I’m not sure what to make of The Compound. I liked the idea of Love Island meets Lord of the Flies, and the start was oddly compelling, but the characters didn’t really evolve which left me wondering what the book was all about at the end?

Whoa. Finished in one day. What an interesting, pretty depressing, but immersive book. Really enjoyed this. As someone who has competed on reality TV (I was on season 45 of Survivor - US) this book really struck a chord. Phenomenally done. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the advanced copy!

Overall a 2.75-3 star for me. I thought this was such an interesting concept and combined multiple themes that are commonly enjoyed in books (dystopian plus reality show). For me, the back half of the book caught my interest more than the first half. Overall I feel the story could have been fleshed out a bit more, but it was more obvious in the first half with the rapid elimination of contestants. This unfortunately made the plot seem a little flat for me as there wasn’t enough explanation for some events. I also would have liked more background on the actual world this was taking place in as it was alluded to that it was dystopian-esque but not much more. I guess this gives us the illusion almost of being a viewer as we don’t get much context besides what is in the “show”.
I did think this book was a page turner and I finished it quite quickly. I think there was a lot of good commentary on social issues in today’s world built in.

Huge thanks to @netgalley and @randomhouse for providing the free eARC!

If Serena, Leah, and JaNa are familiar names to you, then The Compound is the book you’ve been waiting for. Described as a mix of Love Island and The Hunger Games, this story follows twenty reality-show contestants competing for life-changing rewards in a high-stakes environment.

The book is just as binge-worthy as your favorite reality show, with the most compelling moments coming from the communal and personal tasks each contestant faces. These challenges not only drive the plot forward but also heighten the tension and drama, revealing the competitive nature of the contestants. The story’s exploration of capitalism and materialism is central to its themes, questioning why some people tie their self-worth to the things they own and whether the relentless desire for more is truly worth it.

While the book is engaging, I did wish it leaned more into the Hunger Games comparison. The stakes and tone never quite reached the darker, more intense level I expected. Additionally, there are several hints about a dystopian world outside the compound (mentioning wars, fires, and short life expectancies), but these elements are never fully developed or explored. I felt that either these aspects should have played a more significant role in the story or been left out entirely.

Ultimately, The Compound is a fun, fast-paced read that doesn’t offer many surprises, but like any reality show, it delivers on pure entertainment rather than profound insights. If you’re looking for something light and dramatic, this one’s definitely worth checking out! 3.5 stars

Not for me as I do not jibe with the life of the luxurious and novels like this are terribly trite and pretentious.

Do you like reality TV? If you do, this is the perfect book for you. Captivating from the start, The Compound has a lot of different elements to it. While it was never really explained what is happening outside the compound or what the “war” really is, this felt super relevant to today. I found Lily to be multi-faceted and vacillated between wanting her to win and wanting her to wake up to some of the realities around her. The Compound is an intriguing and unputdownable read.

Congrats to this author on their great debut novel! When I started this I wasn't sure - it seemed a bit shallow but then Love Island is shallow isn't it? It really feels like a commentary on all these stupid reality shows we're into as a society (I do love Love Island though, hehe).
This is such an interesting concept and twist as it slowly devolves to become more and more unsettling. At points, I couldn't put it down! In Part III, the pacing starts to drag a little bit but overall, I'm really impressed and can't wait to read more from this author!

3.5 ⭐️ I don’t watch Love Island or many other reality shows, but it says something about our society that I know The Compound would be a popular show.. and that I would probably watch it.

The concept is that there is a large compound in the desert and 5 females and 5 males are sent to live there and are given daily communal and personal tasks in order to gain prizes. Could be necessary things to get by like food and water, or everyday vanity items like clothes, makeup etc. Every night you must share a bed with a member of the opposite sex or you will be banished. There are some hunger games and survivor aspects roped into the story, having to vote people out to get specific prizes.

The story really dove into how materialistic people can be and the lengths they would go to get them. There were hints that the outside world was in a war and falling to shambles, so the show was an escape for viewers. I kind of wish there was more details about that so get a feeling for the stakes of leaving the compound.

Overall it was an entertaining read and I could easily visualize everything that was happening.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for the advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I did not know much about this book going in; I read the premise, thought it sounded interesting and requested and was fortunate enough to receive an ARC. So I went in with low (no) expectations and let myself be pleasantly surprised.

I absolutely DEVOURED this book. In my last few years of primarily consuming books through audio, I have struggled to get through most Kindle books, regardless of how much I enjoyed them; I did not have any such problem with this one. I could not wait to see what happened next, and cannot remember the last time I was so immediately pulled into a book like this. If I had the time to do so, this is one I could have read in one sitting.

The premise was simple: Lily is a contestant on a reality show featuring ten “boys” and ten “girls” living together on a large compound. There is a coupling component to it right from the start; those who wake up without a member of the opposite sex in their bed are banished. There is a teamwork aspect to it - the group must accomplish group tasks to win items to improve their living situation, from household necessities such as a chair or wood to build a front door, to luxury items like a hot tub or case of champagne, to basic necessities such as food and water. The contestants can also work to complete individual tasks to earn rewards of increasing value. They are, of course, at the mercy of an unseen group of producers. The stakes get higher as the group gets smaller, and Lily has to ask herself what she must do to win — and ultimately what “winning” even means.

