The Compound

I completely devoured The Compound in no time at all. Despite feeling like a younger YA novel, I could just not get enough. This was one of those novels that I literally could not put down until I finished it. The writing was simple yet incredibly effective. The picture that Bodeen paints is one incredibly detailed. And incredibly creepy and disturbing. The plot is simply fascinating and very creative. Within pages, I was on the edge of my seat and stayed there until I finished the last word.

All of the characters are well drawn…you love some and you love to hate others. And in the case of Eli’s mom…you just wonder and wonder. (I’m still wondering to be honest.) Eli himself is incredibly detached and pretty focused on himself as the book begins but throughout experiences a great deal of growth and takes on a great deal of responsibility. This is a very dysfunctional family struggling to survive…and perhaps more importantly…struggling to live. When Eli starts thinking for himself…starts questioning his father…a tipping point is reached and there is only one inevitable conclusion…and that conclusion might just surprise you.

Aside from all that, this book really makes you think. I’ve never watched any of those programs about doomsday preppers…but while reading this book and long after I thought a lot about whether I should be doing something to prepare. I’m one of those…fill up the bathtub as the hurricane descends and hope for the best type of people. I know I’ll never survive a real emergency let alone an apocalyptic event!

NOTE: Review Copy received from publisher in exchange for this honest review

Ahoy there mateys . . . I have to admit this book did not do it for me overall. It had an interesting concept – a family has been in an underground bunker for six years due to nuclear threat. The main character, Eli’s daily routine changes one day when he wonders what happened to the rest of the world outside and wants to get out. But his dad doesn’t want him to. Okay so you have a survival story about the end of the world, which I usually enjoy, and the book does get into some details of what living in a compound could be like. I particularly admired some of the details of what the dad chose to put inside the structure for the family’s survival and what the children do with all of their time trapped underground. But overall the plot was too simple for me. Once Eli does decide to evolve and challenge his situation, the story changes too rapidly. Perhaps the book is just too short to do the concept justice. My copy was 247 pages with very large print. I would like to see the characters better fleshed out and a slightly more complex build up to the climax at this point. That being said, the ending had a twist that made me super happy. The elements that I liked outweighed the items I didn’t like so this book does not walk the plank. Apparently there is a sequel called Fallout. Despite wanting a more complex story in the first novel, I do want to know what happens next. If you liked this review and want to read more visit The Captain's website at [...]

"The Compound" is an interesting, fast-paced young adult novel that changes up the recent trend of dystopian novels. Due to a nuclear attack, the ultra-rich Yanakaksis family takes refuge in the underground shelter that has been carefully rendered to look like home and function for at least fifteen years. Yet six years into their isolation, things are not quite right within the family, as secrets grow and food shortages start to arise.

The novel is narrated by Eli who has spent the past six years in his own form of isolation, for on the night they entered the shelter, he lost his twin brother Eddy and his grandmother because of a selfish act on his part. He barely speaks to his two sisters or parents, he hides behind a curtain of long hair, and refuses to let anyone touch him. When Eli stumbles upon an internet connection on the unused laptop that has sat untouched in what would have been Eddy's room, Eli begins to question the strange situations that he can no longer ignore: his father seems to be having manic episodes, his younger sister asks him uncomfortable questions, and his mother is pregnant again (for a very unsettling reason). As Eli examines the mounting evidence he finds, he begins to suspect that there was no nuclear attack, but that his father has kept his family in the compound as some sort of strange experiment. But can he prove it without risking their lives?

S.A. Bodeen has crafted an interesting read with "The Compound". Eli isn't always a likable character but as their situation grows more dire, readers will feel the suspense along with him. The story moves almost a little too quickly - I would've liked some more information, or to have seen some of the initial days in the compound before it jumped six years into the future, but I understand the author's reasons for writing it this way. I look forward to reading the sequel some day.

Ahoy there mateys . . . I have to admit this book did not do it for me overall. It had an interesting concept – a family has been in an underground bunker for six years due to nuclear threat. The main character, Eli’s daily routine changes one day when he wonders what happened to the rest of the world outside and wants to get out. But his dad doesn’t want him to. Okay so you have a survival story about the end of the world, which I usually enjoy, and the book does get into some details of what living in a compound could be like. I particularly admired some of the details of what the dad chose to put inside the structure for the family’s survival and what the children do with all of their time trapped underground. But overall the plot was too simple for me. Once Eli does decide to evolve and challenge his situation, the story changes too rapidly. Perhaps the book is just too short to do the concept justice. My copy was 247 pages with very large print. I would like to see the characters better fleshed out and a slightly more complex build up to the climax at this point. That being said, the ending had a twist that made me super happy. The elements that I liked outweighed the items I didn’t like so this book does not walk the plank. Apparently there is a sequel called Fallout. Despite wanting a more complex story in the first novel, I do want to know what happens next. If you liked this review and want to read more visit The Captain's website at [...]

"The Compound" is an interesting, fast-paced young adult novel that changes up the recent trend of dystopian novels. Due to a nuclear attack, the ultra-rich Yanakaksis family takes refuge in the underground shelter that has been carefully rendered to look like home and function for at least fifteen years. Yet six years into their isolation, things are not quite right within the family, as secrets grow and food shortages start to arise.

