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The Last Book in the Universe

3.86 of 5 stars 3.86 · rating details · 3,602 ratings · 421 reviews

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 entertainmen...more

Paperback, 240 pages

Published 2000 by Scholastic

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Sep 24, 2008 Amy rated it 5 of 5 stars

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.

9 likes · like · see review

Aug 19, 2008 Tracy rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: teen-age boys, kids with epilepsy

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...more

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Dec 10, 2007 Jen rated it 2 of 5 stars Recommends it for: kids who like postapocalyptic tales if they understand them

Shelves: tweens_and_teens, sci_fi

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 t...more

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Mar 12, 2009 Art rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: anyone interested in Reading and path we will take if we stop reading.

Recommended to Art by: I wanted to read more Philbricks books

Shelves: futuristic-end-of-world

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!

2 likes · like · see review

Aug 11, 2011 Lisa Rathbun added it

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 t...more

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Mar 18, 2009 Judie rated it 5 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Nov 24, 2008 Andres rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: book-club

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...more

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May 21, 2013 Alex rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book was wonderful. Chilbrick created a believable post-apocalyptic world in which anarchy rules and no one is literate any longer. This book is exactly the type of epic adventure I have always enjoyed mixed with the gritty post-apocalyptic setting I have only just recently developed a taste for.

What I enjoyed most about this book was learning the history of how the world had come to such a sorry state, well as the politics between each "latch" (reminiscent of a feudal society) and their re...more

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May 07, 2013 NVHS LMC rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: adventure, dystopian, page-turner

The Last Book in the Universe, by Rodman Philbrick, is a perfect example of the saying “Don’t judge a book by its cover.” At first glance, it looks like the book will be some kind of horror novel, with a picture of a boy made of paper standing in a post-apocalyptic city. It took me the longest time to pick this up, but once I did, I couldn't put it down.

In the future, a cataclysmic worldwide earthquake known as the Big Shake has left humanity to live among ruins, where grey clouds block all sunl...more The Last Book in the Universe, by Rodman Philbrick, is a perfect example of the saying “Don’t judge a book by its cover.” At first glance, it looks like the book will be some kind of horror novel, with a picture of a boy made of paper standing in a post-apocalyptic city. It took me the longest time to pick this up, but once I did, I couldn't put it down.

In the future, a cataclysmic worldwide earthquake known as the Big Shake has left humanity to live among ruins, where grey clouds block all sunlight and plants do not grow. In the center of this world is the Utopian society of Eden, home to blue skies, green grass, and the improved humans, a.k.a. proovs, who are physically and genetically perfect in every way. Normal humans survive on scraps from Eden. Somewhere in this ruined world, a young epileptic named Spaz lives in misery, cast from his family for his disability. However, when word reaches him that his sister Bean—the only person in the world he loves—has come down with leukemia, he must make a treacherous journey across the latch territories. On his quest, he is aided by a young boy more animal than human, a proov girl that he is forbidden by law to even look at, and a kind, wise, hopeful old man who clutches the tattered pages of the last book in the universe.

The writing style for this book is fairly unique. The story is told in first person present tense, but at the beginning of the book, a brief passage tells us that it is the autobiography of Spaz, who is recounting the events for the reader. The style is deliberately crude, as the author wants us to believe that this is the memoir of a young boy trying his hand at writing for the first time, but it is still incredibly descriptive and more emotional than if it were told from third-person because we feel that the narrator actually experienced the events. It really pulls you into the world. The characters are likable and well rounded, with no clear villains or heroes. For example, in the first chapter, Spaz is a bully boy for a gang, taking possessions from people who can’t fight back, and his father, who banished him, actually sends a messenger to ask him to come back and see Bean before she dies. The ending is also very unique, not the stereotypical happy ending, but it still leaves you with a sense of happiness and victory for the protagonists. Overall, a unique read with great characters, an excellent writing style, and a uniquely bittersweet ending. Definitely give this one a look.

Review by Kevin S.(less)

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May 06, 2013 Gerson Cordero Rubio rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: so-many-feels

To Start off, I first read this book when i was in middle school. A tough time in my life where only books and few people could offer comfort. This book, This Adventure, made me feel so much and just gave me the get away that i needed. Yes i know that Get away was a Post Apocalyptic Dystopia but it still got my mind off of things. I remember Reading this book and thinking "Wow, this kid Spaz is just like me, weird and just trying to survive" As he went on his adventure, while feeling that his "s...more

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Apr 21, 2013 Ricardo Espinoza rated it 5 of 5 stars

This is one of my all time favorite book! 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 unive...more

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Oct 31, 2012 Jalon Hall rated it 5 of 5 stars

I liked this book alot but it was slow to get to the action because they had to walk everywhere they wanted to go because MOST cars were destroyed. This book is about a boy named Spaz who is aware of how the world really is and is set on a quest to stop the people from being controlled by a machine. Put on people's head that makes them brain dead. Also making them unable to see the world for itself. So he travels with an old man named Ryter and a little boy named little face. To find out how to...more

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Jun 21, 2012 L12_luisespinoza Espinoza rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy-sci-fi

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...more 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.

