Thanks to NetGalley and Random House for the ARC of this title.

"Love Island but the island exists somewhere after society has fallen" feels almost too easy to describe this - that's the driving force, but the book doesn't dwell too much on what's happened outside the titular compound and instead focuses on Lily, the contestant whose thoughts we're privy to. There's some interesting stuff here about consumerism and desire - what do we want? why do we want it? what are we willing to do for it?

This took me by complete surprise on how much I liked it. I'm not in the habit of picking up books I don't think I'll like, but sometimes I'm pleasantly surprised at just how much I enjoy one! I am not a reality TV fan, and I had seen a lot comparing The Compound to Lord of the Flies (love), to Love Island (which I have no actual idea what the show is about), so I was slightly skeptical. The characters were interesting, and the plot kept me wanting more. If there would've been an epilogue with just a little glimpse into life outside of the compound, I think it would've been perfect.

Since I am a fan of reality TV, I could not wait to read The Compound, and it definitely lived up to the hype. It is Big Brother meets The Hunger Games, but a little more intense than what we are used to on Big Brother. It has quite a few unlikeable characters, including Lily who is the main character. That doesn't bother me at all. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy.

This was great! Unique plot and I enjoyed the characters. I loved this little world and didn't want it to end!

An interesting thriller that mixes reality performative characters and life or death stakes? Ill take it. This thriller was compelling and much deeper than I expected. Highly recommend for all thriller / reality TV fans

What a damn trip this book was! In a good way!

Highly unethical reality TV show where Big Brother gets insanely high stakes? Sign me up. Love, lies, mental health and steady collapse of humanity? Yes please even more.

This was a slow burn but yet compulsively readable. Loved it

Book of the summer!!!! I don’t know what they put in this, but it’s absolutely addicting and unputdownable. Even though the writing style doesn’t feel like something I would usually gravitate towards, it fully gripped me. Truly one of my favorite things I’ve read in a long time and will read anything this author writes moving forward.

Thank you NetGalley for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This book had so much potential. I love the cover! I love the unique idea of the story. It’s like a reality show in book form. I loved Lily and Sam’s relationship. As this is the authors first book I am willing to give a second book she writes a chance. Things I did not like was the slow pace of it. I kept hoping for some excitement. Also some of the things the characters did were not believable. You want me to believe that Lily blinds Tom and kindly walks him to the perimeter? And the ending of the book, so disappointing. Like this is the end?? And what was the point of all of it? Maybe just entertainment like reality tv? Because I didn’t see that the characters learned anything with this experience.

This book is like a dystopian Love Island and Big Brother combined. I really enjoyed it. It was a little bit of a slow burn but it had moments that was faster paced. Even though it had its slower moments it kept me wanting to pick it up and read. Many of the characters were unlikeable but that is the case with many reality shows. I really enjoyed the author’s writing. I really enjoyed this book. It is hard to believe this t
Is the author’s first book. I look forward to reading more from Aisling Rawle in the future.



Thank you Netgalley and Random House for the e arc.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book was so unique, captivating, and bingeworthy! A dystopian reality TV show set in a desert compound where the the contestants must complete tasks to gain all kinds of supplies, rewards, and work to not be banished from the house. This was so hard to rate, very unlike anything I've ever read. Highly recommend to any reality TV show fans of shows like Love Island!

So fun! This might be the most creative book I’ve read this year so far— Love Island meets the Hunger Games with a dash of Chain Gang All Stars. Tore through this in a day, it’s compulsively readable and especially topical given how much Love Island I’ve been consuming lately. I didn’t love the ending and wish there had been a little more context to the outside world but overall this one kept me on the edge of my seat!

This story was reminiscent of the reality tv show Big Brother where individuals are quarantined to a house to find love mixed but with only one winner takes all, mixed with some mystery. was an engaging and entertaining story. Told from the point of view of Lily, a cast member, as she navigates her new lifestyle as she meets and interacts with the other characters and tries to outlast them. Overall the plot moved quickly, the challenges were interesting, and the romance and jealousy aspects were a welcome addition. I was left questioning what really happened and think this would make for a great book club pick.

