The Compound by Aisling Rawle is best described as a cross between Love Island and Lord of the Flies with a bit of The Hunger Games feeling. It seems like a light summer read but has deeper undertones about influencer and performance culture and consumerism. It’s a really interesting examination of our obsession with reality tv and the people who compete or appear on those shows.

Fun, binge-able read about “pretty” people being psychopaths.
It gets a bit annoying after a while but this will be fine to read by the pool or on the beach or on a plane. It will help pass the time.

This book had a really unique premise that was so easy to become immersed in. The story takes place at “the compound” which is the setting of a dark reality show in a vaguely futuristic society. Contestants must choose a partner to couple with, and they complete tasks (which are often designed to entertain viewers at the expense of manipulating the contestants) in order to earn prizes or simply avoid banishment. The show has very few guardrails to protect the contestants, and conflicts often turn sinister. Although she is not always the most likable, I came to love the narrator, Lily, who describes herself as having no real skills or talents. Her self awareness and often cold, detached attitude make her a surprisingly strong contender at the compound.

The book didn’t quite match what I was expecting based on all the buzz around it, and I think that was because the social commentary is really understated- it’s definitely not your typical dystopian novel, but more of a fascinating study of characters. I really look forward to reading more reviews and seeing the discussion around this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for the opportunity for the early read!

I was really excited to read this debut novel. The premise of the story was intriguing, and really different. I enjoyed the dystopian, reality TV theme. The author did a really good job with character development. I was really connected to the narrator, Lily. The one drawback for me was that there were so many other characters, it was difficult to keep track, and invest in all of them.
There was tension and drama throughout the story, keeping me engaged. It was difficult to put this one down!
Overall, a really great, interesting read. I look forward to more from this author.

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

I am not really sure how to rate this book. For the first 50% (ish), it read like a reality TV show, which was fun to watch. The second 50%, though got very dark and weird. I don' t mind dark and weird at all, but it was just a little jarring. I know that Rawle is doing some interesting things by making us look at the disgusting nature of consumerism and how it slogs on even while everything else is dying, but it was still jarring. I would say that the book reads as if it were set in the US with the nature and setting of the reality show (I don't know of any deserts in the UK), but there are inconsistencies with the dialogue. Characters often use UK words for things and ways of speaking. If that doesn't bother you, then that's fine - but if it will bother you - be aware that it's there. I decided to suspend my disbelief and believe that, because of climate change, we were in a UK with a desert. This isn't too far fetched, as the world that Rawle paints here is undeniably dark and depressing, and the worst of it is that it's not far in the future from where we are now. I did NOT like Lily, our MC, at all. She was so flat and affectless and only concerned with material things, which I think was the point of her character - I don't think it was a writing flaw of Rawle's - more an unlikable character. By the end, I didn't really care if she won or lost or how it all played out because she felt like she had already lost to me. I don't know if that was the intent, but by the end of the story, I just didn't care anymore because I couldn't bring myself to like any of the characters that were left on the show, and I didn't care who won. I think, as an experiment, this was an interesting work of fiction, and an intriguing lens through which to examine the slow and inevitable collapse of humanity. But I mostly read to hide from the slow and inevitable collapse of humanity, which may ultimately be why I didn't love this one. It was fine, but I didn't LOVE it.

Except for a couple of talent driven reality tv shows and the guilty pleasure of The Amazing Race, I absolutely abhor the genre so The Compound was right up my alley. This dystopian story highlights everything wrong with this programming with the big brother is watching element, the greed for luxury, the encouragement of embarrassment, the cruelty of the cast to each other, and assorted backbiting and set ups of shomances. Personal opinions of reality tv aside, the novel never lost my interest so now the thought occurs to me—-Do I like my reality in literary form?

Reading this felt just like watching a reality show. I felt like part of the audience, observing the characters play out their drama. The story is fast-paced, fun, and incredibly engaging. The concept is fresh and thought-provoking, offering an insightful look into human nature and what we choose to value.

Thank you to Netgalley and Random

Well that was very thought provoking and addicting. The Truman Show is one of my favorite movies of all time, The Compound blends the reality show with commentary on consumerism. Very much reminiscent of the Truman show but the contestants know they’re being filmed but in the same vein they start to have their world lines blended asking “what is actually real?” Our FMC Lily is nothing “special” but that’s what makes her perspective endearing. This book merges dystopian with litfic and was the perfect summer read.

This book is definitely for reality show fans especially Love Island or Big Brother. The Compound gives you an insider’s version of what it is truly like to be a participant in a reality show. Only this reality show has some extreme elements. Ailing Rawle gives us a twisty story of how reality shows manufactured reality creates a true struggle for its contestants. This is a page turner I had to find out the next challenge and who would be banished next! A great summer read!

What happens when you combine Love Island/Too Hot Too Handle + Survivor with hints of a dying planet - The Compound.

I enjoyed the concept of telling a story from the perspective of a reality show while hinting on the current state of the planet.

I would’ve liked to know more of how dire the planetary environment is. Throughout the story it’s implied that the planet is not doing to well. But how bad is it?

What I found interesting was contestants won small too big material prizes, it’s something new, that I liked. It does explain what is valued by the contestants. But why not money as a prize?

Overall I enjoyed the story.

Rating: 3.75

Thank you Random House Publishing Group for the ARC. And thank you Netgalley.

This book was really interested was like Love Island with a twist. The ending kind of catches you by surprise. I loved how they took such a popular idea in the reality tv world, and put their own show that would be unique and engaging.