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Apr 12, 2012 Sarah rated it 5 of 5 stars

I have recently got into this type of novel. (That being dystopian) and it has probably been my favorite one so far. (The mere title of the book also encouraged me to read it lol) I liked how it incorporated history into it even though it is a work of fiction. And that fact also helped me relate to the characters. In particular the main character Spaz. (I know for certain now that if in real life they create the 'probs' i will refuse to let them insert one). I also enjoyed the actual style. I ha...more

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Feb 13, 2012 Barb Middleton rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: dystopia

The Great Earthquake has destroyed most of the population on Earth except the “normals” who live in the violent Urbs and the “Proovs” who live in peaceful Eden. Spaez, a “normal”, is on a mission to save his sister who has leukemia. The problem is that only the “Proovs” who live in Eden have the technology to save her. It is forbidden for “normals” to enter Eden. Spaez gets help from Ryter, a “normal” old man, who remembers what it was like before the Earthquake; Little Face, a ”normal” boy; and...more

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Jan 13, 2012 Amy rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Fans of distopia books.

Shelves: science-fiction

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Not many people seem to understand what I mean when I call something a "distopia" (which I'd call this book), so I'll briefly describe my personal definition of the word. For me, a distopia is a place where, theoretically, problems have all been solved, but one thing (or more than one thing) are off, causing everything to go wrong. Oh, and they often have to do with a major catastrophe and mankind's attempts to start over.

I call this book a distopia for a few reasons. First, as I said above, the...more Not many people seem to understand what I mean when I call something a "distopia" (which I'd call this book), so I'll briefly describe my personal definition of the word. For me, a distopia is a place where, theoretically, problems have all been solved, but one thing (or more than one thing) are off, causing everything to go wrong. Oh, and they often have to do with a major catastrophe and mankind's attempts to start over.

I call this book a distopia for a few reasons. First, as I said above, there was "the Great Quake," the event that toppled major cities, destroyed the Grand Canyon, let loose radiation from the Earth's core (I don't know if science supports radiation being in the Earth's core, but that's OK), caused all the plants to die, and made the sky covered with grey clouds. Oh, and I forgot the acid rain (I think it wasn't so caustic that it melted folks, but it apparently tingled when it got you wet).

Second, there was a "cure" for mankind's situation offered: the Proovs. A Proov is a genetically perfect human. Basically, a zygote (or any pre-born baby, I think... they weren't specific) would have its genes altered and then be born a literal perfect human being. Well, minus human nature. That was the same. Interestingly, the Proovs had no "parents." Since the genes of the baby Proovs were altered, what we would call their parents are just called "Contributors," because if the baby has genes other than its parents, it is no longer the product of just its parents. All that mumbling to say that the baby's genes are so changed that you can argue it's not genetically its parents' child.... Ish. It's confusing.

But back to the Proovs and my second reason. They were the solution to the crisis. Since humankind had thought about things like the Great Quake in theory but never planned about them, the Proovs had the opportunity to breed their leaders to think about the future and certain eventualities. As well, they were able to secure their own territory, called Eden, and keep it for themselves. While the rest of the world, called the Urb, was in chaos, basically run by ganglords (and lord-esses?) and thugs, Eden had green grass, trees, running water, and the color blue.

Human nature got in the way, though, and some Proov (not sure who) allowed the normal humans to get their hands on mindprobes, which were needles you insert into your brain that let you pretend to be in another reality. The Proovs were aware of how damaging long-term use of a mindprobe could be, but, in order to let the normals of humanity expire, mindprobes became available for all of the Urb. Who let them do that was never said, but maybe that's because the majority of Proovs wanted to rid the world of normality. It might have been a group decision and not just a radical idea. I'll never know, though, but I like that because I keep guessing.

I found this story very easy to read and very engaging. In fact, I read it in one evening. I got the feeling for most of the book, though, that it was meant to be read by people younger than myself (which it probably is). The abbreviations for everything were very simplistic, and though I know that the use of language in the book was meant to be dumbed-down, I think that a fifteen or sixteen year old guy would talk in a slightly more intelligent manner. Eh. I guess I can't complain if I read the book almost without putting it down... That's what I did, really.

