A riveting and engaging book. What starts as an interesting story about a reality TV show shifts into something far more impactful. The plot is like a reality show crossover of "Big Brother", "Bachelor in Paradise", and "Survivor".

The Compound is split into three parts, told from Lily's point-of-view, about her time on the show. The contestants can't speak about their outside lives, can't talk about the show itself, and must complete personal and group tasks to earn rewards and incentives.

I really liked Lily, and truly connected with her as she processed her motives and mindset over the course of the show. She felt her life back home was insignificant, and now feels of value in The Compound.

The contestants do tasks, sometimes at the expense of others, to earn rewards. The goal is to be the last one remaining, and "win it all" by getting to request anything you want. The question is, will Lily make it to the end?

The Compound is a meaningful lesson on material possessions, greed, status, relationships, and reality. I was truly captivated and enjoyed reading this book! It left me thinking long after the last page.

Thank you to Random House for the ARC! All opinions are my own.

The Compound is a gripping and unsettling read that masterfully blends elements of Lord of the Flies, The Purge, Big Brother, and Love Island—and the comparison is spot-on. Aisling Rawle creates a tense, claustrophobic atmosphere where human nature is stripped bare under pressure, surveillance, and the illusion of choice.

The social dynamics are just as volatile as the physical threats, with a cast of characters constantly shifting between alliance and betrayal, much like the psychological games of reality TV. The book explores power, control, and identity in a way that feels both terrifying and entirely plausible.

If you’re into dystopian thrillers that make you question morality, manipulation, and the cost of entertainment, The Compound will leave you thinking long after you finish the last page.

I’m honestly still processing how I feel about The Compound. On one hand, the writing is crisp and engaging, and the mix of characters, both likable and deeply frustrating, keeps things dynamic. The premise is a fascinating mash-up of Love Island and The Hunger Games, blending dystopian spectacle with social critique in a way that feels eerily relevant.

There’s a lingering ambiguity throughout the novel about what’s happening outside the Compound, with only vague references to war, recession, and disease. While that mystery adds an element of intrigue, it also leaves you wondering why anyone would willingly sign up for this environment; which may be part of the point, though I found myself wishing for more clarity.

The pacing has its ups and downs. Some sections drag with too much introspection or repetition, while others race forward with shocking developments. As for the main character... she was, frankly, maddening. She often felt like a caricature of the clueless female protagonist that male authors tend to overuse: naïve, underprepared, and hard to root for. Yet, surprisingly, that didn’t ruin the experience for me.

And then there’s the ending: unexpected and completely unhinged. I didn’t see it coming, and it left me both horrified and impressed. The Compound may not be a perfect book, but it’s a provocative one that plays with genre in interesting ways and sticks with you long after you’ve turned the final page.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Aisling Rawle, and Random House Publishing Group for this ARC in exchange for my honest reviews.

DNF--I didn't personally jive with the writing style. The concept sounds so cool though! Maybe would try again another time, but not for me right now.

Reality TV is my guilty pleasure and books about reality tv are no different so it’s safe to say I’ve read a bunch. Somehow Rawle was able to take such a formulated concept and make it into something entirely new. From start to finish I felt like I was tuning in daily to my favorite show. The concept of The Compound is so unique and takes the reality part of reality tv to an entirely new level exploring just how far humans are willing to go to satiate their materialist greed. Could this work in real life? I mean probably but it would be scary to watch and would require some seriously intense psych evaluations and on site mental health services. Would I be the first person to sign up for it? Absolutely 🙋🏻‍♀️

I enjoyed this debut novel quite a lot. The Compound tells the story of Lily, and 19 other contestants on a reality tv show that combines elements of Love Island with Big Brother. To win, Lily must be the last contestant left on the compound by beating the other contestants in challenges, as well as by avoiding being voted off the compound. I truly had no idea where this story was taking me but it beat reality tv at its own game, keeping me hooked until the last page. Thank you to Netgalley and Random House NY for the opportunity to read an advanced reader’s copy of The Compound. I highly recommend this novel to other readers.

