65 pages • 2 hours read
The Compound
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Summary and Study Guide
Overview
The Compound is a 2008 young adult novel by S.A. Bodeen. Much of the story is set in what appears to be a post-apocalyptic setting: a compound built by the narrator’s father, which houses the main characters after a nuclear attack destroys much of humanity. However, the characters begin to suspect that the world outside the Compound may exist, and that their father has been lying to them. Bodeen examines themes of family, shame, survival, and loyalty in this award-winning book.
Plot Summary
When the story begins, sixteen-year-old Eli, his two sisters, his mother Clea, and his father have been in the Compound for six years. His father, billionaire Rex Yanakakis, built the Compound to last for fifteen years. It is locked by a silver door, opened by a code known only to Rex. When Eli learns that their food supply has been compromised—the flour is going bad and their hydroponic crops are threatened by the potential failure of their light source—he worries that the family will not have enough food to last for fifteen years.
During the time in the Compound, Eli’s mother has given birth to two additional children, whom Eli refers to as the “supplements.
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