I have been seeing this one everywhere and I think it lives up to the hype! It puts you both in the mindset of a viewer of the “show” they have set up and in the mind of one of the “contestants.” As a huge fan of shows like Love Island, this book really adds to my constant argument that reality TV shows tell us as much about ourselves and society at large as they tell us about the people on them.

Yay for unique premises! As soon as I saw the cover I checked out the synopsus and this became an immediate must read. Mixing the some dystopian life with reality tv was so intriguing and made for a great read. The challenges the participants had to perform went from easy to dangerous and added suspense as the plot moved. Lily was an interesting MC and even though you don’t get details to her past about her motivations you still pull for her. Rawel does a great job leaving many things open (like what is actually happening in the real world?) but it doesn’t affect the reader’s experience.

This was buck wild, but in an eerie, dystopian, very slow moving way. I’ve definitely never read anything like it. Just strange vibes the whole time. Impressive debut novel that’s for sure! Not necessarily for me though? I’m finishing it feeling weird… I don’t know. (Might also just be a current mental state issue hahah)

As a reality TV fan, I found this novel particularly disturbing. The book is definitely thought-provoking and well-written, but I’m not sure I can say I enjoyed it. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley & Penguin Random House for this advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

I devoured The Compound! This novel delivers far more than its buzzy premise suggests. Though pitched as Love Island meets Lord of the Flies, this isn’t just a juicy reality-show-gone-wrong thriller—it’s a sharply written, thought-provoking character study set against the backdrop of a high-stakes social experiment.

Twenty contestants are brought together to compete in team and individual challenges inside an exciting but isolating compound, where every win, loss, and alliance is mediated through brand sponsorships and constant surveillance. There is a sense of something else going on in the world outside The Compound but I like that Rawles uses that to create a sense of dread without really giving the reader any explanation or details.

Rawles creates a claustrophobic atmosphere, where the lines between performance and authenticity blur, and where control, trust, and image are constantly at the forefront. The characters are flawed, messy, and often unlikeable while also being multi-dimensional and interesting. Just like the reality shows on TV today - some characters come into sharper focus than others depending on how long they last but each is used to help bring to the surface the themes of manipulation, group dynamics, and individual ambition.

Fast-paced, immersive, and deeply observant, The Compound is both entertaining and incisive, a social satire wrapped in a thriller that I know I will be thinking about for a long time. Aisling Rawles debut is as smart as it is compulsively readable—I can’t wait to see what she writes next.

This book has been pitched as "love island meets lord of the flies" and that is exactly what you get. A bit heavy handed, this slightly-dystopian novel is lighting up a neon sign that says "we are all horrifically shallow" or something like that. Its a satire about reality TV and social media beauty standards, I think, and was pretty much impossible to put down. The book is set on a reality TV show where 10 beautiful women wake up in a "compound" (villa) and start to work together to get it ready for when the men arrive (they boys have to travel on foot through a desert to reach the compound) and then couple up or be removed from the compound in the middle of the night. This is only the beginning of how gender roles and expectations are amplified by the show. The main activities for the show involve completing group and personal challenges to get prizes, and the longer you stay the more luxurious the prizes get, and the gamification of the greed gets (obviously) way out of control. A wild ride for sure but I would not watch this show lol.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher, Random House Publishing Group, for providing me with an ARC in exchange for this honest review.

Super weird story, but extremely bingeable. I read it in one day. This book being described as Love Island meets Lord of the Flies is 100% accurate.

I really did not expect this to be as good as it turned out to be. Yes, the premise sounds awesome - I mean "Lord of the Flies meets Love Island"? Can it even get any cooler? I expected this to be fun, yes, but I didn't expect the depth and important commentary.
There is an eerie atmosphere to the whole story: We are dropped into this Compound, following our protagonist Lily who is beautiful yet, by her own admission, not much else to the point that she has trouble with the simplest maths. She's a great protagonist and there is depth to her reasons for being in this compound. The reader learns that this is a Love Island kind of dating show set in this run down house in the middle of the desert, and the more we learn about it the more horrifying it becomes.
It starts with the fact that while the girls wake up in the compound with no recollection of how they came there, the guys have to actually track through an apparently highly dangerous desert that surrounds the house with deadly heat and wild animals that might attack at any moment to even just get to the place. We get small glimpses through Lily or dialogue at the world outside which seems close to complete collapse, multiple characters telling us that humanity will be dead in at most 30 years anyway. The contestants have to find a significant other on day on in order not to get eliminated, and who gets eliminated is based on who ends up waking up alone in bed in the morning. There are competitions the whole group has to participate in together as well as personal challenges for the characters that lead to them getting more and more valuable prizes - ranging from a fridge for the whole group to luxury articles for the individuals sponsored by brands they have to shout out.

