I was super excited to read this one based on the premise, and I was not let down by it.

My favorite part of this novel was how the reality show was set up. Throughout the book, I found myself thinking that I would probably watch the show in real life which led further thinking about how the way viewers react to a show impacts it. I think the book leans into this a lot by talking about what happened in past seasons and the expectations that it creates for the contestants, and with the prizes that are picked for the characters. I also think that putting the compound in the desert was the perfect setting for this novel. The juxtaposition between the unforgiving wilderness and the supposed paradise of the compound really lends itself to the book’s themes.

As for the characters in the book, I had mixed feelings. The main character, Lily, doesn’t do much other than observe for most of the book, unless she feels like she has to get involved (honestly, relatable). Even though there is a large cast of characters, we are limited to Lily’s perspective. I found this to be both a good thing and possibly a bad thing depending on what reading experience you want. On the plus side, Lily’s observant nature combined with the setup for the show meant you could never be quite sure whether someone did something for a personal task or not (contestants get prizes from completing personal tasks, but they can’t talk about the tasks with others). However, the limited perspective combined with Lily’s passiveness sometimes led to ‘lulls’ in the plot. Lily is satisfied to just live the easy life on the compound, she doesn’t have a larger goal than this to propel her story forward for most of the book. If you don’t like reading about passive characters, then you might not enjoy this book as much.

The other characters helped keep the book interesting, however, with their conflicting personalities and goals. And if that wasn’t enough, the producers are always nearby to bring people together and help keep things interesting ;). There are plenty of tense moments where I couldn’t put the book down!

As for the ending, I won’t say much other than it was left pretty open ended. I do think that it was a fine spot to leave off, but I didn’t find it the most enjoyable to read. This was probably the biggest thing that brought my rating down a star.

Overall, this book will give you a lot to think about. I would recommend it for its takes on capitalism, entertainment, and consumerism. Definitely keep in mind, though, that it is a heavier novel when it comes to subject matter!

Great concept and nearly flawless execution. I wish it went a couple steps darker than it did but still greatly enjoyed it. Will be recommending!

Okay so this is said to be like Love Island meets Lord of the flies. And as someone who loves some reality tv I was excited.

This is very slow burn.

It starts with a lot of contestants at the compound and they have to pair up and stayed paired to not get voted out of the house. And then have to do different challenges personal and group for different rewards until the last couple can outlast everyone and win the whole thing.
Definitely an interesting look at reality tv, consumerism and motivations.

And just like reality tv… a little hard to believe a with a few plot holes lol.

Thanks to netgalley and random house for an eARC

Reality tv in book form, but also interestingly addresses the idea of consumerism, community, and companionship. Definitely would be a great summer beach read

The Compound delivers a story that is hard to put down. I really enjoyed going into the novel with a vague understanding of what type of reality programing the characters were signing up for. I was worried for a time that the novel would read like a traditional reality TV show – not something I am a huge fan of. However, there was just enough mystery coupled to tug the book along, until it gets into a darker place which is teased in the beginning, when rules are lifted at the compound. I thought the concept was creative and unique - and just intense enough to not be every readers' cup of tea.

I personally enjoyed the satire on materialism embedded in the novel. There are hints at larger conflicts outside the compound, including some type of war, and climate-change produced devastation. I wish the author had leaned into these elements just a bit more in order to deliver a more dystopian-style story.

I can see this book being very widely read throughout the summer, it definitely has a beach read/book club feel. I was so excited to review and review this ARC sensing just how popular it will be. A huge than you to NetGalley and Random House for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Wow, I loved this novel so much! It's one of those ones where a lot happens...but also it doesn't. We have a lot of characters, but not much development, but I didn't care. I do feel the Love Island meets Lord of the Flies is 100% accurate, but that's not all it is. It's also fairly literary, but not in an intimidating way, and it has some great ruminations on society and the way things are progressing (set in near-future). It's both slow and fast paced without being frustratingly so, and I enjoyed every minute! If it at all sounds like something you'd enjoy, definitely try it!!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy in exchange for an honest review.

Man how I devoured this. Pop culture and reality TV fans are going to love this one. It reads like your favorite reality show and is the epitome of “just one more chapter.”

