Eli and his family have lived in the underground Compound for six years. The world they knew is gone, and they’ve become accustomed to their new life. Accustomed, but not happy. No amount of luxury can stifle the dull routine of living in the same place, with only his two sisters, only his father and mother, doing the same thing day after day after day. As problems with their carefully planned existence threaten to destroy their sanctuary—and their sanity—Eli can’t help but wonder if he’d rather take his chances outside. Eli’s father built the Compound to keep them safe. But are they safe—really?
Comments
Abe Blog 2012 
1- I read this book because after looking at summaries and reviews of the book choices I felt this would be the most interesting to me. The idea of a safe-house during a nuclear fallout seemed fascinating to me and immediately drew my attention to this book.
2- I believe that I can relate a little to Eli in The Compound. Eli and his dad get along but don’t talk a lot because his dad is always working. I can relate to this as my dad works a lot and I don’t see him a lot because of homework unless I’m asking for help. Eli and I can also relate because we both get bored easily if we do the same thing every day. Eli runs through the same routine every day which after a few weeks begins to bother and bore him massively. I love to travel and get quite bored when I’m home in school going through the same routine of school, homework, and band.
3- I fully believe that this book deserves to belong on the Abe list. I do not think it was necessarily the best book on the list as I also read Reality Check. It was well written and full of detail and had a great story line, but did not strike me as a truly amazing book. If the first half of the book was written with the same mood that the second half was written in, I think that the book would be enormously better and would attract more readers. As a book overall, I believe that The Compound was definitely worthy of being on the list this year.
4- I thoroughly enjoyed the book despite it being slow and a little dull in the beginning. Some readers might not enjoy it because its a tough book to get into.
Robert Parks/Saunders 2
1: A friend recommended this book to me instead of any of the other ones and I was told although it was the longest, but that it was a good read. The thought of a family who had all the riches in the world, was stuck in an underground compound interested me, and i wanted to find out what happend to them in the end.
2: I believe that i can relate mostly to Eli in the book because although he is underground with no one but his fImily to talk to, he makes the most out of his situation. For me I try my best to make the most out of every situation, and even being alone, I can always find some way to entertain myself. If I were stuck in a compound like Eli, and had the things that he had, I would spend my time in the gym like him, and on the computer although there wasnt much to do.
3: I do think that this book is worthy of being on the Abes list because, I have never been able to sit down and read a book for three hours straight, and actually like the book I was reading. Also, I thought that the book did a good job explaining every detail of what was happening at a specific time. I also came to learn that this book was written in a months time. That impressed me because after reading it, readers would never have guessed that it would only take amount of time because it was so well put together. It also is a book that i myself would recommend to people who like suspense.
4: I did like this book, because it kept me guessing until the end, it got a little predictable, but throughout most of the novel it was hard to put down because i wanted to keep finding out what was going to happen next. The thing i didnt like about the book is that it keeps you guessing at the end.
1. I chose this book because I read all the summarys for the other books and this one was the most appealing to me.
2. I sort of relate to Eli in the book where I love my family, but I’m not very close to any family member and I try and stay away from them. I Also relate to Eli’s younger sister, (insert name here) because she is very talkative and interested in things that most people might not.
3. I feel that this book belongs on the Abe list. Its full of rich detail and the author does a good job of story telling.
4. I personally didn’t like this book too much. I didn’t hate it, but i didn’t like it. It was too slow in the beginning for me and as it moved along, I fealt that there were many unreasonable and unrealistic things going on. And i also feel that it was too quick of a read.
1) I read this book because I read the summaries of the book and it was very interesting, and the book cover kind of gave off a vibe that this book would be dark and mysterious.
2) I didn’t really relate to any of the charaters because I couldn’t see myself being one of them. Each of these people have a different style to them. There are some charaters that I have somethings in common with, but none that I relate to.
3) I feel that this book deserves to be on the Abe’s list, because this book has a very dark style to it, and I feel that most of students should try reading new styles.
4) I’m in between of liking and hating the book. They’re some parts that where very interesting and how.it got very hooked on the book, but then some parts were very boring and didn’t want me to keep reading. Some parts were very disgusting, but that was made this book keep going.