Ryter (I like his name) was interesting. If I didn't like him so much and his strange ways of reacting to being robbed, I would be annoyed and bored by him. He always seemed to know what to do, but he was humble enough about everything that I don't think I minded.

Lanaya ticked me off at first. Later, though, when she matured and realized she wasn't the center of the universe, I started to like her more. She was alright.

The little kid who constantly said "chox" was cute. I wondered if a five year old was really capable of climbing to and from the Pipe like they said, but maybe that's just because I don't know much about how active kids are when they're five.

It took me forever to realize that Spaz, the main character, had epiliepsy. Ryter really had to spell it out before I understood why his name was Spaz. Clever, though. Some of the boss names were a bit cheesy, I found (oh, and "Mongo" is my cat's name, so "Mongo the Magnificent" was funny for me).

I could go into more detail, but I'm tired, so that'll have to do. If there was another book to read in this series, I'd read it, but I don't think there is. Oh well. I had a lot of fun.

Oh, right! There was hope in the end! Always a good thing.(less)

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Oct 18, 2011 Carm rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-i-own, dystopian, read-in-2011, young-adult-juvenile

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 protagoni...more

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Oct 13, 2011 Jose rated it 4 of 5 stars

I love the book I thought it was amazing. I am not sure what level it is. I enjoyed all the parts it is a sort of action, mystery, and sadness with a little bit of romance. It is very adventerous and it is it the future and very visuable and it makes you feel like your in the future and they have a whole world that fell apartand it is called the Urb. There is still one place that is in very good condition it is call Eden and it is very dangerous to leave the Urb without the latch boss knowing. I...more

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Oct 12, 2011 Amy Flores added it

Wondering what might the world turn to in the future will it be better or worse ? The past pages i've read had me thinking that the future might be worse , I ask my self will poverty enlarge will we loose all sense. The main character spaz had been in a gang " The Bully Bangers " they usually stolen from many of the other people . Before they would live in small storage rooms it had been in horrible conditions but at that time every had . Before they had to eject people with electrode needles ,...more

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Sep 30, 2011 Dreamergirl rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: thriller-adventure-mystery, sci-fiction

Scared doesn't quite describe how I felt while reading this book. I didn't like the beginning and thought that the book wouldn't have any meaning whatsoever. I almost stopped reading after the first 3 chapters but made myself read a bit more to see if by any chance it would get better. One reason I had was that the writing was hard, but not rich and it wouldn't have been that much of a problem if the only real emotion the author made me feel wasn't just plain: disgust. He described the people li...more Scared doesn't quite describe how I felt while reading this book. I didn't like the beginning and thought that the book wouldn't have any meaning whatsoever. I almost stopped reading after the first 3 chapters but made myself read a bit more to see if by any chance it would get better. One reason I had was that the writing was hard, but not rich and it wouldn't have been that much of a problem if the only real emotion the author made me feel wasn't just plain: disgust. He described the people living in stackboxes, and the place that was so dirty they couldn't see the blue sky in such an every-day kind of view that it made me terrified. Now you must be wondering why I gave this book 5 stars and how in the world could have it gotten that much better at the second half of the book. I don't know why the author was so bad at the beginning or maybe the writing was the same, but it just made me run and hide because of the setting and the whole way Rodman showed it. But when I read on, what emotions the author made me feel afterwards in the novel almost made me forget every prejudice that I had against him. This book obviously isn't horror and not even a lot of catastrophical themes are used, but the style the author choose to write it was amazing- he didn't write it as an author would but as the characters would. I guess every author should write like that but that's rare to see these days, usually it's a person trying to do it but not quite making it. So the readers eventually give up and start to forget what actually makes a book worth reading. Now that I got that out, I think that is actually what must have made the beginning so scary to me, because I felt as if I was really there. Which makes "The Last Book in the Universe" a very personal and even realistic book. Here is my review:

In the future, there are people called "proovs". When the "Big Shake" happened some people, so that they'd have a better chance of survival, where inserted with perfect genes which means their outer appearance it perfect as well as their intelligence and pretty much everything else. They live just like people today only with much better and improved technology. But some things like ancient cures for some sicknesses were forgotten. Than there are the "normals", people who are just like us today but live almost like animals, their streets are filled with gangs and everyone does everything to survive. Stealing is normal. They insert "movies" called probes into their brains, kind of like 3d images only better and most live in that perfect world they have created for themselves by technology instead of living in the real world. They dream of Eden where the proovs live and want to forget the future- most succeed.

This book was kind of like a mix of "Gathering Blue" and "The Giver" but it was much darker. I don't think it will ever be in my favorites list, because it's just not my style, but it's a good read compared to other books today. I'd recommend...

Interest level: High
Reading level: Medium-high (less)

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Jul 16, 2011 JoJoTheModern rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction, ya

Three words: Freak the Mighty.

Same author. Different genre, as FtM was contemporary and this is sci-fi of the dystopian persuasion. Same heart. If there is anything Rodman Philbrick really excels at, it's writing books with heart. No matter the genre.

The Last Book in the Universe is more like Max the Mighty in its construction (road trip, kids and adults interacting), but if you've read FtM you'll have a general idea of what to expect from TLBitU. Man, I hate comparing books this way.... It make...more

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Jul 05, 2011 Chy rated it 4 of 5 stars

It's another of those present tense ones that bug me. This one would be just fine and dandy if it weren't for the prologue--er, I'm sorry, "Chapter One." It introduced the story as something that had already happened that the narrator was now about to tell.

Now, since he's literally speaking, I was ready for some conversational tense snaggles. I was not expecting proper present tense, you know what I mean?

There was much about it I liked, but they were all pretty coincidental to the Chy state. Lik...more

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Mar 22, 2011 stewart wells rated it 4 of 5 stars

Recommended to stewart by: brother

The Last Book in The Universe- stewart wells-6th-Williamson.

The Last book in the universe takes place in a society of Proves (genetically improved people,) Normals, (normal people as you can tell from the name,) and deffs (people with defects like Spaz) This book is about a man named Ryter who wants to finish his book. He is the only one on Earth who still knows how to read. reading has been replaced with mind probes which are drugs that make an alternate reality based on what probe you use. Th...more The Last Book in The Universe- stewart wells-6th-Williamson.

The Last book in the universe takes place in a society of Proves (genetically improved people,) Normals, (normal people as you can tell from the name,) and deffs (people with defects like Spaz) This book is about a man named Ryter who wants to finish his book. He is the only one on Earth who still knows how to read. reading has been replaced with mind probes which are drugs that make an alternate reality based on what probe you use. The main character Spaz is sent by the latch boss (he's like a dictator of a town) to take Ryter's stuff, and unlike other people he doesn't resist. Later Spaz's sister gets sick and is dieing. Ryter volunteers to guide Spaz out of the Latch, (which is illegal,) to save his sister, (Bean) and so that Ryter can have a good ending to his book. But things take a turn, for better or worse, read the book to find out.

This book was really easy to read it was short (about 100 pages) and could be read and understood by a fourth grader. I would not recommend this to a fourth grader however because it is violent in some parts, I would recommend this book to anyone in 6th grade and above. I think everyone should read it because it shows what can happen to society if you get to controlling, and use drugs a lot. It was pretty futuristic which I do not like. I liked this book but not a lot, but for a science fiction book it was really good. The characters seemed believable enough, they never did anything extremely hard to believe. In fact I could see this happening to our society in the future, because I have heard some stuff in the newspaper about being able to control simple traits of babies like hair or eye color, and this is what the Proves do but on a larger scale, like how they eliminated sickness. I think that it is scary to think about because it could happen any time, especially when what caused the world to become split up and horrible was a giant earth quake. and they are happening more and more often so I wouldn't be surprised if a huge earthquake ends the world as we know it.
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Feb 10, 2011 Lauren rated it 4 of 5 stars

The Last Book in the Universe takes place far into the future after the world has been destroyed by an earthquake known as the Big Shake. It is about a boy nicknamed Spaz. He receives a message from his adopted sister that she is dying, and wants to see him. He then goes on a quest to get to her, but first he has to get through the different gangs that control each part of the Urb. An old man names Ryter, who is an author working on the last book in the universe, hence the name of the book, come...more

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Dec 26, 2010 P.M. rated it 5 of 5 stars

16 yer old Spaz is an epileptic and works doing bustdowns for the boss of the latch where he lives - a man named Billy Bizmo. When he is sent to steal from an eccentric old man named Ryter, he finds out that he is unique in that he can remember things. Years after the Big Shake destroyed most of civilization, life in the Urb is hand to mouth at best while those proovs (genetically improved humans) who live in Eden live in luxury. When Spaz receives a clandestine message that his foster sister Be...more

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Dec 08, 2010 Erin rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult, dystopian, classroom-library, science-fiction

I'm always a sucker for a YA Dystopian novel, and I was excited to randomly discover this one (which I had never heard about) on the shelf of the bookstore as I was browsing.

The premise of the book, as stated on the jacket, sounds very much like that of Fahrenheit 451, and as I started reading, the language reminded me a bit of A Clockwork Orange (Philbrick even includes a glossary of his futuristic lingo at the back of the book). As such, I would probably only recommend this to my more mature m...more

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Sep 29, 2010 Alex rated it 5 of 5 stars

The Last Book in the Universe:
But will it be?
Can you imagine what life would be without books? Where people could inject a needle into themselves and see a virtual movie right inside their heads? One boy named Spaz doesn’t need to imagine. He has never seen a book, and to make things worse, he was separated from his family when he was only a kid. Together, with an old man named Ryter, he tries to bring books back while also making the dangerous journey to see his sister again. The Last Book in...more The Last Book in the Universe:
But will it be?
Can you imagine what life would be without books? Where people could inject a needle into themselves and see a virtual movie right inside their heads? One boy named Spaz doesn’t need to imagine. He has never seen a book, and to make things worse, he was separated from his family when he was only a kid. Together, with an old man named Ryter, he tries to bring books back while also making the dangerous journey to see his sister again. The Last Book in the Universe by Rodman Philbrick is one of the best science fiction books ever written because it has action and thrills, realistic characters, and many life lessons in between.
First this book is a very good book because there is plenty of action and suspense. When Spaz and Ryter have to go to Mongo’s palace, they are attacked by dozens of guards who have gone so in sane they look and act exactly like monkeys. They are almost killed by the guards. Another example is when the Vandals (a bike gang) fight with guards. “All around there’s maybe five-hundred of her best and meanest Vandals armed to the teeth with splat guns and gut rippers and armor piercing crossbows. If Lotti gives the signal, they’ll fight until they win, or die. That’s the rule of the Vandals, win or die. And they always win.” The detail of the gang really makes you imagine how scary it would be to be right in the thick of a battle.
Another reason this is a really great book to read is there are lots of life lessons if you really think about the book. It’s cool when you pick up on them because you realize that however far in the future, no matter how advanced we get or how much technology we have, many lessons in life will always apply to people. Some of the things I learned and I think that Spaz learned throughout the course of the story are that common goals unite different people. One more example is that great motivation allows you to achieve things you never could have expected from yourself, which is shown in the text that follows: “Now if I want to get to Bean, and I do, more than anything, I’ll have to go through at least three warring latches that won’t let a stranger pass.” Even if there is a large possibility he could be killed, Spaz still wants to cross gang territory just to see hi sister maybe one more time.
Finally, this is a fantastic book because it has very realistic and believable characters. Spaz isn’t perfect; he is poor, he can’t read and write, he has epilepsy, and is stubborn sometimes. He seems to be such a genuine character and not like some that are portrayed to be super smart, super athletic, and just plain good at everything. These are great traits because they are how people really are. You feel like Spaz is telling you a story, like he’s talking to you at eye level and not looking down on you. He’s not always brave, and he doesn’t do everything right. This makes the reader remember the things that they’ve messed up once in their life and think that it’s fine and we can only be human.
In conclusion, The Last Book in the Universe is without a doubt on of the best science fiction books ever written because it has suspense and action, life lessons that you can learn a lot from and characters that are realistic and you can truly connect with and relate to.
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Aug 30, 2010 Hava rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: teenage boys who love sci-fi

Shelves: children-ya-book, depressing-books, fiction-book

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...more

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Jan 03, 2010 Beth rated it 4 of 5 stars

Spaz, an epileptic outcast unhappy with his role in a thieving street gang, learns his foster sister is dying of leukemia and crying out for him. Spaz journeys to visit her one last time, defying physical and social boundries with the help of an ancient writer and a special young woman of the elite class. The narrator IS a Spaz, from the moment he steps on the page and starts spouting his story in a mix of hastily explained jargon. Spaz is a likable hero with an authentic voice.

More than just a...more

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Oct 02, 2009 XMC rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2009-2010-reading-advisory-bcchs

This book is basically about this boy who first don't like things with writing like readingand writing a book. In this book, the setting was in the future, where they talks about people in the past worte lots of books for people in the future, but because of The Big Shake, people forget about books. In their community only contains gangs, and other voilence groups that have classes, for example, there is a group called the proovs, son and daughter of Eden. These people are specail in their worl...more

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About Rodman Philbrick

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 th...more

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“The only real treasure is in your head. Memories are better than diamonds and nobody can steal them from you” — 82 people liked it

“Bean finds the best apple in our tree and hands it up to me. "You know what this tastes like when you first bite into it?" she asks.
"No, what?"
"Blue sky."
"You're zoomed."
"You ever eat blue sky?"
"No," I admit.
"Try it sometime," she says. "It's apple-flavored.” — 56 people liked it

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