In The Compound you’ll confront themes like consumerism, sexism, pop culture, voyeurism, relationships, survival, with a dash of “something bad is happening out there” and horror/thriller. Each chapter really feels like popping popcorn, and the premise gets more and more unsettling as the story continues.

Nice debut, highly recommend.

Conceptually I anticipated I’d like this but the writing was so awful I had to check to see if it was translated. It sounds like AI wrote it.

I'm sad to say that I didn't really enjoy The Compound that much. I didn't realize it was about a weird, dystopian reality TV show that was half Survivor and half Love Island. The characters all blurred together and weren't all that interesting (to me). I did really love One Perfect Couple by Ruth Ware, but to me The Compound read like a weirder and shallower version of that book.

Thanks to Random House for the advance copy!

This was hard for me to wrap my head around, but in a great way! The first half was fun and carefree. The second half turned a bit sinister as the characters became more intense. The main character is not one that I would typically read. She is not the strong, smart, underdog. I found that to be a bit hard to swallow for me. It was refreshing in a way. I was hooked from the beginning and thoroughly enjoyed this book!

The Compound is eerie, smart, and totally absorbing. The author builds tension slowly but effectively. By the time things really start unraveling, I couldn’t put it down. I lost a lot of sleep the last few days! It’s got a quiet, dystopian vibe that kind of reminded me of Never Let Me Go. Some parts dragged a bit early on, but the payoff was worth it. Definitely recommend if you like moody, psychological stories that make you think.

Strangely addictive... thought-provoking... unique. The reality show concept drew me in, and the sinister feeling and need to know what happens kept me hooked throughout. Read this in one sitting and could NOT put it down. Aisling Rawle's de but novel is a Literary Fiction but reads a bit like a Thriller in places which I loved! I've never read something quite like it before, and days later I can't stop thinking about it. This book is released on June 24th 2025 and I've already preordered a copy for myself as well as my besties! Can't wait to see what the author comes up with next!

I received an Advanced Reader's Copy of this from NetGalley. This review is honest, unbiased, and completely my own.

Thank you so much @randomhouse and @netgalley for inviting me to read this book. I wasn’t sure that this would be my kind of book, but I ran to my kindle after reading @what_is_nelly_reading enthusiastic review of it.

Pub date: June 24,2025

I was absolutely consumed by this book. From the first page to the very last. On the second night I stayed up until midnight reading. Midnight isn’t very late for many, but for this mother of two young kids, it’s an absurd hour. No regrets.

I would describe this as Bachelor In Paradise meets The Hunger Games: a reality tv show that takes place in the middle of the desert, miles away from the horrors of their dystopian world. In the compound the tasks are more unhinged and the rewards more lavish and odd than anything we’re used to on our reality tv shows.

You don’t need to be familiar with or even like reality tv shows to get into this book, but it certainly doesn’t hurt. I used to watch “The Bachelor/ette” and “Bachelor in Paradise” shows, and, although I eventually quit watching these shows, I can easily admit that they were fascinating. Of course they are. They’re televised sociology experiments and we are social beings attuned to studying each other.

Rawlings doesn’t just give us a propulsive beach read (not that there’s anything wrong with a beach read) but dug a little deeper with her characters, inviting us to dissect our own society’s relationship to reality tv and social media.

Two caveats to consider: 1. Not many likable characters and 2. The horrors of life outside the compound are kept vague, which could disappoint a reader who’s *only* looking for a dystopian story. If you’re still on board, then I urge you to get yourself a copy!

I wasn’t sure if this was going to be a quick fluff read but was pleasantly surprised it turned out to be more. The premise was interesting- contestants dropped into a compound to begin a reality show. While I found the main character unlikable and somewhat pathetic at times, I found I couldn’t stop reading. If this was a reality show I’d want to watch.

Choosing not to review as it felt like this was mis-genred for me. A great story with tension and interest for the right reader, but didn't deliver on the dystopian/sci-fi/fantasy angle I'd hoped for. Giving 3 stars because I think the writing and concept are probably good but the description didn't match my reading experience.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

4.5 stars rounded up.

This was a wild book. I was hooked on it right away from page one! Once I started I didn’t want to put the book down! I had to see what happened next.

It read exactly like a reality tv show. I could see it playing out right in front of my eyes as if I were watching it on a television screen. I thought the author did an amazing job in that regard.