This is just the set-up but already there is a feeling of dread, and it never leaves. It's a fascinating read and a clever commentary on consumerism as well as a character study of a sort. There's jealousy, there's performing for an invisible audience, there's competition and manoeuvring and betrayal, all of that wrapped in the vanity that comes with a group of gorgeous people participating in a dating show that is said to be immensely popular - all while the world around it crumbles to dust, which is strong societal commentary on its own. The world is dying, but at least we can watch these beautiful people be dramatic and receive prizes normal people could only ever dream of.

It's clever, it's dark, it's beautiful yet very bleak underneath, it kept me on my toes, it surprised me. Just an all around gem.

Lord of the Flies meets reality dating show? This premise could not have appealed to be more. THE COMPOUND follows 10 men and 10 women competing to be the last to remain on the compound, a fancy home filled with cameras watching every angle and located in the middle of an actual desert where real dangers lurk.

The book is narrated by our main character, Lily, voted as the 2nd most beautiful by the boys and paired up with the boy who was voted as the most beautiful by the girls. Similiar to Love Island, no pairing is set in stone and there are opportunities to change partners, with the risk that once you are left alone by morning, you must go home. With cameras and millions of viewers watching their every move, the cast members’ behavior becomes extremely strategic. Challenges are offered by producers to spice things up, and they must work hard to complete group tasks to earn necessities like furniture, clothing, and even food and water.

The dystopian element is what makes this book so suspenseful. While not outwardly explained, there are mentions of wars and dangers in the outside world—hinting at how this may be their only path to living comfortably after the show. I was easily sucked in to the story due the fast-moving plot (what disaster will occur in this chapter?) and the typical reality dating show drama that I find so entertaining.

The second half really picked up in pace as tensions become higher and Lily begins to feel her life is in real danger. Many are humiliated, alliances are betrayed, and getting out alive eventually becomes their true reality. This is one of those books that is so different from your typical read, the perfect escape that you could easily binge in one or two days. I flew through this on a pool day and couldn’t wait to finish it later that night.

For me, this was the perfect escape and possibly a top 5 read of the year for me. If you love stories of survival, reality TV, or just want something unique to binge this summer—I highly recommend picking this one up!

Rating: 😐/2.75
Review: What?!? Intriguing premise and beginning. Then got slow and by the end I was wondering what was the point. Has vibes of Big Brother and Survivor - but very one dimensional with no one to cheer for.
Format: 👩🏻‍💻
Source: #netgalley
Published on Goodreads 7/4/2025

TLDR: If your ideal read blends psychological thrills, sci-fi, dystopia, and a dash of Love Island obsession, add this to your list immediately!

What an intriguing thriller! I've been on a kick with this genre lately, and this book delivered. It’s described as Love Island meets Lord of the Flies, which perfectly sets the stage. Prepare to delve into compelling themes like influencer culture, social classes, pervasive consumerism, isolation, and the complexities of mental health.

Knowing this is a debut novel makes it even more impressive. I'm definitely keeping an eye out for Aisling Rawle's future work!

Thank you Random House for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Full Disclosure: I received an uncorrected galley proof of Aisling Rawle's debut novel, "The Compound," via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

While I can see the appeal of this novel, I must be honest and say that the reality TV fanbase that it plays to has never really included me. "Unscripted, competition/reward" shows haven't been my go-to in any of their many and variously themed incarnations, although like most American adults I have given several shows a season or two of following.

I believe the author's intent may have been to shine a satirical light on the materialistic and often shallow motivations to which these shows play. Unfortunately, for this reader, the stereotypical and limitedly developed characters lent a flatness to the story. The repetition of each day's Community Challeges followed by Personal Tasks for Rewards never broke through and jumpstarted a larger reflection on my part.