The Compound is a story that follows a woman named Lily as she and other contestants are participating in a contest to see who is the last person standing in the property.

There are some interesting rules, first the contestants need to be coupled. They can't reveal anything about themselves. They must perform communal and personal tasks to win prizes from sponsors.

Now, my guilty pleasure is reality TV. Selling Sunset, Love is Blind, Love Island... I eat this stuff up when I need some brain rot. So, I was very, very excited to read this book.

But, this book didn't give me the dopamine hit I was expecting. Mostly because the chapters were so unbearably long, I found myself losing interest. This could have easily read like a thriller with quick chapters leaving you at the edge of your seat. But maybe that was the point as the book taxkles consumerism and never having enough...

When people watch shows like this you quickly find a favorite person, but since this was told from Lily's perspective we didn't really get to know anyone else. And none of the characters were likeable, but there was also barely any decent drama. I would have liked to see more. I think this book had so much potential, but it really misses the mark for me.

2.5 rounded up. Thank you to Netgalley and publishers for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for providing me with an advanced readers copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. Look for it now in your local and online bookstores and libraries.

This debut novel by Aisling Rawle is described as “LORD OF THE FLIES meets LOVE ISLAND”. This is a very fitting description. I was definitely hooked on this book in the first few chapters. I loved or loved to hate the characters which made this book definitely binge worthy! I will absolutely recommend this book to readers that love a good suspenseful dystopian thriller.

This was a cool premise with a twist on reality shows with vibes of Lord of the Flies. As readers we are dropped right into The Compound with the women. They are not allowed to talk about anything of their past. They are getting situated when the men group finally arrive. We begin seeing and "oversight" speaker of sorts that gives challenges and if completed they get rewards. They have to earn everything. What we don't ever know or see is what is going on in the real world, what the audience really thinks, and what the main goals of the producers are. This makes for fun reading.

A fresh concept made for a fun, angsty, reality show type, survival of the fittest book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for this gifted e-arc.

Well.....damn.

The Compound is described as Love Island meets Lord of the Flies, but.....no. This is so much more.

Set in the near-future, ten women and ten men are competing for prizes, each more and more extravagant. It's Survivor but.....a twist.

While there is a main character, this is more of a character study on jealousy, consumerism, and the shallowness of a generation. This is a story of greed and the desire to do anything to get what you want. It's The Hunger Games + Survivor minus any semblance of a soul.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this book.

I've been looking forward to this book for so long, so to finally read it was so satisfying. I love the concept, I love the setup, I JUST wish I had a few more answers. I did not fully understand where or when we were supposed to be, or even if that mattered at all. But the commentary on materialism and necessity was unbelievable, and the question of what we can and can not actually survive without is something that I will contemplate often because of this book. Set in the world of a reality TV show,I loved how the readers essentially act as the viewers of the show.

The Compound by Aisling Rawle 🏜️🏜️🏜️🏜️

I would like to thank NetGalley and Random House for providing me with an advance e-galley of this book in exchange for my honest review. Look for it now in your local and online bookstores and libraries.

Imagine your favorite reality show. Think Survivor, Big Brother, The Challenge, The Bachelor. Then imagine we live in a slightly dystopian future where wars are raging, and the people selected to appear on the show are given a reprieve from that life. What would you do stay there?

That’s the world that Aisling Rawle has imagined for her debut novel. I have already added Ms. Rawle to my list of favorite authors. I will read the next book she publishes. Was it perfect? No. Did I enjoy the heck out of it? Absolutely.

A different ending would have made it more interesting, I think, but it was compulsively readable. A friend and I buddy read this (five chapters per day was the schedule), and we weren’t supposed to finish it until tomorrow, but we both agreed today that we couldn’t stop reading it until we finished. 🤭

“It’s no worse than what’s out there! Is that what you want to go back to? Constantly living on the periphery of disaster, just waiting and waiting and waiting for it to finally reach us, doing stupid, dull work to pass the days until then? We’re safe here—we’re removed from all of it.”
— Aisling Rawle, The Compound

For whatever reason, I’m a sucker for books about reality shows. Reality shows are my guilty pleasures, and reading about a behind the scenes show is even better than watching them.

In The Compound, during an end of the world type scenario, 18 contestents are thrown together in the extreme desert to stay as long as possible in a luxury house with pool, gardens, and even a maze.

Unlike our reality shows, these contestants are not pampered at times and are thrown into very real life threatening situations. This dystopian book was more along the lines of a Black Mirror episode than a reality show which is why I probably enjoyed it so much.

*Thanks so much to partner Random House and to NetGalley for the eARC!*

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this arc!

This book follows Lily as she participates in a popular reality show with other contestants. It is better to go into the book blind because it will create a different experience for the reader. I can see the Love Island elements, especially as the current season is going on. I can see the aspects of Lord of the Flies as well. Honestly, I do not know how to rate this book, but it was a constant of wtf or light second embarrassment from Lily or other contestants. It felt like a lot went on, but nothing at the same time. I like Lily's and Sam's relationship. It was nice to see Lily win in certain aspects. While she may have doubted herself, I think she held herself okay. The ending had me because it was so open-ended. It really let me question how Lily is going to move forward. The dynamics among the contestants through Lily's eyes were interesting. At the same time, I did not love this book. I thought it would get more batshit crazy. It was regular shit that I can see really happening outside of the reality show. It was more of 3.5/5

What an interesting concept. This story was the best mix of reality tv and looking at how far people will go to win. I am so grateful to have been given the opportunity to read an ARC of The Compound and am so excited to see this book in its final form.