Customer Reviews

The Last Universe

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

William Sleator's evident fascination with quantum physics and different universes is on display again in this novel, which (like Strange Attractors before it) deals with bifurcations in the timeline. In "Strange Attractors" the characters actually used a time machine to visit these alternate timelines. This time around, all it takes is one sick boy and a maze.

There are several problems with this book. One is its attempt to be "modern". Sleator evidently wants to reach today's youth by incorporating their technology into his new books. This one begins with his main character instant messaging her friend, and he writes their conversation out exactly as he evidently imagines a teen would write an instant message. Maybe it's unfair to peg him for this one, but to me the entire effort seemed strained. He abbreviated some things but not others, and it didn't sound like a teenager, it sounded like an adult trying to sound like a teenager. It was also frustratingly vague at times. He never gave any specifics about what illness the sick boy actually has, though it would have taken only a hour's worth of internet research to find a disease or syndrome of some kind that had the symptoms he needed for his plot.

I was very disappointed by the ending. There are so many promising leads -- the fascinating probability clouds, the ever-changing vases, the hints at the other worlds -- that I could scarcely imagine all the places he could take the book in the end. But instead of something really fantastic, the ending is very ho-hum, and the "twist" at the end isn't handled well enough to really be a shocker. It's also not particularly scientific, or logical. And it's frustrating that so much is left unexplained in the book -- his explanation of illness "triggering" the garden's quantum effects, for example, or even giving some hints as to how the maze was built in the first place. Did the garden inherently possess quantum properties, or were they brought there by some magic-like science? Even little things in this book failed to impress. Each chapter has a little maze at the heading, but the maze always stays the same. Since the maze in the garden changes, it would have been interesting to see that one change too, kind of like the chapter-heading pictures in one of Michael Crichton's books. He also has an "Afterward" in the book, and for the life of me, I cannot understand why it's even there, since all it does is repeat what his characters have already said about quantum physics in the book. It's great that he wanted to have a solid lesson on the concept for his readers, but I'm sure his readers were smart enough to understand it without a repetitive and frankly condescending "explanation" at the end.

Still, there's a lot of great imagery here, especially with the descriptions Sleator gives of the garden. It's almost as if he's really been to such a place. :-) And he does manage to create an atmosphere of creepy tension, as always. I'm just disappointed that the pay-off wasn't better. Overall, it's definitely not one of his best books. Check out "Strange Attractors" The Boy Who Reversed Himself and The Boxes for more dazzling examples of how this amazing writer can handle the concepts of time travel and alternate universes. It may not sound like it from this review, but he's one of my favorite writers of all time, and since I know what he's capable of, I'm inclined to be harder on him when he doesn't meet his potential. I know he still has great stories to tell, so I look forward to reading those.

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

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.

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!!

It is often accurately said that a bad ending will hurt even a good story. In this case it is a mediocre story and the ending did nothing but hurt it. This one has little to recommend it and you'd be better off passing it up.

I am suprised at the few and lower ratings for this book! My sister and I agree that this is his best book by far. I first read the book in my early teens and read it a few other times as I got older. Everytime I read it, the maze scenes as the characters go deeper create creepy images in my mind that make me shiver. William Sleator does an excellent job at writing creative science fiction for young adults. Because of him, I have come to love science fiction. I have been searching for other books like his (yes, the overall ideas in his stories are not original, but the way he puts the story together is), and have not found too many. I also highly suggest: The House of Stairs, the Duplicate, Green futures of tycho, the Boy who Reversed Himself, and Strange Attractors.

The Last Universe by William Sleator combines science fiction, morals, and family in to one exciting novel. When a teenager named Gary becomes sick, Susan, his sister, is forced to take him to the mysterious garden although she is afraid of it. The garden was inherited from Great-Uncle-Arthur, a scientist that received the Lebon Prize for his work in quantum physics. The siblings, then, stumble upon an unpredictable quantum maze that will change their lives forever.

This breathtaking novel will keep the reader turning the pages until the very end. Although the concept of quantum difficult to understand, it adds suspense and biting wit to the story. The theory of quantum physics was well explained, too. Each character in the novel was built with a strong personality. The reader can easily recognize and understand each character's physical appearance, interests, and emotions. The plot of the story was very interesting and fast-paced. This book keeps readers reading late into the night.

