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REM World
Award-winning novelist Rodman Philbrick challenges the boundaries of time and place in this exciting fantasy. "Harry Potter fans will recognize the misfit hero in a strange, new world." —Booklist
Arthur Woodbury is tired of being called fat. So he's purchased a special product that's supposed to help him lose weight. But when he puts on the helmet like the instructions say, his world vanishes before his very eyes. Now he is trapped in REM World, a place where nothing is as it seems. And it's not enough just to find his way home. By entering REM World, Arthur accidentally released a terrible creature into the real world. It's Nothing, and it's going to eat away everything in the world until all that remains is itself. Arthur's never been the heroic kind—but now it's up to him to save the world.
Arthur Woodbury is tired of being called fat. So he's purchased a special product that's supposed to help him lose weight. But when he puts on the helmet like the instructions say, his world vanishes before his very eyes. Now he is trapped in REM World, a place where nothing is as it seems. And it's not enough just to find his way home. By entering REM World, Arthur accidentally released a terrible creature into the real world. It's Nothing, and it's going to eat away everything in the world until all that remains is itself. Arthur's never been the heroic kind—but now it's up to him to save the world.
224 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2000
8 people are currently reading
124 people want to read
About the author
Rodman Philbrick
60 books371 followersAka 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.
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.
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
February 10, 2022
Rem World was a delightful experience. The settings were easy to imagine in vivid detail and I loved that the story starts rolling very quickly after its introduction. The pace flows at a steady clip, keeping the reader engaged and ready for each new phase of Arthur's journey. My brother read and loved this book as a kid, and I now wish I'd read it with him so we could have loved it together.
My one criticism is the ending. Rem World is the first book I can remember reading that starred an overweight main character. Even though Arthur's main goal at the outset of the story is to lose weight, I found myself disappointed that he actually became thin by the end. It became clear that food was a coping mechanism for him as he endured incessant abuse from his peers, without the guiding presence of a father to help him through it. And yet throughout the book, Arthur finds himself conquering physical and emotional obstacles he previously thought himself incapable of, and his confidence and self value grow.
And he does all that while fat. He learns to love himself while fat. He faces his trauma and makes friends and becomes the hero while fat.
How disappointing, then, to find that despite how close this book came to giving a message of total self-acceptance and the relative unimportance of thinness when compared with true heroism, in the end the fat body that saved the world was ultimately rejected and replaced with a skinny one. Arthur got what he set out for, but only after the story had proved that he no longer needed it to be happy and whole. Only after he'd proven that he was already everything he needed to be, fat and all.
My one criticism is the ending. Rem World is the first book I can remember reading that starred an overweight main character. Even though Arthur's main goal at the outset of the story is to lose weight, I found myself disappointed that he actually became thin by the end. It became clear that food was a coping mechanism for him as he endured incessant abuse from his peers, without the guiding presence of a father to help him through it. And yet throughout the book, Arthur finds himself conquering physical and emotional obstacles he previously thought himself incapable of, and his confidence and self value grow.
And he does all that while fat. He learns to love himself while fat. He faces his trauma and makes friends and becomes the hero while fat.
