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Summary: Can this really be the last book on the universe???
Review: This book was very good and tells so much! In someways this sounds almost like the real world today, but really what it could be in the future! One boy's desperate attemp to try to see his sister and help her from dying! It tells all about the problems he encounters on the way, with him being in a gang and all he must stay in the shadows while venturing through others territory. He encounters so much and risks his life for everything, but the real question is why is this the last book in the universe. How can it be possible and how can he save it? To find out more about what happens in this amazing page jerker pick up the book at a local store and check it out for yourself!
Hope you enjoy the book as much as I did! Well happy reading!
Love Ya' Lotz'
Courtney
Rating:
Summary: Kept us reading, made us think!
Review: My youngest child (almost 11 as of this writing) often enjoys having books read aloud, in the evening or while we're on vacation far from the television. It can be a challenge to find something we'll both enjoy. My only stipulation is that I get to pick the book (and that they won't come from his favorite horror series books) His stipulation is that we'll stop reading if the first chapter is boring.This book was one we both enjoyed. We read a chapter or two a night, sometimes more when it was really exciting. We always looked forward to reading some more.
The main character is an outcast within an outcast society, Spaz (an epileptic loner.) He meets some other misfits -- an elderly writer in a world without books, a homeless five year old who can only say one word and an advanced (improved) human who goes against the rules of her own perfect Eden. The story, told in first person from the view of Spaz, was engrossing, filling our minds with sometimes horrifying visions of a new futuristic world, where a huge earthquake years ago upset civilization as we now know it. The gray skied, cement grounded cities (Urbs) are run by latchlords, gang lords who make and enforce their own ever changing rules. They can and do eliminate anyone for any reason - or no reason at all. Escape from reality is sought by nearly everyone, including the latchlords. Most people have become addicts to needles inserted into the brain, giving the viewer a realistic mind show with images of a perfect world. Mindprobes have replaced drugs, TV and video games, but they are beginning to disrupt the 'leadership' of the latchlords, bringing anarchy and total destruction to the Urbs. Far away from the Urbs (which are connected by pipelines) is Eden, home of the "proovs" who are genetically improved humans, thought to be superior to the 'normals.' "Normals" aren't allowed in Eden, where they could actually see a blue sky and green grass, things they 'd heard about from old timers, but which they believe can only be fairy tales. Spaz's foster sister Bean - the only human who means anything to him - is dying in another Urb, and this emotionally numbed boy decides to risk leaving his Urb and travel through the pipelines to visit her one last time. He is unhappy to end up journeying with his outcast acquaintances Ryter and Chox), aided by Lanaya (a perfect girl from Eden) on a journey to save Bean -- and while they're at it, to change the world. Likeable characters plus some who aren't so nice. A touch of violence and scary confrontations. A good book for encouraging discussions of prejudices, environmental issues, reading, writing and alternative communications. We liked it!
Rating: 
Summary: Whoa - That's a Lot to Think About
Review: Read this right before (or right after) reading The Giver by Lois Lowry and then decide for yourself what you want to do to be a part of the future. Then maybe go do something. Or start talking about it. Because this book sure gives you a lot to talk and think about.
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Summary: EXCITING, ORIGINAL, AND FABULOUS!
Review: Being a first-time reader of Rodman Philbrick's work, I found "The Last Book..." to be brilliantly original and fresh. The story is exciting, and the realization of a near-future Earth is fabulous and haunting. For this book, Philbrick has created his own future jargon, adding a spicy element to the story not found in too many other YA novels. In "The Last Book...", the plotline might seem familiar, but the unlikely hero's journey has never been depicted quite so cleverly. "Spaz", a teen epilectic, lives in a world in which social decay is the norm...cities crumbled or destroyed, roving bands of rebels taking the place of law enforcement, and technology the downfall of all. Imagining such a gloomy, and perhaps prophetic world seems such an easy task in the deft hands of Philbrick. I see that many younger readers enjoyed this highly entertaining page-turner...but as an avid reader of YA novels, I found this to be a fantastic read!
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Summary: Eden
Review: This book is amazingly realistic. The author tells of our world after a 'big shake' destroyed everything. After the shake most 'normals', like us, live in the Urbs,that is a place like our modern cities except instead of houses they live in small cubicals. The other part of the population is made up of Proovs, genetically improved people, in other words they're perfect in every way. They get to live in a place called Eden, and to us, Eden is paradise. No one is allowed into Eden unless you are a Proov. So when you get sick in the Urbs you die, because, like I said before, you live in horrible little shacks with only acid rain to drink. Hopefully, we ourselves won't end up like this, otherwise Eden is our only hope for survival, and to get there is almost impossible. Because along the way you'd run into many gangs, who'd want to cut your red. You see, many normals grow up without parents to protect them, so they learn early on how to live on there own. After a while they behave not as humans, but as animals, and they hunt in packs for human flesh. But you'll have to read the story to find out more because the ending will shock you.
