The Compound

The Compound by S.A. Bodeen is a creepy thriller that surpasses Patrick Carmen's Dark Eden -- and takes the meaning of survival to a whole new level. 
       Eli has always been accustom to a life of wealth and luxury.  His father is a billionaire, and he has never wanted for friends because his twin brother, Eddy has always been there for him.  But when a nuclear war arises and Eli and his family, his mother, his father, and his two sisters, are locked inside an underground compound, and Eddy and Gram (the boy's grandmother) are locked outside, Eli retreats inside himself.  Not questioning anything, he does his jobs and tries to stave off the boredom.  For six years he lives a hallow life, devoid of meaning, until his little sister tells him that she hates their father . . . and the wheels start churning.  How much is it how it appears?  Can Eli trust the truths he's always known?  And how far would his family go to survive? 

That was a crummy book summary.  Sorry.  The real thing is much better.  S.A. Bodeen delivers a creepy tale, maybe only fit for Halloween.  How far would you go to survive?  For me, I wouldn't even consider what Eli's father wants to do, but I suppose every situation has it's own unique considerations.  That would be just off-limits though.  That is the thing that makes it all creepy.  That, and, well, I can't give it away so I won't.
      There are plenty of things that symbolize other things here.  Eli's long hair symbolizes his isolation from his family.  The nesting doll symbolizes things that are hidden.  Maybe the bad wheat could symbolize a family gone bad . . . or maybe I'm just stretching the metaphor.
       The creepy thing is just creepy. And gross, if I haven't mentioned that.  And unthinkable in today's society. 
      Eli is definitely a dynamic character, and you can tell it.  He practically says it.  Lexie, I would think, is a static character, but you just don't get to see her hidden side until around the middle.  Therese, well, I think she's static too, if loosing her accent doesn't count as anything.  They make up the delightful cast of main, ahem, siblings, with the girls always at odds at Eli until he finally changes.  (When he finally figures out what's wrong with him, you'll breath a sigh of relief.  He is such a stuck-up prig, but he can't seem to grasp that fact.)
       What else can I say without ruining the whole story for you?  Nothing, really.  Just, be prepared to be yanked through a few tight spots, and maybe to read with your heart in your throat.  Because when nukes blow up, family falls apart.