This was addictive! A deep exploration of the complexity of humans and how far they will go. Strong themes of jealousy, greed, rivalry and fame. I could talk about this all day. A sharp and thought provoking character study. Loved it.

Firstly: Lucy Boynton was such a great reader for this title, she had such a great voice for Lily and made it really easy to follow characters

I accidentally ended up reading two different books about reality TV shows on my holiday - who knew it's something I'd end up really liking? I'm not a reality TV girlie (The Traitors being the exception) but I think being about fictional characters really let me enjoy it!

The Compound is a darkly compelling satire on reality TV, fame, and consumerism. Add in whatever form of dystopia outside the show and it makes an entertaining read. I binged this and couldn't put it down - the ending could have been a bit stronger, maybe spending more time with Lily but I just loved the concept, I enjoyed getting to know our characters in shallow ways and just the social experiment of it all. Hopefully not a foretelling of the future of humanity and television, but I would not be surprised...

I saw this book being mentioned on a couple of my favourite book accounts so I was looking forward to reading it. I went into it quite blind so I didn’t really know what to expect.

The story follows a group of young contestants put together in the compound where they have to survive and complete tasks to make that survival easier like getting cleaning supplies or getting a fridge.

There is an underlying sinister tone throughout the book as the contestants have to work through the tasks they’ve been set and some are more competitive than others resorting to force and violence. The TV show aspect felt like a bit of an afterthought.

I listened to this as an audiobook. I think I *might* have DNF’d if I’d been reading a physical copy as it was a bit repetitive although now I’ve said that thinking about TV shows like Love Island they’re also quite repetitive.

Similarly themed thrillers you could give a go next include Isolation Island by Louise Minchin, The Club by Ellory Lloyd and One Perfect Couple by Ruth Ware.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for a review copy of this audiobook.

Love Island meets Survivor in what seems to be a never-ending game of bribery, deception, and emotional manipulation both in front of the cameras and behind the scenes. Listening to this had me loudly muttering to myself as if I were watching the story unfold on a TV in front of me. If you are listening whilst out and about, be prepared for strange looks.

Thank you Netgalley and Harper Collins for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review

4.5⭐️ I absolutely devoured this - it was addictive (kind of like those trashy reality TV shows that we love to hate).

Our protagonist is Lily, a beautiful girl but with not much else going on by her own admission. It is so interesting to hear her own voice and thoughts which basically just generalise around what rewards she can get the whole time she is in the “show”.

The pretence is that 10 girls and 10 boys wake up in the compound - a villa that is remote in the desert and they have to complete tasks (personal and group) to win things that range from face serum to wood to build a front door. You watch “love” blossom as well in the love-island style of the book and watch people couple up.

The whole way through there is this subtle ominous edge and I enjoyed it so much essentially descending into chaos the more this went on. I was fully hooked and I loved the interesting takes on consumerism and even a subtle look into racism and basically watching these characters parade around for the camera!

I also loved the audiobook narrator! She voiced lily so well and the story was made all the more captivating!

Synopsis-You wake up in a compound in the middle of the desert, along with nine other women.
All of you are young, all beautiful, all keen to escape the grinding poverty, political unrest and environmental catastrophe of the outside world.
You realise that cameras are tracking your every move, broadcasting to millions of reality TV fans.
Soon, ten men will arrive on foot – if they all survive the journey.
What will you have to do to win?
And what happens to the losers?

#mythoughts If you’re a fan of Love Island or similar reality TV shows, you’ll likely enjoy this book. While those kinds of programs are not for me , I still found the story compelling.

Cameras are always watching, tasks are assigned, and contestants are banished—all in the name of competition for extravagant prizes. The book creates an unrealistic yet fascinating world, with contestants often referencing the chaos happening outside.

Lily emerges as the unlikely heroine, while Tom steps into the role of the villain. A gripping, read full of drama with plenty of twists .