1) I read this book because it the one that seemed the most interesting to me and after reading online summaries I felt that it was the best choice on the list for me.
2) I didn’t feel like I related to any of the characters because the plot of this book is so far out there in fiction that its hard to develop any sort of connection or mutual feelings with them, but the one that I felt had common personality traits with was Eli because he was very curious.
3) I think that this should be on the Abe’s list, but not because of the plot itself, because of the fact that the way in which it is written is very interesting and creative which sets it apart from other books.
4) Personally I did not enjoy this book because i’m more of a non-fiction guy, but I would assume people who like fiction would very much enjoy this story.
Sam Jones
Ms. Saunders p. 1
1) I honestly hadn’t even looked at the summer book list but the day before I went to California to stay with a friend in late July, my mom handed me this book telling me it was my summer reading book and I needed to read it.
2) In my opinion, I do relate in some form to the main character, Eli. While Eli is stuck living in the compound, he really starts to look at life differently. For example, in the old world he never had to worry about food rationing because he was the son of a billionaire, but in the compound, every little detail matters. I also have had some experiences in life, that have made me look and think differently on how I act, just like Eli.
3) I have mixed feelings on the book because I really did enjoy the first two-thirds of the book, but the ending was just way too over the top for me. At the beginning of the book I was very intrigued at the idea of a compound and how it was constructed and the types of rationing and planning that went into it. By the middle of the book I started foreshadowing that Eli’s dad launched the nukes, but by the end of the book, it was starting to be a struggle to finish. While I personally wasn’t too fond of the ending, I can see how some people might enjoy it and because of that I deem this book worthy enough to be on this years Abe list.
4) Over all I really did enjoy the book, however I was not a fan of the end. In my opinion the end was way too dramatic. I really liked how the author used so much imagery, it really painted a good picture in my head of what the compound looked like. Also using imagery, I could really tell how Eli was feeling throughout the book. In general, I thought the book was decent, but could have been better with a different ending.
a. I chose The Compound By S.A Bodeen because the subject intrigued me. A nuclear disaster could happen to anyone at anytime. Would you be ready?
b. The character that I could most relate to is Eddy because I think I’m a caring and generous person. In the novel, Eddy showed those values. In The Compound, the narrator mentioned that Eddy enjoyed beef jerky. I also like beef jerky very much. Eddy showed the value of gratefulness when his brother and him were having their birthday party. Eli switched all of the good presents for himself and gave Eddy all of the bad ones. Eddy still liked each gift even though they where not as good. I am always thankful for what I receive on holidays even if it is necessities.
c. I believe The Compound fully deserve the ABE Award for this year because of its’ attention grabbing imagery. This book, in my opinion, was one that just cannot be put down. I feel this novel would be the book for any type of reader. The Compound had a fabulous story line to it. This made the reader want to continue on until you found out the truth.
d. I really enjoyed The Compound because of the interesting mysteries woven throughout the plot. I also appreciated the happy ending.
1) I read this book because it was the most appealing to me after I read the summaries. Also, there was a trailer on the book and it seemed very exciting and mysterious.
2) I believe I relate to Eddy in the book because he ask questions and is very curious about whats going on in the compound. Another example, is where Eddy and Eli are really close together and they are always beside each other. Frank (my brother) and I are very close together like Eddy and Eli are.
3) I do think that The Compound is very much worthy of being on the Abe list. The Compound keeps you interested and it is very mysterious. The book always keeps you on the edge of your seat wondering if Eli will get his family out or will they ever see Eddy and Gram again. Also, is that what you think is going to happen, the complete opposite happens just like the internet being connected and talking to Eddy. Lastly, it has very good details when it is describing the actual compound.
4) I really like this because it was very mysterious and action. But, I really didn’t like how the book ends, you really don’t know what happens to the father. Maybe if the went on and told us what happened to the father, it would have been amazing. In conclusion, this book was one of the best books I have read in a long time.