How disappointing, then, to find that despite how close this book came to giving a message of total self-acceptance and the relative unimportance of thinness when compared with true heroism, in the end the fat body that saved the world was ultimately rejected and replaced with a skinny one. Arthur got what he set out for, but only after the story had proved that he no longer needed it to be happy and whole. Only after he'd proven that he was already everything he needed to be, fat and all.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 28, 2022
“Biscuit Butt” Arthur Woodbury responds to an ad promising that the user of the REM Sleep Device will miraculously lose weight while he sleeps. Immediately upon receiving the black helmet Arthur retires on a workbench in the basement and begins an incredible journey in which he must save Everything in the universe from the Nothing. In REM world Arthur is surrounded by various creatures eager to help him in his mission. Morf, who can change shape upon demand, acts as his guide through REM world. They all aid in the mission in various ways…the Frog People reveal to Arthur that he is really in two places at once causing the Nothing to enter through a crack in the universe, the giants Grog and Droll act as transportation at various times, the Cloud People teach him to fly in order to be able to enter Vydel’s mouth which will lead him to the River under the World and to the End of the World and Beyond, and Mr. Pockets lends him a boat to get to the island where the demon Vydel lives. Arthur does eventually complete his mission earning him the name of Arthur Courage and he returns safely home. And surprise, surprise…after all that activity, he does lose some weight. This is fast paced adventure with cliffhanger chapters. This fantasy/science fiction enforces the belief that anything can be accomplished if one tries hard enough. The weight problem is never an issue in REM world, but the fact that Arthur was continuously exercising and eating little was evident. Character development and setting were not as developed as they could have been, yet the story was interesting and kept my attention throughout. This is a good choice for middle school readers.
September 30, 2019
This book was so...incredibly...strange. Lol. I did enjoy it, but it was out there. The author's imagination is sooo wonderful and weird. I really enjoyed just seeing what he would come up with next. Overall, the story line is a very straightforward adventure/hero's journey, but it's made fascinating by the crazy creatures Arthur encounters on his journey. That said, I really didn't connect with the characters, and I only picked this up every week or two to read a few chapters. It just didn't grab me, as I didn't feel much one way or another for Arthur. It was a short book, but it took me several months to read because I just didn't feel compelled to keep going.
Overall, it was an imaginative story that I would recommend to boys of all ages.
Overall, it was an imaginative story that I would recommend to boys of all ages.
July 18, 2018
Not much to say about this book...it's a rather dull read.
March 20, 2024
"Sometimes you have to keep going even though you don't know where it will get you."
3 stars to remain neutral... I'm passing the book along so leaving the rating to my grandson...
3 stars to remain neutral... I'm passing the book along so leaving the rating to my grandson...
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June 9, 2016REM WORLD BOOK REVIEW- MARCUS TORRES
Have you ever had the most craziest dream?! My craziest dream is probably when everyone turned into zombies and my family too. And sadly i had to kill them before they were going to rip me apart and eat me alive. Well this book is about that. The book is called Rem World by Rodman Philbrick. The book is about a boy that goes into a world that is very magical and peaceful, but he has to go back home before the universe collapses and he won’t go back home.
This boy is named Artie. He gets bullied by people in his neighborhood and school because he is very fat. They call him different names and make fun of him. Artie lives with only his mom and grandma , his dad died when he was little and doesn’t really remember his past with him, but he really misses him and always wanted him around so all his friends can see what kind of great dad he was. From what he kinda remembers and what his mom says. But Artie finds this sleeping devise in his basement that it says that will help him lose weight by just sleeping with this helmet sleeping device on. Then Artie enters a world with a world guide named Morf. Morf and Artie become friends and discover the whole world together making new magical friends along the way. But then Galumph the first friend Artie and Morf meet tells Artie to make it back home because Artie can’t be two places at once because he is sleeping in his basement with the device on and he is in Rem world. Now Artie and Morf go on an adventure trying to find the people to help him get back home before it’s too late.
I really liked this book because it is always interesting and not just the same things are mentioned. New things are always coming up. It is always another adventure for Artie and Morf. My favorite quote from this book is “I've only seen him in photo albums, and in the silly video my mom plays when she is feeling sad, but you look exactly like my father”, I really like this quote because Artie is talking about his father and how he remembers some memories of his sadness. My favorite part in this book is when Artie learns how to fly and the different techniques he learns for different situations. Well the ending isn't really that much exciting I would tell you about it but I don't want to spoil it.
In conclusion you should read this book because it is packed with all this adventure back to back, and always something new. The book is very simple and has a great story along with mystical creatures. If you like thrill adventure then this is the right book for you.
