103 pages • 3 hours read
Rodman PhilbrickThe Last Book In The Universe
Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2000A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more. For select classroom titles, we also provide Teaching Guides with discussion and quiz questions to prompt student engagement.
Chapters 19-21Chapter Summaries & Analyses
Chapter 19 Summary: “Spaz Boy Melts in the Acid Rain”
When the escapees emerge back into Traderville, they find it has been deserted, with all the stalls boarded up and abandoned upon the Vandals’ approach. Acid rain falls from the sky onto Spaz and he lets it. Ryter emerges, leaning heavily on his cane and newly banged up; Lanaya and Little Face have gone to get the takvee. Spaz feels shame at having frozen in front of the battle and having to be shaken free by Lanaya in order to run. Ryter believes the Latch Queen was just using them to expose her rival, Vida Bleek, and distract him from her attack. Now that there is a real fight under way, she won’t be sparing any Vandals to guard his family, so they have an opening to see Bean.
They program their way in the vehicle to Spaz’s family unit’s address, and Ryter falls asleep immediately. Lanaya says she noticed both sides (Furies and Vandals) had the opportunity to cancel them but did not take it; instead, they all helped the group survive and safely flee. Spaz questions whether this is because she is a proov, but she thinks it could be something to do with Spaz: “The Latch Queen was expecting you. So was Vida Bleek” (122). Lanaya’s suspicions mirror those of Ryter’s from earlier, and when she suggests he consider why, Spaz doesn’t immediately reject the idea.
Spaz begins to recognize his old neighborhood, although everyone is hiding and off the streets. As they approach, Spaz prepares himself in case Bean is already dead or he has to watch her die, knowing things could always get worse.
Chapter 20 Summary: “What Bean Saw”
Spaz narrates a story about when Bean was young and wanted to go to Eden, so Spaz helped her get there in her mind. From that point on, she believed Spaz could do anything. The group arrives at Spaz’s old home and Charly opens the door, with Kay. Introductions are made. Spaz is brought to see Bean, who is very thin and sick and has swollen glands in her neck. She is lying down on the floor in a back room. It is revealed that Charly paid for the latch runner at Bean’s request. Bean hopes Spaz doesn’t hate him. Kay informs them that the healer stopped coming 10 days earlier and there’s nothing more to be done. Ryter says that her disease used to be called leukemia and there used to be a cure, but the knowledge was lost with the Big Shake. Lanaya goes in to see Bean and the two of them get along very well. Bean thinks she must be Spaz’s partner, even though she recognizes Lanaya as a proov. Spaz reminds her he’s a “deef” (135), meaning he has a genetic defect. Bean tells everyone stories about when Spaz he was younger and they lived together. Once they’re alone, Spaz tells Bean stories until she falls asleep.
Chapter 21 Summary: “A Sleep Like Death”
After an upbeat dinner, Bean slips into a coma, from which the healer says she will probably never wake. Spaz goes outside to skulk and think about letting all the latches burn, when Ryter and Lanaya come out to tell him they’ve been hatching a new plan to help Bean. Even though there aren’t any cures among the normals, they may be able to help Bean if they can get her into Eden, and Lanaya wants to help.
Chapters 19-21 Analysis
Chapter 19 introduces the concept of open fighting to this latch: Lotti versus Vida and Vandals versus Furies. While not a straightforward situation involving good versus evil, it is presented as a case of lawful versus unlawful. As a result, there is little focus of energy being placed on Spaz and his comrades, allowing them the freedom and space to slip off to visit Bean while they still can. While the world outside may be crumbling, the limited scope of Bean’s home life behind the “cutwire”(125) appears as yet untouched by the fighting taking place in the latch; instead, all of her family unit’s energy has been put into saving Bean, or at least making her as comfortable as they can once recovery is deemed out of the question.
More focus is placed on Spaz being “special” or deemed noteworthy by both latchbosses in Chapter 19, except this time rather than Ryter reiterating it, Lanaya brings it up to Spaz:“I think it had something to do with you. The Latch Queen was expecting you. So was Vida Bleek. Excuse me, but why would they even be aware of some spastic nobody?” (122). Perhaps because it is coming from Lanaya’s perspective, or perhaps because it is not the first time he is hearing it, Spaz appears to be much more amenable to the concept this time around, but he still does not offer up any kind of response or allude to his inner thoughts on the manner. As with Ryter, Lanaya encourages him to consider why the latchbosses all behave against their nature with him.
In Chapters 20 and 21, Spaz finally reunites with his foster family, including Bean, who is still alive. While incredibly unwell, she is still lucid enough to tell stories about her childhood with Spaz before slipping into a coma later that very night. Seeing his home triggers a number of emotions in Spaz, some of which include shame and rage at Bean having had to grow up with bullet holes in the door to his family shelter:
What’s the point if you have to live behind cutwire and steel doors and be afraid of gangs and then get sick and die because normals are too numb to remember the cure? I’m thinking maybe letting the latches burn is the right idea. Let everything burn until there’s nothing left but cold ashes and clear rain (133).
And the symbol of fire reappears, here representing not only chaos but a kind of rebirth, or at least the cold, clean feeling of starting fresh.
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