103 pages 3 hours read

Rodman Philbrick

The Last Book In The Universe

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2000

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Chapters 31-33

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Chapter 31 Summary: “Fear Itself”

Spaz notices that the latch is burning; the jetbikes have formed a mob that is coming to get them in the stackboxes. Ryter is reciting poetry and politicians’ quotes and preparing himself to be killed. Spaz’s instinct is to run and to take Ryter with him, but the old man won’t budge. The mob descends and grabs Ryter, calling out “wheel,” and the old man requests that Spaz save his papers—an impossible task, as the mob is burning everything along the way.

Billy appears holding a knife and a gun and clears a path for Spaz. He apologizes for not being able to save Ryter. The proov enforcers deactivated all the probes and the people are looking for someone to blame. Billy is in fact there to protect Spaz, not Ryter. He reveals he is Spaz’s birth father.

Chapter 32 Summary: “The Last Book in the Universe”

Before he can take in the new information from Billy, Spaz is chasing after Ryter, pushing Bangers out of his way so that he can get to him and try to free him from the wheels. The Bangers have attached ropes from Ryter to their jetbikes in order to spin and drag the life from him.

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By Rodman Philbrick