Aaron’s Letter Essay #3 [Book Title]

I have just finished the 245 page Realistic Fiction novel The Compound by S.A Bodeen. She has written other great books like The Gardener and The Fallout. The Compound was written in 2008 and was written to her daughter Bailey. I read this book because the author visited the school a month ago and I was interested in her background as a writer. I then decided to read her best-seller, The Compound.

 

In the novel, the main character Eli, lives with his wealthy family in Seattle. His father owns the largest industry in the state. He also has his mom and three siblings, his twin brother, Eddy, his older sister Lexie, and her younger sister Terese. When the family goes on a camping trip, there is a nuclear bombing. The kids all go into the woods and into an underground compound that their dad built. They were all safe. They double-check to see if everyone made it. Eddy was missing! Eli ends up blaming himself for Eddy’s death. The compound was a replica of the upstairs of their old mansion in Seattle. The family stays in the compound for over six years. The food supply was getting low and everyone was bored. With nothing to do, Eli goes into his closet and finds a computer. He tries to connect to the internet but fails. He decides to go ask his dad for help connecting. He doesn’t want his dad to worry though. He goes outside his office and tries to connect again. It surprisingly works! Eli then finds out that his father is hiding many secrets from his family. You better read the book to find out what happens at the suspenseful ending!

I really like how the author introduced different tones into the book. For example, Eli says to himself, “In just five minutes, my life has ended.” The author ends the chapter there to add suspense. In the next paragraph the girls are as happy as can be finding new things to do every turn they make. It is a great contrast between the devastated brother to the happy sisters. Also, the author adds more suspense by giving a question at the end of the chapter that the reader never expects and has to think about. I am very glad that I read this book and would recommend it to all readers who love suspense. I would rate The Compound a nine out of ten.

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1 thought on “Aaron’s Letter Essay #3 [Book Title]

  1. Aaron,
    The Introduction and Summary were solid, but the Reflection is lacking elaboration and a quoted passage. Please refer to the checklist/model for future letter-essays.
    Sincerely,
    Mr. Jockers

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