The novel is narrated by Eli who has spent the past six years in his own form of isolation, for on the night they entered the shelter, he lost his twin brother Eddy and his grandmother because of a selfish act on his part. He barely speaks to his two sisters or parents, he hides behind a curtain of long hair, and refuses to let anyone touch him. When Eli stumbles upon an internet connection on the unused laptop that has sat untouched in what would have been Eddy's room, Eli begins to question the strange situations that he can no longer ignore: his father seems to be having manic episodes, his younger sister asks him uncomfortable questions, and his mother is pregnant again (for a very unsettling reason). As Eli examines the mounting evidence he finds, he begins to suspect that there was no nuclear attack, but that his father has kept his family in the compound as some sort of strange experiment. But can he prove it without risking their lives?

S.A. Bodeen has crafted an interesting read with "The Compound". Eli isn't always a likable character but as their situation grows more dire, readers will feel the suspense along with him. The story moves almost a little too quickly - I would've liked some more information, or to have seen some of the initial days in the compound before it jumped six years into the future, but I understand the author's reasons for writing it this way. I look forward to reading the sequel some day.

When the United States is attacked with nuclear bombs, our protagonist, Eli, and his family are rushed into an underground compound. The compound was his father's idea. His father is a billionaire and used those billions to create the massive compound where his family could live in luxury and comfort for exactly 15 years after the bombs were detonated. At the 15 year mark, the doors to the compound are set to open - this is when the family will again enter the world.

The problem? Eli's twin, Eddy, was accidentally left behind, and so was their grandmother. Eli has to deal with his guilt every single day; his guilt over being the one to make it - he, the twin who was selfish and only out to please himself.

The other problem? Eli has come to hate the compound. He views it as his prison. Food sources seem to have been sabotaged before they even entered the compound. The lengths his father has gone to to create more food is disgusting and horrifying.

Upon the 6-year anniversary of moving into the compound, Eli learns that his father hasn't been honest with the rest of the family. They have all come to loathe each other, but his father is the worst of all. Eli learns that his father has been using the internet; something he didn't think even existed anymore. After sneaking online for a few minutes, Eli learns the true extent of his father's deceit and he vows to get his family out of the compound... immediately.

- - -

This book is truly disturbing! Oh goodness, it so is.

***SPOILERS AHEAD!!***

Total page-turner. I mean, really. I read this book in one sitting. There was never a dull moment. S.A. Bodeen obviously did not feel the need to drag it out unnecessarily, which I appreciated greatly. My one problem with this book is reality. Despite the genre this book is filed under, this is not a science fiction novel, nor is it dystopia. It's a thriller. It's meant to be something that could truly happen. The reasons behind Rex (Eli's father) doing his "experiment" were bogus and not really even explained - the planning behind it, the reasoning. The guy was obviously a space cadet, but even so, he must've thought he had some sort of good reason to do what he did. & if he really was just a nut job, why wasn't that explained? Small holes.

That brings me to the plot. This plot was insanely creative, and just insane! I can imagine my face as I read this: my eyeballs bugging out of my head, a face filled with horror and disbelief. Rex's actions were appalling and truly twisted. This book really is not for the feint of heart. You'll be disgusted early on when you learn of the lengths to which Rex will go to to ensure the survival of his family. You'll be even more disgusted when you find out his secrets. I don't want to give away specifics, but let's just say cannibalism is not out of the question for him.

The idea of the compound itself is impressive. Bodeen was very generous with the details of how this compound was even possible. The different scenarios that could potentially cause a problem for people in such a situation. Oxygen, food, water, waste, etc. It's all explained to an extent and it even made such a thing seem possible. Creepy, no?

The characters. I have to say that the author gave them each a super distinct personality. Each one of them was changed by being in the compound for so long. Changed by having to endure some of the things they have. Rex is just a sick, sick man. The mother is weak in some ways, but strong in others. She herself agreed to do some very horrible things, but her morals won out in the end. She learned to be strong and to question. Eli learned not to be so self-serving and single minded. Terese was like some sort of oblivious weirdo. Lexie was a ruthless b*tch. Each one went into the compound as one person, and came out as an entirely different one (except for Rex, maybe).

Overall, this book is totally freaky. That's really the best way to describe it. It's an edge-of-your-seat page turner and it's also completely disturbing. It'll have you disgusted one minute and impressed the next. The Compound totally goes where other books dare not go. It begs the question: When does humanity take a back seat to survival? - and gives you the perfect situation in which to answer it. This book is morbid and it's creepy. It's also a book that teaches life lessons and the importance of having hope and staying true to yourself and your beliefs. If you want something totally out there, this is your book. I definitely recommend it, but as I said: totally not for the feint of heart!

The idea of this The Compound was fascinating to me, as I'm sure it is to many. The apocalypse occurs and a family burrows their way underground into a pre-prepared refuse filled with everything the family needs to survive until aboveground is safe again. I was sure that I was going to love this, but alas, it fell short of my expectations. It was enjoyable, yes, but not mind-blowing like it had the potential to be.

