All reviews for Compound, The (2008)
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“The Compound” is told by a boy named Eli. He and his family have spent the last 6 years in an underground shelter called the Compound because of a nuclear war. His family in the Compound with him include his mother, father, his older sister Lexie, and younger sister Terese. He has a twin brother named Eddy and a Grandma who are not with the family in the shelter. When it was Eli and Eddy’s 9th birthday, they went camping with their family near the Compound. They were traveling in their RV when Eddy’s allergies flared up and Gram offered to go back to the cabin and get his medicine. Eli had tricked Eddy into sneaking into Gram’s SUV with no one knowing but the two of them. When Gram left, that was when the nuclear war started. Eli’s father drove to the Compound thinking that Eddy was with them. They sealed up the hatch and then noticed that Eddy was not there. The shelter was built by his father, Rex Yanakakis. Rex is a billionaire computer manufacturer and software developer. Eli’s father was worried about the threat of a nuclear war and living in the targeted area of Seattle. Rex was obsessed with the idea of war, had a lot of money, and built the shelter to protect his family when the time came. The Compound had everything that the family needed to survive for 15 years. This is when Eli’s father said it would be safe to come out. The Compound had farm animals, a hydroponic garden, all the food and supplies the family would need, a church, a gym, all the clothes needed as the kids grew up, and computers to do school work. When the story starts, the food supplies are starting to run out because of contamination and maybe sabotage. Eli’s father has found other ways to get food if they need it. “The Supplements” and cloning are the ideas that make Eli wonder if his dad is crazy. Also, Eli thinks his father might be lying by the clues that he finds. He finds newer music cds and a working internet. As Eli starts to uncover the truth, he wonders if anyone would believe him and if there really is a way out.
3 starsI read The Fallout before this one, knowing the ending full well and of Eli`s demons. Even then, I struggle with it. The beginning was too slow. Even though the book picks up at the end, I felt the pace dragged too much until the end –which is the same issue I have with the Fallout. The mother is about to give birth and Eli has to figure out clues to access the code to get help from outside. I think if the clues were a bit clearer –if I had known these nesting dolls that Quinn was pointing at would turn out to be vital or mention of these chemicals for invisible ink- I would have paid more attention to the description/narrative. We see the events from Eli’s point of view and he’s quite a bland, introverted character. That said, what really lifted the book was his growth –there wasn’t much change in him in The Fallout. He starts asking questions and caring for his siblings, when before he wouldn’t even acknowledge them or allow anyone to touch him. The writing is smooth but not extraordinary. It makes an easy read and maybe a second reading, I’ll pay attention to the clues. I’ll look out for more books from the author.
not a bad book at all, pretty easy, though interesting. Suspenseful too, definitely a good read
I LOVED THIS BOOK!! and "The Fallout"