1) I chose this book because out of all the summer reading books, this one got my attention. The summary indicated that it would have a mystery, and a lot of suspense in it.
2) I felt like I could relate to Eli because sometimes I become frustrated with people that I know well. Sometimes I just want to not be bothered at all like Eli felt with his family in the beginning. In the end, Eli learned that he could not accomplish so much without his family. I feel that way about my family as well.
3) I believe that The Compound deserves to be an Abe Award book. It had many story elements such as a suspenseful plot, characters that a high school student could relate to, a mystery that made the book hard to stop reading it, and lessons to be learned that Eli learned in the book.
4) I enjoyed reading The Compound. I could not stop reading it after each chapter because each one made me want to see what happened next. I also found the details in the book to be very interesting, especially how the author explained them.
Nick Stryker / Saunders Period 1
1) I actually read all of the summer reading books. Compound was the first one i read though because the paragraph on the back made it sounds really interesting.
2) I do think that i relate to Eli a bit. During the book Eli develops a feeling that hes being lied to and that he cant trust anyone, even his family. Everyone has that feeling with a friend or family member. Be that as it may, my trust issues were not as severe as Eli’s were, they were still needed.
3)I definitely think this book should be on this years Abe list. First because it was very well written. The book did a lot of foreshadowing in the beginning and then explained everything at the end. Also because the author wrote this book in only a month, which is very impressive for the level this book is at.
4) I really enjoyed the book and i would definitely recommend it to other because it was so suspenseful and made me feel like i constantly had to keep reading to find out what happens next. I finished this book in literally one night because i just couldn’t put it down.
1. To be honest I didn’t read any summaries or look at any of the other books, I just looked at the cover and thought that it looked the most appealing. After reading it and looking at the other books now I see that I chose the right book.
2. I relate to Eli in a way that I too would go snooping around seeing what my father was up to. I certainly would not attack anyone in my family. Eli’s fight with his father was understandable but is something I would never get involved in. Other than that I only relate to Eli because of his ability to entertain himself even when there is nothing going on around him, I always find a way to keep myself occupied.
3. This book should most definitely be on the Abe’s list because it is the most interesting book I have had to read for school and it’s usually unlikely that I enjoy a school reading book. In my opinion the book was also very detailed and kept you turning the pages.
4. I thought the Compound was one of the better school books I have had to read so far. I think that at times the book came off as a little disturbing or hard on the mind because it really made you think what you would do in certain situations.
Jake Bentley-Dean
Saunders 1
a) I read the summaries on amazon and it seemed like the most interesting one. I wasn’t all that excited about any of them though.
b) I am more of a reserved person so I think I would relate to Lexie the most. But the whole killing and cloning people to survive is pushes me away from her character. I defiantly don’t relate to Eli, because he doesn’t seem to think for very long before acting, something which I value.
c) I honestly don’t believe that this book is worthy of being on the Abe list. It seemed to me way to rushed and highly predictable (except for the whole eating kids thing.) After 50 pages I felt I knew how the story was going to end and the ending was super cheesy. Eli seemed to change so quick you really had no idea what was going on inside his head. Also connecting to IM chat room, really? Its just so uneventful.
d) As you can probably tell from above I am not a big fan of this book. I am not really into fiction all that much and this just wasn’t my taste or writing style.
WARNING this is a spoiler!
A summary of the book is:
A boy named Eli was rushed to a safe-house by is billionaire dad. Eli and his family are stuck in the safe-house for fifteen years because a silver door, which could only be opened by a code, was blocking Eli’s family fro getting out. Eli then notices a internet signal by his father’s office, and only by his father’s office after being in the safe-house for six years. Eli then began noticing that his father was lying to him and his family. Eli desperately tried to get the code that open the door to the real world. Eli had to go on a wild goose chase to get the code. Eli finally got the code and opened the door when his father rigged the whole complex with explosives so they would all die(his father was becoming insane). (Only Eli’s father died because of the explosion.)
I think anybody who likes thrillers and suspense should read this book.
I personally think this book is mind-blowing because of all of the suspense.