Everything read as just too dang convenient. It drove me nuts that this family was able to thrive for so long with expensive gadgets that still worked, rooms designed to fit their every whim (each child had their own room, a theater, a nursery, a dance studio, etc.), and they even had a shelter for cattle! Maybe I'm just being too nit-picky because the father has a super powerful job that has left him with more money than I can even imagine and he had been preparing this protection against the apocalypse for a long time. It still just didn't work for me. Bother, bother, bother. It was too much for me to get on board with, as much as I wanted to (and I really wanted to). It was a bewildering concept that I was super excited to see written out.

The characters were... uncomfortable. I mean, I didn't understand any of them, nor did I like any of them. The characterizations of the minor characters were very one-dimensional, which made it all the more difficult to follow along with. How can you enjoy a book when you have no interest in the lives of those in which the story is about? I wanted more, and I wanted relationships between the main character and his family that made sense. They felt more like strangers than relatives who spent every single day together (that would make a great story though: Big Brother meets the apocalypse).

That being said, there were still things about this story that I enjoyed. It was definitely entertaining, The Compound is also very twisted--and as a twisted person (heh), I really liked some of the bizarre twists that story had. Though it wasn't difficult to see those twists coming. There were themes in this story that are rarely seen in YA sci-fi novels. Some of these were well done, others made me squirm. Most of the major plot points are obvious from the get-go--though there were times when I thought, "The author isn't really going to take the story there... Is she?" (She usually did.) Still, through it all, this is still a pretty entertaining read!

I feel like I'm only explaining negative things about this story, but I swear, there were some things that I really liked about it. The fact that I plan to read the sequel should say something about that. I'm really hoping that the sequel, The Fallout will capture my full interest like its prequel was unable to do--thought I'm trying to not let my hopes get away from me. The Compound had all the makings of a great thriller, but the execution was sorely lacking. There will definitely be people who enjoy this, and to whom I would recommend this novel. I understand why, but I believe that this book could've been done better.

I received a copy of this novel from the publisher for my honest opinion and review.

""I would have rather had a dad with change jingling in his pocket; one who would have spent the last forty minutes of the world raking leaves for his kids to jump in, so that they perished in one loud, bright instant, giggles still bubbling up from their bellies, never suspecting a thing.
Yeah, well. Tough luck, rich boy.""

This book shocked me, outraged me, and gripped me until I finished the last page.

The United states is under nuclear attack, thankfully the Yanakakisi family ( save two...) is safe in their underground compound, created by their father in case of such a tragedy. But are they really safe? All goes well in the compound until the livestock begins dying, the hydroponic lights are flickering... and other supplies become scarce. The family must begin considering other ways to survive...Horrific.. immoral ways. The oldest son Eli begins to question life in the compound. He begins to question his Father. Many things have been hidden and Eli is determined to learn the truth and protect his family.
This book is a combination of science fiction and a psychological thriller that will keep you guessing. In the middle of reading this book I found myself pausing and wondering how the author could stand to write about such extreme ideas, but that is what kept me reading. This book has some controversial issues for sure. It may take you out of your comfort zone and make you question what measures you and your family would take to survive.

"I realized it was a mistake to assume gentleness was akin with weakness."

Rating: 4/5

The Compound by S.A. Bodeen was a quick, captivating read. You’re drawn into the story from the start when the wold “ends” due to a nuclear attack.

Eli’s father, the owner of a multi-million dollar company has been planning for such a day and has built a compound where he and his family can survive until the world is safe enough to be habitable again.

The various members of the family cope in different ways. And some of the things the father has them doing is questionable. But it’s a look into a situation that no everyday human being would ever find themselves in. And it’s fascinating how Bodeen is able to create such intrigue and character development in such a short book.

For anyone looking for a good post-apocalyptic thriller be sure to give The Compound a shot.

Review originally posted on BookMunchies.com.

This book can't really be considered dystopian because it is all within the shelter that was built and not too much about the outside world. However, it does talk about food shortages....so I dunno what category to put it in really. Anywho, this book has a prologue that states how and why they are in the compound and then goes into the effects it's had on everyone.

The book is told from the viewpoint of Eli, he has just turned 15 and wont let anyone touch him. They've been in the compound 6 years when he starts mistrusting his father and the reasons they are in the compound. He doesn't treat his two sisters very well, but he had a twin brother who didn't make it into the compound. I believe he was hurting too much from the loss of losing his twin that he didn't really know how to deal with his sisters. The food supply is running short and he is coming across lies his father has given.

The characters could have been a tad bit more.....something....I dunno, developed. It seems strange that some of the things the mother was willing to do or agree to do were brought up. It seems strange that one of the decisions made by the father wasn't put into question by the two older kids years ago. This is why the four stars. I can see myself re-reading this book at some point so I did enjoy it. The twist at the end was good, but the epilogue leaves me wondering if maybe.....one day....there might be a sequel.

The things this book brings up and the controversy it would have in modern day are crazy. Makes you start to think, what would you be willing to do in this type of situation?

The Compound is a short book by my standards, only 272 pages, but it packs a whole lot of punch. I love post apocalyptic fiction, stories of survival, for some reason they give me hope that I myself could endure such an event.

