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A review by cornmaven
The Compound by S.A. Bodeen
4.0
Genius Hi-Tech Bazillionaire in Seattle obsesses over nuclear destruction and builds himself an underground compound supposedly capable of supporting his family for the required 15 year avoidance of radiation.
Then a nuclear attack occurs, the family goes underground, minus one son (a twin) and the mother-in-law (of course), who didn't make it in time. And the plans for survival start to fall apart as things happen to the food supply. And the kids start suspecting something is amiss with the whole situation. And the father's reaction to all of this gets creepier and creepier - especially his requirement that he and his wife have more children, and those children will be an emergency food source! Ugh. And when he figures out that they can't birth them fast enough, he starts working on cloning more! Double Ugh.
The narrator is the remaining twin, who has always been the self-absorbed mean-spirited one of the family (other than the dad). So he has to change his ways in order to help the rest of his family survive and figure out how to surmount the father's total control over the situation.
There's a lot of improbables, especially why the mother goes along with the "Supplement" plan, and how they are possibly feeding the new kids (3) along with 3 other kids and two adults if the food supply is so low. At one point, it's explained that the mom is supplying breast milk for everyone (the older kids are refusing of course) as the protein source. But I had a hard time believing that she could produce that much.
Bodeen eventually pulls it all together, the family turns on the dad, and right wins the day, mostly. Throughout, the tension and suspense is evident, and I think a kid will enjoy the story. I found myself staying up late to find out what happens. I thought the dad's Napoleonic mindset was plausible, and that is what the whole story hinges on, and why his actions are so outrageous.
Then a nuclear attack occurs, the family goes underground, minus one son (a twin) and the mother-in-law (of course), who didn't make it in time. And the plans for survival start to fall apart as things happen to the food supply. And the kids start suspecting something is amiss with the whole situation. And the father's reaction to all of this gets creepier and creepier - especially his requirement that he and his wife have more children, and those children will be an emergency food source! Ugh. And when he figures out that they can't birth them fast enough, he starts working on cloning more! Double Ugh.
The narrator is the remaining twin, who has always been the self-absorbed mean-spirited one of the family (other than the dad). So he has to change his ways in order to help the rest of his family survive and figure out how to surmount the father's total control over the situation.
There's a lot of improbables, especially why the mother goes along with the "Supplement" plan, and how they are possibly feeding the new kids (3) along with 3 other kids and two adults if the food supply is so low. At one point, it's explained that the mom is supplying breast milk for everyone (the older kids are refusing of course) as the protein source. But I had a hard time believing that she could produce that much.
Bodeen eventually pulls it all together, the family turns on the dad, and right wins the day, mostly. Throughout, the tension and suspense is evident, and I think a kid will enjoy the story. I found myself staying up late to find out what happens. I thought the dad's Napoleonic mindset was plausible, and that is what the whole story hinges on, and why his actions are so outrageous.