The Last Book in the Universe

Rodman Philbrick takes us into the future to a time after "the big shake," whose destruction has left the world with urbs, stackboxes, gang leaders, flatness, and grayness revolving around Eden, the land of "improved persons." Spaz navigates his way through this existence and finds healing for his sister Bean's leukemia and purpose for himself, with the help and inspiration of Ryter, a gummy or geez, and Lanaya, a proov. Remembering and writing, ignorance and intelligence, leaders and followers, the past and the future are all issues for the listener's consideration in this unsettling and moving novel. Narrating through the eyes of Spaz, Jeremy Davies draws us "backtimers" into this new world deliberately and convincingly. As a teenager, Davies is understated; as a remarkable young girl, he speaks with flair; and as an ancient, he narrates with passion. The wind chills the spine as Davies delivers the final message. Listen and ponder our existence. A.R. (c) AudioFile 2001, Portland, Maine

October 30, 2000
Like the hero from his last novel, REM World, Philbrick's latest misfit protagonist embarks on an adventure in a fantastic--and often frightening--alternative world. Spaz, an abandoned epileptic, lives on postapocalyptic Earth, destroyed long ago by an earthquake. The gray sky rains acid, the food is largely "tasteless protein chunks" and the creation of "mindprobes," virtual reality movies implanted directly in the brain, is destroying what's left of civilization. When Spaz learns that Bean, his foster sister, is dying, he begins a forbidden journey to see her. Ryter, a wise old man, accompanies Spaz and outwits most of their foes; he also ultimately teaches Spaz the value of keeping stories alive. The author creates some fascinating characters, such as the Monkey Boys, a brutal band "as wild as the paint on their faces"; Lanaya, a genetically improved girl whom Spaz and Ryter rescue; and the Furies, assassins who work for the boss of the "underworld traders." Once they find Bean, Lanaya--in return for saving her life--takes them to the one place where Bean stands a chance of survival, Eden. This biblical allusion, plus allegorical references to the Odyssey (the ending echoes James Joyce's monologue for Penelope), is not fully developed, and some of the episodes are a bit abrupt (e.g., the encounter with the Monkey Boys and the Furies). But Philbrick's creation of a futuristic dialect, combined with striking descriptions of a postmodern civilization, will convincingly transport readers to Spaz's world. Ages 10-14.