I can see why this book has been so hyped -- it was such a wild ride. I love reality tv and although I haven't seen the show this book is mostly drawing from, I still really enjoyed it.

There is so much tension from the very beginning and Aisling Rawle does such a good job of building and sustaining it. I couldn't wait to find out how it would all wrap up.

I could have read a lot more about these characters and would love to have spin-offs of them in their pre- and post-show life - it would be so fascinating.

I am excited to check out what Aisling Rawle writes next -- her writing was so good and this felt like such a fresh, unique book. I'm really impressed that it is a debut!

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book!

The Compound kicks off with Lily waking up in a remote desert compound alongside nineteen other contestants, all vying in a high-stakes reality show that dishes out luxury prizes—from champagne to straighteners—for accomplishing escalating challenges. It steadily builds from intriguing to downright chilling as boundaries blur between desire, manipulation, and survival. Rawle’s writing is propulsive and binge-worthy, delivering clever social satire wrapped in addictive drama. With sharp observations on consumerism, gender politics, and the voyeuristic lure of reality TV, this debut hooks you fast and sinks in deep. It’s equal parts thought-provoking and page-turningly entertaining—one of those novels you’ll be talking about long after finishing.

As a GMA pick, it’s exactly that mix: bingeable yet meaningful.

Perfect satire on reality dating shows! I loved the ridiculous challenges the contestants had to do and the slight horror/sci-fi element to the book.

I think I heard "cult" and maybe jumped the gun on this one. It wasn't what I was expecting at all and idk how scifi comes in. I just never really got into this one but it was well written.

Wish I could say I loved this one after being totally obsessed with it for a few days, but unfortunately, the ending didn’t do it for me.

The first two parts of this book were packed with drama, dysfunction, and tension. It’s basically a dystopian reality show where men and women live in a compound under strict rules: no talking about personal matters (leading to the dullest conversations possible), a member of the opposite sex must sleep in your bed each night (or you’re banished if your bed is empty in the morning), and you’re given secret tasks to win rewards—but you’re not allowed to talk about them.

This had so much potential to be something special, especially with the intense buildup of conflict, manipulation, and betrayal. I definitely see the social commentary—especially around consumerism and how far people will go for even the smallest luxuries—but the ending left so much to be desired. After such a delicious setup, we got a bland and ambiguous finale that felt like a missed opportunity. I kept waiting for a twist or something exciting to end the book with, but it never came.

Honestly, if this had leaned more into being a thriller—or even a suspenseful romance—it could have easily been a five-star read. The plot and characters were strong, and the execution was exciting… right up until the final act.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for this ARC!

When I wasn’t reading this book, I was thinking about it. I couldn’t wait to get back to it! The complex characters had me intrigued, much like the tv audience would have been enthralled with their reality show drama. Each of the main characters had both positive and negative character traits and also different motivations that made this book much less simplistic than a book about a reality show could have been. Waiting to actually see how far each would go to get their rewards and stay in the compound really kept me turning the pages. There is a deeper meaning with what goes on in the story that mirrors aspects of our society. It gets very dark with shocking events taking place as we get towards the end. A wild ride!
Thanks to NetGalley for my copy in return for my honest review.

What a great debut! The concept of the book was extremely interesting. Gave love island meets hunger games in a good way.

I enjoyed this thriller set in the reality tv setting. This story gave Big Brother meets Love Island with a dystopian twist. In The Compound, the contestants must couple up to stay and perform tasks to earn every day items and luxury items but you get a sense that the world outside is a mess which is why many of these contestants agree to be on the show. Although I really liked the story, there were a couple things that had me lowering my rating:
1 - some of the story felt repetitive as the story went along. I felt like the same story could have been told with 50-100 less pages and been the sweet spot.
2 - I think the dread of the outside world and what is waiting for them felt too under explored…what kind of lives wait for the contestants - a couple references to a war, a couple to meaningless lives, a couple to only having 15-20 more years to live (why??)

Overall this was a fun summer read though and I recommend for reality tv watchers.

Wow, what a book! The Compound unfolds on the bizarre and haunting set of a dystopian reality TV show, where performance and surveillance blur the line between entertainment and existential dread. The setting is unlike anything I've encountered—eerily plausible, sharply surreal, and wholly original. Though the protagonist is somewhat emotionally distant and hard to connect with on a personal level, this detachment somehow works in the book’s favor, emphasizing the alienation and disorientation that permeate the story.

What kept me hooked was the world itself: claustrophobic yet sprawling, constructed with a dreamlike logic that constantly challenged my assumptions. The narrative has a strange, quiet intensity to it, and I found myself compelled to keep reading even when I wasn’t entirely sure where it was leading—because that uncertainty felt intentional, even meaningful.

In tone and emotional weight, it reminded me of I Who Have Never Known Men—both books carry that same quiet horror, the sense of life being observed rather than lived, of freedom being just out of reach. It’s a story that doesn’t offer easy answers, but it lingers in your mind long after the final page.

