“The Compound” by Aisling Rawle presents a narrative that emulates the format of a reality television show. The characters are readily relatable, and the plot is straightforward and easy to follow. The narrative is structured from the primary character’s perspective.

There was this underlying tension throughout that made it feel like a messy, intense reality show unfolding in real time. The concept was definitely unique, and I can see why some people compare it to Love Island (even though I haven’t watched it myself). The writing was solid, and the pacing kept things moving, but overall it just wasn’t for me. I have a hard time connecting with characters whose motivations feel overly materialistic, and that made it tough to stay invested.

I devoured this book in one sitting, and even stayed up late to finish it. I think the writing and world building is good to draw you into the scheming of the reality show these characters are living within, even though it gets very dark and morbid in the end. Lots of themes that are critical of reality culture and how it impacts people, as well as the participants of these shows. In the end, this wasn't my favorite book, but I did have a good time reading it!

I enjoyed this book much more than I anticipated. It was a great character study of a group of young people who are part of a reality show that cuts them off from the rest of the world, which has been some sort of war for years. It is like Big Brother, Survivor and Hunger Games all in one. It is fascinating to watch the characters change as contestants are banished and the game becomes more competitive. The only thing I would I liked is an epilogue sometime in the future with an update on Lily. I can definitely see this becoming a TV series too. This was a great debut from Aisling Rawle and I look forward to reading more from her in the future. Thanks to NetGalley for the digital ARC.

Something bad has happened in the world and now Lily and nine other women are on a sort of reality show where they compete with one another to bed down for the night with one of nine men who are also at the mysterious compound. Oh and they compete, and cooperate with one another to obtain simple things at first and then later for luxury items. Thing is, anyone who doesn't wake up with a partner is out. It's reality show adjacent with a sly side eye at the genre. I found this slow to start and would have liked more context and worldbuilding but Rawle kept me reading to find out what would happen to Lily. No spoilers. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A fine read,

The Compound is exactly the type of quiet dystopian novel that I enjoy. Set in a vaguely dystopian future, this novel focuses on a reality TV that has similarities to Love Island and Perfect Match with a hint of Survivor, but with much higher stakes.

Lily and nine other girls awaken on a compound; not able to share information about themsleves in the real-world, the girls set to tidying up the disheveled property while waiting for 'the boys' to appear. When the boys finally show up after being dumped in the expansive surrounding wilderness with encroaching wildfires, the premise becomes clear. Girls and boys are rated on physical appearance and are required to pair up. If you are not paired up you are banished from the compound. Group tasks are completed to get rewards such as furniture and food. Personal tasks get contestants luxuries such as cosmetics, jewelry or other expensive rewards, gifted from brands that are required to be thanked by the contestant. Hidden cameras record the contestants vying to be the last one(s) standing, who are allowed to remain at the compound as long as they can survive. The show itself is never to be mentioned.

The societal commentary is strong here. The 'divided' roles see all the women performing the domestic tasks, such as cooking and cleaning. The men self-elect themselves to be in charge. The least attractive men and women are the first ones to be banished. The tasks are sometimes mundane but often cruel or used to embarrass the contestants. The women are pliant, with Lily self-monitoring her thoughts and rehearsing talking points so she will get more male attention. It all seems so unhinged, as a reader you have to wonder why someone would chose to participate in it.

But the Compound stands as a stark contrast to the regular lives of the contestants. The book doesn't outright tell you what has happened to the world outside, but there is mention of smog and poverty and 'the wars'. Lily herself talks about her inability to be able to progress in her life and her isolation and loneliness. By her own admission and through the lens of others, Lily is physically beautiful but does not have much else going on. She feels unintelligent and vapid and coasts primarily on her looks and is dependant on others. For her, the compound is an escape from reality and her opportunity to finally make something of her life. It is all she has. Soon, however, Lily starts to confuse what's fake and what's real and she must stand on her and make her own decisions about her future.

This novel was so wild and eerie and thought provoking, it's still living rent free in my mind. Thank you Random House and Netgalley for allowing me an advanced reader copy of a book I soon won't forget.

