The Compound by Aisling Rawle is a highly recommended literary fiction debut that takes on a dystopian reality show competition.

Lily is a beautiful young woman who joins the cast of a reality TV show. The competition begins when 10 women wait on site for 10 men to cross a desert landscape to join them on the compound. The winner is the one who stays the longest as the others are sent home along the way. The contestants are required to pair up and share a bed. For this show there is immediately a problem as only 9 men show up, which means one woman will be eliminated immediately.

The group will complete group challenges for items the whole group needs or can use. Then they also have individual challenges where they can earn luxury rewards for themselves. As the competition continues it becomes increasingly unsettling for numerous reasons, which you'll have to discover for yourself.

The Compound will immediately grab your attention for a number of reasons and then will hold that attention right to the end. It might help if you have some basic familiarity with reality TV shows, but you will be able to follow what is happening even if you don't. Honestly, it might be best to dive into this without a lot of extraneous information about it and just experience the narrative as the author intended. The themes explored will become abundantly clear along the way, as will the dangers. I will admit that I wasn't a huge fan of the ending.

The Compound is a good choice for those who appreciate literary fiction with a dystopian feeling. Thanks to Random House for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

The review will be published on Edelweiss, Barnes & Noble and Amazon.

I hate to say it but I was a bit disappointed by this one. I really liked the beginning, being thrown into this situation with the narrator, and had high hopes! But as the story went on, I cared less and less about what was happening and found the main character boring. I think a little more back story about what was going on outside the compound (the wars) would have been interesting, I also think hearing some of the other characters perspectives throughout would have been nice, particularly any of the boys before they reached the compound, or Candice or Becca, who seemed potentially more interesting. The ending felt a bit abrupt.

The Compound is a gripping, high-stakes blend of Love Island and Lord of the Flies, and I devoured every page. Aisling Rawle masterfully builds tension in a setting that feels both seductive and sinister, capturing the volatility of group dynamics and the creeping unease of paradise gone wrong.

The atmosphere is immersive, the character dynamics are electric, and the pacing is pitch-perfect. I was completely hooked. Highly recommended for fans of psychological suspense, social experiments, and books that dare to get a little messy. I recommend this to any fans of reality TV! I have been blabbering about this to my friends and I won’t stop anytime soon.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Aisling Rawle for an ARC of this novel.

When I heard about The Compound, I was so excited to read it. Hearing that it was like Love Island meets the Hunger Games or Lord of the Flies, instantly drew me in. However, I’m so disappointed to say I was left dissatisfied.

It was a fast read, but it had a very slow start. I felt that nothing really happened until about 30% into the book. I really disliked the main character. The story itself was repetitive with all of the Communal Tasks and personal tasks. I feel like there was almost too much filler surrounding some of the less important tasks.

There was talk of “the wars”, but not enough detail surrounding them. I felt like more of a backstory on said wars would have added to the storyline.

I LOVED this book. It’s a hybrid of Love Island/dystopian fiction/commentary on consumerism. Aside from all that, it is also edge of your seat exciting. I sped through it. Had to know how it would end. Really impressed this is Aisling Rawles first book! Highly recommend!

Were dropped immediately into the story and for a little while it’s a bit disorienting. You don’t know what’s happening, who any of the 20 people are and if you should care. The characters also cannot talk about their pasts. That’s a set up for disaster in my opinion and yet..

I couldn’t look away from this group that was sure to end in disaster. So much greed!! An extreme and in your face satire about consumerism. I think it would have helped to have a little more context of the world they were living in. There were hints of a war - possible dystopian situation but it wasn’t clear. It was hard to determine if living in the compound was better or worse than the real world but what was clear was that you’re not happy with more things- you’re just more alone.

I love reality shows like Love Island and Perfect Match so I fell for the concept hook line and sinker and wonder again why no one could talk about anything about themselves or the outside world. How do you even make connections? This is a definitely a point the author wanted to make.

I think the tension built steadily - keeping the reader glued to the pages.

