I'm not a fan of these kind of reality shows on TV but I loved The Compound - a really original, dystopian take on the idea. Deliciously dark, with some brilliantly awful characters, this was a real page turner that I couldn't wait to get back to each night.

I really enjoyed this. The premise is excellent and I loved all the (awful!) characters. The plot was gripping and I couldn't wait to see what was going to happen.

I’ve already recommended this as a title for the bookshop as I know this is gonna be a hot summer read. Definitely comparable to Big Brother, and was a juicy page turner. I really enjoyed the relationship dynamics between some of the characters and liked the notion that there was nothing ‘special’ about our protagonist - an interesting touch. There is a lot left unsaid in this book, and maybe that was supposed to be the case, but I needed more is my only critique. I needed deeper unhingedness - there were flashes of this in the novel but then it backed off. This left the social commentary slightly flat.

Love island meets big brother but make it dystopian. I like how the author kept what happened in the world a mystery, kept the action inside the house, an interesting character study about how capitalism is always the enemy

This book felt very unresolved and slow to me - I'm not sure if it's the writing style or the pacing, or what exactly it was, but I never got any kind of sense of urgency from it, or any sense of stakes. The wider world is hinted at (the war) but never fully developed, and the conclusion felt like it fell a bit flat to me.

couldn't stop reading this! love island but somehow even more tense and a bit dystopian. would've loved a bit more worldbuilding and info about the wider world but also not everything needs an answer! loved the analysis of the character archetypes. fun! but also v v unsettling

This was sold to me as Love Island meets Big Brother meets Survivor, and oh my gosh it didn't disappoint! In this story we follow Lily as she enters The Compound, a house in the middle of the desert where contestants enter with two goals; find love and stay as long as possible.

As soon as I started reading I felt like this was an episode of reality television; the descriptions of The Compound, how the game works, and the depth to Lily's character were all brilliant. The rules to the game were really well thought out; as a reader I'm quite often sceptical and have to suspend my disbelief, but this was all logical. This book would be great for those who read for escapism and the enjoyment factor, but also great for those who like to delve deeper into the characters motivations, and discussions that the author made a point of in this book. Rawle picked up on some of the main issues that these reality television shows have; with discussions on race, sexuality, and gender roles (which I massively appreciated).

There aren't many books that I would want to read twice, but this is one of them. It's clear that this book was planned out meticulously, and was then very well written. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes even a little bit of reality television.

A fun and gripping read for fans of reality TV. Set in a vaguely Dystopian future that is all too believable, 20 young people arrive at a compound in the desert to compete for prizes - things they could never attain in their miserable lives in the real world. Lily is the protagonist, desperate to make it to the end and a life of riches and simplicity. But along the way the inhabitants of the compound increasingly lose sight of their humanity and what is important. I enjoyed this book - it races along and is a lot of fun.

This dystopian love island was a bit like actual reality TV - addictive and voyeuristic.

It was enjoyable enough but the main character was unsympathetic for me and I'm not sure it will live long in the memory.

However I think the author has totally pulled off what she was going for and I think this will be very popular.

Reality television meets Lord of the flies. If you like reality shows this is the book for you.

Cameras watching every move and microphones listening into conversations. The contestants have to do group challenges as well as personal ones to get gifts that could become useful. Who will get eliminated and when, that is the question they all ask themselves.

Page turning book, but I felt that the ending was a little weak.

Thank you Netgalley for letting me read this book.

I believe there are reality tv shows which take beautiful people to a tropical location and in big brother style, watch the fallout. I’ve never watched these shows although I did see a couple of the very early Big Brother shows, intrigued by the concept of people being knowingly manipulated. Compound is a dystopian tale based on similar themes. A group of females are enclosed in a desert compound and await the arrival of men, if that’s what the human condition has boiled down to, it’s a pretty sorry state of affairs, but Aisling Rawle has explored the odious side of reality tv, commercialism, shallow values and manipulation.

Overall I found the story interesting but didn’t quite buy into it, The location was so removed and remote from the outside world, it had limited context. But it’s well written and filled with sharp insight. Pacing is a little mixed and it’s a slow start. My thanks to the publisher and Netgalley fir a review copy.

I loved this. It did seem to start off slow but I soon got right into it. Wish it told us more about the outside world though. Thank you to the writer, publisher, and NetGalley for allowing me the chance to read it.