This is a story of a family, nine year old Eli , his two sisters and his parents barely make it into the familys compound before a nuclear war decimates the earth. Elis twin brother and grandmother are left outside due to circumstances and the severing of those ties is devestating. Elis father has thought of everything, the compound is fully stocked, and has all the comforts of home, but things go wrong one after the other and the family has to take drastic measures to ensure their survival (one of which is just shocking!) Soon Eli's hunches about their situation are confirmed and the book quickly shifts into overdrive.

This is young adult fiction that is inspired by the twilight zone, and even has some horror movie undertones, its a fast read that is well thought out and intriguing even to adult readers.

This book is absolute utter trash. Seriously. Anyone who tells you otherwise would have to be bloody mental.
The language used therein is hilariously laughable, the "plot" is a downright mess, and anyone with half a brain (or any literary sense could have guessed the outcome.
I was forced to read this literary abomination when my (now Ex) girlfriend told me that this was her favorite book and wouldn't stop raving about it; being a bibliophile myself, I of course sat down and proceeded to be mentally penetrated by this sheer stupidity.
As soon as I finished the book I laughed. Seriously.
I laughed.
I laughed at the plot, I laughed at the characters, I laughed at everything there was to laugh at in this book.
Maybe it was the slight deflation of my brain that had occurred over the course of my time with this thing, I don't know; but please do yourself a favor and never ever read this.

Eli has been living with his parents in The Compound for six years. The Compound is an elaborate nuclear bomb shelter his father spent an enormous amount of money to build in order to keep his family safe from nuclear fallout. The plan is to stay underground for fifteen years until the radiation danger has passed.

Eli has had the hardest time adjusting to life in The Compound. In his six years there he has steadily distanced himself from everyone in the family. He maintains a strict schedule of exercise, studying, chores, and reading.

His loneliness comes from the fact that not everyone made it to The Compound. During the nuclear attack that led his family there, Eddy, his identical twin, was accidentally left behind. Eddy snuck away with their Grandma without his parents knowing when their father chose to take the family underground. Their father had already locked the door when he realized Eddy and Grandma didn't make it.

The locks were set for fifteen years and there wasn't any way to go back for them. Eli feels a hole in his life that no one or nothing can fill.

Eli starts to take a hard look at what is going on in The Compound - and he doesn't have a good feeling. Food is running low, supplies are being depleted, and his father's behavior is changing. Eli suspects there is more going on than his father leads them to believe.

Shocking surprises are about to be uncovered. Secrets never meant to be revealed are exposed. Eli is left with the job of saving his family. He will have to break the shell he has created around himself and build connections with the people he has tried to keep away in order to find the truth and survive.

THE COMPOUND will remind you of the movie Blast from the Past, just without all the quirky, fun-loving humor.

Reviewed by: Karin Librarian

My thoughts:
Positives:

* Hailey Marshall says it best in a song written by her father, "I think my dad's gone crazy." I am not certain if this is positive or negative, but it definitely is the main reason for the suspense in the novel. It's always great to have a cool villain, especially one that you never sympathize with.
* You get inside Eli's head and understand the decisions that he makes.
* Interesting accommodations. I mean, bomb shelters were a reality at points in time, it would be nice to have one that was as put together at the Compound.
* It's nice to see a book where having all the money in the world is not the best thing.

Negatives:

* This book is SLOW!! It's part of the whole method of suspense, but there were times that I wanted to put the book down. That doesn't happen very often for me.
* It has some of the typical horror scenes in it. For the most part, everything seems realistic, but towards the end you say to yourself "that was dumb, and impossible."
* The author's point of view on religion, society, and power are extremely pointed out. There is no questioning ideas for yourself. He definitely tells you what you are supposed to think.

Holy BALLS batman.

25 stars!!!

This just MIGHT be the best book I have ever read. At lest the best book i have read in 5 years, beating out "The Hunger Games" i'm not even lying here.

This book kept me enthralled to the point i lost all track of time, time did not exist for me for a few hours. I read this one straight from page 1 - 245, non-stop. The storyline was interesting and the author did such a good job of pacing in this book! The book is quite a quick read with being less than 300 pages, but the quick pace it is a very well rounded plot with complete characters. The pacing in the book goes from a fast power walk to a all out run for your life the s*** just hit the fan, without any fluff or low filler points to speak of.

When i read "The Hunger Games" i was left with and overwhelming feeling of:
rage against the machine,
stand against powerful government,
beware of fancy eyelashes that conceal the devil.
and dont f* with Katniss Everdeen

The Compound is more along the lines of:
beware of the enemy within
ALWAYS trust your instincts in ALL aspects of being human
daddy is cray cray
one person can change everything
going against the status quo just might get you everything you want
and when vacationing (if your a big baller) hire security

Both relevant and both necessary.

Where many if not the majority of Dystopian novels follow the formula of war, famine, disease, cray cray science, apocalypse, armageddon etc, this novel is different in the way that the "incident" that they are surviving was imposed upon them in an unusual way.

