Oh man, I really liked this book! It held my interest the whole time. Highly recommended for readers of suspenseful fiction and watchers of reality TV.

Love island meets Hunger Games meets Too Hot To Handle meets parody meets thriller. Did you catch that? This book is seriously an awesome adventure.

This is such a refreshing, funny, yet scary read.
This is a debut novel from Aisling Rawle. For a rebut, this is incredibly impressive!!!

This delivered so well. Also, can we talk about how gorgeous and unique the cover is? Not only does it capture the book well, but it totally caught me eye. It is very refreshing to see art like this. Love it!! I initially gave it a 4 star review, but this is a 5 star book.

What I Loved:
-The writing style - it was easy for me to follow and this made it enjoyable.
-The call outs of issues within society.
-It gets very annoying when all the humor is about the woman bringing herself down, or about blatant issues happening that just aren't addressed. I immediately gained more respect for this book for it calling those elements out properly without it seeming like the author was infusing politics of any sort. This was so well done.
-The roasting of the boys being incompetent. It was hilarious at times and truly allowed the book to be entertaining. It also felt very in line with how reality shows typically go.
-The protagonist being a strong character, both well-rounded and mentally strong really helped me root for her. I also loved that she wasn't made a ditzy blond.
-The call out of the toxic unreality that reality TV show is chef kiss.
-Some of the tasks are outright ridiculous and hilarious.
-The creativity of what happened in prior games is wonderful.
-The cover!!!!
-This book was properly formatted so I could fully enjoy it.
-The last portion of it (ending) was incredible!

What I Didn't Love:
-This book felt longer than it needed to be, there was a lot of additional detail on the same parts of the show that started to feel redundant. This combined with longer chapters and sex thrown in here and there made it feel less tense and had it feel slightly all over the place. This might have been intentional, as I feel like this is the same feeling I get when watching reality TV too.
-There are three parts to this thriller. I would have preferred three smaller reads I think? The parts didn't make a ton of sense to me as there as no label for "before" or anything so I was unsure of their exact purpose. The first half of the book totally caught me but I began to lose interest towards the end, which I think is due to length.
-The game itself didn't make sense as far as the logistics. If I didn't know how much planning goes into the renting of a mansion and the collecting of sponsorship prize money, I would likely not be annoyed by these details. It did seem to make it a partial parody though and make it a bit ridiculous, which added to my enjoyment. Initially it was annoying, but I appreciate the creativity.
-I would have preferred shorter paragraphs when possible for pace setting. Some of the chapters were really long with very long paragraphs, which I usually anticipate for fantasy books or when a lot of description is needed to describe a setting etc.

I will say, I can't stop thinking about this book.

I received a free copy and am leaving this review voluntarily.

Thank you for allowing me to read this work of art! This is such a good book!

thank you to NetGalley and Random House for providing me with an advance copy of this book to review!

urgh this book was creeeeeeepy. the entire thing felt so, so uncomfortable, even when nothing wrong was happening. the main character was genuinely one of my favorite characters from this year... there are some really heartbreaking details in her story, and the author put so much humanity and heart in a character that many other people would have treated like a joke. I do think some characters' stories ended extremely abruptly, hello Ryan, but overall I really liked this book.

Thank you Netgalley and Random House for the advanced copy of this book. I absolutely loved "The Compound". It is a story following individuals as they compete in a weird reality tv show living together in the desert. The writing felt devoid of emotion, which created a really creepy atmosphere. The interactions between contestants and the character development in this book was just chef's kiss for me. The players ranged from vain and shallow to aggressive and authoritarian to meek and intellectual. I think the sample was a good reflection to what society could be if pushed to the limits. I will definitely be thinking about this book often and recommending it to friends.

Set in the world of a reality TV show, The Compound, is described as Love Island meets The Hunger Games. While this is apt, an even more accurate description seems to be that it's reminiscent of Black Mirror. While on the surface, it seems like a standard reality dating show, there's a dark underbelly to both the show and the outside world that we only get to glance peeks of.

