Review: The Compound by S.A. Bodeen

by:  S.A. Bodeen
published by: Feiwal and Friends
publish date: April 2008

Eli and his family have lived in the underground Compound for six years. The world they knew is gone, and they've become accustomed to their new life. Accustomed, but not happy.

Eli's father is a computer and business genius.  This has made him billions of dollars.  He built a sprawling underground complex for his family to live in when a nuclear attack happens, because he feels one is imminent.  When Eli is 6 years old it seems like his father's predictions have come true.  There's a huge explosion when they were on vacation.  The family makes it to the bunker in the allotted 45 minutes only to find that Eli's twin brother and his grandmother didn't make it into the bunker before the door was sealed.  Once the door is sealed it won't open for 15 years.

6 years in the food situation has gotten dire, his dad has gotten bizarre and Eli thinks it's time to open the bunker and see what's going on in the outside world.  However, overriding the system is going to be far harder than he imagines.

I had this book on my shelf for a couple of years.  I finally picked it up after watching an episode of Doomsday Preppers.  The Compound was a really fascinating read.  I read it cover to cover in just a couple of hours.  I will say that it definitely put me off wanting to build any kind of underground bunker.

While I was kinda wishy-washy on my feelings about The Raft, also by SA Bodeen, that came out earlier this year, I thought this book was pretty solid.  The writing was solid, the pacing was good.  There were some things that I wasn't totally clear on, but that's probably a good thing.  It's probably a better left up to the imagination kinda thing.  So, I would definitely recommend this one to the YA Doomsday crowd out there.  I think most would like it.