This whole book gave me Love Island vibes but with a twist. These women land in this home that needs cleaning up and a repair, and they all wake up in different parts of the home, and they all know it’s a tv show and they are waiting for the guys to get there. The plot is the same as Love Island, except that they all haver tasks that they do as a team and a task they do individually where they get things that their either need or want, they are not allowed to talk about anything person, YET, and they create a little system as they start building and fixing their home for now. I am not going to lie, I don’t like love island I watched one season, and I hated the show, but I really liked this book. The need to win is HUGE, but to win WHAT? Is the question, and I went from rooting for Lily and the rest that stayed over to really feeling sorry for them. This book was a good one.

Thank you Netgalley and the Publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book.

Fans of reality tv, especially shows like Survivor and Big Brother, this book is for you! It was literally like watching a reality show on tv. I could picture it all as the story went. An original storyline for sure. Many thanks to the publisher and netgalley for this copy for read and review

This was an interesting deep-dive into current topics such as young adults without a purpose, fame seeking without any talent to back it up, over-consumerism, surrender to marketing by making yourself a live billboard, the importance of having a purpose in life, not let opportunities pass you by,... so many contemporary topics to cover that I highly recommend this as a book club pick.
A great recommendation for anyone interested in the big brother trope, and whoever is into sociology and psychology. I loved watching those individuals evolve, falling apart, flipping in the confinement of this compound in the middle of the desert.

A pleasant surprise overall, especially for a debut!

What an absolutely interesting book. I was hooked from the absolute beginning. It felt like binging my favorite TV show. I didn't want to put the book down.

This book covers a reality TV show where contestants are living in a compound and must compete for basic necessities like food and water, along with luxuries like new jewelry, couches, clothes, etc. Along with these challenges you are also trying to couple up with someone so that you won't get banished from the compound. It was described as Love Island meets Lord of the Flies and I think that's such a wild combination.

Something I really liked about this book was how often I disagreed with the main character. She wasn't particularly likeable and reading about her perspective on things was so interesting.

I loved learning about the rules of this show and how no one on the compound knew what was real and what was just for prizes. I would definitely watch this show and I don't know what that says about me lol.

I think the ending made sense for this book. Yes it felt unfinished but I think that was the point of the entire story. How far will we go to get what we want? Will that be enough to make us happy? No clear answers were given and I think that's what makes the entire reading experience so great.

Everyone should go read this book!!

Thank you NetGalley, Aisling and Random House for the ARC in exchange for my thoughts & review.

this hooked me in! as a reality tv lover, i was so excited for a thriller twist on the genre. while the main character was fairly unlikable, she reminded me of tv players that i love to hate watch. the book is pretty heavy handed but i still support the overall writing.

One word to describe this book: addicting. It is one of those books where you feel like you were dropped into the pages. Half of the time I felt confused but was always intrigued. It is incredibly surprising and felt like reality tv in the best way possible, but with the added mysterious element it just made it so entertaining. I don't know if I have read a book like this before and I have a feeling that it will be AMAZING on audio.

This was such a compulsive read, I could barely stand to put it down. I've watched a lot of reality TV and this rang so true as something that actually could exist. All of the characters were unlikable in some ways, but also you get their motivations. I wish we had learned a bit more about the outside world. Which is more important to you - people or objects? Money or love?

This was not my favorite book I've read. I did want to see what happened but really dislike reality TV competition shows like this overall. Having it within a dystopian world definitely made it more interesting, however.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC copy for review - my opinions are all my own.

Super interesting premise - we start with the narrator waking up in a house in the middle of the desert. She knows she's on a reality TV show, and has watched enough previous seasons to have some idea what's coming... but maybe she doesn't. This is the story of that show - participants must couple up each night or be eliminated. Everything from water to designer handbags must be won by completing tasks sent by the show's producers.

