Was this groundbreaking? No. Did I absolutely devour it? Yes. This felt like I was binge watching trash TV, which I LOVE.
My only gripe with this was the extremely lackluster ending which didn't come together the way I was hoping. That being said, the twists and turns were extremely fun in this book. Giving Survivor meets the Bachelor.
Thank you NetGalley and Madison Dettlinger for the eARC

First and foremost I received an e-arc from NetGalley.

Now, there was some crazy twists and turns, I was engaged, but the ending was lack luster. I was expecting more or hoping that I would get a better ending.

Think the tv show Survivor meets the real world with a dark twist that falls a bit short.

While it is a page turner that is the equivalent to binging your favorite reality tv show, it doesn’t come together the way I expected it to.

I love reality TV and I don’t care who knows it!!!! I’ll shout it from the mountain tops. (Literally no one telling me it’s not ok to love it). Writing about reality shows—and social media—can often come across as too obviously fabricated. There’s a quality about reality TV, social media, and viral posts that can be hard to replicate when fictionalized. As excited as I was to get an ARC for The Compound, I was worried it would fall into that same trap. I don’t know why I’m building up my thoughts on this book so much lol, but I loved it.

The Compound is marketed as Love Island meets Lord of the Flies. Well, I DNFed the latter LOL, so I can’t really speak to that. I would describe it as Love Island meets the Hunger Games meets a psychological thriller but I can’t think of which one. Am I making you want to read this book or just confused?

The beginning started off slow for me, but once it picked up I couldn’t put it down. You don’t get much backstory by design. The contestants aren’t allowed to talk about their personal lives or really say anything about who they are on any real level. But as the book went on, I either didn’t mind this or it just worked so well to build the creepy and uncomfortable atmosphere. The same can be said about the main character. She’s not the most complex or interesting, but that somehow makes her more interesting by the end? All she cares about is not going home. She’s one of those reality TV contestants that makes it as far as she does because she’s very much middle of the road. I’m having a hard time putting into words what I mean, but I’ll just end by saying it’s a yes for me dawg.

A reality TV show told entirely from one contestant's perspective. Lily woke up here but doesn’t actually know where here is. The women just wake up in The Compound and are waiting for the arrival of the men so the show can begin. The rules of the game really aren’t that hard. Rewards are earned by completing both personal and group challenges. The contestants vote who will leave when the producers say someone must depart. The competition begins with nine men and 10 women. The first rule is that everyone must sleep in a bed with an opposite sex member of the group. So, we know that someone will be gone by morning…
Lily was at times a frustrating character. She isn’t very smart or at least that is what she wants everyone to believe. She is here to win and the more prizes that she can collect, the better. As the contestant pool dwindles, the tension increases, and it becomes a question of who will do what to win. The pace mirrors the desert that surrounds them. Sometimes it’s so hot it barely moves and other times the chill of the night has everyone frantically plotting how they can win.
It’s a few days since I finished reading this book and I’m still not entirely sure how I felt about it. It is definitely a look at what we value, or what things we value, and what we are willing to do to get them. I’m not going to give any of the story away, but some people seem to realize the superficial nature of a competition like this sooner than others. There was a moment when I thought Lily had grown as a person, but I’m not quite sure if it was enough.

This is for the lit-fic it girls.

This is like some weird black mirror love island where contestants have to pair up in order to not get eliminated. While doing tasks to be able to get supplies to live comfortably in this compound in the middle of the desert. This was such a unique and eerie story, i couldn’t stop reading. The writing was so eloquent and I feel like it fit the tone of it to the main character so well. Not knowing personal things from the characters made it feel a little superficial feeling and made it hard to believe they actually had feelings for each other. But I still loved the girls friendship and I could actually feel the chemistry between Sam and Lily. Even when things were fine, there was this eerie feeling of when would things turn for the worse and someone would snap. It was creepy not knowing how far the producers of the show would go to make them do tasks and I was always expecting something horrible to happen. I do think the ending was a little underwhelming after everything they went through to get to the end. Still enjoyed it a lot and it was super interesting to read about all these people and how far they would go to get the things that they wanted.



