The Compound

The Compound

S. A. Bodeen

Synopsis:
When his father, a multi-millionaire, heard that nuclear war was about to start, Eli's family took refuge in a giant bunker called the Compound, built to house his family for 15 years. All of Eli's family but his twin brother Eddy made it in the bunker, and 6 years later, Eli still can't stop blaming himself for the loss of his brother. One day, Eli gets enough courage to enter the room meant for Eddy. He finds little of interest, but he takes Eddy's laptop and starts messing around. On an impulse, Eli tries to open the internet. To his surprise, the laptop connects, and he starts talking to Eddy, who is supposed to be the victim of a nuclear war! Eli begins to question that his father is revealing the whole truth, and he desperately tries to think of a way out of the Compound...

My Thoughts:
This book is FILLED with many twists and turns, and many of them make you wonder how a human could think in such a twisted manner. One thing that was interesting to me in this book was the criticism of the main character. Unlike most books where the protagonist is glorified, this one really stressed the faults of Eli, showing his sister's low opinion of him as well as his own self-criticizing thoughts. I think that in this particular situation anyone would be irritable, but Eli seems a little more than this. Still, compared to his father, he is far from a bad person. The events of this story affect his character far more than the previous 6 years in the compound. The book takes a little while to get going, but once the intense plot really kicks in, it is really hard to put the book down.

Questions for Thought:
1. Would you be able to stand being in the Compound for 15 years, only to get out and find your world destroyed? Would it be better than dying with everyone else?

2. What would you do with 15 YEARS of free time but limited resources?

3. Would you trust only one person to know the code to the door?

Please leave your comments and answers!

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