(3.5) Such an interesting read! The satire on dating/competition shows while the world is on fire was fascinating, and I loved reading this while also being the person who's entrenched in those programs, as well. It was lightning quick for me, and I enjoyed the journey; some parts were a bit hard to reach for me, but overall this was a winner. Thanks to NetGalley et al., for the ARC!

A weird dystopian reality show that feels almost like a bad trip. What a wild ride! I hung onto every word of this book but it was a journey. A fascinating study of character and what motivates an individual.

It had the fun of Love Island mixed with the challenges and competition of survivor mixed with the ruthlessness of Hunger Games. Absolutely riveting and disturbing. Something that will stick with me whether I like it or not.

I received an advance reader copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts are mine alone.

What a debut novel! As a Survivor fan, the concept of a book described as Lord of the Flies meets Love Island was tempting from the start!

The Compound takes place in an undetermined time and location, and involves strangers (but fans of previous seasons of the show) coming together at a huge compound where they work to earn basic (and eventually luxury) items through group and individual challenges, all while being filmed 24/7. It's a sharply written story about power, and the attraction and lure of fame.
Lily is the narrator. She's a 20 something beautiful young woman who works in a retail job and is generally unsatisfied with her life. She could be called a Compound Super Fan and came to the game with visions of fame and fortune.
In addition to Lily, there are 9 additional women and 9 men initially living on The Compound. At first, it was a challenge for me to keep them all straight but eventually people leave and the bulk of the novel is focused on a core group of players.
Ms. Rowle does an amazing job of capturing how dynamics and relationships change in reality shows as time passes, although some of the things that happen are taken to an extreme. Suspense builds and you lose all track of time as the story comes to an explosive ending.
I look forward to reading what Ms. Rawle writes next! Thanks to Netgalley and Random House for the opportunity to read The Compound. I received a complimentary copy of the book and opinions expressed are completely my own.

Not being a big reality show fan myself, I wasn't sure how I would like this one. But it was pretty buzzy and also a GMA book club pick, so I wanted to give it a try.

Ten girls wake up in the middle of the desert. They try to get their bearings while they wait for the guys to show up. There are supposed to be ten also, but only nine arrive. They are all part of a reality TV show being broadcast to millions of viewers. Cameras are tracking your every move. They now have to complete for prizes, some that are needed just for basic survival. The longer it goes on, the more extravagant the prizes become. If you're the last one standing and manage to win, you can ask for nearly anything you want. Pretty early on, they have to form alliances to survive. It's hard to know who to trust and what is real, and what is just for the game. There is a lot of rivalry, leading to jealousy and some really hard decisions. This is definitely a character study, set in a near future, which does give it a bit of a dystopian feel. The author does a great job of building tension and keeping you invested in the story. Overall, I really enjoyed it, but was hoping for a bit more from the ending. Definitely a fast paced read that's perfect for Summer.

Thank you to @netgalley and @randomhousepublishing for this #gifted copy.

A Big Brother locked down reality tv show set in a remote desert compound where the 'challenges' go from bizarre to increasingly dangerous and deadly. This debut thriller sounded like a no-brainer win and when it was selected as the GMA book club pick for July, I thought for sure I was going to enjoy it.

Unfortunately that was not the case. I listened to the audio version of this and wasn't a huge fan of either of the narrators (which might have contributed to my lack luster feelings about the characters). I couldn't get invested or find myself really caring what happened to anyone in the house.

This was a miss for me but fans of reality show thriller stories might enjoy it more. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review. I considered DNFing halfway through and should have went with my first instincts.

4.5 stars rounded up!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

This was a great read. Although on the surface it seems like The Compound is just another light, summer beach read, it really packs a punch. If you’re curious about a mash up between the main character of My Year of Rest and Relaxation and Love Island, definitely check this novel out. My one sticking point was that some of the dialogue didn’t feel realistic to the characters, but other than that I think this will be the book of the summer! Looking forward to reading more by this writer.

I loved this book! It makes me so happy that so many people are reading it this summer. I feel like I've seen it everywhere. I loved the whole premise of this book, and I do plan on reading it again!

WOW. This is like, Love Island meets the Hunger Games and it absolutely works. It's dystopian but we don't quite get a taste of what exactly is going on in the world outside of the compound...and it turns from dystopian novel to pure thriller. One that will stick with me for a while.