As i have stated many many times the hunger games is not for kids and most teens, this one could be appropriate for..... um middle teen and adolescence it is creepy and thought provoking but not scary and has about 3 bad words (probably less than this review) (if that bothers you, it clearly doesnt me) but as always you know your child, and what they can take so read it first and you decide from there.

I have read a few reviews about the characters being winey.

HELLO THEIR CHILDREN WITH A CERTIFIABLE CRAY CRAY DAD LIVING UNDERGROUND WITH NO OTHER HUMAN CONTACT of course they are winey

Ok recognize

I really enjoyed this book. The Compound tells a very interesting story of a family that takes shelter underground when nuclear warfare ravages the earth. We learn the struggles that a family would experience in this type of situation. The children’s father, Rex, tells them that they have to be in this compound for 15 years before they can leave. Which means they have to have an adequate amount of food and water. The book does a good job of keeping you entertained and making you wanting to read more. Some of the novel was kind of predictable, but I still found the path that Bodeen chose for this book satisfying. I found it very interesting that even though the genre of this book is fiction, it is still very real. Overall, I would definitely suggest that you read this book because it keeps you on your toes. Also, it has more aspects to it then just survival.

I really like the book, it was filled with suspence and action. My favorite part is when Eli is trying to find the clues for the code for the door. Another part of the book I really enjoyed is that there was always something going on whether it be a problem or a new flashback in the book. In one of the flashbacks Eli remembers a christmas eve dinner, he remembers when he and his brother were camping inside a hidden storage box while spying on peoples. Then Eli came out and was running but he tripped and puked all over a pair of expensive shoes. In conclusion this book is above and beyond and I would totally recommed this book to anybody. I really like the book because there was a lot of action and suspence and if you like those books then this is the book for you, Its also funny at some parts. there was a lot of drama involved with this story, like when Eli punches his dad in the face.

First impressions of the book was lukewarm. When I went to look at the summary It just felt like any other mystery book. During the book it started to get better and then it just started to become nonsense. Like the beef jerky they just ate it and really didn't think about Eddie. There was a lot of suspense, and was easily laughed at the book, especially about the milk and the cows. I do like the balance of of the action. And how sometimes it acts like if you where acting like Goku. I would not reccomend reading this book, because there was really no plot and was nothing like, Jeremy Fink and the meaning of life. There where ups and downs . I just wish it had something like a really good cliff hanger, but it just ends as you know that it was coming up.

I really like the book because there was a lot of action and suspence and if you like those books then this is the book for you, Its also funny at some parts. there was a lot of drama involved with this story, like when Eli punches his dad in the face.

The book was a great novel to read if you like action and drama. One of the things I liked the most is the relation between the characters. The family all played their parts. I also liked the way that the book kept wrapping you inside as you read further. Insted of just reusing old ideas from previous parts of the book, the author insted came up with new problems and challenges the characters had to face. Something else I enjoyed was the comedy. There were some very, questionable, moments that I thought were pretty funny.

I thought the premise for this book was FANTASTIC--such a creepy, fascinating idea for a story! Sadly, the book itself didn't make anywhere near as big an impression on me as the idea of it did. I felt like things moved along a little too quickly to feel realistic, and the characters were inconsistent and...just not quite believable. Several plot points were sloppy and didn't really make sense. And it seemed like every conflict or hurdle was overcome way too easily. It had the potential to be super dark, super suspenseful, utterly riveting, but in the end it just kind of falls flat. Maybe if it was twice as long and everything was fleshed out much more than it is?

Still an entertaining read, just...disappointing, because it could have been SO much better. :(

I have just finished reading this with my two sons, 10 and 12. They loved it--we actually read far too long last night and had to read before school together this AM to find out how it ended. (I was surprised by the ending, unlike other reviewers.)

There are a few topics in here that I would liked to have known about before we got into it: nuclear holocaust; death of animals by poisoning; probable mental health problems; the whole idea of a father turning on his family to this level. As a parent, you might want to scan this a bit more before you have your child under grade 7 or 8 read it.

The pace is fast. The characters are not that well developed, but that's part of what moves this book along more quickly. The plot had so many twists and turns that I found myself recounting most of it at work today.

But what sticks with me all day is this idea of a father so far off of what he had first appeared.... rather creepy and actually, sick.

Still, I'm on the store tonight to see if it there is a sequel, because all three of us wanted to know what might happen after this one concludes!

The Compound
Age Range: 12+
Grade: A++
Rating: 5 stars
This book was so awesome, I read it in 4 days. Considering I am an immensely slow reader and juggle about 7 books at a time, this was no mean feat.
This is the story of Elio: a boy who has been in a Compound for six years, away from his presumably dead twin brother. Isolated underground, he isolates himself from his family, the only others there in the Compound with him. The food supply is running out, and Eli must decide to do what is right or resort to barbaric measures imposed upon him by his crazy father.
This story has a lot of disturbing, and scary, content. Not for the weak of stomach, or the weak of heart.
I loved the adventure, the familial aspect, and how it didn't offend me as a Christian. In other words: dang, it was good! Pick a copy up today, by all means necessary. You won't be dissapointed.

The short description on the back of The Compound seemed to set the book up for an exciting plot and suspenseful story. Inside the book, I found much of that, a compelling character in Eli and a nearly-unbelievable world of the Compound.