@randomhouse | #gifted I’ve long been a reality show junkie, so when I first saw that 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗖𝗢𝗠𝗣𝗢𝗨𝗡𝗗 by Aisling Rawle was a book centered around such a show it immediately went on my TBR. Rawle, a debut author, imagined a fascinating reality show premise. A group of strangers, men and women, make their way to a compound in a sort of desert oasis where they can stay as long as they’re part of a couple. Wake up alone and you’re out! Along the way they can earn a vast array of prizes, from the basics like food and cleaning supplies for the whole group, to fabulous personal luxuries to hoard away for themselves.⁣
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From the very beginning, Rawle had me hooked. I loved the creativity of her show and all the complications that came with it. Its characters were varied and the pace quick. All great, right? Mostly, but it also felt very much like watching a reality TV show, maybe too much. Part of the reason I like reality TV so much is that it’s okay if I get a little distracted, if I’m not always paying 100% attention and I typically don’t. I know the basic layout of the shows, so if something else gets a little in the way, it’s always easy to pick up the thread.⁣
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About halfway through 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘊𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥, I realized my mind was wandering more than usual. I had the basic set up down and I know how reality shows generally run, so I wasn’t paying the kind of attention I normally do in a book. This isn’t to say surprising things didn’t happen in that second half, it’s more of an interesting observation of my own reading experience with this book. I liked it, I just wish it was not so easy for me to drift around in. ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫✨

A poignant and timely critique of our current performance and consumerism culture. An enjoyable and thought provoking read.

20 contestants are sent to live in The Compound. How they choose to live is up to them. They can complete group tasks to get things for the compound as a whole or individual tasks to get items for themselves. The only requirement, they must share their bed with someone else until the final five.

This one fell a bit flat for me….
It was originally described to me as Love Island meets The Hunger Games which is an awful comparison but it was what was widely being circulated. Now I see it’s being compared to Love Island meets Lord of the Flies which is a little more accurate but still not quite right.
If you enjoy reality tv shows I think this is your kind of book! The book follows Lily, a gorgeous young woman who really doesn’t have much going for her other than her looks. I found her to be shallow and uninteresting as a whole and think this would have been a better story if told from the perspective of someone a bit more interesting …
There were moments where I was invested but others where I was waiting for something to happen. I also thought the ending was a bit abrupt but also I don’t think there was much else to go on with the story at that point. I honestly wish it would have been more cut throat, but maybe that’s just me.

It was a decent book overall that will go over really well with people who enjoy reality tv but only if you’re expecting it to be like a reality tv show.

Dystopian reality TV in the desert? Sign me up. This book was unique, dry, dark, thought-provoking. I can’t fully put into words what it was about or what I think about it—but I couldn’t put it down. Thank you for NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC.

Wow, what a doozy this book was. The synopsis is very true: A mix of Lord of The Flies and Love Island. A group for women and men are in a house in the middle of the dessert and they must complete tasks not only to stay on the show but to get basic things like food and water. This turns into survival mode very quickly. The book follows Lily one of the female contestants who is absolutely determined to win. This book was engaging and dark and really shows what humans do when pushed to the brink. I highly recommend this to anyone who loves dystopian literary fiction / thrillers. Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Random House for this eARC.

If you love Big Brother or Survivor, this book is for you! The group dynamics, unpredictable challenges, behind-the-scenes manipulation, and shifting alliances kept me hooked. The ending fell a little flat for me, but overall, it was a fun and engaging read. Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for the ARC.

Look, most of us can understand the draw of some trashy reality shows. My personal "guilty pleasure" show is The Challenge, and I will never stop watching. The show in The Compound is a little less athletically driven than The Challenge, but has the drama nailed down. Our main character Lily wakes up at the titular compound where she finds herself with nine other young, attractive women. The setting seems to be the near future, the world seemingly just as dystopian, if not more, than our own. I do wish we'd gotten a bit more worldbuilding in that sense, as I wanted to know what world Lily was escaping from, but alas.

Anyway, the girls expect ten men to show up, but nine do. The compound has several rules: if you do not have a bedmate of the opposite sex, you are eliminated. The contestants also must earn all the elements that make a home- from furniture and doors to food and water, and then more luxury, non-necessity items. The tasks are often messy (think rating the looks of their housemates, breaking people's things, etc.) and are designed for maximum drama. This is truly like watching a very unhinged reality show unfold before your eyes. Lily is not fully likable, but neither is she unlikable. I felt some sort of sympathy for her, but I also was not always a fan of her. This seems intentional, because we are supposed to see the bad and the good sides of these characters.

There is definitely drama, and there are certainly twists and excitement. Obviously, there is a lot of interaction between characters, both positive and negative. We see Lily form bonds (and feuds) with nearly every cast member, to some extent. And we are also able to see how these bonds impact the house dynamic, whether the relationships are friendships, enemies, or lovers. I did hope for a little more from the ending, and a bit more world-building (especially to understand Lily a bit more as a person outside the compound) but it was still compulsively readable and I could not put the book down.

Bottom Line: If you've ever been captivated by a reality show, you'll be captivated by this book!

Wow this book was crazy!!!
Reality tv is still all the rage and this book had everyone out for the fame and rewards. This imaginative, unique story will stay with me but I was a little disappointed in the ending.