Series Pick: The Fallout

The Fallout
(sequel to The Compound)
by S.A. Bodeen
Feiwel and Friends
2013
326 pages
ISBN: 9780312650117

At the end of The Compound (which was a stand alone book, more on that later), Eli, his mother and siblings escape the Compound, an underground, fully-sustainable home, actually more prison than home where his father locked them up years earlier to escape the aftermath of nuclear war.

The Compound is destroyed, Eli and his family saved except for his father who dies with the Compound, and now lives that were once locked away must  live under the watchful eye of the public. Eli is at first  happy to see his identical twin brother Eddy, but soon realizes Eddy is jealous and mad that so many years were ripped away from him and their father.

Picking up the pieces of his broken life, Eli learns that his father's company is being run by shady, greedy adults and all is not as it appears. Secrets are being kept, futures decided, experiments performed, and lives are in danger. Eli needs to know who is behind the deception--and fast!

Whatever secrets YK Industries holds, they are willing to do anything to keep them. The relationship between brothers is tested throughout the book. When they are faced with a foe bigger and more dangerous, will they have each other's back?

Somehow Bodeen makes the most implausible plausible. The science behind Eli's dad's experiments make sense, even his reasoning seems nearly normal, but the family dynamic is hard to swallow. That was the only fault in the story for me. Would Eddy blindly follow a father who escaped a certain death, but who knowingly left his own son to perish? Would Lexie love a man who showed her no regard?

The Compound was meant to tell the story--the entire story, but Bodeen kept getting the same question over and over from teen fans: What happened next? They wanted to know. It got the writer thinking about what happened. Yes, the Compound is destroyed, but what happened to Eli? What happened to his father's company and billions? What happened to the family? What happened to the little kids who had never seen outside before? The Fallout answers the fans' questions.

Recommended for fans of Bodeen (and who isn't?) and those who read The Compound (and again, who didn't).
Grade 7-up. Some mature content and scientific experiments run amok. No profanity.

FTC Required Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.

This review has been posted in compliance with the FTC requirements set forth in the Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising (available at ftc.gov/os/2009/10/091005revisedendorsementguides.pdf)

Three Talented YA Writers You Need To Know!

I had the most amazing opportunity to meet and greet and get to know a couple of authors and listened to the Keynote Speaker at the Austin Teen Book Festival in Austin, Texas. The festival in its fifth year of existence is held every year in downtown Austin where teens from nearby cities like San Antonio and Fredricksburg pile in and teens from Texas as far away as El Paso (like my daughter Shelby) and from out of state come to hear the latest from panels of exciting YA voices.

Panels this year included: "Powers Strange and Perilous" featuring Maggie Stiefvater, Melinda de la Cruz, Lisa Mcmann and others, "Into Hearts of Darkness" with Holly Black, Victoria Scott and Robin Wasserman, "Truth and Consequences" with authors Rob Thomas, Jenny Han, and Sean Beaudoin and panels "I Made You a Mixtape," "Tales of Tomorrow," "Fierce Reads," and "Dark Days." Over 250 authors vied for 42 coveted spots in the festival.

Keynote speaker Maggie Stiefvater opened the event. She was self-deprecating and funny when describing herself as a young girl. Stiefvater told the crowd that she always wanted to be a writer and her dad's reaction to her choice of was, "Oh, and you want to be poor?" (Laughter throughout the audience). She admits, "I was a fearful child...nothing was impossible."

She said, "I have fears...it's just that they are not important." Authors have to play the "What if?" game according to Stiefvater. If you can think of it or dream it, it is possible. She believes as a creative person, "You can imagine all things, both dreadful and creative."

She joked about naming the third book in her series, "Shiver....(long pause), Linger....(another longer pause) Bieber!"

Panels met with teens throughout the day with a lunch with authors Sarah Dessen and Rob Thomas in the Exhibit Hall.



I met up with writer Lisa McMann (Crash and Bang) in the morning. She gave me the scoop on the third book in her series. She said, "I don't think I've told anyone...you're the first to know. It's titled Gasp!" I asked Lisa about her novels. She has written about fantasy, paranormal, visions, dream stealers in novels and short stories. I asked what type of book she would like to do. She said, "I don't think I can write a romance..." She would like to write something with a mystery or a detective type of book.

I asked "What do teen readers tell you/write you/tweet you, that makes you a better writer?" She replied," It inspires me to hear from a teen who says that I wrote a character who has a lot of problems at home. They tell me it makes me feel like I'm not alone...like I belong...I'm not a bad person." With this as inspiration, it's easy to see why Lisa is so successful.

I asked Lisa's opinion why paranormal and dystopian fiction is so popular, and she replied that if a book is about vampires but it still "wows," it will sell. Dystopian fiction is popular because, "...it's a little normal...it's relatable."

I asked Lisa, "Besides writing, what is your next adventure?" She admits her love of cooking shows and she has seriously thought it would be fun to be on a competitive food show like "Master Chef." Lisa's television secret vice is "Survivor" (I guess it's no secret now).

Lisa was charming and gracious. This is one YA writer with personality plus! No wonder teen readers are drawn to her.

Later in the day, I met with S.A. Bodeen (Compound, The Raft, Fallout). S.A. are her initials; she introduced herself as Stephanie. I asked Stephanie why she hadn't written a trilogy or series (like so many others). The sequel to The Compound, Fallout, is just out. Stephanie admitted that she never had planned to write a sequel, but everywhere she went, readers would ask her the same thing, "What happens next?" Stphanie wondered, too. The result is Fallout. She is currently working on a book that is a bit Swiss Family Robinson mixed with "Survivor." I asked her what her next adventure would be, and she said she has a couple of things in the works and will be writing for at least two years.

Three fascinating YA authors--talent to spare--a number of great YA books and many more in the works, what could be better?