For a book about a reality tv show this lacked a lot of juice and felt more like a dry cappuccino.

The writing and ideas were solid but needed a heavy or experienced editor and lacked playfulness to fully realize the concept.

The premise of this book was really intriguing at the start - reality tv meets lord of the flies (it was kind of reminding me of white lotus there for a second). 18 contestants live at a compound in the middle of the desert where they have to form relationships and complete tasks for rewards. If they fall asleep alone, they are eliminated.

There were parts of this book (when things started to take a dark turn) that really gripped me, but others had me wondering what was the reason of it all lol. Any information about the outside world, the characters lives, or motivations for the show would have really dressed up the context and provided some character development, but it was just very one dimensional. I was really excited at the concept of this book, but it overall fell flat for me.

Imagine waking up in a desert compound with nine other beautiful women, cameras tracking your every move for a reality TV show where contestants must couple up to avoid banishment while competing for increasingly lavish rewards - all while the outside world slowly burns. I've always felt smugly superior about not watching reality TV (what does that say about my cultural elitism?), but here I was completely hooked by this book from the first page. There's something uncomfortable about my willingness to consume the exact same content when it comes packaged as literature rather than television - as if the medium somehow legitimizes my guilty pleasure. It was perfect airplane reading - I was both literally and figuratively a captive audience for this fraught, escapist fantasy. Lily isn't particularly deep or likable, but I found myself weirdly invested in her journey as she navigates the show's manipulations, forming strategic alliances and pursuing diamond earrings with single-minded determination. What made this work was how it used the addictive format to deliver an underlying critique of consumerism without ever getting preachy. The strange mix of boredom, forced intimacy, and manufactured drama created an oddly compelling world, while hints of environmental collapse and war in the background create an unsettling undercurrent. I blew through it in one sitting and finished feeling both thoroughly entertained and vaguely uncomfortable with how much I enjoyed it.

Thank you to NetGalley, Penguin Random House and the author for an Advanced Reader Copy of this novel.

THE PLOT
This uniquely written debut novel by Aisling Rawle combines Survivor, Big Brother, Love Island and The Hunger Games together to make an extreme reality show where contestants compete for fame, luxury, and survival. This novel is set in a remote desert compound and follows Lily, a young adult who awakens alongside 9 other girls on the show, with no idea how they got there. There are also boy contestants competing for the win on this high stake’s reality show. The contestants compete in challenges as a group and individually to win prizes, that will make their stay a little easier. As the competition intensifies, lines are blurred, contestants are pushed into forced intimacy. There are betrayals that show how dehumanizing reality TV can really be. Who will make it to the end? Is it worth it?

MY THOUGHTS
This dystopian style thriller hit the nail on the head. This was a compelling and thought-provoking read. Why do we enjoy reality TV? Does it make us feel better about ourselves to watch others struggle? These were questions I was asking myself while reading, as a therapist and as a human being. I enjoyed watching Lily’s character evolve and find her way. The character development was done well, and I found myself liking certain characters and disliking others, which I believe was the author’s objective. This novel delves into themes of consumerism, performative identity and the psychological impacts of being watched. This is a cleverly written, at times fun novel. I found myself looking forward to finding out what was happening to each character, who was going to make it, what the rules and challenges were going to be. I was drawn in from the first few pages. Honestly, this was more entertaining than reality TV itself. The only thing that I would have liked to see more of was what was happening in the outside world? Lily hinted that things were bad, and she didn’t want to return. But it did not detract anything from the story, and I highly recommend this book!

I chose to read The Compound in hopes that it would help me understand the reality TV craze. Sadly , it did not. I did, however, really enjoy the story. I cannot phantom why anyone would put themselves in that position voluntarily.

Equal parts dystopian thriller, biting satire, and psychological character study, this novel takes reality television to its most chilling, logical extreme—and it’s absolutely riveting.

At the center is Lily, a jaded but magnetic twenty-something whose beauty and boredom make her both a perfect reality show contestant and a dangerously passive observer of her own unraveling. Waking up in a desert compound with nineteen others, she quickly adapts to the warped rhythms of the competition: perform, survive, repeat. Luxury and necessity are gamified, alliances are fleeting, and intimacy becomes just another tool for advancement—or escape.

The brilliance of this book lies in its eerie plausibility. The challenges are outrageous but not unbelievable, and the producers’ manipulations echo the worst excesses of unscripted TV. As viewers (and readers), we’re complicit, watching Lily’s descent into something more primal with a mix of horror and fascination. The line between spectacle and survival blurs, and the novel never lets you fully settle into comfort.

It’s The Hunger Games meets Black Mirror with a touch of The Bachelor—and it’s as unsettling as it is impossible to put down.

The publisher provided ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

3.5. A dystopian Love Island! I really enjoyed it until 75% in and just lost what the plot was. It was a fun read though!

