The Fallout

Bodeen, S.A. The Fallout
September 24th 2013, Feiwel & Friends 

This sequel to The Compound shows the Yanakakis family starting over in Seattle after escaping from the family patriarch. Eddy, who spent the last six years with his grandmother in Hawaii, feels somewhat guilty but is able to accept that his family is back. The mother is completely paranoid, not wanting the children to leave the house. Eli wants things to get back to "normal" but has no idea what that is. He decides to investigate the charitable side of the family business, which leads him to visit a Progeria research facility, where he meets Verity, who brother has the disorder. He likes her, but isn't quite sure how to go about dating her when his mother barely lets him out of the house. This is for a good reason-- Eli finds online that people are stalking them, especially doomsday preppers. In side stories, his older sister, who is adopted, wants to find her birth mother, and Eddy makes a friend in Tony, who helped find a lost younger brother when the group was out. It turns out that Tony is not who he says he is, and before long the three oldest children are kidnapped by the person whom they trust the least. Will Eli's life ever go smoothly?
Strengths: Like The Compound, this is a thriller, so I can't say a whole lot more or the mystery would be revealed. This was a convincing sequel to a gripping book, and I was surprised at how easy it was to read-- it's certainly a page turner. The emotions of the entire family after their ordeal in The Compound are very realistic, and the twists at the end... whew. Good stuff.
Weaknesses: The big problem when there are a lot of years between a first and second book is that the first book wears out! I may have to get another copy. I love that the covers are similar, though!