The Compound by S.A. Bodeen

Have you ever thought about what it would be like to live underground? Well, in this engrossing thriller, readers will slowly discover that the Compound is not what it seems. Written by S.A Bodeen, The Compound is truly a book that will have readers turning the page until the end!

Eli, his two sisters, and his mom and dad have lived in the Compound for six years. They know the world they left behind is gone, but something isn’t right. No one is happy and no one is telling the truth.

When problems arise in this intricately planned compound that terrorize their haven and their sanity, Eli begins to wonder if he would be better off outside. Everyone thought their dad built this to keep them safe, but are they safe - or sorry? Read to find out what will happen to Eli and his family. Will they ever know the whole truth about what happened on the day that began their worst nightmare? Will they even make it out alive? This is truly a captivating story about what some people would do to have all the power and money in the world.

I think this book ties in with the book The City of Ember seris. In both stories the plot is underground, the problem is they are starting to lose food and other resources, and both characters want to get out. If you have read this book you sure will enjoy The Compound! This book is recommended for Young Adults. S.A Bodeen has also written The Gardener. It has four out of five stars from the customers on the Barnes and Noble website. It hasn’t won any awards. Publisher’s Weekly declares that it is “ A high-wire act of a first novel, a thriller that exerts an ever-tighter grip on readers.” Booklist acknowledges “Debut novelist Bodeen effectively builds the claustrophobic suspense with each chapter as readers slowly discover the Compound is not the refuge as it seems,” To me the most riveting quote is “ T.S. Elliot was wrong. My world ended with a bang the minute we entered the Compound and that silver door closed behind us.” I believe this quote shows emotion on how he thought his world ended. If my world ended I wouldn’t be thinking of what T.S. Elliot thought but of what’s going to happen to me now! This book masters the brilliance of what people do to protect their own self and their own family. This a thought provoking book that both girls and boys would fall for!

Recommended by Jenna Willer

The name of my book is The Compound by S.A Bodeen. This book is about a boy named Eli whose father puts him and his two sisters an there mother in the compound. They’re four stories below ground and they have been in it for 6 years. Eli is fed up and wants to leave and never look back. Will his dad let him out or will he have to crack the code himself, to save himself and his family. You will have to read this breath taking 245 page book to find out what happens. This book was copyrighted in 2008. The reading age for this book is young adult but I think that adults would like it to. A little part from this book is: “I held my breath and shut my eyes the IM conversation was on the screen for dad to see. Then it click and the battery was dead!”

“The audience will feel the pressure closing in on them as they, like the characters, race through hairpin turns in the plot toward a breathtaking climax” says Publishers Weelkly.

Recommended by Owen Murphy