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Summary: Eden vs. Urb
Review: This book is about an epileptic boy named Spaz who goes on a quest to save his little sister, Bean, from dying of leukemia. The main characters of this book are Spaz, Bean, Billy Bizmo, who is boss of the latch, one of the sections of the Urb in which Spaz lives; Ryter the old "gummy"; Lanaya, the "proov" girl; and her contributors or parents who are named Jinn and Bree. What I like about this book is that Rodman Philbrick really used his imagination when making this book. He made a prediction of what the future might be like. The future in this story is part paradise and part "I don't want to go there". The future is a place where the people don't have a past or future because they use mind probes. Mind probes are needles tat are injected into your brain to make you see virtual reality. It is also a place that is so polluted that you would not even want to look at it. Another thing that I admire about this book is that the author made the language easy to read and understand. This book is full of action and suspense which I relish. In my opinion, this book is among the better books that I have read in my life. Harry Potter has the suspense but does not have the creativity that this book has. In Harry Potter there are wizards that have already been thought of before, but in this story, there are the Urb, Eden, and the Big Shake!!! I give this book a rating of four stars ****. I left the fifth one out because the end was depressing and could have been better. The last part of the book left me hanging. Other than that, the book was spectacular!!!!!!!!!!
Rating:
Summary: Eden and the Urb
Review: I gave this book four stars. I would have given it five stars, but the ending was very sad. The main characters are Spaz, an epileptic boy; Ryter, an old writer; and Lanaya, a very beautiful person from Eden, a place where everything is perfect. Spaz and Ryter go on a journey to see Spaz's sister Bean who is very sick. On their way through all the latches, places ruled by gangs, they meet Lanaya who takes them to Bean. Then, she takes everyone to Eden to cure Bean. This book's setting is similar to what a lot of people think the world is going to turn into in the future: a horrible, polluted place. This book is pretty easy read. Most eleven-year-olds could read it. Only some of the words are hard. I would recommend this book to all ages. When I was reading this book, I didn't want to put it down because it always left me wanting to know what was going to happen next. This book is one of my favorite books.
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Summary: When you open this book you will never want to put it down
Review: Rodman Phibrick's The Last Book in the Universe is one of the best books I've read! The story begins with the Big Shake, an earthquake that changes the world into a dump. Then, there is nothing natural to eat. There is no fruit, and there are no animals except rats and humans. there is no color to the world except brown and no greenery, only concrete. The protagonist of the story is named Spaz. Spaz and Ryter, who is Spaz's friend and the writer of this journey, take Spaz's sister to Eden which is compared to Earth. Unlike Earth, everyone in Eden is perfect or genetically improved. Spaz has a sister who is sick with cancer and Spaz and Ryter hope she can be cured there. On their journey to cure her, there are many different exciting and thrilling adventures. This is why I recommend this book to everyone who likes to read adventures that are breathtaking.
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Summary: Gates of Hell or Gates of Paradise
Review: The Last Book in the Universe is a wonder book by Rodman Philbrick. It is almost perfect except for the fact that it ends. The story is about a snobby, genetically improved girl named Lanaya, an epileptic boy named Spaz, an old "gummy"(old person) named Ryter, and a boy named Little Face who only says "chox"(candy bar). They go on an adventure to save Bean (Spaz's sister) who has leukemia. Rodman Philbrick's stile of writing is unique because he uses very unusual words like "takvee" and "proov." The word are unusual and unique because no one has ever used them before, and they sound weird. This is one of my favorite books; the characters are interesting, and the setting is peculiar. ...
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Summary: Live in Heaven or Hell
Review: This book By RodmanPhilbrick is about a boy named Spaz who lives in a future world ruled by gangs.One day he gets a message that his sister is sick and must see him. He travelsthrough “latchesâ€* (towns) with a writer named Ryter, a boy called
Little Face and a genetically improved girl named Lanaya. Their journey is far and dangerous,but thanks to Lanaya they travel in a takvee (a car) that is black. Philbrick writesin modern language with his own made up slang, for example “gummyâ€* means old person. This book is very well written and understandable, but I don't really like book or movies on the future so that's why I only gave it 4 stars.
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