This book was pretty fast paced and I enjoyed all the "challenges" the contestants had to complete. The characters, outside of a few, seemed pretty surface level which is very much the point.

Great, if chilling, premise, that does feel very much like watching a reality show while also seeing behind the scenes through Lily's eyes. A more modern Hunger Games, this novel asks serious questions about what we want versus what we need, and the lengths we will go to secure those things--and people.

What’s happening in The Compound is initially a bit confusing, but we soon learn that Lily is a contestant in the umpteenth year of an ongoing reality show. She wakes up dressed similarly to another contestant Jacintha and they wander around finding other woman who are sleeping around the compound. The women know they are waiting for the men to show up so they slowly begin to tidy the living space and cook for each other. The men show up and it is revealed that the contestants have to couple up and whoever is left without a partner will be banished. The group works together on tasks to receive rewards like necessary equipment, furniture and even a door for the house.

This book was a fascinating look at character and the nature of entertainment. In many ways every contestant is a slave to the reality that he or she created. The reader quickly learns which of these individuals is a leader, which a follower and finds out what each contestant values beyond measure. The protagonist, Lily, worries that she is not intelligent enough and enjoys the idea that others think she may be an influencer in her life away from the compound. Her excitement at the thought is a clear indicator that reality television is a huge part of the future. I found the story to be an interesting exploration into the nature of competition, rewards and desire.

My mind never wandered as I was reading, I was completely engaged in the story. The plot was compelling and, while I kept guessing, I was never able to guess the next twist correctly. The Compound by Aisling Rawle is a definite recommend. Five stars for this compelling thriller.

I received this advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review and feedback.

The description of this book "Love Island meets Lord of the Flies" is quite apt and the description is a fair warning. This book was a stretch for me, as I am a fan of Lord of the Flies (and much more The Hunger Games), but I have never seen or had interest to see Love Island. The characters seem to me to be a vapid collection of male and female hotties who are mostly one-dimensional characters (the central male character notwithstanding). The central female character is pretty and nice to begin with and pretty and calculating to end with, so that does not seem like much of a character arc. While I liked the challenges and how the characters reacted to them, the ending lacked satisfaction and resolution and there were core questions that were raised, but not answered.

All that being said, it is probably best to say that others who are more fans of Love Island than Lord of the Flies would prefer this story. Sadly, that is not me.

What a Debut! The Compound by Aisling Rawle is a sharp, unsettling take on the modern reality show, blending elements of Big Brother, The Bachelorette, Survivor, and even Lord of the Flies into a chilling and unforgettable thriller.

Our heroine is Lily, a seemingly vapid, beautiful twenty-something cast to play the role of the bored millennial. But as the competition heats up, Lily’s depth, resilience, and sharp instincts emerge, surprising everyone—including herself.

The show’s premise is designed to unearth the worst in human nature. Ten contestants live together in a pressure-cooker environment, enduring emotionally charged challenges designed to rattle their nerves and provoke conflict. Individual wins grant trivial product placements, while group victories determine essential resources—like food—or laughably useless rewards, like nail polish. Every night, alliances are tested, as waking up without a bed partner means elimination within 24 hours.

Lily believes she has found a trustworthy partner, but as tensions escalate and paranoia sets in, she begins to question everything. Can she truly rely on him, or is she just another pawn in his strategy for survival?

Rawle expertly captures the sinister underbelly of reality television, dissecting how far people will go when fame, survival, and human connection are at stake. The novel’s gripping pace, layered characters, and psychological twists will keep you hooked. And the haunting finale? It’s guaranteed to linger long after you turn the last page.

An unmissable debut for fans of thrillers, dystopian tales, and anyone curious about the dark side of reality TV.

#RandomHouse #TheCompound #AislingRawle

This book grabs you with its intense psychological drama, questioning just how far people will go when they’re pushed to their limits. The blend of luxury rewards and dire survival tactics creates a tense atmosphere that keeps you glued to every page. The writing is sharp and thought-provoking, exploring themes of desperation, manipulation, and human connection in a way that feels uncomfortably real. Overall, it makes for a perfect gripping and a binge-worthy read.