Wowza, what a read! I couldn't put it down. Part Bachelor, Love Island. Animal Farm and the Lord of the Flies-- this was such a captivating, propulsive, and deftly crafted suspense with elements of science fiction and horror. I really enjoyed the development of each character and how we can find echoes of their behaviors in some of the worst governments/politicians playing leaders on our global stage. Great commentary on the dangers of materialism, social media, technology/AI, and our obsession with the narrative of :"love". This ending with a bang and I was left with the pieces...There were some chapters that leaned a little long but given the premise, I understand why the author had to take her time world building. I really enjoyed this and can't wait to see more from Rawle!!!

I received this book in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. The premise of this book immediately intrigued me. Love Island meets Big Brother meets dystopia? I'm sold. I have read MANY books about fictionalized accounts of reality television, and this is absolutely top tier. Despite the fact that the first part of the book is a little disorienting as you come to understand the world and the show, I was instantly hooked. I tore through this in two days, but could easily see a world where this can be read in a single sitting. I don't want to discuss the plot too much because I think part of the experience of reading this book is to learn things on your own. I will say, this is relatively character driven - there is plot, but it is not particularly fast paced. The spare writing style really helps set the tone for the book, but it is not particularly beautiful. All that to say, I couldn't stop reading and really wanted to know how the book would end. I also wasn't ready for it to end, and would have stayed in that world to learn all about it that I could. It's rare that a sci-fi/dystopian novel lives up to its premise for me, but this one did. 4.5 stars, rounding up.

A reality show inside of a book?? Say less — I was hooked. 🎥✨ I tore through The Compound by Aisling Rawle like it was a brand-new season of Love Island and I had nothing but free time... except I didn’t. I had work. And I was a little late because I needed to finish this book.

This story reads like Love Island meets Survivor with a dash of The Hunger Games — high-stakes competition, emotional depth, and characters you can’t help but root for (or against 👀). I’m genuinely torn — part of me desperately wants a sequel because I'm obsessed with Lily, and part of me feels the ending was so satisfying that it’s better left untouched. Either way, this was such a wild, addictive ride and I can't wait to see what Aisling Rawle writes next. Thank you so much to Random House for the ARC! 💖

This was totally different than anything I have read in a long time, and I loved it. The mix of drama and suspense build up, with a few twists included, had me hooked! I liked the reality game theme of it too. It reminded me of Love Island in the beginning but unfolded into something more like Survivor. The ending made me want to throw the book though, but I know those who love a good cliff hanger would disagree. I look forward to reading more from this author!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for this advanced reader’s copy in exchange for my honest review.

I loved this! It was extremely entertaining and I couldn’t put it down. I was completely engrossed in what was happening with the contestants and couldn’t wait to find out what would happen next.

The ending was a bit bland and the main character wasn’t very likable, and I wish we knew more about what was happening in the outside world, but those are my only minor complaints.

For a debut, this was impressive. I would definitely read another book by this author.

Let me start by saying this – it's a slooooow burn book BUT if you like reality tv, I do believe you'll enjoy it if you can tolerate the pacing, which has ebbs and flows throughout. Much like real life, contestants aren't permitted to discuss past seasons, which means you're learning how the show works as the book progresses. This wasn't inherently bad, however in those slower pacing moments, it did make it a little bit more confusing to keep track of what's going on, as you don't have an idea of what to expect.

For the backdrop, think Love Island, but Purge-adjacent and with rewards similar to earlier seasons of Big Brother Australia, where contestants would sometimes be asked to either take something for themselves or generously gift to a housemate. Often the BB ones were humorous (Tim and Tahan with the hair dryer!), but these tasks and rewards are often more mean-spirited, adding to the dark vibes of the isolated desert setting. While production allegedly won't let anyone die, they will let injuries happen, and after the final five remain, fighting becomes allowed between the residents. All of this adds to the dark atmosphere happening between the residents and really sets the scene for those faster moments in the story.

One thing I do wish is that we could've had more information about the world outside of the show, and that we could've seen more of the production happening. Some of the things that were sort of glossed over (like when production needed to give a punishment, for example), could've lent an interesting additional view to the entire story.

As a whole, I found this to be really unique and I did enjoy it! I think the pacing could've been improved (either full slow burn or build then ramp up at the end, but pick one!) but aside from that, I have no major complaints and was hooked on finding out what was going on.

Going with a 3-3.5 for me!

The Compound was such a wild ride. As someone who watches way too much reality TV, I loved how dark and messed up this twisted version of Love Island was. It was so addictive and I finished it in less than a day.