Aisling Rawle’s debut, The Compound, is a gripping and unsettling exploration of reality television's darker facets. Set in a remote desert compound, the novel follows Lily, a young woman thrust into a high-stakes reality show where contestants vie for luxury rewards and survival. As the competition intensifies, the line between performance and reality blurs, revealing the psychological toll of constant surveillance and manipulation.​

Rawle masterfully critiques consumer culture and the commodification of human relationships. The narrative delves into the moral compromises contestants make for comfort and success, prompting readers to reflect on the ethical costs of entertainment. The character development, particularly Lily's transformation, is compelling, showcasing her resilience amid escalating challenges.​
People.com

While the novel's pacing is generally effective, some character arcs conclude abruptly, leaving certain narratives feeling incomplete. Nevertheless, the book's satirical edge and psychological depth make it a standout in dystopian fiction. Fans of Black Mirror and The Hunger Games will find The Compound both thought-provoking and disturbingly relevant.​
People.com
NetGalley

The Compound is a chilling debut that lingers long after the final page, challenging readers to consider the true cost of our obsession with spectacle.

This is a bit of a different genre read for me as I normally read literary fiction or science fiction but we all love Big Brother back in the day so I decided to give this novel a go
The most memorable big brother novel that I’d read previously was a novel where Davina McCall becomes a zombie this one’s not quite so far-fetched but there are some elements of fantasy/dystopia
In this novel, a group of young men and women admitted to a big brother style house where they have to perform tasks in a similar manner to Big Brother in order to obtain food to decorate their property and to entertain themselves.

What is different to big brother is that the participants in this experience are encouraged to develop romantic relationships with each other and to sleep together /go to sleep in the same bed there’s an old number of participants so the person left without a partner when dawn breaks is voted off the TV show
Because you know the big brother format so well you quickly settle into this novel and some of the experiences are quite predictable however as the book progresses the realities of climate change and the extreme lengths to which the participants are expected to go to win the show, brings out some of the baser instincts of the participants .This book starts slowly and speeds up so that the excitement is felt particularly towards the end of the book.

The author has a clear easily read writing style. I was quickly immersed in this novel and enjoyed reading it. I read it pretty quickly. this is the author of first novel as far as an aware and I think she signs of being a fantastic storyteller. The book is well rounded and finished and is an accomplished novel.

I read an early copy of the novel on NetGalley UK in return for an unbiased review. The book is published on the 3rd of July 2025 by Harper Collins UK/Harper fiction.

This review will appear on NetGalley UK, StoryGraph, Goodreads and my book blog bionicSarahsbooks.wordpress.com. After publication it will also appear on Amazon/Waterstones.

Set in what seems to be a dystopian future, TV cameras focus on ten girls who are waiting in an isolated compound for ten men who have to make their way across the desert on foot to join them. The rules are simple, group tasks as well as individual ones get rewards and if you wake up alone you're evicted.

This novel started out well, a growing sense of unease as the groups tasks took on a darker tone, refusal to comply resulting in severe repercussions and as the numbers dwindled the remaining contestants lost their grip on reality in pursuit of more expensive rewards, more time in the compound and a need to remain to the bitter end.

I'd like to have known more about the world outside the compound, hints were given but it was never fully explored. That said it was an interesting look at reality TV with ever increasing boundaries in pursuit of audience figures, with some life lessons to be learned. It was a quick easy read thats sure to be a hit with reality TV fans.

My thanks to Harper Collins UK and NetGalley for the early read, all opinions expressed are my own.

Thank you to Netgalley for allowing me to read this book in return for an honest review. I loved the premise of this story and I was intrigued to find out how it would play out. I’m a big fan of dystopian fiction so this book really resonated with me. If you look beyond the glossy cover you will see a story with real depth and some interesting characters. I really enjoyed this book but my only tiny critique would be that the ending felt a bit flat for me. I’m not sure what I was expecting to happen but it just felt as though it ended rather abruptly. I would definitely recommend this book to everyone.

Completely compelling, this is the dystopian game show of the year. A searing commentary on the world in its current state, this has a reality TV feel (ordinarily I hate reality TV but I’ll allow it here) and looks at our current bifurcation of attention span and over consumption. Can’t say I really clicked with any of the characters but I still enjoyed the ride.

I read this book in one sitting and I really enjoyed it. There was suspense and mystery along with some good characters. I would like to hear more about the wider world described in the book, however this wish didn't stop me enjoying the plot. I can't wait to see what comes next from this author.

This book wasn’t quite right for me but it definitely showed what promise Rawle has and I will be picking up her next book for sure.

Set on a remote location, the story begins as Lily and a bunch of other young women wake up and find themselves in the compound. You follow the women as they await the men and then as all couples (and individuals) battle it out to be the finalist.

I found the writing and the characters quite surface level and struggled to engage with them. I also found myself quite often comparing it (especially at the beginning) to I Who Have Never Known Men and sadly it didn’t quite match up.

Worth a read if you want some escapism and if you enjoy reality TV.

Reality TV and commercialism at it's finest! A different kind of read for me but still enjoyed it. For a debut novel, this is a great start - will be looking out for future books by Aisling Rawle.