July 20, 2020
I really like Rodman Philbrick's writing style. The narrative always flows along at a fast, highly readable pace, skating lightly above the troubled waters of the suspenseful stories that he tends to tell. REM World, in that respect, is like all of Rodman Philbrick's novels, and I doubt that many readers will claim to have been bored while reading it.
Arthur Woodbury, the story's protagonist, is already substantially overweight at the age of ten. The cruel jeers of his insensitive classmates seem to linger in his ears even when he's not around them, and things aren't getting any better. That is, until the day that Arthur spots an ad for a special new technology called the REM Sleep Device, which promises to help anyone lose weight rapidly while they sleep. If the advertisement is truthful, then for a nominal fee of $9.99, all Arthur would have to do to shed his unwanted pounds is put the REM machine on his head before he sleeps, and then wake up with the fit body he has always wanted. For a kid without the self-discipline to engage in prolonged diet and exercise, what could be more of a revelation than that?
Ah, but Arthur doesn't take the time to read all of the instructions before beginning the supposedly breakthrough REM Sleep Device program, and this oversight could come back to haunt not only himself, but the entire universe. The REM world that he enters upon going to sleep with the machine on to his head is a perilous existence of monsters and demons that could threaten his real life, but nothing about the place is more terrifying than the Nothing, a non-substance with the power to wipe out Everything that ever has been or will be, if Arthur can't summon the courage to set right what went wrong when he violated the natural rules of the REM world.
I have to confess that I was a bit confused by this book. There's a lot about the plot that I didn't understand, which is an issue I've never had while reading any of Rodman Philbrick's other novels, and I can't say for sure that I comprehend the bigger theme that REM World is trying to convey. However, the little bits of wisdom sprinkled throughout the pages, coupled with the smooth writing style of Rodman Philbrick, gives me reason to round my one-and-a-half-star rating of REM World up rather than down. It is an unusual book with some interesting characters, and will make for an appealing story to many readers.
Arthur Woodbury, the story's protagonist, is already substantially overweight at the age of ten. The cruel jeers of his insensitive classmates seem to linger in his ears even when he's not around them, and things aren't getting any better. That is, until the day that Arthur spots an ad for a special new technology called the REM Sleep Device, which promises to help anyone lose weight rapidly while they sleep. If the advertisement is truthful, then for a nominal fee of $9.99, all Arthur would have to do to shed his unwanted pounds is put the REM machine on his head before he sleeps, and then wake up with the fit body he has always wanted. For a kid without the self-discipline to engage in prolonged diet and exercise, what could be more of a revelation than that?
Ah, but Arthur doesn't take the time to read all of the instructions before beginning the supposedly breakthrough REM Sleep Device program, and this oversight could come back to haunt not only himself, but the entire universe. The REM world that he enters upon going to sleep with the machine on to his head is a perilous existence of monsters and demons that could threaten his real life, but nothing about the place is more terrifying than the Nothing, a non-substance with the power to wipe out Everything that ever has been or will be, if Arthur can't summon the courage to set right what went wrong when he violated the natural rules of the REM world.
I have to confess that I was a bit confused by this book. There's a lot about the plot that I didn't understand, which is an issue I've never had while reading any of Rodman Philbrick's other novels, and I can't say for sure that I comprehend the bigger theme that REM World is trying to convey. However, the little bits of wisdom sprinkled throughout the pages, coupled with the smooth writing style of Rodman Philbrick, gives me reason to round my one-and-a-half-star rating of REM World up rather than down. It is an unusual book with some interesting characters, and will make for an appealing story to many readers.
February 27, 2017
Just okay. I never really felt connected to the main character or his adventure. It does have a positive message, and I could see younger readers enjoying the fantasy aspect.