I can really relate to Eli. I fight with my sister like he does. We both are really close to our families, yet we sometimes need our alone time. Also, we both like solving confusing problems like he had to solve, such as to retrieve the code to open the door.
1.) The reason why I chose this book is because I am very interested in post-apocalyptic stories. Based on the description it seemed like it was going to be a thriller-mystery type book. I love stories where people have to try to escape sticky situations and based on the cover, it seemed like Eli was going to be trapped, whether he knows it or not.
2.) I relate to Eli in a few ways. One way being that he feels lost without his brother and although my brother is not my twin, if something were to happen to him, i would feel like a part of me was gone. Also, I think that if I were living in a compound I would cope with it a lot of the same ways that Eli does, such as developing a routine.
3.) I haven’t read any of the other books on the list so I don’t really have anything to relate to, but I did like this book a lot. I think it is worthy of being on the list because it certainly kept me reading and interested. I went into this book thinking that it would predictable and some parts were, but overall, I was very surprised at the end. The order in which the author presented the information added suspense to the story.
4.) I did like this book. I don’t read very often, but this book held me on edge. The fact that I wanted to keep reading says a lot because I think reading is boring. It’s books like this that make me reconsider reading and encourage me to read more. I spent my last day of summer vacation reading this book and I found myself surprising optimistic when I was finished.
1). For my summer reading book, I chose The Compound by S.A. Bodeen. The plot and manliness made my decision an easy one. First, as I was choosing my book off of the list, I read all of the plot summaries. This one seemed exceptionally intriguing because I prefer more of an adventure story and Eli’s adventure in The Compound seemed right up my ally. Also, while skimming through the list, all of my other choices seemed like girly books. The Compound struck me as the only non-chick flick novel.
2). In the novel The Compound, I feel that I can relate to the characters. Just like my family, Eli’s family can be disfunctional and fight among themselves. At times. when the Relias’ are all at nerve and are crammed together, such as on long car rides we often bicker and blame one another for our own problems. In this way, my family and Eli’s family are similar.
3). I truly believe The Compound was worthy of the Abe list. The high suspense of the book was probably its greatest attributes. At no time was I not interested in what was on the next page. S. A. Bodeen writes in a way where each line of text offers the reader a little bit more detail but never enough to give away the whole climax. For example, through the book, most of what father has to say to Eli while they are in the compound has dual meanings that allude to a bigger meaning. In the end, you believe this book belongs on the Abe list.
4). Personally, I thought the book was fantastic. For the most part, it was a relatively easy read. There was no difficult vocabulary nor extremely complex plots. Also, The book kept me on the edge from page one. The fast pace and suspense kept me hooked the whole time. I really liked this book.
1. I read this book because i researched all of the other books on the summer reading list and The Compound was the only book on the list that interested me. Another reason i chose the book was because the summary gave me a feeling that the book would have some action and a little mystery as well.
2. The main character Eli and I don’t have that much in common exept our ages are very close. In the book Eli didnt have the best relationship with his siblings or parents, while on the other hand i have a good relationship with my family expecially my brothers. Another reason i differ from Eli is our outlook on a situation. In the book Eli seemed to have a negative view of the situation they were in and never really realized how lucky he was to even be alive.
3. I do believe this book is worthy of being on this years Abe list, because the style seemed to be different than anything i have read before. The writer made the book have an eerie feel that i have never felt in any other book. Another reason this book should be on the Abe list was the relativly short time the Author took to actually write the book.
4. The book had some dull parts in the beginning when the author discribed the inside of the compound, but other than the slow beginning and when the story started to pick up i began to like the book.
1: I Picked this book because it was kind of a last minute choice and all my friends had read it. Also the summary to this book looked pretty appealing to me. and even though the cover was pretty bland I liked the cover and I usually judge books by their covers
2: I feel like I in some way relate to Eli because if I was in the situation that he was in I would probably beat my dad up also. and I also got the sense that Eli was very brave and if I was in that situation I would be the brave one trying to rescue everyone
3: I think that this book does deserve to be on the Abe list because it is a great book for teens to read. it is a fun quick read and very interesting.
