The Compound by S. A. Bodeen

The Compound by S. A. Bodeen may be one of the weirdest books I have ever read. It was compelling, creative, and at times completely out of control.

It's not inconceivable that humans will destroy themselves. This concept has been a staple of science fiction for more than a hundred years. The possibilities are many; enviornmental, social, astronomical, and possibly most disturbing nuclear.

For me, nuclear annihilation is particularly unsettling because of the inability to predict and prepare for such and attack. If the world was coming to an end, how would you spend your final moments?

In The Compound, a very wealthy family rushes underground to a secret compound created by their father. The family lives over a stretch of days that do not differ one to the next. Living by going through the motions and feeling little joy. They wonder about the conditions of the world and the loved ones that got left behind.

The main character's sense of loss is particularly intense because his twin brother is inadvertently left on the outside. He is overwhelmed by guilt at losing his best friend and other half.

The unique story tells this story of this family and the overbearing and erratic father who controls them.

The Story Siren did a fantastic interview with S. A. Bodeen, be sure to check it out.

SS: How did you get the idea for The Compound?

S.A. Bodeen: Actually a
dinosaur show my husband was watching on Discovery. One breed of dinosaur did
this odd thing to raise their offspring and I wondered what would happen if a
human tried that.

This book was so different there were times I was completely taken out of it. It just didn't seem to exist within reality, but it has so many interesting and thought provoking ideas. I definitely think this book is worth reading if you are looking for something different.

I enjoyed listening to the audiobook version of this book since the library didn't have a paper copy. I put a link to an excerpt at the bottom of the post.

Have you read this book? Tell me what you think!