As I read the book, however, my expectations were dashed. I found Eli's father very two dimensional, and many of the final rising action muddled and rushed. The book reads most of the way as part one of a two or three part story, and yet the story is completely self-contained, a definite disappointment. It feels like the author should have taken the time to flesh out the story some more, the ending, especially, is a missed opportunity, presented as a small, little package tied up in a neat little bow for the reader. The story tries to touch on themes of paternal protection abused for emotional mistreatment and adolescent independence, but it stumbles over itself and fails to thread in any take-home thoughts beyond the covers of the book.

Perhaps the book can be forgiven for being aimed at the Middle/Junior High School level, and if so, it misses out on the opportunity to draw in readers beyond that level. There are enough books out there that both teens and adults can enjoy to make this book easy enough to skip.

Overall, an excellent choice for teens who like suspense, apocalyptic, maybe even family drama. I read this book in one sitting and overall it was a satisfying read. The main character develops and grows throughout the book and his actions and thoughts are believable.

However, there were several parts of the book that bothered me. If you could suspend disbelief in a few areas, the overall themes and story will hold together and make for an interesting read.

I'll keep this vague to not spoil the plot, but here's one example... It takes more resources to feed cattle than it does to just eat the cattle food. That is, if you're in a closed eco-system and you're running out of food, you'll last longer by eating the cow food rather than feeding the cow and then eating the cow. So, their plan for food was not really that wise.

Another thing... Eli, the protagonist of the story, came upon several little discoveries, making him wonder about this world he was living in. While he came upon all these discoveries honestly, I do find it hard to believe that he found them all at once. It would have been better if he discovered one or two of them years ago and bought his father's explanation. And only recently, with new discoveries, did the old discoveries come to light again with new questions.

Also, many questions were left largely unanswered... like the father's reasons. The father was a pretty good character, but it would have been nice to round him out a bit more. If he'd shown a few more signs of honestly loving his family, it would have made his motivations, sanity and actions more complex.

Overall, however, an excellent book that raises some interesting questions and ponderings.

This book was a thrill ride that I never expected, with a shocking story line that seemed to come out of no where. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and even stayed up late into the night to finish it in one day. I had to know what happened. This book sweeps you along from the first sentence and does not let up, and then... just when you think that you know what is going to happen, another plot twist comes and takes you at break neck speed to the book's creepy and harrowing conclusion.

As a middle school language arts teacher, I am constantly striving to find literature that is engaging not only for me, but for my students as well. All too often I find literature that is adequately hyped, but never quite fits the bill. Finally, I feel that I have struck literature gold with The Compound.

The Compound was a novel that gripped me with the premise that soon followed with the very first page. I was engaged, enthralled, and completely electrified by this book. The protagonist's journey through emotional detachment and suspicion is very rich and thoroughly well played out. I found Eli to be a very easy character to relate to as he comes to grips with himself, his family, and the compound itself.

The only real criticism that I have of The Compound is a slight sputter before the climax. There is a lot of tension built before the climax, but it seemed that the author wanted to take a route of symbolizing the dynamics of the characters instead with some odd activities. Though this left me taken back a bit, I was already so completely engaged by the story that it did not hamper any interest.

I would gladly use this novel in my classroom for literature circles. I think that nearly any reader could become absolutely captivated by this young adult masterpiece. I will definitely be on the lookout for more material by S.A. Bodeen that is sure to continue satisfying.

Rex Yanakakis has built an underground shelter where he plans on his family living until it is again safe to go outside. Fortunately, they are near the shelter on the day the bombs are dropped. Unfortunately, Grandma and Eddy aren't there when the bombs drop and are unable to arrive back in time to accompany the family into the shelter.

This story is glum from opening until the very end. It all comes down to the fact that the father is crazy. The whole premise is that the father is obsessively possessed by the thought that the world was ending. This was hallmarked by a barely functioning family. This family was the definition of dysfunctional. Then you learn that only the father, Rex, has the code to open the doors.

The book was consumed with continually failing food sources in the underground shelter. Then it came with gross solutions proposed by the father to address the failing food sources. There is no way for me not to address this one. SPOILER COMING:
First you learn that he is keeping his wife pregnant, so she can be the family milk cow. Then he decides that he will impregnate her with clones, so they can eat them. She refuses, but he asks the daughter to be the family meat producer. I don't know where he is going to get the tech to make clones. And the author never addresses this. Additionally, with a gestation period of 9 months, plus the additional years to make the child big enough to warrant consumption, there won't be enough protein to warrant the eating of the child. The author obviously put this crap in there for shock value. I just found it to be ignorant.

Spoiler Over.

The characters were one dimensional. Dad was crazy because of genetics. Mom was weak and did as her husband directed. The children were without any depth to their characters. It was a lame, hollow attempt at a book. Because there wasn't much to the plot, there should have been characters that you could get behind. Instead, there was just a poor attempt to be gross, and the grossness couldn't even become real horror due to this being a YA book.

