The Last Book in The Universe: A Reader's Log

I selected The Last Book in The Universe: A Reader's Log  for my portfolio as the most difficult piece for me to complete because it was the longest assignment. The book was hard for me to read. I am proud of myself for finishing the book and completing the assignment. This piece deserves to be in portfolio because I worked on it very hard and for a long time. If I were to do this over I would describe more clearly what happened in the story because it would give the reader more information. My greatest strength in this piece was my summary. My greatest weakness was attention to details. My greatest obstacle my frustration when I lost one entry because I did not save it and I had to retype it.

The Last Book in The Universe: A Reader's Log

Reader’s Log Entry #1

Name: Adrian Botran

Novel: The Last Book in The Universe          Author: Rodman Philbrick

Pages: 7-30

Date: 2-8-12

Summary

In the beginning of the book the author describes the characters, place and time of the book. It takes place in a messed up future world. There is a 15 year old boy named Spaz who is ordered by his gang leader, Billy Bizmo, to steal from an older man named Ryter. Ryter surprises Spaz by having all of his stuff by the door, ready to be stolen. Ryter was expecting him.

Personal Response

I like the title of the book. It is very intriguing and it made me want to read the book. The first 30 pages were confusing because the author was still explaining the characters. I wasn’t sure if the setting was in the past or the future. Now I know that it takes place in the future. The book so far is very interesting and I can’t wait to read more.

Reader’s Log Entry #2

Name: Adrian Botran

Novel: The Last Book in The Universe          Author: Rodman Philbrick

Pages: 30-46

Date: 2-9-12

Summary

Spaz goes back to Ryter to steal Ryter’s book but Ryter is waiting for him again with a smile on his face. Ryter wants to know about Spaz’s story. Spaz talks about his sister Bean and when he goes home a messenger is there and says that Bean is dying and she wants to see him. But she is on the other side of the Urb, so he has to ask Billy Bizmo if he can get a safe pass to go across, but Billy Bizmo says no.

Personal Response

I am excited and intrigued to read more. I want to understand the characters more now. Billy Bizmo seems like a mean character. Ryter seems like a nice character. I think that Spaz is going to go and find his sister, even though Billy Bizmo says he can’t.

Reader’s Log Entry #3

Name: Adrian Botran

Novel: The Last Book in The Universe          Author: Rodman Philbrick

Pages: 47-70

Date: 2-10-12

Summary

Spaz explained that his sister almost died when she was eight years old . Spaz decides to go to his sister, even though Billy Bizmo said he couldn’t.  He gets his stuff and goes to the edge. At the stacks, Ryter decides to go with him. They travel by the pipe and they get to a place where there are sky scrapers made of glass that had fallen. Then they get attacked by monkey boys.

Personal Response

I thought it was interesting that Bean (the sister) had almost died before. I was happy that Ryter was going with Spaz to find his sister. I am confused about how and why he spaces and blacks out at random times. I can’t wait to read more and learn what happens with the monkey boys.   

Reader’s Log Entry #4

Name: Adrian Botran

Novel: The Last Book in The Universe          Author: Rodman Philbrick

Pages: 71-91

Date: 2-13-12

Summary

The monkey boys got Spaz and Ryter and took them to a fortress. The teks fought and took Spaz and Ryter to see their leader, Mongo the Magnificent but it was a hologram. So Ryter told the boss tek to take them to the real mongo the leader. When they went to mongo’s room, mongo had been loop probing for a year and had become weak and almost died. Ryter told the tek boss to take the town over and to let them go. They got back to the pipe.

Personal Response

I was scared of the monkey boys and I thought the author described mongo’s room very well. It sounds very disgusting. I am glad that they got away. I want to know more about Ryter’s book.

  

Reader’s Log Entry # 5

Name: Adrian Botran

Novel: The Last Book in The Universe          Author: Rodman Philbrick

Pages: 92-113

Date: 2-14-12

Summary

Spaz boy and Ryter get to the end of the pipe and there is smoke and fire. There are mobs catching stuff on fire. A proov girl is being attacked and they save her. They get in her takvee and drive to safety.  Ryter asked if she could take them to Bean.

Personal Response

I think it is a good book and I want to read more. I want them to find Bean. I am glad Spaz and Ryter met up and saved the proov girl.