I read this in two days. It was similar to the feeling of binge watching a show - hard to look away. Lots to think about here - and would probably be a great book club book! But, also similar to reality TV, the other characters were often flat and edited out - so we don't get to know them. And, the ending, for me, meh.

This book sucked me in from the first page and didn’t let me go til the last. SO SO goood!

Loved the way the story starts out with the readers “waking up” with the main character in this strange environment and seeing it for the first time together. We slowly figure out what’s going on and it just gets more unhinged from there.

If you read the synopsis and think “ah another reality show story”, trust me you’re wrong. What an amazing debut.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC!

‘The Compound’ is an addictive novel that really got me thinking about both the appeal and the untold influences of reality game shows – on the contestant and view alike. The story here centers around Lily and her fellow contestants on a televised competition game show [sort of a mash-up of Big Brother and Love Island, but produced a la Black Mirror]. If you love these shows, this is a real treat; and if you don’t consume these shows, it’s still a worthy read for all it has to say about the sociopolitical impacts of these programs.

I particularly loved that in an ensemble of unlikeable characters, Lily does not stand out. A true antihero, she is very clear about her motivations and realistic about how her looks will factor into achieving her goals. Her passivity is both fascinating and frustrating. The dark turn to the game, anticipated but nonetheless unsettling, pushes Lily into actions/reactions that make for compelling reading.

The story description alludes to a dystopian world that is full of war and environmental catastrophe – but since we stay within the Compound, we don’t see that world. It provides a bit of backstory for the contestants, but readers looking for more are likely to be disappointed. But it is a solid thriller that also casts a critical eye on the very construct that sets up its engrossing story.

This is a strong debut novel. It has some pacing issues, but is overall a quick read. And it got me thinking a lot about the social and cultural impact of reality television – how it defines beauty and portrays relationships, and especially concerning body image, gender roles, and mental health.

The Compound was an unusual read. It was not what I expected in many ways; the set-up was quite unsettling.
We are plunged into the action alongside Lily, who wakes up one day in The Compound. Her first action is to find the other girls placed in there with her, and then they wait for the arrival of the ten men who should be joining them. Though they all seem to understand why they are there, we are told little.
The basic premise is that the group are contestants on a reality TV show. Like Love Island they have to couple up. They complete tasks in return for rewards and they are not allowed to reveal any details about their personal lives. Viewers are treated to a daily show of the events within the compound, and the aim is to be one of the final inhabitants.
As we are introduced to the characters we see them through Lily’s eyes. It’s pretty clear that she is not the most cerebral of people. There’s a limit to how exciting you can make days of people completing increasingly bizarre challenges. Though there’s so much that’s irritating about this, it also has the capacity to draw you in.
The unravelling of people’s constructed personas was interesting. Exploring the psychological motivation behind actions was strangely compelling. The allusions to a dystopian world outside the boundaries of The Compound certainly made the experience sound more appealing. Of course I’d like to have known more about this, but their isolation was necessary for the success of the book.
Just how far will you go to achieve the things you want? At heart, what do we want? The Compound explores some of these issues. It doesn’t really offer any answers, but it was certainly a fascinating read. Thanks to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review the book.

Wow, one of those books where you stare off in the distance contemplating what the meaning of life is.

I didn't think I would like this book as much as I did. But the second I started it I couldn't put it down! The book starts off as if you the reader are the one waking up and doing all these challenges. I have never read something so unique! It is almost like I was starving throughout the entirety of the book and the only way I could get sustenance was reading. I HAD to know what happened next, who was going to leave, what drama would unfold next.

I thought it was going to be dramatic somewhat trashy reality tv fiction but while it had that also took a very realistic view on consumerism, what you would do to get the rewards, is being alone worth having anything you could ever want? I liked Lily's POV, you saw the good, the bad, the boring and the dramatic.

I truly couldn't get enough, I feel like I just walked off the show myself.. however will I adapt back to reality??

This book was so interesting. I’ve read a lot of books set in the world of reality TV but this one was really different and I really liked it. I genuinely didn’t know what was going to happen next which makes me really like a book and want to recommend it more.