The Last Universe

by William Sleator

Book Overview

14-year-old Susan and her wheel-chair-bound brother Gary live in a strange house. In their backyard is a garden planted by their late uncle and tended by a mysterious gardener. Gary insists on being wheeled around the garden everyday by his sister. On these excursions, they notice impossibly large plants and exotic flowers growing up overnight.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0810992132
• ISBN13: 9780810992139
• Release Date: April 2006
• Publisher: Harry N. Abrams
• Length: 240 Pages
• Weight: 0.44 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 5.0" x 7.3"
• Age Range: 12 to 16 years
• Grade Range: Grades 7 to 11

Customer Reviews

The Last Universe

The Last Universe is a book about two siblings, Gary and Susan. Gary has an illness that has put him in a wheelchair and is making Gary weaker by the day. Gary loves being in the huge mysterious garden behind his house. Even though Susan is afraid of her family's garden, she must push Gary on its paths every day. The garden was made by Susan and Gary's great-great grandparents. In the couple acre garden, there is a maze that can only be seen from the upper floor bathroom window created by Susan's Great-Uncle Arthur. Great-Uncle Arthur also won the Lebon Prize for quantum physics. While Gary is more and more sick, mysterious flowers are sprouting and growing at abnormally fast rates. What makes the flowers even more mysterious is the fact that they grow in are found growing in Cambodia, halfway across the world. When the children tell their dad about this, he tries to avoid the topic. Did something bad happen in the garden? William Sleator used a style of writing that had me hooked from the beginning of the book until the end of the book. He also was very descriptive and made characters with very credible actions. There was a great plot wasn't confusing. The part that was confusing to me was the quantum physics used in this book. Quantum was hard topic for me to understand. I enjoyed this book because the plot had me hooked. I also liked the topic he chose for his book. Although this is an excellent book, the quantum is very confusing. I would recommend this book to people who like science fiction, people who can understand difficult concepts, and like a plot that moves at a fast pace.

The best book ever!

The main character is in a wheelchair because he is sick and can't walk any more. He is depressed because he can't go anywhere without his sister. Susan takes her brother to the garden every day so he can get some fresh air. After they start going to the pond weird things start to happen. The paths started to move and flowers started to grow there that where impossible to grow there. I liked the characters and plot of this book because they are always changing. The characters are friendly and cheerful and the plot is always changing like the price of gas. It is a really good book. You should go and read it.

William Sleator, The Man Who Will Rule The World

i first read William Sleator when i picked up The Green Futures of Tycho i fell in love, then i read the Boxes then i read this, this is the best book by William Sleator. Its creepy, it makes you think, its funny, and overall amazing. You learn all about Quantum Physics and fun stuff like that, so pick it up and read away

Best from the Author!

I think this is one of the best books written by William Sleator, and I have read all of his. I love the concept of the maze and how the farther you go, the farther in time you go. The book is full of imagination and good details. If you are a sci-fi fan and like his books, you should read it!!

A top winner, highly recommended

Susan has been afraid of the garden even before her brother became ill: now she must push his wheelchair into the garden daily to satisfy his sense of impending action there, and the strange formal gardens seem to reach out for them with its mazes and mysteries. Can they survive the impossible choices the mazes bring? Once again Sleator has provided older young adult readers with the unexpected, satisfying fantasy he's so noted for. Not one of William Sleator's many novels are 'alike' in theme, aside from the overall fantasy genre: all offer unexpected twists - and The Last Universe is no exception. A top winner, highly recommended.