A surreal, unsettling read—one I’d highly recommend to anyone drawn to speculative fiction that doesn’t play by the rules.

I liked this book but it took about 60-70% of the book for it to really really hook me. I am a reality show lover and I read it while simultaneously watching Love Island and the similarities are clearly drawn from the show while trying to create dystopian world allusions but nothing really came from that subplot. Talk of a war outside of the home and how that affected the characters and their actions came and went but wasn’t consistent and was frustrating-either make it a part of the story or drop it.

3.5 stars.
I received a copy of The Compound from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book definitely kept me turning the pages, I was hooked from the start and had to see how it all played out. The pacing is strong, the tension is consistent, and there’s a real sense of unease throughout that works well for a thriller.

That said, it wasn’t quite what I expected going in. Without giving spoilers, the direction the story took felt a little different from the premise I had in mind, and that shift left me feeling slightly off balance. I wouldn’t say I was disappointed, but I did finish the book with more questions than satisfaction.

Still, if you’re in the mood for a dark, suspenseful read with some twists along the way, The Compound is worth checking out. Just go in with an open mind and don’t assume you know where it’s headed!

Ok wow, what a fascinating book idea. I felt uneasy the whole time reading this waiting for danger at any moment..so many questions at the end! A follow up would be so welcome.

I’m honestly not even quite so what to say about this book. I think maybe I’m not the target audience for this.. I kept hearing it compared to Love Island or other reality TV shows which aren’t really my jam. Initially the writing felt very flat for me. I also didn’t really connect with any of the character. It did gain momentum and start to build suspense towards the end but the ending really fell off for me. This was definitely unique but maybe not the right book for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Lily wakes up in an isolated compound in the desert along with 19 other contestants. The objective is to out last all others in the house while competing for luxuries, necessities, and human connection. She is determined to win and live a life of comfort away from the outside world that is falling apart.

As the competition progresses the stakes become higher and higher, people become desperate and trust in each other evaporates. Lily knows if she makes it to the end, if she survives, and finds a love connection she can make it and have everything she could ever dream of, but the journey there is not what she is expecting and peoples true colours are scary.

This was honestly such a fascinating book and concept. I am a huge lover of reality tv, and this take on it and what a show does to the psyche of the contestants was mesmerizing. I could not put this down, and could not believe it was a debut. The exploration of what human become when they are desperate and isolated was so well done. The character work was a work of art, they all felt so human, and I couldn't help but empathize with every one of them. This is an example of how far people will go when they are pushed to the edge and I ate it up.

I love reality TV books (even though I don’t really watch reality TV) and this was such a weird, dystopian version of what reality TV could be. Initially I struggled with keeping all the characters separate, but as they got whittled down it became much easier. But even when I was struggling, it was a really fascinating look into how people act when they’re giving in to their basest instincts (even when everyone is watching). I loved the choice of narrator and her reflections really made me think about how differently the story could have been told by any of the other contestants. The cover looks fluffy but this had some teeth to it.

This was Love Island meets Big Brother meets Black Mirror meets Lord of the Flies—and I was absolutely here for it. Sign me up for this wild, dystopian reality TV series in book form!

While the pacing was a bit slow in the beginning, once the story picked up, I was fully invested. The world Aisling Rawle created was eerie, captivating, and disturbingly plausible. The setting, a hyper-controlled environment built for entertainment and surveillance, was the perfect backdrop for the chaos that unfolds.

What I really appreciated was how this book didn’t just serve drama—it thoughtfully explores our cultural obsession with reality TV, the extremes of consumerism, and what happens when survival and love collide in a public arena. The characters were layered and vulnerable, and watching their relationships shift under pressure made for such an addictive read.

Also, as someone currently watching Love Island USA, this made my viewing experience even spicier. The parallels between entertainment and exploitation were so well done.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion!

A slightly dystopic take on reality TV with a life-or-death version of a Love Island-type show. It leaves you wanting more, for better or for worse.

3.5/5

A satirical and disturbing look at reality tv, specifically a show like Love Island, The Compound was an uncomfortable read that had me binging it. I wanted the descriptions of the outside world to be a bit more ominous - the vague talk of wars and a climate crisis didn’t do it for me. The abrupt ending also took me out of it a little bit. Overall, I think this is a great read that many will like- I just wanted a little bit more from it.

This was a refreshingly different read for me. Prior to this book I had never seen Love Island (now I have seen one season since this book and pop culture influenced me) and had only seen one season of Big Brother so I was only vaguely familiar with the concept of competitive reality tv where a group of people live in a house together for extended periods of time. I think my limited knowledge on the topic made this read fascinating. Most characters in this story were insufferable but I was still entranced and eager to keep reading. Points of this story were really hard to read and made me uncomfortable but overall I had a great time.

This was gripping all the way through, with reality tv meets lord of the flies. While I wasn’t particularly attached to any of the characters I flew through it. I did find the end disappointing.