The Compound (Hardcover)

by S. A. Bodeen (Author)
Key Phrases: unopened pouch, Rex Yanakakis, Little Miss Perfect, Christmas Eve (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
Starred Review. Bodeen, acclaimed as the writer of such picture books as Elizabeti's Doll, turns out a high-wire act of a first novel, a thriller that exerts an ever-tighter grip on readers. Eli, the 15-year-old son of a billionaire techno-preneur, has spent the last six years with his family in the massive underground shelter his father has built, knowing that nuclear war has destroyed the world he knows—and killed his grandmother and his twin brother, who couldn't reach the compound in time. With nine years to go before the air outside will be safe to breathe again, the food supply shows signs of running out, but Eli's father has a solution—provided they jettison all morals and ethics. Repulsed and already suspicious, Eli begins investigating his father's claims, and sets up a family death match against a man who grows increasingly irrational and sinister but no less powerful. As far-fetched as the premise may be, Bodeen keeps Eli's actions true to life and uses clues planted fairly and in plain sight. The audience will feel the pressure closing in on them as they, like the characters, race through hairpin turns in the plot toward a breathless climax. Ages 12-up. (June)
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From School Library Journal
Grade 7 Up—In a burst of panic about a nuclear attack, nine-year-old Eli, his sisters, and his parents move into an underground bunker built by Eli's billionaire father. It's an enormous complex, with rooms similar to those in the family's Seattle mansion. Only his grandmother and twin brother don't make it in. The first six years of the planned 15 have been fairly routine, but now some food has spoiled, and certain things just don't seem right, or even possible. Eli is starting to have doubts about his father's motives, explanations, and sanity. Readers might find the first third of the novel to be slow as a lot of time is spent developing Eli's character as a spoiled, self-centered child. There is considerable foreshadowing, and astute readers will likely figure out the ending. As the years pass, Eli is full of teen angst and anger that develops into a realization of what he must do in order to help his family survive. The novel becomes full of tension and suspense and turns into a true edge-of-the-seat thriller. There are numerous social issues addressed that could lead to great classroom discussions.—Dylan Thomarie, Johnstown High School, NY
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Young Adult
  
• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: Feiwel & Friends (April 29, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312370156
• ISBN-13: 978-0312370152
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.3 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #175,803 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Character-driven Apocalyptic Suspense, May 29, 2008

By	R. Pierson - See all my reviews

This is a cool, eerie story for teens that parents (like me) can't help but pick up, glance through - and then have to finish. My 7th grade son and 8th grade daughter are avid readers, including many classics and best-sellers, and they each got pretty into it. Well-written, with original and multi-faceted characters - it comes alive in your mind and carries you along like a good movie. Intense action, but with jolts of equally palpable tenderness (raw and real, not sappy). The ultimate sign of a winner: My son was restless after finishing it...sad/crabby that he was done with The Compound and not in the mood for reading anything else.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Glad I read it :), December 27, 2008

By	J. Terry - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

The way I judge if a book is good or not is whether or not I can tolerate putting it down for more than half an hour. When I started reading this book, I didn't like putting it down, and it went with me everywhere I went. I had a guess of how the ending would turn out, but that just made me want to read it more to see if I was right or not. I found myself ranting at my friends every time there was a plot twist. I loved this book :)

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Mostly entertaining, but flawed, December 16, 2008

By	Mark Wilsonwood (Grapevine, TX) - See all my reviews

This is the kind of book I would have enjoyed as a teen. But reading it now (a long way past my teen years), I see the flaws more than the good points.
First, I suspected the surprise plot turn within the first page or two (or even on reading the inside cover synopsis). The suspicion was confirmed very early in the story.
Second, the "Supplements". This was included, I guess, as the author's way of introducing a shocking moral angle to the story. But aside from that, think of the sheer stupidity of the plan. The pace of reproduction would fall far short of needs.
Anyway, while flawed, the story is absorbing. I would compare it to "House of Stairs" or "Singularity", both by William Sleator.