I truly could not put this book down. I was fascinated by the situations the characters ended up in and read this book the way I imagine many people would binge watch a television program like this. I do wish that we got to learn a little more about the world outside of the compound. Because of the show’s rules - unless directed to as part of a challenge, the contestants cannot share any personal information about themselves or acknowledge that they are on a TV show until they have advanced to a certain point in the competition - most of the show’s relationships are developed at a superficial level, and it prevents the reader from learning too much about what exists for Lily outside the compound beyond her repeated assertions that she does not want to go back. There are references to wars, but this is not fully fleshed out, and I think it could have raised the stakes even further to better understand the reality that these reality tv contestants were avoiding. But I also think that we learned JUST enough - about the general outside world and Lily’s individual situation - where it didn’t negatively impact my enjoyment of this story.

I would give this one 4.5 stars for readability - I’m rounding down for now, but may increase my rating to round up as it gets closer to publication day if I’m still thinking about it because this is easily the most intriguing book I’ve read year to date. I’m sad it’s over.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to @netgalley and @randomhouse for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

This was a fun read full of all the drama we love (or love to hate) in reality TV. Season after season, contestants join this reality TV show, live in the Compound competing in challenges, banishing others into the desert, all to be the last one standing.
Our main character Lily jumped at the chance to leave her unfulfilling job to join the show. Through personal challenges she wins material items. As the season progresses, we see how far contestants will go to win these prizes, and at what cost to each other. Some challenges were pretty tame but some parts were full-blown bananas. We see the worst of people come out for the sake of glory and greed.

The Compound 06/24

Absolutely loved this one!! The reality show setting allowed for the characters to really pop. I'd read a sequel!

As an avid reality TV enjoyer this book was great. I felt like I was at the compound trying to be the last man standing. This book really highlighted the lengths people will go to in their own self interest. It was fast paced and very intriguing.

I loved this book and couldn’t put it down! I thought the characters were complex and the dystopian setting brutal.

Definitely a fun read but I’m not sure what to make of it overall.

It was an interesting juxtaposition because while the book is clearly a social commentary of today’s society of consumerism, social media, consumption, and even reality TV, the book reads overall like reality tv. The pace was good, it kept me hooked and interested and I kept wondering where it would go.

I would have liked to have more background about the ‘world’ the book was created in- there was mention of wars and that everyone would be dying in 15-20 years anyway but no real explanation or significant background. I guess that wasn’t really the point but it still irked me a bit.

The ending fell a bit flat for me and I had high hopes. I enjoyed it while reading but just felt the ending could have been a little stronger.

Thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for access to this eARC.

Wow, what a ride. I love this flavor of dystopian near-future social experiment. This book is full of uneasy tension and insightful social commentary. I thought the characters were well developed and the pacing was excellent. Really enjoyed this and finished it in about a day. If anything, I wish it continued a bit longer after the ending for some resolution.

Thank you to NetGalley and the ARC!

The Compound is a deft debut novel that imagines what a reality dating and competition show would look like during the apocalypse. In short, when the world's burning down, how far would you go to earn small material rewards?

Hooking me from the first page, I was powerless to put this down until I had followed Lily through every wild twist and turn of her journey on the Compound. Every tried and true reality TV trope is here, but they all feel much more sinister with so much at stake. This book is one that has stuck with me since I finished it in a single sitting and I can't wait for more people to experience it.

Well this book had me feeling as enthralled and disturbed as you might expect from a Love Island/Lord of the Flies/Hunger Games-esque dystopian novel. The writing was incredible and covered so many issues in such a short span of time. None of the characters were very likable, but that was basically the point - nevertheless, they were all very compelling.

Thank you to Random House and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

The Compound is a house out in the desert where 18 young people compete in a reality competition by pairing up with another contestant. As they work together to solve challenges, they get rewarded with items from sponsors (don’t forget to thank them!) The guys and girls have to form alliances as couples but we soon see the stress of living together makes them slowly turn on each other. This book was an interesting look at reality shows, how beauty influences how we feel about contestants and how consumerism rarely fills our emotional bucket. More stuff doesn’t equal happiness. I thought this was a good book by a debut author that is perfect for summer.

4 ⭐️ This one surprised me how much I liked it! Lily is a contestant in a reality tv show set at a compound in the desert, while the outside world deals with some type of dystopian disaster that is never revealed. Couples are paired up and must sleep in a bed with someone each night or face elimination. During the day they complete challenges for rewards.

Told from Lily’s POV, the plot moved quickly and held my interest throughout. There is a cast of contestants that come to life on the pages and are gradually eliminated one by one from the compound.

We learn slowly things are not so great in the outside world, but rewards in the compound can be luxurious. There are some harrowing and tense moments but nothing extremely violent and no deaths.

This story touches on friendship, love, loneliness, greed, betrayal and material happiness and contentment. I wish it would have revealed what was going on in the outside world.

Thanks NetGalley and Random House publishers for the eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

My biggest recommendation for reading The Compound is to ensure you have time to read it in one sitting. Once I picked this up, I could not put it down. The author does a masterful job of showing how as things progress they get eerie and isolating. My only complaint with this book is I wanted to read more. This is a 5 star read for me. Anyone that enjoys reality TV with a dark side has found a match in this book.

Thank you to Random House Publishing, Aisling Rawle, and Netgalley for allowing me to read this ARC. (I quite feel like Lily thanking her sponsors for her rewards typing this)