The Last Book in the Universe

The Last Book in the Universe

by Rodman Philbrick

Review by Paul C.

The Last Book in the Universe is a sensational book full of odd and unexpected twists and turns. Rodman Philbrick wrote this story originally as a suspenseful short story in a magazine. With it, he turned it into an excellent novel. A supernatural, futuristic world is where a boy named Spaz lives. He is in one of the seven latches of the 'Urb', the outer, non-perfect world.

His latch is led by a gang known as the 'Big Bangers', who then is led by a reckless man who's name is Billy Bizmo. Surrounded by the latches, is a perfect world, called Eden. In this flawless Utopia, only 'proovs' are allowed. These humans are the perfect, genetically improved beings that live in this future Earth. This world was once the earth that we live on today, then came the Big Shake. It was the humongous earthquake that shook the earth and crumbled the once thriving society of humans. The world is the turned into a world where no people in the Urb have seen blue sky, blue water, or grass, the world that Spaz lives in.

Spaz is sent on a 'bustdown', a mission to steal all the possessions of a man named 'Ryter', who lives in what's called the 'stackboxes', which are basically 10X10 concrete apartments. He meets this 'Ryter', and receives a surprise. The old man is ready for the robbery. He has all his possessives lined up by the door. The old man's reply is “bad news travels fast.” Little did Spaz know that he and this old decrepit man were going to change the world.

A 'latch runner' (a messenger who illegally carries messages from one latch to another) arrives at Spaz's crib and tells him that his former sister, Bean, from his family unit(an adoptive family) is deadly ill. Spaz embarks on an illegal, frustrating, exciting, dangerous adventure that will change Spaz's life and the world forever.

Rodman Philbrick's book didn't capture my attention right away, but on my second attempt on reading it, I was engulfed into a futuristic story that I had never experienced before. This story was an amazingly realistic book(for the future, if the Big Shake ever happened) and I wish a sequel will come out to match the excitement of this novel. Can Spaz and the 'Ryter' help Spaz's sister? Can they heal her? Will they get to her in time? Will they even survive the journey? Find out in The Last Book in the Universe.