Summer reading lists came out this past May and since I am a former Librarian and still volunteer in the school libraries at my kid's schools I usually read anything new on the lists. This was one of the optional books on the 8th grade lists. My kids still enjoy being read aloud to at 12 and 15. I read the Compound to my 15 yo son. First the good: Very engaging characters, the personalities and quirks of Eli and his siblings were very believeable. The up to date electronic devices and lingo were something that my son enjoyed. It was a thriller. I found myself reading ahead after my son was asleep. Now what I did not enjoy. The emotional abusiveness of Eli's insane father and the battered woman personality of his mother enraged me. I thought this was too intense for readers under 13. Neither parent could provide the security that Eli needed. There was no adult in his life on which he could depend. Finally his grandmother comes through and provides a redeeming adult role model. The crass language just cheapened the story. I am around many high school students on band trips and outings and they don't talk this way. The artificial insemenation scheme of his egomanical father was so creepy I cringed every time I read it and just did not think it had a place in a middle school book. I am sure it will be gobbled up for the movie rights where parents are often portrayed as those who prey on their children. I just read that the sequel The Fallout will be out soon - the abuse of that man of course will continue!

The Yanakakis family is supposed to spend fifteen years in their underground bunker. Six years in, Eli will do anything to get out.

I haven't been this crept out about milk since Emma Donoghue's ROOM. Also awkward: mention of a human host...

A claustrophobic setting with family secrets, a puzzle to solve, and the threat of nuclear annihilation - all at a brisk pace and ideal for anyone looking for a quality teen thriller. The science afoot also contributes to this five-star read. Anyone else feel the need to read Nevil Shute's ON THE BEACH?

The main protagonist of The Compound is Eli Yanakakis, a fifteen year old boy who has spent the past six years of his life living in an underground, nuclear shelter built by his billionaire father. Growing up, the threat of nuclear war had always been a part of Eli's life; he lived in a hotspot for a nuclear attack and his father had a hobby of studying nuclear warfare. However, the most significant influence on Eli's life was his best friend and twin brother - Eddy. Eli and Eddy did everything together, from making a mess in the kitchen, to watching the sunset. Unfortunately, when Eli's father rushes the family into the Compound to escape a nuclear attack, Eddy is not with them, and the heavy silver door of the Compound is shut behind them. Six years later, as food supplies begin to dwindle earlier than expected, Eli starts to suspect that not everything is quite right in his new home.

My first impressions of this book were excellent. The characters all had unique personalities and the circumstances at the beginning paved the way for a suspenseful and a captivating story. While the plot turned out interesting and fast-paced enough to keep me from putting the book down, I thought that there were some issues. First, the plot seemed to progress almost too fast. After six years in the Compound without Eli questioning anything, he suddenly makes a series of startling discoveries in a matter of days. The end of the plot also left me somewhat disappointed. I felt that it left too many questions unanswered and the problem was not as fully resolved as I would have hoped.

There were also a couple of instances in the story where the author had Eli refer to things that had yet to be explained. Sometimes this made me want to keep reading to find out more, but at other times it left me wondering if I had somehow managed to skip a page. Another thing that left me slightly disappointed was how some mysteries were made to sound far more complex than they really were, while other complex problems were solved with far too much ease.

However, even with the problems already mentioned, I still found this book enjoyable to read. I just wish the plot had more substance and the story was longer.

The Compound is an interesting little nesting-egg kind of story. The reader opens the cover anticipating a straight-forward, post-apocalyptic tale, but as the plot unravels layer by layer, a very different story is revealed. Author S.A. Bodeen is ambitious in her first novel, showing a talent for literary slight-of-hand that would make the writers of LOST envious.

The story begins with 9-year-old Eli and his family being driven from their beds in a panic and sealed into an elaborate underground bunker designed by his multi-billionaire computer mogule father. The worst has happened: nuclear war has finally broken out. Luckily, his father has spent years preparing for this tragedy, making them the only probable survivors of the bombs and fallout.

Unfortunately, in the chaos, Eli's twin brother, Eddy, and his grandmother were left behind on the outside. As the family begins their 15-year stay in the Compound -- the amount of time his father says the land needs to recover from the nuclear blast -- Eli mourns for his twin and everything they left behind above ground. It's not that the Compound doesn't have all the comforts of home. His dad spared no expense, from luxurious bedroom suites, to an elaborate livestock corral and extensive hydroponic grow rooms built to maintain a sustainable food supply. But six years after they entered the Compound, things have started to go wrong. The livestock have all gotten sick and died. The grain supply has turned grey and rancid. And his father's plans for surviving the next nine years through use of "Supplements" are straight out of a science fiction nightmare.

Through it all, now 15-year-old Eli is tormented by the feeling that Eddy is still alive, somehow. He still feels an eerie connection with his twin, and can't shake the feeling that maybe there are survivors above ground -- and that maybe things aren't as bad as his Dad thinks they are on the surface. He begins to investigate and question, and finally, plot a way to get out of the Compound and find the answers about the world above for himself.

I enjoyed The Compound, but did have some difficulties with the novel. Primarily, the main character is not very likeable. His self-centeredness and detachment realistically reflect his extreme experiences and the loss of his brother, but it does make it harder to care about his struggles. Eli does, however, experience a lot of growth throughout the course of the book, and redeems himself in the end.

