Last Stop
3.5/5
()
About this ebook
It’s been six months since David Moore’s father disappeared. After months of strange behavior—baby talk, forgetfulness—he simply vanished forever. The Public Guardians searched Franklin City, but they couldn’t turn up a single clue. David is beginning to give up hope when his subrail train stops between stations at the abandoned Granite Street platform. On the other side of the glass he sees a crowd of people. In the middle is his father, waving. When a psychic suggests that David may have the power to see into another dimension, he and his friends scour the city in search of a portal to the other side. To learn if his father is alive or dead, David will need to discover the secrets of the abandoned station. Last Stop was selected by the American Library Association as a 1999 Best Book for Reluctant Young Adult Readers. This ebook features an illustrated biography of Peter Lerangis including rare photos and never-before-seen documents from the author’s personal collection.
Peter Lerangis
Peter Lerangis is the author of more than one hundred and sixty books, which have sold more than five and half million copies and been translated into thirty-three different languages. These include the five books in the New York Times bestselling Seven Wonders series, The Colossus Rises, Lost in Babylon, The Tomb of Shadows, The Curse of the King, and The Legend of the Rift, and two books in the 39 Clues series. He lives in New York City with his family.
Read more from Peter Lerangis
Antarctica: Escape from Disaster Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsAntarctica: Journey to the Pole Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings
Related to Last Stop
Related ebooks
Last Stop Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Mary: Lost Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsScags at 18: Scags Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsHolder of Secrets Book 1: Unregarded Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsTransit Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Inklings Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Septembers Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Disappeared Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Speak Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsConspiracy Of Birds with Hounds of Doom Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsNice Girls: A Novel Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Dark Requiem (The Darkling Trilogy, Book 3) Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Dark and Dangerous Disco Night Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Shadow of Hope: Selene's Pass Trilogy, #2 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsOne Night More: One Night of Danger, #2 Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Twisted Winter Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsLife After Yes: A Novel Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Violets & Vitriol Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSpeak for the Dead Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsFound: Books Of Stone, #1 Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Falling Out of Cars Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Down a Lost Road: Extended Edition: Lost Road Chronicles: Extended Editions, #1 Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Running Wild Anthology of Stories, Volume 6: Volume 6 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsMurder and Mint Tea Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Tales of Sin & Fury Part 1: The Beach Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Snow Laundry (The Towers, #1) Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Ice is Singing Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Suicide Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsDown a Lost Road: Lost Road Chronicles, #1 Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Make Me Bad Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings
Children's Mysteries & Detective Stories For You
The Secret in the Old Lace Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Terror of the Bigfoot Beast Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Spy School Secret Service Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Splat the Cat and the Lemonade Stand Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Belly Up Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Double Identity Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Original Adventures of Hank the Cowdog Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Spy Ski School Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Sisters Grimm: Fairy-Tale Detectives Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Spy School Revolution Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Framed! Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Evil Spy School Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Spy School at Sea Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Once Upon a Tim Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Tower Treasure: The Hardy Boys Book 1 Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Spy School British Invasion Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5City Spies Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Fixer Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Charlie Thorne and the Last Equation Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Secret at Mystic Lake Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Secret Zoo Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Greetings from Witness Protection! Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Vanished! Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Curse of the Arctic Star Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Spy School Project X Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Greystone Secrets #2: The Deceivers Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Egypt Game Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Book Scavenger Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Reviews for Last Stop
21 ratings5 reviews
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5This book moves so fast! I read this series when I was a kid and the plot of Book 3 stuck with me so much that I didn't want to give the books up without giving them a reread in adulthood. I'm not sure I'll ever give it up now. Last Stop is a story about a boy who sees his missing/presumed dead father on a subway platform. He assumes its a hallucination but it feels super real and he has a pushy little female friend who urges him to pursue the lead seriously. The story is interspersed with dialogue and case files from these mysterious "Watchers." You have no idea what the Watchers are all about but it seems like they're interested in paranormal phenomena. This really reminded me of the TV show Fringe, though X-Files and Twilight Zone might be other good comparisons. I loved how fast paced this book was and how realistic the characters were. I don't spend much time with kids so I'm not sure if it's realistic age-wise, but David our main character approaches everything with a realistic amount of skepticism, he doesn't talk about his feelings even though he has them, and he's willing to break a rule or two to serve his own interests. The kids also watch media, are aware of science fiction as a genre, have opinions about it, and react accordingly. The kids felt a bit edgy and cool, though the sidekick girl was definitely annoying. I had a lot of fun rereading this.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5David is a 13 year old whose father disappeared six months ago and is presumed dead. Before he disappeared, though, he was acting very strangely, wandering off for days at a time, and talking baby talk. David is just coming to terms with what happened, when he's riding a subrail (subway) with some friends and sees his father on a platform that doesn't exist, with people that nobody else on the train can see. Of course, David has to investigate, which leads to more questions than answers.I thought this was a good book with an interesting premise. It was a bit confusing, but things are explained by the end of the book, which then left off with a cliffhanger. You have to read it to understand this. This was actually a short book, but it's part 1 of 6, which I think will keep the age group it's recommended for, 8 to 12 years old, interested and get them to keep reading because it is not an overwhelming length.In summary, I enjoyed this book and think 8 to 12 year olds would find it intriguing.4/5 stars.I received a copy of this book free of charge in exchange for my honest opinion.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5This is a great SF series, mainly for 'tweens with short attention spans. Each book has different characters and a different 'what if' concept, and each will provoke. Read them with your child and then have some interesting conversations.