Some of the story did feel monotonous but like many a big brother episode - that’s life inside the compound.

This debut left an impression. I won’t be signing up for a reality tv show anytime soon!

This was sad, dark, and thought provoking.

I love a good dystopian novel, especially those with a unique concept. This book definitely had a unique concept, I just wish there had been more information about what made the book a climate dystopia.

The premise of the book is a reality TV show where 10 women wake up in a compound. The compound is in whatever shape the last group of contestants leave it in. Those girls then wait for the 10 guys to arrive. The guys were dropped off randomly in the desert and have to make it to the compound.

Once the boys arrive, the challenges begin. There are communal challenges that provide necessities for the house and individual challenges that give the person “prizes”. The longer you stay in the compound, the better prizes you get. If you get banished, you get to keep your prizes. If you win, you get to ask for any and everything you could ever want and stay at the compound for as long as you want.

Until they are down to the final five contestants, there must always be an even number of girls and boys. And each night, you must share a bed with a member of the opposite sex or else you are banished.

And if you break a rule, you are punished. Two or more people break a rule, everyone is punished. There aren’t a ton of rules, but before the final five, you can’t talk about your life before the compound and there is no physical fighting.

Banishments come via vote by other contestants, when instructed to do this as a task (if the group chooses to do the task). And once one person is banished, the members of the opposite sex all become vulnerable to banishment overnight.

The concept of the book is great and I really enjoyed it. I found myself not wanting to put it down! I only wish there had been a bit more information about the outside world - the wars and climate and natural disasters that are all hinted at but never explored.

Ooh this one was fun! It’s like my trashy reality TV turned semi-thriller with some social commentary sprinkled in. And yet, I had to sit and think on this one for a while before I provided my review as I have some conflicting feelings.

I still don’t know if I liked the main character. She’s not transparent and doesn’t freely share her inner thoughts and opinions with the reader. I imagine this was the author’s intent so that you weren’t ever quite sure what she would do or what would happen, which also mirrors watching reality TV. You don’t really know these characters on the screen, only what they decide to share. Even then you have to question what’s real.

I had a hard time putting this book down, but I found the ending unsatisfying. I kept waiting for a twist or a big reveal, some ulterior motive or reason for why certain characters acted a certain way. There were definitely a litany of questions that were left unanswered. Why were certain contestants pushed by the producers to stay longer in the show when they were so unlikable? Why were they trying to kick certain contestants out? What was going on in the outside world that was teased but was never specifically discussed? What was the audience’s influence on what happened during the show? Their reactions??

I couldn’t stop thinking about it after I had finished it. It’s one of those that stays with you for a while, and that combined with me eagerly devouring this in only one sitting, warrants a four star review even if I wasn’t wholly satisfied. I’d definitely pick up another book by this author in the future. Thank you to Random House and NetGalley for the ARC.

A modern-day version of Lord of the Flies, and set in a TV reality show with a desert local, this book keeps you guessing until the end, and beyond. The “winner” of 19 contestants does leave “the Compound,” with loot from successful “tasks” in tow, but what awaits that person? Reference to “the wars” is a continuing theme in this dystopian thriller, with a sinister overlay pervading throughout. A very different type of summer read.

4.5★

“i wanted to be free from the daily confrontation with the slow decay of humanity and everything we had built. i wanted to be left alone.”

this book felt like a cross between love island and black mirror, with a sprinkle of yellowjackets.

as a longtime fan of all three, i thoroughly enjoyed this read. we follow lily’s time spent at the compound, competing with the other housemates for both basic necessities (from combs and freezers to meat and luxury items) and the affections of their opposite-sex counterparts. this book balanced commentary on many deep, dark cultural and societal issues with the lighthearted, superficial fun of a reality show. throughout the story, we catch glimpses of the outside world. my only complaint is that i wish we’d been given more information about the state of the world outside of the compound. it’s clear that lily came to the compound feeling lost and unhappy life, it’s unclear where she’ll end up once she leaves.