4: I liked the book a lot because it was fun, odd, and twisted. I also liked it because it was a quick read. The beginning was very boring but then it took of from there and turned in to a weird twisted ending and a great book.
1) I read the book the compound because it was one of my summer required reading books. When I finished reading the back of all summaries for the books this one seemed the most interesting so I choose it for my reading.
2) I believe that I could have related to Terese, because of her obsession for British everything and anything, also knowing that something was up and wrong about there situation.
3) Yes, because it was well written and an enjoyable read. I read the book in about two nights. Once it got to the good stuff, I just couldn’t put it down.
4) I felt that the author used a bit to much explaining on what the compound looked like, but in the end it helped the reader imagine the whole scenario being throw together.
1) I read the book because it was the one book that I could get from the library onto my nook. I also liked the premise of the book because it was dark and post apocalyptic.
2)I didn’t relate to any of the characters because I have never had to be locked in a compound for 15 years and have struggles such as the ones in the book. However I did relate with some of the family problems in the book. Eli and his sisters fighting made me think of how my sister and I always fight.
3)This book deserved an abe award. While it dragged on a bit, the book created a masterful sense of imagery. The ending also contained a large twist that was very entertaining to read.
4) I liked the book. I wish it was possible to make it shorter yet still keep the imagery that S,A Bodeen managed to create.
1) I chose this book because it had the most interesting plots out of the other books. Also the post apocalyptic theme seemed really cool.
2) I don’t feel like i relate to any of the characters in the book. Eli is to much of a loaner for me to relate my self to and there isn’t enough said about eddy for me to relate to him either. Treese is to oblivious to relate to as well
3) I fully believe that this book deserves the award. This was probably the best summer reading book i have ever read. i think this was the first summer reading book that i ever enjoyed
4) yes i did like the book. the book had a good plot and some cool characters also it has a major climax and a awesome twist at the end. The ending also leaves some question unanswered which is cool.
1) I chose this book because some of my friends said that it was pretty good so I decided to give it a shot.
Saunders 1
1) I chose this book because overall it looked pretty exciting. It looked like a pretty interesting book that had a lot of action. It was really one of the only books that caught my attention.
1. I chose this book because many of my friends who have already read this book said it is very good. It seems very exciting so it immediately grabbed my eye.
Danny Ives/Saunders/1
i chose this book to read because this was my second choice of book to read after Reality Check
2) I feel like I can relate to the Character Eli in this book. He and I are both curious. In the story he doesn’t always get along with his family, and I think sometimes that happens with me too. His family is also really busy so he doesn’t get to see them much which is like me because I have practice every day after school and don’t have that much time with my family due to homework and other commitments. He also does the same thing every day which is what happens to me once I get mid-way into a season.
Saunders 1
2) I think that I relate mostly to Eli in this book. Both of us are very curious and are always trying to find answers to things that we aren’t sure about. Eli expresses this trait by worrying about whether or not his father is keeping secrets from their family.
Saunders 1st period
2) I think I relate mostly to Eli in this book. Both he and I are close with our family’s but we both like our space. Just like Eli, I too get into fights with my sister even though she is older than Eli’s sister. Also I would have to say both of us are curious people.
Saunders
Period: 1
1) I chose to read this book because the title seems really interesting. After reading the short description from the cover, I found myself really attracted to the plot of the story, I really wanted to find out what is going to happen.
3) I certainly think that this book was worthy of being on this year’s Abe list. This author did a great job on building suspense, it makes me just want to continue reading without stop. While I was reading this book, I always had questions that made me continue to read in order to find out what happen. I don’t like reading, but I finished this book in 3 days because the author’s writing to let me keep reading. Thus it’s definitely to be on this year’s Abe list.
Mrs. Billie
Period 4/5
1) I chose to read this book because it sounded interesting and looked like an easy read.
4) I liked this book beacause it kept my attention, it was easy reading, i could relate to the book, and it had an excellent ending.
English 1
Mrs. Billie peroid 9
James Manikas, English 1, Mrs. Billie’s class period 4/5
1. I chose this book because i didnt really like any of the other books. Also because some of my friends had read this book and they said it was interesting.