This book was like watching a suspenseful and disturbing reality television show. This science fiction fantasy book was definitely unique, in its own way. It was like watching the reality television show Big Brother and Love Island, mixed with the Yellowjackets series and the Lord of the Flies. This story includes many characters, both likable and unlikable. It is filled with mystery, emotional and adventure. This author did a wonderful job with this being a debut novel! It is divided into three parts, contains long chapters and had flaws of the characters as the main focus. It left me wondering what was going to happen next, while reading it!

“The Compound” starts off with a woman named Lily waking up in a deserted compound. She is not the only one there, there are also nineteen other people at the compound with her. They are all competing in a reality television show, with cameras watching their every move. They do competitions and get rewards. However, as the story unravels, everything at this compound becomes dark and eerie. Overall, I rate this a 3 out of 5 stars.

Content warnings include violence, confinement, abuse, mental illness, grief and body horror.

People will like reading this book if they enjoy watching reality television, along with extreme suspense and chaos.

Thank you to NetGalley, author Aisling Rawle and Random House Publishing Group for this advanced reader’s copy in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

This book is expected to be published on June 24, 2025!

I honestly can’t believe that this is a debut novel. The author did an incredible job of pulling their audience into the story and holding their attention. I don’t think I knew exactly what I was getting into with this book and I definitely liked it more than I thought I would. It’s highly entertaining and it gets dark and twisty pretty quickly.

Thank you NetGalley for the arc!

The Compound is billed as Love Island meets Lord of the Flies. Sold.

However, after a while it became repetitive and monotonous. To be fair, episodes of Love Island are repetitive. And to be honest, I also gave up on Ishuguro’s Never Let Me Go for the same reason and he won the Nobel Prize for literature so this could be a case of the wrong reader for this novel.

The writing is competent for sure but the main character’s voice never became compelling to me, even when the competition became more and more frightening. This is the risk writers take when they choose to write in the first person. Write in a realistic manner (how people actually speak) and the tale will be boring. Add writerly flourishes and it becomes unrealistic. I love the idea of this novel and I do think many people will enjoy it who are less critical about tone and pacing than I am.

I rarely dislike a book because I can usually find some redeeming qualities. The Compound, by Aisling Rawle, is definitely a book that will go in the dislike column. Maybe it's my age or because I am not a fan of reality TV and have spent very few minutes of d my time watching one. I could never find a way to care about any of the characters, let alone Lily - described as a beautiful twenty-something - who wakes up on a remote desert compound alongside nineteen other contestants competing on a popular reality show. The goal is for one contestant to outlast her housemates in various challenges and stay in The Compound the longest. When the men arrive, the competition intensifies, intimacy between the players deepens, and I always wondered if the connection was due to desire and desperation. When the story turns, and contestants are forced into upsetting and dangerous situations, the line between this is a stupid game, and now we need to survive gets blurry. With cameras catching Lily's good and bad moves, which I found boring and petty, and her dialogue about the other women, it didn't take long before I wanted the story to end. Poor character development and the language and structure of the book weren't sophisticated or well done.

Maybe the best speculative fiction of the year. So on point & clever. This story has so much to say but never lets up on the pace. It is immensely readable.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Thank you Random House Publishing Group, for providing the copy of The Compound by Aisling Rawle. I loved the premise of this book but the execution fell short. I loved the idea of the reality show but it was never clear what the point of the show was or why the contestants were forced to pair up every night and share in the same beds. We don’t hear about how the contestants are chosen, or why the women wake up in The Compound while the men have to traipse through the desert.What were “the wars”? Where was this desert? What year was this? I wish the challenges had made more sense, maybe building up to a huge reveal, instead of being weirdly random and sometimes mean. I kept reading the book because with all of the great reviews I thought at least the ending would be fantastic.This wasn’t the book for me, but plenty of readers loved it! 2 stars

Thank you NetGalley and Random House for the ARC in exchange for my honest thoughts.

Love Island meets Lord Of The Flies in this dystopian reality tv show that takes place in The Compound. A group of twenty singles must coexist together completing tasks to have a more comfortable home and avoid banishment. Soon the tasks take a turn and they find themselves struggling to even want to compete anymore. Is winning even worth it?

I loved the drama but the ending was a bit of a letdown for me taking it down to 4 stars.