“‘you won’t be alone,’ he said. ‘we’ll be watching you, at home. we all will.’”

thank you to aisling rawle, random house publishing and netgalley for this arc 🖤

One of the best books I’ve read so far this year! The premise is intriguing on its face — “Love Island” with a vicious “Lord of the Flies” streak — and Rawle pulls it off and then some.

Mostly, I’m in awe at her twinned powers of world-building and character-building, all of it steady and meaningful, with big payoffs. The story and setups alone recommend the book, but the character work with Lily put it over the top. Here is a prime example of an “unlikable” character we really get to know quite deeply, enough to even root for her during the most heinous of acts. That’s a tall order, but one Rawle nails.

This was an alright book, I found because of the setting there was a lot of repetitive situations that happened, understanding given they are located in a remote area and pretty much confined to a house. The compound is a reality TV show, 20 people, 10 men/women are invited go try and stay the longest in the compound, they have to do both group and individual tasks, if they are successful they get prizes that could assist with their staying longer (like food, clothing etc), group tasks benefit the group, individual ones are intended for the individual. One of the men (the two groups made their way to the compound separately) did not arrive, so right off the start, there is a banishment, one of the women will be sent home, who gets sent home is the person who does not pair up with a man. Lily is our guide of sorts, she very attractive and really wants to win, she has no issue finding someone to pair up with (this part is kinda creepy, none of these people know each other, yet they are expected to pair up and sleep together every night). Next morning, one female is banished (she walks out to an area outside the compound where she's picked up and driven back to society). Not much is really said about the surroundings other than that it's a desert and it's extremely hot during the day. The producers pull stunts that cause friction among the participants, including withholding items that they would need to survive. The participants get banished one by one (or as a couple) till there is only a few left, things get rather interesting at that point. I would recommend, an interesting story. Thanks to #Netgalley and #Random House Publishing for the ARC.

An explosive debut! Think Survivor meets Love Island with a Hunger Games edge—intense challenges, drama, and high stakes. I was hooked from page one. Lily’s journey in this brutal reality show is a total rollercoaster, and I couldn’t stop turning the pages. I would have loved the added depth from the contestants’ backstories and it would have helped connect more. Fast-paced, twisty, and wildly entertaining!

In The Compound, Aisling Rawle asks the question, "What if Love Island and Survivor had an evil baby?"

Contestants awake in the middle of the desert in a crumbling mansion, their every move watched by the producers—and the world. They're not allowed to discuss their lives outside of the show or the fact that they're in a show at all. Throughout the days, they're given challenges that, upon completion, provide the necessities (and frivolities) to build up their newfound home. On the side, each person has individual challenges to earn luxury gifts from sponsors in the real world. Each morning, the contestants must wake up with a partner in their bed; if they're alone, they're banished. Be the last one standing, and enjoy a life of luxury and fame, no matter what it costs to get there.

This debut is not perfect: dialogue was often stilted, characters acted irrationally (although some of that was intentional), and the protagonist's greed often seemed like a plot device rather than a genuine motivation. That said, I enjoyed this read, and the premise alone kept me interested throughout. The romance was sweet and tense, and the pressure to succeed was usually clear and driving. Rawle also left just enough hints of the outside world to make the reader wonder about the time and place; is this a dystopian future or our present reality, grim as it is?

Fans of reality TV and social critiques like I'm Starting to Worry About This Black Box of Doom will find themselves drawn into the Compound and rooting for (or against) its diverse cast of competitors.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House for this eARC, and be on the lookout for The Compound's June 24th release!

I really enjoyed the originality and novelty of this story! The suspense and tension carried throughout the novel, and I became really invested in the main character, someone with no "notable" qualities. I enjoyed that the main character wasn't a genius or secretly really skilled at X, Y, and Z that would help her on the show. I read this entire book over the course of a day, so it definitely grabbed my attention. I look forward to reading other books by Aisling Rawle!

I can’t say that I’ve ever read a book quite like this one!