2. I relate to Eli’s impression of Eddy, because he is curious and he allways asks questions and i also relate to Eli and Eddys’ bond because they are brothers. I also have a bond with my brother (Basile) just like Eli and i miss him now that he is gone at colledge.
Henry Chalmers, English 1, Mrs. Billie’s class period 4/5
1. I chose this book because out of all the other books on the list, this one looked the best.
4. This book was a good book because it kept me reading, had a great plot and was full of suspense.
1) I picked this book because it’s story that I found was very interesting because they have a very good book that tells us that sometimes we can also be scared.
2) I can relate to the characters in the book because they tell us the fears that they had if there was a nuclear war and nobody was there. But sometimes you just have to face the reality to understand that there is nothing to fear and that you can be there by yourselves. When ever there is fear in the world there is always courage to face the truth to what really the truth of a nuclear war really actually is.
3) I believe that this deserves to be on the Abe awards because it shows people the reason to why they have fear in their life and can be able to drive them crazy no matter what happens to them. this is what they fear, but that fear won’t turn into reality unless you yourself understand the truth like Eli in the story.
Books these days tend to be melodramatic, cliche, and honestly painful to read. However, Bodeen has created a work of art that is believable and relative to real teenage emotions. When Eli and his family enter the Compound, a feeling of fear and guilt engulf Eli’s mind. He and his family are stranded underground for the next fifteen years, and there is no way to find out about the events taking place outside. As each year passes, more and more is revealed about the purpose for the Compound until the true horrors of its reason for creation are known. Gentlemen turn rabid, boys become men, and action must be taken. The mystery is, who will take the initiative? Nuclear war is definately a possible outcome in the near future, and that’s what makes this book so scary. In addition to the connection of the book to young adults in the real world, Bodeen always keeps the reader guessing. I had several different scenarios for the end of the book, but each time I felt confident there was a twist in the plot or a characters psyche. This book is great for anyone who is interested in mystery thrillers, and helps readers appreciate what they have; and, might not have in the future. I loved this book, and recommend it to anyone in the mood for a good read.
As a whole I think that I liked this book and it was an easy read. I thought that it was kind of boring at first, but as the story went on and developed more the story got better. I liked how the author made it so suspenseful and made you question what was going to happen next. I think the author used imagery well to help you picture everything that is going on and I thought the ending was ok but would liked to have known more.
I believe that this book does deserve to be on the Abe awards list because the author does a good job of relating Eli’s emotions to an average teenagers emotions. In saying this I mean that every kid is jealous at some point in their life of his or her sibling. Just like in the old world Eli was jealous of his brother for being more popular and having his family like Eddy more than Eli, I too get jealous of my brother for different reasons. Over all I enjoyed this book even though the beginning was slow, but in the end the book was very suspenseful and made me want to keep reading.
1. I chose to read this book because a friend reccommended it.
2. I cannot really relate myself to any of the characters in the book that well. If I had to choose, I would probably pick Eli. Eli, like me, cares an enormous amount about the welfare of his family, but at the same time needs his alone time. I do not have an older sister I fight with, but I do have a younger brother that I sometimes disagree with.
3. The Compound was an Abe Award winner, and is well-deserving of the title. It was an exciting book that not only grabbed the readers’ attention, but kept it as well. The author, S.A. Bodeen, did an awesome job of building suspense and building the climax.
4. I very much enjoyed this book. I loved reading how Eli was thinking and putting the pieces together of what his father had done.
Danny Ives
Saunders/period 1
I do believe that this book deserves to be on the Abe Awards list because of the intense mystery behind the whole story. Another thing is that although Eli’s life is far from the life of an ordinary teenager, they are still able to relate his life to that of an ordinary teenager’s life.
Sam Rogers
Saunders
I do think that this book should be on this years Abe list. I thought overall that it was a good read and there was a great plot to the story and the author used imagery and many other devices well. I think that the Abe books are at a higher standard and this book was on that level.
I do think that the book should be on the
abe list.