February 4, 2020
The book certainly takes viewers to an original fantasy world, and I personally found that the villain itself was the most fascinating and poignant part of the book. That said I felt as if the story could've done more with the themes, especially the ones of self acceptance. Philbrick is a good writer but sometimes I wish he'd slow down his stories and fully explore the worlds he's built. I feel that the story would've carried more emotional impact had it explored it's characters insecurities more and ended more with him believing himself capable of accomplishing his real world goals rather than the fantasy world giving him the head start. But that's just me. I think that children can understand more than the baseline or ideas and themes, and for parents reading allowed it would give them more to talk with their children about.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 12, 2009
Rem World by Rodman Philbrick is a book that I really enjoy reading when there are days in which I am bored. This book talks about a boy named Arthur Woodbury that doesn't want to be fat anymore because every always teases him. One day he bought this Rem divice to lose weight he put the divice on his head and is instantly transported to another world. But when that happened he took off the helmet which causes Arthur to go on his journey to get out of Rem World. On the way he meets different beings and is off to beat the clock because the nothing are after his body. This is a suspenseful book that is calming to read. i recomend this book to anyone that just wants to read. Enjoy!
March 13, 2015
Interesting storyline, one like no other. I can tell it was written for elementary students, and it reads like it was, but the topic caught my eye -- young boy with no friends, bullied, fat, no father.... But things change for him when he accidentally finds himself in the world of REM. REM is not a fantasy world, though. Oh, no. And he is stuck there as ALL life is slowly dying. Can he stop it? Read the book. It would be a quick read for an older person. The message it carries is good for ALL ages!
September 3, 2009
This book was so much fun.if you read this book you will have so much fun it will make you say wow.it is about a boy whio thinks he is fat so he reads the back of a magizne & see this machine that will make him lose wait during his sleep but what he dont know i9s that the helmet will take him on a crazy adventure.
September 16, 2011
an amazing book. really captured my full attention, usually if i'm not that in to a book i just half read half daydream. funny, exciting, sad, sweet, and at some parts mysterious and a little weird. my kind of book.
November 13, 2012
Read this one aloud to my kids. It was simple and yet imaginative. They enjoyed it. The cliff-hangers at the end of each chapter were "the worst place to stop" each night. So of course, I often read more than intending to, just so we wouldn't leave them hanging too badly.
July 24, 2015
Maybe I'm getting too old (since the back cover says it's meant for ages nine to twelve) but I expected more from Rodman Philbrick. It certainly wasn't bad, just predictable. Of course, it was well written.
October 7, 2008
Cute. I've never read The Neverending Story all the way through but I think it's pretty much the same story.
EDIT: Hey, I lied about The Neverending Story. Sorry 'bout that. I've read it.
EDIT: Hey, I lied about The Neverending Story. Sorry 'bout that. I've read it.
July 28, 2009
This was not a good book. I need to find the review that made me want to read it and figure out how I was so mislead.
September 7, 2010
Juvenile.
February 24, 2011
This book is amazing! Every page made me laugh a whole lot! This book is also very creative. I like how Rodman included talking frogs. Haha, so funny!
October 25, 2012
I loved it
August 6, 2014
OMG! SO GOOD! Love it. Such an adventure. Crazy! Amazing! You will never want to put the book down!
November 6, 2014
This was the first proper book I ever read. It gave birth to my love of literature and the Sci-Fi fantasy genre this little tome has a special place in my heart.
January 1, 2015
Such a wonderful book! For Harry Potter & Percy Jackson fans!
March 26, 2015
I love this book. I love watching Arthur grow up as a person and I love all of the profound ideas in this book. And I have always wished there was a bit more after to this book.
September 3, 2015
Junior sci-fi where the main obstacle the protagonist has to overcome is himself.
January 22, 2016
If you like fantasy then you'll like this book. A boy travels between his real life and a dream-like state. He goes to REM world and has a lot of adventures there.
January 29, 2021
Another book I read in childhood (or that was read to my class) that I think about VERY regularly 15 years later o.o
November 30, 2013
Read it based on blurb but found it a bit tedious at times. His other books have been better.
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews