SOLVED. Amazing book - Takes place in an ugly, depressing grey world w/o any color - this world is divided into several different regions that are each controlled by a gang leader. [s]

[Braddepp]

I don't remember many details of this book but here's what I do remember:

Main character starts out in one of these regions and I think the leader's name was Billy (?). Nobody is allowed to leave these regions and the leaders of each region oppose one another. I think Billy was known for being very mean to everyone including the main character. Character finds a friend who is a girl and somehow they find a way to escape their region but they have an extremely difficult journey. In one part they were attacked by giant mutant rats or something in a tunnel. In another part they manage to get into another region where the leader was a crazy woman. When they're there at one point Billy's gang on their motorcycles attacks the crazy woman's region where the main character happens to be. Not sure if I remember this right but I think Billy might have died in this attack and one of the gang members reveals to the main character that Billy was actually his dad.

At some point in the story they run into an extremely beautiful, angelic looking woman who I think saved them when they were about to die at one point? Eventually they find out she's from a beautiful region called Eden that they never knew existed. In Eden, there is color (not everything is grey), and Eden is extremely beautiful and all the people who live in Eden are WAYYYYY better looking than anybody from the gang regions. There's some kind of mine field between Eden and the regions to prevent anyone from getting there alive and the beautiful woman drove them through part of this, dodging mines and such.

My memory of this book is very hazy because it was a long time ago so some of the details I said might be wrong/twisted. I REALLY want to know what it was called and can't figure it out.

We had to read this book in high school english class (no idea why!!) it was really weird but interesting at the same time.

[Lobstergirl, au gratin]

And what year was it you read this? Remember the cover? Was it by a male or a female author?

[Braddepp]

Hmm year I read it would've been about 2009 I was a sophomore in high school reading it for English. I don't remember the cover. Pretty sure it was a male author but not 100% sure.

I know I would recognize the name immediately if I saw it it's on the tip of my tongue but I just can't quite place the name...

[Liralen]

Do any of the books on these threads ring a bell?

https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

[Bargle]

I think you're remembering The Last Book in the Universe by Rodman Philbrick.

There's a good synopsis at the link below.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Las...

Note to self: correct answer.

[[deleted user]]

Bargle wrote: "I think you're remembering The Last Book in the Universe by Rodman Philbrick.

There's a good synopsis at the link below.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Las..."
Yup. This is your book, I think.

[Braddepp]

Wow I'm impressed really nice job guys =)

That's 100% the book I was looking for. The Last Book in the Universe.

Thank you!!

[Bargle]

You're welcome. Glad to help.

[Lobstergirl, au gratin]

Popular book. Requested 5x now.