I’ve read a couple of books that say it’s like a reality tv show, but doesn’t actually deliver those vibes. This one served what was promised!

It had an eerie feel to it; the situations they were put in were so creepy. There was a sinister feel throughout the whole entire book. I know they agreed to the terms, but it was so inhumane at times. There is no way this would ever be a show that could actually air in real life.

Some of it made me mad to read, but that is unfortunately the truth with a lot of reality tv shows. Like people of color/black people getting voted off first or early, or only caring about how skinny and beautiful someone is, or women waiting on a man’s hand and foot. Not that it made the book bad, but if that sort of thing really upsets you I wouldn’t read it.

Unfortunately there was what I would call animal cruelty. I know they need to eat but it goes into detail describing how they killed ducks for food and there was a scene where fish were needlessly killed. That really made me sick and upset. It at the very least didn’t need to be described like it was.

By the end of it I really didn’t like Lily. Most of the people in there weren’t good people. Which was the point, but it was hard to root for anyone. But reality tv is for unlikeable people!

I didn’t care for the relationships because I knew they wouldn’t go anywhere. I was mainly intrigued on how everything would play out.

The fact that the author is younger than me and wrote something this good is mind blowing! The ending was a little abrupt but honestly I didn’t mind where it ended! Sure it would have been nice to see some of the aftermath, but we don’t get that as viewers since we are not the people on the show. I think it would ruin the “tv show magic” because the audience wouldn’t get to see stuff like that, so it’s kind of the point that we don’t either.

If you love reality tv like I do, you will throughly enjoy this I can guarantee!

I posted this review on GoodReads on 6/13/25 and will post it on Amazon on the release date! https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7114668450

This book is described as The Lord of the Flies meets Love Island, and I would throw in Animal Farm too. In a slightly distopian future, a group of beautiful young 20-somethings compete for prizes and relationships in front of cameras for a viewing audience. The reality tv elements of completing tasks for things needed for survival made me think of the Hunger Games. None of the characters, including the main female lead Lily, are particularly likable, and most of them end up performing tasks that are demeaning or downright mean. Overall, I enjoyed this addictive read and think it would make a great vacation book. The pacing seemed a little uneven and some of the actions were too over the top, but I quickly read this book. I would recommend it to anyone wanting to pause for some thought about today's consumerism and voyeurism while breezing through a guilty pleasure summer read.

Wanted to love this soooo bad. Got this just as Love Island was starting and thought this would be the perfect pairing. It moved a little slow for me and I could never find a good rhythm with it. I ended up DNFing around the 50% mark but I just wasn't itching to pick it up. I would love to know how it ends though. Better than most reality-show like books I've read. With the right reader they will love this.

I received an invitation to this E-Arc and felt a bit cautious, even after really liking the summary. However, it blew me away, and I will accept no slander—well, I will, but I won’t listen. I know there are some things that could have been tweaked, but they do not change my feelings for the novel.

There is a bit of uncertainty at the beginning, as we are not privy to what happened before the compound, their lives, and how they came to be there. We are left to figure out who these people are and how far they are willing to go. Being in Lily's point of view was perfection; I wouldn’t change anything about her. She felt so normal and realistic, even framed as shallow, beautiful, and dumb. I didn't agree with that characterization there is much more to her than that. In the second half of the book, you can see how unhappy she is with her life and how much she is struggling. We gradually learn more about the dystopian world they inhabit, particularly how they perceive rewards and life in the compound. My favorite parts were witnessing Lily being underestimated, fighting with everything she has to stay in the game. You can even see moments when she forgets she is in a game, so immersed is she in her environment.

I absolutely demolished this book! I couldn't put it down and stayed up late to finish it. It was a perfect read for me, convincing me to pick up anything else this author publishes.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing I received a ARC for an honest review !

Reading "The Compound" was a bit like watching a television reality competition show but a lot darker. It's a mix between 'Big Brother' and 'Love Island' and 'Hunger Games.' The challenges were sometimes troubling and often brought out the worst in people. It was an engaging read and would likely really be enjoyed by those who like reality shows. The characters are interesting, if a bit one-dimensional. The world outside is perhaps even darker than the remote reality environment created in The Compound but we never fully learn about it.. I found the ending a bit troubling and unsatisfying but I think others will be more enthusiastic about this book. Thanks to NetGalley and Random House for the ARC.