The story begins with our protagonist Lily waking up in a compound which we soon learn is the set for a popular reality show. The compound is located in a desert that half the participants will have to safely cross before they join the competition, and once all the participants are in place, they will complete group and individual challenges to earn both resources and luxuries. I imagine a lot of people will describe The Compound as Survivor meets Love Island, but that comparison only captures the surface of this novel. Rawle's choice to tell this story through just one participant's point of view increases the narrative's tension and uncertainty and allows the reader to experience the same surprise, confusion, excitement, and fear as Lily. As compelling as a season of The Traitors, this novel invites readers to consider what choices they might make in similar circumstances. Who would you betray for food or water? What might you compromise for love or safety? What circumstances make your life worth living? What is the value of becoming a reality show celebrity? An engrossing, well crafted novel. 4 1/2 stars.

A young and beautiful woman wakes up in The Compound with 9 other beautiful women. They are being filmed, as in Big Brother. Soon the boys will be there and join the women. We read through the eyes of Lily and get to know all of her housemates. This is a dystopian not so far future, there are some references to "the wars" that the men have fought in. I am not certain why the author chose this to be dystopian - this could easily have been just an alternate timeline of our current universe, so giving this book the dystopian label may be disingenuous, there are no sci fi or even speculative fiction elements to this book.

It almost reads like a suspense thriller, although it isn't very suspenseful, just a pretty normal reality show like Love Island meets Big Brother with an element of The Hunger Games in that there are some sponsors and gifts that are branded based on contestant behavior.

They have to share beds with someone of the opposite gender and if someone wakes up without a bedmate they are banished from the compound, so they have to partner up, and if someone is banished or chooses to leave then the others need to banish someone to keep it even. They don't have a lot of food or a front door but they can do personal or communal tasks to be able to earn things.

This is a really fun set up, I just kept expecting something more futuristic or sci fi elements and really this read more like a reality show that just gets a bit violent at the end, nothing like The Hunger Games but they are allowed

The point of the game is just to be the last one there and then everything is provided for them, anything they would ever want, and they can stay as long as they want. It is a very strange goal and at the end you think more is going to happen than actually does. It doesn't end with a bang, but with a sigh.

That said, this was extremely readable and I kept picking it up and tore through it to see what would happen.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House for the ARC. Book to be published June 24, 2025.

This book really sucked me in -- just like good reality shows and compelling TV series (think The Bear, Severance, White Lotus, etc.). It's been compared to Love Island, but I'd also throw in Survivor and Big Brother for their similarities.

The Compound is a house that is continually used as the setting for a popular reality show in a Dystopian future that we are only told is torn apart by war, unhealthy air and uncertain futures for citizens. I'd like to have known more about this, but it really was unimportant to the novel's storyline. The book opens with the latest cast -- 10 beautiful young women awaiting the arrival of 10 men (providing they all get their alive, as they are dumped in the desert and have to make their way to the Compound). The contestants must bond with a male partner or risk being banished from the show. Contestants are given both communal and personal tasks to complete and win awards and necessities. Break the rules, and you will be punished.

The story is told from one character's point of view, Lily, an unhappy young woman who works at the makeup counter of a store, and whose life is monotonous and without purpose. She applies to the show because she hopes to win lots of the material goods that she covets and thinks will make her happy. At first she selects Ryan as her show "mate," but only because he is the best-looking male. But she also has eyes for sweet Sam, who is not her typical type. She befriends Jacintha, a Black woman who is "expected" to bond with the only Black male castmate, but she actually has eyes for another man. Vanessa is striking, aloof and of course, bonds with Tom, a big burly good-looking man who harbors uncontrollable anger. These are just a few of the characters, but all are eventually given due importance in the storyline.

The story bogged down a bit for me a quarter of the way through, but then it picked up, and I couldn't put it down. I wanted to see if Lily made it to the end and with whom, but more importantly, I wanted to see if she changed her mind about needing "stuff" to feel validated.

An impressive first novel by an English teacher who lives in Dublin, Ireland. I'm already thinking about what actors would play the characters in a Netflix or other streaming service adaptation.

Thanks to NetGalley, Random House Publishing Company, and the author the the eARC and the opportunity to read and review this novel.

This book had a great concept — a dystopian reality TV competition in the desert with Lord of the Flies meets Love Island vibes — but the execution left a lot to be desired. While the premise was intriguing, I found some of the characters’ behavior bizarre and unrealistic, even within the extreme setting. It also felt odd how the producers in the story allowed certain disturbing incidents to unfold without intervention, which pulled me out of the narrative. There were flashes of sharp commentary on society and media culture, but overall it didn’t quite land for me. 2.5 stars.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC, I was very excited to get into this one as a thriller lover and reality TV show “liker”. Unfortunately this one just did absolutely nothing for me, the plot had holes and just sort of started with them in the house with no background information. The characters were all very shallow and unlikeable (typical reality show???). I just could not get into this one at all, wasn’t for me.

