Author: S.A. Bodeen
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Year: 2008
Genre: Post-apocalyptic
Age: JUV/YA 13+
This is actually the first book written by this author even
though it’s the 6th one I’ve read by her. As usual she never
disappoints and leaves you on the edge of your seat until the very last page.
In this first book in a duology we are introduced to the
Yanakakis family. Rex is the hard working, billionaire father, Clea his wife is
the half Chinese, half Hawaiian musician devoted to charitable causes. They
have four kids Eddy & Eli who are twins, Lexie the oldest adopted one,
& Therese the youngest.
When the story opens they are all scrambling down the hatch
into the Compound. Unfortunately the whole family doesn’t make it. Eddy &
Gram, Clea’s mother, don’t make it in with them. They are running away from a “supposed”
nuclear attack on their town, Seattle. From there we continue to story six
years later…
The family has been inside the Compound for the past six
years, Eli was 9 when they went in. They are supposed to remain down there for
15 years until it is safe to return to the normal world. The door will
magically open when the time is right, or when the special code is entered. The
only person who knows it is Rex.
The family has everything they could ever want. Awesome
bedrooms, a movie theater, hair salon, gym, pool, state of the art infirmary,
etc. They’re only problem…they are running out of food. They even grow
vegetables in a hydroponic lab but that’s not enough. So Rex comes up with a
plan to save them, it’s called the Supplementals.
The Supplementals are three kids, the oldest being 5, that Rex
& Clea conceived as an emergency source of food. Everyone is against the
idea including Clea, but what can they do with Rex running everything?
That is until one night Eli makes a discovery that will
change everything…
He’s able to use his once useless laptop to get online! But
how is that possible? They are three stories underground and surrounded by
concrete & steel. Plus the world they knew was destroyed wasn’t it?
Eli is able to IM with his twin brother Eddy who tells them
that everything is fine, he & Gram are safe at home & they thought the
rest of the family died in a fire. Eddy also promises he’s going to help find them
& get them out of the Compound. It isn’t long after that when Eli tells
everyone else & they agree to confront Rex. Especially with their mother
due to give birth to supplemental child #4 very soon. When confronted things don’t
go as planned. Rex admits there was no nuclear attack and he did all this as an
experiment. Naturally his family thinks he’s crazy!
As is turns out he’s not just crazy, he’s suffering from
ergotism,a poison that is derived from ingesting bad grain like the rotten flour
used to make the bread he loves so much & couldn’t give up. But good news
is they have the cure in their fancy infirmary.
After making a shockingly quick recovery Rex starts trying
to stop Eli from opening the hatch to the outside world but he doesn’t succeed.
Turns out Phil the family’s accountant that also helps with Rex’s business
knows about the whole plan! Escaping safely the family, including the
supplemental children make it to the outside to see the stars again. Rex has a
plan if the Compound becomes compromised, but does it include him living?
Likes: As always I love every book this author has ever
written & this one was no exception.
It was a very fast & exciting read, I finished it in
less than 2 days!
Dislikes: It’s a little weird…crazy father, possible cannibalism
& incest…
Rating:
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