The 'frame' of the 'Watchers' unifies them and makes them 'more than the sum of their parts' as the saying goes. However, I have to admit, even after reading all six, I did not quite understand the frame. So if you don't, don't worry about it. Probably your child will if you have those conversations that I recommend. ;)
They are just a bit intense. Besides the SF issues, there are bullies, adults with mental illness, avarice, etc. If your child is under age 10, read them first. But don't censor or shelter - just be ready for questions.
(I'm copying this review for all six books.) - Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5David's father was slowly losing his mind before he disappeared six months ago. David has begun to give up on finding him when he sees him on an abandoned subway station. With the help of a friend, he is determined to crack the mystery and find out what is really going on.I thought the book was extremely short. Although the mystery was solved, nothing was really explained. I realize that there will be more books in the series, but I thought too much was left out of this book for it to make much sense. Overall, I was disappointed with this book.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5In this first book of the Watchers series, David's father has disappeared inexplicably. David yearns for moments that he had shared with his father. the only insight that his father left as to his disappearance was his parting words. He told his family that he was going home. the problem was that no one paid attention to this clue because little by little David's father wass loosing touch with reality.Now, as David atakes the subway, he sees a ghost-like figure of his father at an abandoned subway station. David begins to plan an encounter with his Father.This is my second Watchers book to complete and I still don't know what the Watchers are!
Book preview
Last Stop - Peter Lerangis
1
HERE’S WHAT I REMEMBER most:
Heat.
You could see it rising from the pavement in waves.
Humidity.
It slid off your skin, like hot oil off a skillet.
Anger.
Mine. At everything.
Mostly at my friends—Heather, Max, and Clarence. They’d talked me into riding the subrail home. On the last day of the work week. When all the Franklin City municipal workers leave their offices early—exactly when we middle-school kids leave classes.
I hate crowds. I hardly ever ride the sub.
On this day each week, my dad used to give me a ride in a squad car. He worked for the city, too. He was a case solver in the Public Guardian Department.
But I hadn’t had any rides home in six months. So there I was, standing shoulder to shoulder, dripping wet, on the putrid-smelling platform of the Booker Street station. Which leads to the other major reason I was angry.
Dad.
In fact, Dad was all I ever thought about. In class. At home. Whenever the voicephone rang. I’d picture him, and all I wanted to do was scream.
Which wasn’t fair, really.
For one thing, he was a nice guy. I loved him.
For another thing, he was dead.
Six months earlier, he’d left my mom and me. He got out of bed, dressed himself, and kissed Mom good-bye. When she asked where he was going, all he said was Home.
He never came back.
Dad was already totally off his konker by then. It had started with headaches, about a year and a half ago. Then sudden blackouts at odd times. Soon he was forgetting simple things. Talking baby talk. Taking walks and ending up in some stranger’s swimming pool in a neighboring town. Doctors checked him for everything—blood clots, tumors, Fassbinder’s disease. They thought it might be inherited, but Dad had no family records at all. He was an orphan and didn’t even know where his parents had come from.
Whenever Dad strayed, Mom called the pugs, the good old Public Guardians. They would always bring him back. They were Dad’s loyal buddies.
But this time, the pugs came up empty-handed. They contacted other departments in suburbs nearby. Eventually the search spread to include the whole country. A reward was posted for anyone who sighted Dad.
Soon the radio call-in shows started. The TV talk shows.
Tons of people thought they had seen him. Fishing in the Palm Tree Lakes. Moose hunting. Heading a religious cult. Hiding in a cave.
But every lead checked out false.
Mom tried to be optimistic. She began going to this therapy group. (She thought I should, too, but I said no way.)
For weeks, I didn’t sleep. Whenever I closed my eyes, I saw Dad. Walking into my room. Sitting at the foot of the bed. Smiling.
Then my eyes would pop open. And he’d be gone.
I tried to believe that Dad was alive. But that made me feel horrible. Because if he were alive, that meant he didn’t want to see us. Or he didn’t remember us. Or worse.
When the pugs gave up, I knew it was all over. I could tell by the way they looked at me, all soft and pitying. If Dad had been found, we’d have known about it. His face had been broadcast coast-to-coast.
I tried to forget. I plunged into homework, chores, school activities—all so I wouldn’t have time to think of him.
The worst part? He hadn’t said good-bye to me. In dreams I would say that to him, over and over. But he’d just smile.
I kept seeing him everywhere. In shadows and shop aisles. In ball fields and on bikes.
He’d left me. But he wasn’t leaving me alone.
So the anger crept in. And grew.
As I stood at the subrail station, the feelings were balling up in my head. Like a fist.
Sweat prickled my neck. My shirt was soaked. I knew that when I got home, Mom would make me take a shower. We had to appear on a local TV show that afternoon. To talk about Dad, of course.
I hated those shows. I hated being an object of pity. Answering dumb questions.
And to make matters worse, my friends were acting like total idiots. Giggling. Making fart noises.
I stepped away. And I saw a familiar figure. To my right. A man in a blue shirt, trudging down the subrail stairs, face buried in a newspaper.
Dad.
My heart jumped. I spun to face him.
Then he put the paper