Review Detail

Reader reviewed by Kay

The Last Book in the Universe
By Rodman Philbrick
Published by The Blue Sky press

I loved this book because it made me feel like I never wanted to put it down because if I did it might not be there when I came back for it. This book is about Spaz, a teenager who lives in the future, a future of grey skys, concrete, and acid rain, after something called the big shake destroyed earth. Oh, and this book is told from Spazs point of view. Spaz, accompanied by an old man and a feral child, must journey through a land of ruins and wild mobs to see his sister who lies on her death bed. But that is not the only struggle that is taking place in the future that Spaz lives in. Someone is sneaking mind probes (a kind of virtual world that is loaded into your head) into the city were Spaz lives which are rotting peoples brains and making them loose their memories so that they revert back to their animal instincts. This book is very fast paced but yet I understood Spazs emotions very well. Spaz has a lot of sadness and anger along with a bit of self-dislike that he must overcome and this makes for on-the-edge-of-your-seat reading but the end is so touching it makes up for any reservations about the book going by so fast. Rodman Philbrick sums up Spazs life so well that it makes this one of my favorite books that he wrote. Of all of his books this is probably my favorite one. I wish he would write a sequel although it would be unfair to ask him not to enjoy his time in Florida (He and his wife divide their time between Maine and the Florida Keys). Rodman Philbrick started writing in sixth grade and if Im lucky he will keep writing for a long time yet.
One of the reasons I loved this book is because of the way Spaz tells it. He is full of emotions and his emotions are very catchy. All through to book I felt as though I was really Spaz, sharing his dreams, hopes, and fears. I think that the writer sends a clear message that its important to look to the future but never forget your past because without that you can never have a future. One of my favorite scenes in the book is when Spaz and Ryter, the old man, are talking about what it used to look like before the big shake. In it Ryter tells Spaz The only real treasure is inside your head& memories are better that diamonds and nobody can steal them from you.
There are several other charters besides Spaz. There is Lanaya, a proov (genetically improved person) who is a snob but very brave, proud but a natural leader. Then there is Little Face, a feral child who follows Spaz around and can only say one word. I could not forget Bean, Spazs sister, an exceptionally smart person. And last but not least, Ryter, an old man that writes everything thing down in a book and has, as Spaz puts it a white beard and a walking stick and a heart so big it wont stop him thinking he can change the world by writing things down in a book that no one will ever read.
All through the book Spaz argues with Ryter about why Ryter is writing the book. Spaz keeps insisting that no one with ever read it but Ryter keeps trying to explaining why he is writing the book. In the end it becomes Spaz writing the book and its up to you to read the book and find out why.