The Compound by S.A. Bodeen

Wow. That was my first response when finishing The Compound. I couldn't believe how simply "weirded out" the book made me.

Eli and his family have been living for six years in an underground bomb shelter. It's not your typical one-room bomb shelter from the fifties, but rather a lavish living space with lots of amenities. You see, Eli's dad is a multi-billionaire and was able to get his family to the "Compound" before the first nuclear bombs exploded. Well, most of his family. You see, Eli's twin brother Eddy and his grandmother had to return to the house to get Eddy's medicine and didn't make it back in time. One night, Eli was checking out the laptop, when an IM pops up. It's from Eddy and he tells him that he and Grandma are alive and well -- there was no nuclear war. Eli begins to realize that his father has locked them down in the Compound and he might be completely insane.

As I said before, I got shivers just thinking about the things Eli and his family were having to contemplate. With food supplies, especially protein, running low, their father had devised some simply awful ways in order for the family to receive the protein. Ugh! I still get shivers... The suspense and horror felt was like seeing a really bad car accident. You don't want to look, but you can't help yourself. With all the events that slowly, step-by-step, built up to the climax, I felt the ending just rushed by. I'm sure it was because I was dreading what was going to happen next. A superb horror story that will please many different readers. I can't wait to get some reactions to this book from others! I give it an A, Highly Recommended.