The Compound follows a group of individuals on a reality tv show, living together and completing tasks to earn rewards. Tasks and rewards are simple at first, but as time progresses, things get more uncomfortable and the stakes get higher. The viewers become invested as the season progresses and the producers start to play dirty.

I love that the book starts as the girls are waking up in the compound alone. As the reader, it made me feel anxious for them and made it feel that much more real. I read most of this book today because I just couldn’t put it down. Though it was a bit of a slow burn, there was enough drama that kept you interested and yearning for more information.

This was pretty light-hearted at first, and I was shocked (but not surprised) when the game started to get a bit more grisly! Lies, deception, violence, I was HERE FOR ITTTTTT!

Definitely a 5 star read for me, the characters and the competitive nature of the games kept me hooked throughout, and there was never really a point where I got bored. I would LOVE to see this played out as a TV show, it was so descriptive that I could see the scenes playing out in my head as I progressed through the book. This will definitely be one of those books that sticks with me!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

The Compound is the debut thriller novel by Aisling Rawle and I am in awe with how well this worked for me! I have been in a thriller drought for months because I am so tired of the same kind of stories and this was so refreshing!

I went into this book completely unaware of the plot. I didn’t read the synopsis or anything. I just got an email from the marketing team with the widget for the arc and decided to go for it and I’m so glad I did!

That being said, I think not knowing anything is the best way to go into this book. So I won’t be saying anything about the content of the book.

This story is a little slow moving and I think it works so well to create an atmosphere in this novel. The main character, Lily, is very interesting to follow. Getting her perspective, I feel like she questions a lot of things that are going on around her but she also has goals that are more important to her than figuring out answers to her questions. Which I know some readers will find a bit frustrating but I think it worked so well for what the story was trying to say.

I feel like this would make an absolutely fantastic book club book because of the discussions that could be had around it. The more I think about it, the more thoughts I have about it. What would I do in certain situations? How would I act?

I wouldn’t be surprised if this ends up being my favorite book in this genre this year. I can’t wait until it releases and I can get a physical copy of it!

I’m a big fan of trash reality tv, and so I decided to check this out. For me personally the first half was relatively slow and then began to pick up pace about halfway through. I thought the beginning could’ve done a bit better about incorporating some other elements, because the underlying tone of “is something nefarious going on here” started to feel very one note after a while. Lots of life outside of the compound is discussed but there’s no real solid understanding of how exactly bad it is outside of the compound. There’s a lot of ambiguity in interactions and the ending as well.

The Compound by Aisling Rawle is like Love Island meets Lord of the Flies—dark, twisted, and totally addictive. It follows Lily, stuck in a messed-up reality show where luxury comes at a serious cost.

It’s satirical, a little unhinged, and makes you question everything about fame, comfort, and how far people will go to win. Super bingeable and hard to put down

I can safely say I was hooked as soon as I picked this book up. what a fantastic vacation read!

i'd seen it described as Love Island meets The Hunger Games, and as a huge fan of both, i had to love it, right?!
Contestants are essentilly dumped at a place called The Compound, where they must learn to live amongst each other and complete communal, as well as individual, tasks in order to win things such as clothing, food, building material, and so on. i enjoyed the pace of the book, but i also feel like too many characters were introduced a bit too fast within the beginning. nonetheless, i liked getting to know everyone, i only wish we could have gotten to know them a bit more individually; why did they join the show? what was their life on the "outside" like, etc. I think that would have added deeper feelings for readers toward those who had to end up leaving the compound, and made it harder to part ways with some characters.
as I kept reading, I sort of expected things to become more gruesome (again, since I had read that it was compared to The Hunger Games, Lord of the Flies, etc), but it didn't really lead up to anything i originally anticipated. I think it's safer to say it had more of a Love Island/Survivor vibe to it. I also wish we got more information on "The War" that was mentioned to be happening on the "outside." it had a very dystopian nature to it, but was never really dissected in depth, even though it was mentioned a few times and affected a couple of the characters.
Overall, I enjoyed this! Hooray for Aisling Rawle's debut novel!