The only weaknesses were the lack of detail and lifeless ending. There were too many assumptions the reader had to make about the setting of the story because details were not given. Readers were also missing some important facts. It is not known what illness Gary has or how Great-Uncle Arthur obtained Schrodinger's cat. The resolution was also very boring compared to the rest of the novel.

Sleator built up the plot with suspense and excitement. Then, he dropped everything with a disappointing ending that seemed rushed. Overall, The Last Universe is a suspenseful and exhilarating science-fiction read with just a few minor weaknesses. We would recommend this book for anyone who is or older than age nine. Younger children may be confused with the concept of quantum physics and will not be able to fully enjoy the novel. We liked this book very much. Our only big complaint is that William Sleator is not writing or publishing a sequel.

Written by Kristyn, Erin, Emily, and Rachel

This book has one major problem that the characters have to solve. The problem is that Gary has a disease that could kill him if he is not cured. They solve this problem when Susan and Gary stumble upon the maze. The maze can take them to universes where Gary is better or worse. In the first couple of universes, Gary is doing better. In the last couple of universes, Gary is the worst he has ever been. They soon find out that their great uncle Arthur created the maze. The book can be a little confusing, but it does have some parts that are interesting.

One thing that we found confusing about the book is when the characters mention quantum physics. Quantum physics is hard to understand and hard to explain. One thing that we found interesting about the book is how they travel to different universes. We would suggest this book for grades eight and higher.

Written By Robert, Matt, and Christian

Gary and Susan, two regular teenagers spending most of their summer at their houise while exploring the mysterious garden made by Great-Uncle Arthur is how this story begins. Gary is an invalid whom uses a wheelchair as a result of his illness, and because of this, Susan unwillingly has t5o wheel Gary around the garden wherever he wants to go. Susan dislikes the garden from the beginning which is a result because of her Great-Aunt Caroline drowning in the pond in the garden. With the help of Sro-dee, Luke, and Lisa, they begin to explore the world of quantum, other universes. With the works of Sleator, he completely twists the story around with the most shocking ending.

Written by Macy and Katie

In our opinion, The Last Universe was not a good book. The quantum physics were very confusing; therefore, children under twelve shouldn't read this book. The setup and overall plot were very complex, and it was difficult to follow the storyline. William Sleator could have gone into more detail about how Luke got Sro-dee, and he also could have diagnosed Gary with a disease. Overall, we would give this book two out of five stars. The idea for the story was good, but we agree that Sleator could have written it better. His publisher is smart because they won't let Sleator write a sequel.

Written by Matt, Nick, and Justin

William Sleater's, The Last Universe was a quantum thriller. Susan and Gary begin to notice strange things happening to their garden. The garden and maze were built by their Great Uncle Arthur. Susan, Gary's sister, has to take him outside every day because he can no longer walk. He is not paralyzed; he is just too weak to walk because of his disease. Gary loves the garden because it is peaceful and makes him feel good. Susan hates the garden because her great aunt Caroline drowned in the pond. They finally find the maze that before could only be seen from the bathroom window. Every time they go into this quantum maze, it makes Gary stronger. Will Susan overcome her fear and save her brother? Once you start reading this book, you won't be able to put it down. It has the most shocking ending.

Written by Brett and Austin

The Last Universe is very interesting book. I like this book because it kept me on the edge of my seat. Every chapter had a new surprise. My favorite part of the book is when they finally enter the maze because it is very unpredictable. William E. Sleator did a wonderful job on writing this book about two young kids and a mysterious garden. The Last Universe has a great ending. I wouldn't be surprised with this book had a sequel or turned into a movie.

By Joanna

In this science fiction thriller with a gothic sensibility, teenagers Susan and her brother Gary live in an old house with an enormous, mysterious garden. When her brother becomes sick, strange things begin happening in the garden, including paths shifting, flowers growing overnight that have no business growing in that climate, and strange mazes appearing. Following the maze designed by their quantum physicist great-uncle puts the two siblings into alternative realities from which they may never escape. This is a thought provoking and spooky story with an unexpected ending; I would recommend it for science fiction lovers. The parts describing quantum physics I found boring, but might interest some readers.

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 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.