Rem World (Hardcover)

~ (Author) "ARTHUR WOODBURY WAS fat, quite fat, and the nickname he hated most of all, the one that made his ears hot, was Biscuit Butt..." (more)
Key Phrases: river serpents, Cloud Master, Frog People, Vydel's Mouth (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Imaginative characters and a string of cliffhangers make Philbrick's (Freak the Mighty) science-fiction novel a fun and fast-paced read. Eleven-year-old Arthur Woodbury, tired of being called "Biscuit Butt," orders a weight-loss device advertised in his comic book: "Lose weight while you sleep! REM World Products." When the device arrives, Arthur discovers that the helmet transports him to a magical REM world. But because he did not follow the instructions carefully, he's stuck there, and even worse, he's unleashed a force that could destroy the universe. Through a series of fantastic adventures, in which he's forced "to do stuff like pull-ups and row a boat, and fly, and ride the giants," Arthur finds a way to return home and save the universe, losing weight along the way--and, more important, gaining self-esteem and courage. The REM world he enters is populated with the Cloud People (who use their wings to glide in the World Above), the giants Grog and Droll (who rip apart continents as they run) and Morf, a cat-like creature who changes shape but consistently holds onto his caustic wit ("Try not to look too appetizing" are his only words of advice to Arthur when they crash inside a demon's cave). These vivid personalities will usher readers quickly through the chapters. Ages 9-14.
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Grade 3-6-This fantasy may appeal to a young audience unfamiliar with the genre, but it leaves much to be desired. Arthur Woodbury, 10, has had enough of fat jokes, so when he sees an ad for a sleep device that guarantees weight loss, he wastes no time. However, he fails to read the instructions completely, and the magic helmet deposits him in REM World, creating a conundrum that violates the laws of the universe. Arthur must get home, or the creeping Nothing will envelop Everything and the universe will cease to exist. In action-packed, cliff-hanging chapters, Arthur is helped by REM World beings ("Morf," "Grog," "Mr. Pockets") and earns himself a new name, Arthur Courage. The plot wanders from one surprising encounter to the next, with only a cursory mythology to explain Nothing and Everything, and an underdeveloped setting, so that REM World never quite feels like an actual place. Arthur is miraculously thin when he returns home, but the explanation that he's been unusually active over the course of a few days doesn't suffice. In fact, the issue of Arthur's body shape drops out of the picture while he's in REM World (it's the "courage" issue that surfaces there), so this framing device for the story seems hollow. It also is conspicuously reminiscent of Norton Juster's The Phantom Tollbooth (Knopf, 1961), in which this device is carried through and developed. Despite the thinness in plot, REM may hold appeal for some reluctant readers; Philbrick's narrative voice is exciting and pulls the right strings.
Nina Lindsay, Oakland Public Library, CA
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9-12
  
• Hardcover: 176 pages
• Publisher: Blue Sky Press (May 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0439083621
• ISBN-13: 978-0439083621
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.8 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,816,219 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars One of the strangest books I have ever encountered, June 17, 2000

By A Customer

Make no mistake, I like strange books and fantasy, but REM WORLD had one of the most peculiar storylines I've ever heard. it is about a boy named Arthur (or "Biscuit Butt" as the kids at school have dubbed him) who sees an ad in the back of a comic book for a helmet that, when you fall asleep with it on, makes you thin. Naturally Arthur orders it, and falls asleep in his basement with it on.

He wakes up in a different world still wearing the helmet. He takes the helmet off, and when it disappears, Arthur's adventures start, because without the helmet he needs a new way to return home. Galump, the leader of these giant toadlike creatures who live in REM world, alerts Arthur to another problem: Arthur is still REALLY asleep in his basement in OUR world, and because the Arthur in REM world got rid of the Helmet, there are now two Arthurs in two different worlds, which causes Nothing to come. The Nothing is sort of like a blackness that just eats away at the universe, destroying everything. Of course, its up to Arthur to find a way home so he can get rid of the Nothing.

Arthur has quite a journey and meets up with many strange characters, like Morf, who was dry and cardboardish but still rather amusing, and the Cloud People. The story had an extremely rushed and fast pace, with short chapters. All the action happened quickly; never did it slow down and dwell for long on anything. Although many chapters ended in cliffhangers, I did not feel much suspense. REM World was a quick read for me, and although it wasn't GREAT, I still enjoyed it.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Loved it, April 18, 2000

By A Customer

I loved this book. Arthur enters the magical REM world. This science fiction novel has great characters ranging from Cloud People to Morf. It definitely ranks with Philbrick's Freak the Mighty in my book.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars REM WORLD is a fascinating book about...., May 15, 2001

By	Brian Michael Schulz (Long Valley, New Jersey USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

REM WORLD is a fascinating book that will spark the imagination of those who read it. After many years of being called nicknames such as Biscuit Butt, Goodyear Blimp, and Jelly Belly, Arthur Woodbury decides that he is to be fat no more. He buys a losing weight device that garuntees that you will go to sleep fat, and wake up thin. But when Arthur wakes up, he finds himself in a fantasy world full of creatures he has never seen before. When Arthur finds out that he has let out the Nothing, which will destroy everything in the universe, he must find a way back home and save the universe. With the help of his guide Morf, Arthur faces many challenges throughout his journey. Will Arthur save the universe from the Nothing? Find out by reading this great book that I recommend for all ages.