Thanks to Madison Dettlinger and NetGalley for sending me the arc.

As an avid watcher of reality tv and dating competition shows, The Compound was right up my alley. It was a super thoughtful and read engaging read with commentary on the exploitative, dark nature of these entertainment shows. It had a flair of dystopia which I would have liked to read more of, particularly more on life outside the compound itself. I was also expecting there to be a bit of a thriller aspect to it in terms of higher stakes, but overall a very interesting read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for the arc!

3.5 stars

The Compound was an utterly addicting read, I devoured it in a few sittings. Despite an anti-hero protagonist who, I would imagine, most readers probably cannot relate to, I was so thoroughly entertained by the characterization in this book. Rawle impressively builds out 19 contestants for the Compound show, whose numbers dwindle, allowing for further exploration as they survive the challenges. I genuinely felt giddy reading about a certain slow-build romance finally come to fruition, a testament to how well written their journeys in the compound were. At times, the themes were a bit obvious- materialism = bad, we need to save the environment, but no one wants to do anything. As a result, the tone was quite "doomer", but that was relatable at least. The reality show setting was juicy and thrilling, the critique of late stage capitalism grim and realistic. Without a doubt, this is one of my favorite books I've read so far this year- I think it'll still be in my top 5 by the end.

This is quite an adventure. I am the reader who has no frame of reference having never read/watched
The Hunger Games or any television shows in this genre.
It is still quite entertaining to see how these young people are manipulated by both the television
program and the other ‘contestants’ in this experience. The guiding force is cooperation and greed
and in equal ,parts. I think this will have a huge cult audience, and I recommend it to everyone.
My thanks to Random House via NetGalley for the download copy of this book for review purposes.

I'm pretty liberal with my stars so maybe in reality this was actually a 3.5 but I really, really liked it! It moved fast and made sense the whole time- I was never confused like I am sometimes with books with multiple characters.
I noticed that this book actually caused a physical reaction in me; my heart was racing! That usually doesn't happen to me! It was fun! If you like the reality show The Bachelor but always feel let down by the lack of action (bloody action) and suspense then you would love this book! :) Minimal language and no graphic or uncomfortable spice!

What a fun concept! Throw a group of people into a desert compound and film them 24/7, something is bound to go badly! I liked the tension and suspense that this story created in me and I felt it was similar to a Black Mirror episode. If you expect a high-intensity, action story, you won't get it with this but the simmering tension really did it for me.

Fun for lovers of reality shows! I really enjoyed reading this book. The main character was super unlikable and I was actually hoping for her demise, but it was a fun read!

This book immediately went on my "books to buy for friends" list.

Dystopian reality tv show was not a theme I expected to get heavily invested in - but wow this book REALLY sucked me in. The vibe is very Truman Show/Love Island/Black Mirror. The writing was so damn creative, sharp, and engaging I could not put this book down and I wanted more once it was over. You almost don’t even notice that the entire book takes place in the same setting the whole time. There is no change of venue here. It’s an absolutely stunning debut for this author.

The plot is entirely centered around the contestants of a reality show living in this Big Brother/Real World type house with 10 women and 10 men (if all the men can make it out of the desert to the house)- all strangers to each other. Specifically, the story follows our main character/narrator/anti-hero Lily, who wakes up in the house with no memory of arriving, and has to walk around to find her other female cast mates who are also waking up in random locations throughout the property. Initially, it’s not a sinister vibe because she volunteered for the show and has a vague understanding of how the show operates, but it’s the first inkling of something being… off. For one thing, we learn this reality show never formally ends or goes off the air. As soon as the last person leaves from one “season” the next cast of characters moves in immediately (think: no clean up or re-setting). There are specific rules, steep penalties for breaking the rules, group challenges and personal challenges, and potentially unlimited luxury prizes that get better as the number of individuals in the household dwindles. Within the compound, the characters are forced to recon with the motivations (good ratings) of the producers behind the scenes. The producers eventually seem to take on this god-like quality and can either help, put you in harms way, or generally make your life uncomfortable and extremely unpleasant (“they won’t let us die” is a recurring mantra for many in the compound). If you make it to the end, you can have whatever you want at any time just by asking, but that comes with a steep trade.