Reader’s Log Entry # 6

Name: Adrian Botran

Novel: The Last Book in The Universe          Author: Rodman Philbrick

Pages: 114 - 137

Date: 2-27-12

Summary

Spaz, Ryter and Lanaya (the proov girl) go to the Latch where Bean lives and meet Lotti, the boss of the Latch. She says that they can’t see Bean unless they find her the probe runner. Lanaya has the idea to figure out where to buy probes to find the probe runner. They go to Traderville and find Vida Bleek, the leader of all forbidden trades. They ask him for probes and he tries to them. All of a sudden, the floor starts to shake and Lotti and her army attack Vida Bleek in their jetbikes. Spaz, Ryder and Lanaya escape and get back to her takvee and drive to Bean.

Personal Response

I am a little confused now about what is going on. I hope it becomes clearer. There are too many made up words for me to follow the story easily.

Reader’s Log Entry #7

Name: Adrian Botran

Novel: The Last Book in The Universe          Author: Rodman Philbrick

Pages: 138-152

Date: February 28, 2012

Summary

They get to Spaz’s old house where bean lives. They find Bean in a bed and she is really sick, thin and pale. The remedy that saved her last time she was sick was not working. She went to bed and didn’t wake up. The doctor said she was in a coma. Ryter and Lanaya had the idea of taking her to Eden. They were thinking that it might cure her. They started driving in the takvee to Eden.

Personal Response

I think it is sad that the sister is probably going to die. I am interested in reading more to figure if she does die. I hope she doesn’t.

 Reader’s Log Entry #8

Name: Adrian Botran

Novel: The Last Book in The Universe          Author: Rodman Philbrick

Pages: 153-183

Date: 3-1-12

Summary

Spaz, Ryter, Lanaya and unconscious Bean get to Eden. The author describes how beautiful Eden is with a blue sky and green ground. Spaz and Ryter have never seen a blue sky or green plants before. They get to the Prime where the med-teks take Bean and put her in a class coffin looking thing. Ryter says that in the back times that there used to be a cure for Bean’s disease, but it was lost so the proovs decide inject her with new and improved genes. Three days later Bean wakes up from her coma. She is very weak but getting better. They go back to Lanaya’s house.

Personal Response

I found it interesting that Spaz and Ryter had never seen blue skies and green grass before. I hope Beans gets better. I am now hooked into the story and I can’t wait to read more.

Reader’s Log Entry #9

Name: Adrian Botran

Novel: The Last Book in The Universe          Author: Rodman Philbrick

Pages: 184 -207

Date: 3-5-12

Summary

Bean is now better. While they were in Eden many changes occurred. Bean learned how to play chess. Little Face, an orphan kid who couldn’t talk, learns how to talk. Bree, the mother of Lanaya, decided she wanted adopt Little Face, even though it was against the rules to have people from the Urb in Eden. While Bean and Spaz are in an apple tree a skydee (a flying takvee) comes and two proovs come out and handcuff Bean and Spaz. They take them to Stadium where the masters decide the kick them out of Eden.

Personal Response

I am glad Bean is better. I was sad they all had to leave Eden, because they all really wanted to stay there. I am mad that just because they were not genetically modified to be perfect like proovs they had to leave Eden.

Reader’s Log Entry #10

Name: Adrian Botran

Novel: The Last Book in the Universe           Author: Rodman Philbrick

Pages: 208-223

Date: 3-6-12

Summary

Bean, Spaz and Ryter get put into a takvee. Bean gets dropped off at her latch (her town) and doesn’t even have time to say goodbye to Spaz. Then they drop Spaz and Ryter off at the stack boxes, where Ryter lives. The next day the latch is on fire. They find out it’s because the proovs made all the mind proovs stop working and so mobs of mind proov addicted people were running around like crazy. They blame it all n Spaz and Ryter, since they were just in Eden with the proovs. They capture Ryter and destroy his book and kill him. Spaz finds out the Billy Bizmo is really his real dad. Before Ryter dies he tells Spaz that he is the last book in the universe. Now people call Spaz “Ryter”. He is the new “Writer”. The End.

Personal Response

I am sad that Ryter dies and that his book gets destroyed, because it was about all of his life’s adventures. I was kind of already expecting Billy Bizmo to be Spaz’s dad because he always took care of Spaz. I am happy for Little Face, who gets to stay in Eden. I think this was a very good book and I would recommend it.