Saturday, March 15, 2008

The Compound-S. A. Bodeen

The Compound
S. A. Bodeen
Macmillan, May 2008, $16.95
ISBN: 9780312376152

Billionaire businessman Rex Yanaktisis built the Compound, a bomb shelter guaranteed to keep out radiation in case of a nuclear attack. He believed in being prepared for all events so when the bombs explode, Ren manages to get into the Compound his wife, son Eli, and two daughters Teresa and Denise; but he failed to bring in his other child, Eli’s identical twin Eddie.

The family remains inside the shelter for six years and things are starting to disintegrate. They are running low on certain foods, the flour seems to have turned and only Ren eats the bread. The dates for medicine are expiring. Eli’s mother gives birth frequently so if worse comes to worse; the “supplements” will be part of their diet. One day Eli has his computer outside his father’s study when he makes an external connection causing the teenager to doubt everything he thought he believed about his dad.

There is a growing atmosphere of suspense as people inside the Compound become increasingly desperate as time passes. Eli stays with his brothers and sisters (the supplements) but begins to believe his father is hiding something from them. As the truth surfaces, the mother and her children pull together as a family unit. Young adults who like suspenseful chilling post apocalypse thrillers will want to join the Mackenzie brood inside THE COMPOUND.

Harriet Klausner

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