I love reality shows, and I love post-apocalyptic reads, so this Love Island meets Hunger Games (Lite) novel was just my style. The story is engaging and a fun twist on the dating show format we know so well. There wasn't a ton of character development, but I enjoyed the main character, Lily, anyway. I thought the ending wrapped really nicely, and my only hope is The Compound isn't made into a trilogy. We have enough of those—and I like when a story can live on its own.

It was as bingeable as actual reality TV and it was a fun and messy time. I wanted the ending to be a bit more pointed and gorier, but I had a lovely time getting there.

The second I heard this premise I was in and it did not disappoint. What a unique premise! Big Brother meets Bachelor in Paradise meets dystopia.

I was uncomfortable pretty much the whole time. Zero part of this would have been entertaining to me in a tv show but man was I engaged in this book. From the very first chapter I was zoned in! The setting is the insides of a reality tv show but also the setting is a very vague desert in a very vague time period. The reader is thrust into the middle of the drama and I think I held my breathe the entire last half.

You'll like this if like:
Dystopian
Reality TV

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for the advanced digital copy for my feedback.

Lord of the Flies meets Survivor in the reality tv show The Compound. Narrated by Lily, one of the nineteen contestants sequestered in a mysterious desert compound, this thriller follows their shifting relationships as each tries to become the sole winner. Cameras follow their every move. Personal challenges yield prizes that range from simple to luxurious as more contestants are eliminated. The group prizes mostly consist of items needed for survival. As the competition grows more intense, the remaining contestants begin to discover just how far they are willing to go to win.

Robert Burns’ phrase “man's inhumanity to man” describes The Compound. From friendship to a raging desire to maim or kill, each contestant’s behavior slowly devolves, driven by greed and ambition. Several of the contestants volunteer to leave, tired of the camera, challenges and infighting. I was disappointed by the ending because (no spoiler) I wanted to know more. The Compound may be “one of the books of summer” but I found it dark and disturbing, especially the relationship between Lily and Tom. That said, Im looking forward to whatever Aisling Rawle writes next. 4 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group and Aisling Rawle for this ARC.

3 ⭐️

In her debut novel, Aisling Rawle has combined Bachelor in Paradise with Big Brother. It’s basically trash tv but in book form, and it honestly hit the spot.

While most of the characters were surface level and fairly difficult to connect with, the tasks and drama in the house did keep me invested. I wish there was more character development, but maybe that was the point?

I enjoyed the romance aspect, and I did genuinely enjoy reading about Sam, Andrew and Jacintha. The other characters REALLY got on my nerves.

Overall, if you like Big Brother and shows based off of eliminating contestants for a big prize, this is worth reading! Thank you @netgalley for my eARC.

This was such an interesting reading experience. Honestly I am not even sure what to share. Part dystopian, part game show reality, part sci fi, part thriller. I can see why this would work for some and why it wouldn’t work for others. It worked for me. I was really engrossed with a cast of super awful characters.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for an ARC.

Here's something to devour when this season of Love Island just ain't hitting like it should (looking at you, USA).
This book is easily digestible and binge-able, though it's missing some literary finesse to push it out of the "beach read" realm for me.
I was well and truly locked in for the first half, but then some odd plot and character choices started to be made, and the glimpses into the world outside of the compound remained frustratingly vague and generic. The story just didn't build to what I feel like the author was aiming for. That said, as a debut novel, The Compound has enough craft and uniqueness for me to be on the lookout for what this author does next.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

This book is so good!! The reality TV show aspect is very much reminiscent of Love Island but it also has the dystopian uneasiness of something like The Hunger Games. It’s such a unique story and really had me hooked the entire time!

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.