What do you get when you mix Big Brother with Love Island, Survivor, and The Hunger Games? You get The Compound!
20 strangers move in to the compound in the desert to compete for big prizes. They all have their reasons for being there. Some want attention, some want fame, some want money, and some want love.
As more and more people leave the compound, the mood gets darker and the contestants get more desperate. Will they stop at nothing to get want they want? Some will... some won't.
The story is told through the narration of Lily, one of the contestants in the compound. Lily wants it all, love and money and prizes and fame, and she will do whatever it takes to get it. Lily isn't very bright, but we are old she is quite beautiful. (In fact, one of my only issues with this book is that big words used in Lily's telling of the story... we are told several times how dumb she is, but then she pulls out these big words her character wouldn't possibly know!)
If you like reality tv, you will love this book. If that's not your thing, you might as well pass because that's basically what this is in story form.
Lucky for me, I do enjoy reality TV, so I enjoyed watching the story play out. The ending was a bit abrupt, but it did seem fitting.

intense, peculiar, and very well written. honestly, i think this novel is best the less you know. 5 stars. tysm for the arc.

As a fan of reality TV, I was really excited to dive into this novel after reading the premise. The beginning hooked me right away—watching all the guests arrive had me eager to see how everything would unfold. Unfortunately, the middle section lost some momentum, and from there, things took a strange turn. The sudden violence felt out of place, and I struggled to connect with any of the characters. I wanted to care about them more, but I didn’t find myself rooting for anyone in particular. While the concept had a lot of potential, the execution left me feeling like it was just okay overall.

Absolutely phenomenal debut work! Once I started reading I could not put it down. Immediately captured my attention and held it throughout. I enjoyed a bit of mystery; the subtle glimpses we receive about the world outside the compound. I was left with so many questions I wanted answers to and appreciate the space given to speculate and draw my own conclusions! We know that these are a bunch of 20 somethings, yet repeatedly we are told that they have 15-20 (and if they're lucky, 30) years left to live. On top of the war, there's been a drastic decline in life spans but it's not as if there is a significant lack within society. It's absolutely wonderful. Has late stage capitalism gone too far? Of course! It's a bit horrifying how whilst reading I could only imagine how well received this show would be in our society as is 😭

At its core, this book has a wildly intriguing premise to it, and within the first chapter a sort of sick, dystopian outlook on the world around is established. There is not exactly a whole lot we learn about the world around from the narrative itself. Those are very much surface level nuances that can be picked out in any book. The main theme of “what would we subject ourselves to in order to be rewarded”. How people interact upon isolation–yet knowing they are being watched at all times. It is a social commentary, an experiment, meant to reflect the things we lose, be it ourselves or something more. It’s about consumerism and performances.
Mixing lord of the flies with a reality show focused on people finding love was a… choice to make. I could see where the author was going with this and how exactly the two could come together. However, to me, the book itself would have benefited considerably better if it was shorter. There is only so much of “we talked about our hair” and “we lounged about the pool” i could read before it got to me. There isn’t exactly a whole lot that goes on for the majority of the book and in its reach to become profound it loses a lot of story. I’d often been left wondering exactly what was real and what the characters were all truly thinking, as the narrative shifts to this aspect of are they doing this for a reward or is their actions genuine.
This book was very strange though. It’s oddness kept me hooked, almost as though I needed to keep reading to see what other weirdness was going to continue. I wouldn’t exactly say the writing itself is binge-worthy or particularly engaging, but it towed the line on being just weird enough for me to doubt everything I read. We don’t get to know a whole lot about the world outside of the compound, nor do we the characters. That is the point.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC of this book!

Very interesting setting for a post-apocalyptic tale. I really enjoyed the use of a reality tv format to examine the motivations and emotional growth of the characters. It is interesting that the winner gets to stay as long they wish, and how often getting the objects doesn't make you happy when you are still emotionally damaged.

I think a lot of teenager's and college students would really this, as well as mid aged adults that grew up with the rise of reality television.

(4.5 rounded up) This is Love Island with a dystopic, tense tone/setting and I loved it. A group of 10 women and 9 men (supposed to be 10 but oops, one got lost on the journey to The Compound) are living together, being recorded 24-7 for a nebulous tv reality show. The conceit of the show is that every man and woman must pair off at the end of the day and sleep in the same bed, and if anyone sleeps solo, they are kicked off of the show the next morning. The contestants compete in increasingly more odd challenges to win “prizes” like a hair straightener and a front door. The mood of the novel is bleak and electric and I really liked the narrator Lily, one of the contestants, who knows she’s not exactly book smart, but can read people well. This is a book with a mildly warped reality and a detached narrative voice. Odd bits of information about life both inside and outside of the compound are doled out as normal or mundane. This was such a pleasant surprise to me. The first chapter drops you directly into the narrative, there is no build-up or excess which I liked as well. My attention was kept the entire time I was reading this. That this is Aisling Rawle’s debut is surprising as well, because she is an extremely assured writer and I will absolutely pick up whatever she writes next.

I really wanted to like this book, but I felt like it lacked the character depth needed for a story like this in order to really care about the people on the show and what happens to them. I also felt there was not enough backstory of the outside world and why this show would exist and be a thing people would want to compete in. Was the world that bad you would go on a show like this? We didn’t really get any of the stakes of the show.