While we are getting to know these individuals and their motivations, the cast members drop hints that the world outside the compound is extremely bleak. I conjured images of a borderline wasteland - uncontrolled wildfires can be seen far off in the distance from the compound, there is mention of wars (plural), poverty, and general despair. I wished there was more about the outside world, though - I craved more information.

For some, the Compound is a refuge, a delusion, a joyous break from reality, but like all good things, it has to come to an end eventually. By then, everyone has shown their true colors. This book will mess with your head in the best way.

I was contacted via email by Penguin Random House Publishing Group and offered this ebook to read and review and I am SO thankful for that message because I may not have found this book otherwise. Thank you, Penguin Random House and NetGalley for the eARC!!

I read this on vacation and more than any book in recent memory, it gripped every fiber of my being and every second of my attention. Excellent first-person narration and top-notch world-building. If you're a fan of reality TV, dystopian fiction, or just excellent narrative long form, you'll love 'The Compound.'

Wow this was so fun!!! It was a combo of Lord of the Flies, Black Mirror, and reality tv. I actually really enjoyed how distant we were from the MC - I never got to know her or understand her true motivations and I feel like it added to the story in a good way. I wanted to know more about the world and the war people kept referencing. I loved all the characters!! I was worried I was going to have a hard time keeping them straight but they were all pretty distinct. I also was concerned about it feeling repetitive due to the nature of the show, but it was pretty fast paced and escalated quickly. I thought this was such a cool concept and devoured the novel in one sitting!

Thank you to Random House and NetGalley for the ARC.

The premise drew me right in - a reality show set sometime in the future in a world that seems to be falling apart. Contestants (the female ones) wake up in The Compound, a mansion in the desert that is messy and in disarray from the last group of contestants. As soon as the last contestant of the previous season leaves the new ones arrives. The boys however are dropped in the desert and need to find each other and make their way to The Compound.

If that is not wild enough it gets more and more bananas. They have to do group and individual tasks to earn rewards — things they desperately need (like food) and vanity items they want. But they also need to sleep in the same bed as someone from the opposite sex or they’re banished. There are other ways to be banished too.

The MC Lily wants badly to win so she can stay at The Compound for as long as she likes — maybe even forever. Only it’s not so simple!

That’s all I’ll say without spoiling it but definitely read this for a truly wild ride.

Thank you Random House Publishing Group and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.

The Compound is one of those rare reads that grabs you by the collar, pulls you in with its glossy premise, and refuses to let go until long after the last page. On the surface, it's flashy and voyeuristic—twenty contestants trapped in a remote desert compound, filmed 24/7, competing for luxury prizes and basic necessities while the outside world quietly collapses. But underneath the shiny veneer of lipstick rewards and lawn furniture is something far more chilling: a sharp, timely commentary on performance, power, and the way we consume both fame and human emotion like entertainment.

Lily, our reluctant antihero, is not your typical protagonist. She’s passive, disillusioned, emotionally detached—at times frustratingly so—and that’s exactly the point. You watch her, just as the cameras do, wondering what she’s really thinking, what she’s hiding, and what it’s going to take to wake her up. As the show’s rules shift, boundaries blur, and manipulations deepen, the question becomes less about who will win and more about what winning even means.

Aisling Rawle's writing is addictive and razor-sharp, playing with pace and structure in ways that mirror the disorienting rhythm of the show itself. It’s a little bit Love Island, a little bit Black Mirror, and a whole lot of existential dread dressed up in millennial pink. Some chapters simmer with unease, others hit you with a twist that feels like a slap. The tension builds not from explosions or violence, but from the quiet horror of realizing just how much we’re willing to tolerate—for attention, for survival, for a sliver of meaning in a chaotic world.

This book will absolutely mess with your head—in the best way. It’s weird, eerie, biting, and absolutely perfect for fans of psychological thrillers that make you squirm while also forcing you to think. I couldn’t stop reading, and when it was over, I just sat there stunned, asking myself what I’d just experienced.

