or as exciting. This is because it gives Spaz more of a motivation to keep on going and Ryter's wisdom and knowing of things helps a lot on their trip to Bean.

[Jesus Madrigal · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book. I wasn't interested in it in the beginning, but when they had to rescue Spaz' sister, Bean, boy I got really into the book. This book had many surprises, from Little Face staying in Eden, or from Ryter(one of the main characters) dying, to Loddi Gets beating Veda Bleak( Vandals vs Assassins). But the most surprising moment is when Billy Bizmo, one of the Latch bosses tells Spaz that he's his son. I would recommend this book to people that like action/adventure books or fiction books. This book, i liked it alot near the end, and I hope that the people that read this book also liked it too.

[Giovanni Zuniga · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was very intense and very interesting because it started out so boring and then it started to gain action. The action made it very interesting. I like how Spaz does whatever it takes him to get to his sister because she is very sick. Then her sister gets better because they take her to Eden. Then they had Bean at Eden and she got better, not improved but better. Then the bosses got mad at Spaz for entering Eden and they wanted him to leave.I would recommend this book to everybody because this book is really good because it is like they have different social classes.

[Yuliana Gallardo · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this book because it was so intense it felt like I was all the characters in one book. I also liked how they showed really specifically how they felt. I recommend this book to someone who likes adventure stuff because they go to lots of adventures and meet new people like the proov girl Lanaya. It was about a Spaz Boy who lived with a family but wasn't his real family and they had a little girl named Bean spaz really liked her as a sister even though they didn't have the same blood he still acted like her big brother.

[Angelica Garcia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really like this and the extra part of it, if you don't know there is a little part at the end of the book were there is an interview of the author and I learned that he likes to fish. One of my many favorite parts was when the boss-latch said that he was his father. I wish the author would make another book like this because at the end the proov girl she said the would live together forever. The saddest part in the book was when they killed the old gummy.

[Andrea Medina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really like this book. It's about these proovs and normals and how they face consequences in their life and break laws and rules just to save a girl and they get eliminated. They also try to make a book out of their life but it all goes wrong in the end. I like the part when he reveals who he's from in the ending. I would recommend it to people that like things with strange characters and with computers controlling the characters in the story.