Bodeen builds a lot of tension during the book, and tackles some very interesting ideas throughout. It's a quick read that will appeal to lots of readers of all ages that should be as eager as I to uncover the reveal the surprising secrets waiting in The Compound.

The main protagonist of The Compound is Eli Yanakakis, a fifteen year old boy who has spent the past six years of his life living in an underground, nuclear shelter built by his billionaire father. Growing up, the threat of nuclear war had always been a part of Eli's life; he lived in a hotspot for a nuclear attack and his father had a hobby of studying nuclear warfare. However, the most significant influence on Eli's life was his best friend and twin brother - Eddy. Eli and Eddy did everything together, from making a mess in the kitchen, to watching the sunset. Unfortunately, when Eli's father rushes the family into the Compound to escape a nuclear attack, Eddy is not with them, and the heavy silver door of the Compound is shut behind them. Six years later, as food supplies begin to dwindle earlier than expected, Eli starts to suspect that not everything is quite right in his new home.

My first impressions of this book were excellent. The characters all had unique personalities and the circumstances at the beginning paved the way for a suspenseful and a captivating story. While the plot turned out interesting and fast-paced enough to keep me from putting the book down, I thought that there were some issues. First, the plot seemed to progress almost too fast. After six years in the Compound without Eli questioning anything, he suddenly makes a series of startling discoveries in a matter of days. The end of the plot also left me somewhat disappointed. I felt that it left too many questions unanswered and the problem was not as fully resolved as I would have hoped.

There were also a couple of instances in the story where the author had Eli refer to things that had yet to be explained. Sometimes this made me want to keep reading to find out more, but at other times it left me wondering if I had somehow managed to skip a page. Another thing that left me slightly disappointed was how some mysteries were made to sound far more complex than they really were, while other complex problems were solved with far too much ease.

However, even with the problems already mentioned, I still found this book enjoyable to read. I just wish the plot had more substance and the story was longer.

I absolutely was amazed by this book. Being a librarian that's obsessed with books, I couldn't help picking this book up in the store. The cover alone got me hooked. It was well paced and packed with amazing things. The story revolving around Eli. His family is dysfunctional, living in a compound under the ground after the world went kaboom.

When the story starts out he's pretty self absorbed, but as the plot starts to thicken he isn't so absorbed and starts to wonder about a few things that are going on. One of which is their food supply is starting to run low. His mother is pregnant, his sister isn't as much of a pain as he thinks, and his father is a complete... nutcase?!

This story was so intriguing that I found myself reading till all hours of the night. I loved it! It was an exceptional story about possibilities that sometimes we ignore. I hope to add this to our library collection.

I can't wait till her next book comes out... The Gardener...

I really enjoyed this book! This is a wonderful novel! It's more to the teens though. It's all about a family who has lived in a compound for years. The main character, a boy of 16 (if I remember correctly) doesn't like much contact with his family. He doesn't like getting touched my anyone especially the 'supplements'. He is always thinking about his twin brother. It really is sweet. The plot wraps up nicely and makes room for a sequel.

It is a good sci-fi read.

Going into this book I had no expectations. I didn't know what to expect because I had never heard of the author or the book at all. If you decide to read this book you better have extremely high expectations because it would have blown mine out of the water if I had any!

This book was extremely hard to put down. I picked this book for a free reading assignment for my English class; the cover made me think that this book definitely deserves to be read. Once I got through the first chapter I couldn't put it down. I stayed up until the early hours of the morning reading this book, and I read half of it in one sitting. Staying up until those hours should prove a point to all the people that write bad reviews. They obviously skimmed through the book and didn't appreciate it for what it's worth.

Compound is written in a very attractive way. The way this book is written is pretty normal when it comes to books, but with all its twists and turns in the plot it made it very unique. Just when you think the story line is going one way it will turn right around and leave you with your mouth open trying to figure out how that worked.
My final word is to read this book. You will like it and wont regret finding such a catch.

The book was finished and my couch had indention of my body on it. I didn't even get up to eat or go to the bathroom. Good story, interesting, not hard to follow. A nice read for me, an adult in my 30's, and my teen book eater loved it too. I would recommend this book for someone wanting to kick back and be entertained with a unique plot. For pre-teens who eat books to the casual adult reader that doesn't want a hundred characters and complicated plots to keep up with. This is a 'no hassle' book. Thanks for taking me to another place outside of the daily grind. I thought about the book even after I read it.

Exciting, mind-bending, unexpected, amazing, twists and turns, and intense. This book was amazing, it kept me thinking and I never knew what was going to happen next! This book is my favorite and I definitely recommend this to anyone and everyone.

The story was intriguing, but it went from strange to creepy to a poor, contrived, rushed ending. I was quite disappointed. I previewed this for my young teen, and while it passed my tests, other parents may find the solution to the food shortage a bit disturbing, especially for younger readers.

This book was a very good book , packed with action and adventure ....i loved this book a lot , I was up all night ..... literally!! I recommend this book to anybody! Even though it takes a while for the book to start getting good , its worth it. You will just have to be patient for the climax to start happening