Massive thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for providing me with a digital reviewer copy of this erratic, fascinating debut in exchange for my honest thoughts—I genuinely appreciate the opportunity to read something this bold and unforgettable.

If you're a fan of suspenseful reality TV shows, this book is for you. Unfortunately, I'm not of fan of reality TV shows, but I do like suspense.

This book was pretty slow for the first third because the contestants weren't allowed to discuss personal details unless instructed to do so. They also weren't allowed to acknowledge that they were on a TV show. This made connecting to and caring about any of the characters very difficult. We get Lily's opinions of everyone, but not much else. Even she doesn't know them yet. All we get is a description of herself (materialistic, passive, and very beautiful). She very concerned with her looks and being liked by other people and, of course, winning lots and lots of prizes. To be honest, I never really liked Lily. I couldn't connect with her.

Eventually, we start learning about the other people and slowly opinions start to form. Everyone is some degree of materialistic, otherwise they wouldn't be on the show where the goal is to be the last person to stay and win lots of prizes. The only character that I actually liked was Sam. He seemed to not care as much about winning prizes. He ends up being the love interest for Lily. And even though I understand why she's attracted to him, I don't get why he's interested in her. He's reasonable, and smart. They kind of seem like opposites (which she does acknowledge a few times), and I get the opposites tend to attract, but I was hoping that there was something about her that would explain why he liked her. I would have very much enjoyed a chapter or two from Sam’s point of view to see what he thinks of the show and all the contestants, and to view Lily in a different light. We know how she sees herself, but how do others see her? Specifically, how does Sam see her? As it is, there's just not enough substance to their relationship for me to really root for them.

As people are banished from the house, things finally start to get interesting. But my attention wasn't fully grabbed until the water gets shut off. Suspense starts to build and finally peaks when it's down to just our main character and the easy-to-hate Tom. I honestly wasn't sure how things were going to play out.

However, after the exciting events events with Tom, things just kind of settle back down and then it's the end. I wasn't a fan of the ending because I don't agree with the main character's choice (not her choice to leave, but her choice to take as much as she could. I was hoping for a change of heart when it came to material possessions), but it wasn't a terrible ending.

In it's current state, this book has some inconsistencies and grammar errors, but hopefully those will get addressed before it's released. There's definitely a lot of potential for this book, it just needs a little fine-tuning. I can even see it becoming an actual TV show or a movie, maybe. Overall, it's an pretty enjoyable book.

4

Setting: unknown
Rep: queer protagonist; multiple queer side characters

I love a reality TV plot and I love a slow dread literary thriller so this really worked for me (right up until the end, anyway, which was so anticlimactic, but I also understand why it's that way when this book is a critique of shows like love Island). Unhinged and weird and tense.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I am not a fan of reality dating TV shows..as in I’ve seen maybe 10 episodes total ever. So imagine my surprise when I could not put this book down.

I found Lily to be an interesting MC. She is aware of her beauty, and also aware that it really seems to be the only thing she brings to the table. I love when a character is able to be honest about their level of intelligence, especially when we’re all apt to overestimate our intelligence. I found myself drawn to Lily because of this and was heavily invested in the ways she was able to escape and de-escalate conflict.

I also enjoyed subtle references to a world where turmoil is thriving - burning wildfires, vague references to “the wars”, an obvious need for escapism TV. The background threat of a world in chaos makes the desire to watch this kind of show understandable.

Overall, I enjoyed this book more than I thought I would. I wouldn’t label it a thriller per se, but I think fans of thrillers will enjoy the tension that builds and builds.

Review: The Compound by Aisling Rawle

I didn’t finish The Compound, and here’s why: while the premise was intriguing, the pacing just didn’t grab me. The writing felt a bit too slow and the characters, although interesting, didn’t compel me to keep turning the pages. It had potential but I couldn’t connect with it enough to see it through. If you're a fan of slow-burn, character-driven thrillers, it might be worth checking out, but it wasn’t for me.