What a unique book, and one that I think is exactly what our society needs right now. The characters in the compound seem to come from a world which is suffering from the consequences of climate change and ongoing wars, yet, before entering the compound, they attempt to lead seemingly normal lives. The reality TV that the compound offers is an escape from reality, but what are the consequences of being so detached from what's going on around you?

I feel like the audiobook narrator was perfect for the book. She was a bit detached and sometimes at odds with the plot, but I feel like it complemented the themes of the novel.

I was left feeling like I wanted just a little bit more from the ending, but I can understand the appeal of leaving it open-ended like that.

I liked this book! I listened to the audiobook and found that I kept wanting to read on. I was finding any opportunity to pop my headphones on and read another chapter. I thought it would be tricky to keep up with all the characters but it was surprisingly okay!

I do think I went in with a bit too much of a “this is a thriller” mentality when it doesn’t say that anywhere 🙈😂 so don’t expect loads of twists and turns like I did 😂

I think for me audiobook was the way to go with this story. I was absolutely gripped. Interesting and disturbing premise with excellent narration. I was totally intrigued by the rest of the dystopian setting. 4.5*

I had to sit with my feelings a bit after reading this as the book had left me speechless.

This was like watching an episode of Black Mirror. The pairing up of love island meets the 24/7 cameras and the challenges of Big Brother, but with a honest look at self worth being tied to superficial beauty standards and materialism. A satire look at overconsumption with a chilling slap of reality.

What are these contestants willing to do for more 'things'? This is a stark view into the world today where everyone is putting their whole lives online to become influencers and get products.

We follow Lily from the moment she wakes in the compound, and her journey navigating this reality show.

The contestants are left mostly to their own devises in the compound in the desert, the only input being the challenges and a voice to correct them if they break a rule - or a sharp reminder in form of a punishment. The hierarchy builds quickly as it would in a survival situation. I am always fascinated by human behaviour in these type of books. I find myself wondering where I would fit in their group, what would I be willing to do, or sacrifice to keep my place and not be cast out.

As time goes on, the contestants become more desperate. Desperate to win, desperate for things, desperate for a purpose, desperate for connection. The line starts to blur on what is acceptable, soon it becomes 'what aren't they willing to do?'

The author shares the different stages of coping that the contestants go through, excitement of being there, gaining a purpose, loss and jealousy, losing all purpose and just surviving the day, decent into chaos.

As with any human behaviour experiment, there is always the danger of what humans are fully capable of. The fear that comes with not trusting the strangers you live with as everyone becomes more desperate. At what point is it too far, at what point will the producers step in.

I listened to the audiobook of this and really enjoyed it. The narrator does a great job of portraying the tension and the feelings of Lily. The pacing was good and kept me absolutely gripped.

The ending left me feeling uneasy. I feel the author wants us to take a moment to reflect following reading this, and sit with the unsettled feeling it leaves us with. Personally my take away is that the book is supposed to leave you how the contestants feel in the end and I think that's a really powerful way to end it (providing the reader understands this)

Thank you to Harper Collins Audio for this advanced audio copy. I am looking forward to listening to more audio going forward.

The premise for this one sounded right up my alley. I’m a fan of Love Island (other reality TV shows are available😘) so I was intrigued to find out how this story compared. It’s similar, but the rules are more brutal and the stakes higher.
Contestants complete group and personal tasks to win items, including the most basic provisions like food. If they wake up alone, they go home. Rules mean they can't discuss their lives outside the compound unless they're asked to do so in a task.
There's the usual bed-hopping, back-stabbing, catty and selfish behaviour that stirs up tension and unrest.
The final five get to stay as long as they want (or can bear it/each other). The winner is the last person (or people) to leave.
Lily, our (not very likeable and pretty shallow) protagonist, is determined to stay as long as possible, to win as many luxury items that she'd never otherwise afford in her mundane outside life.
I did find the story compelling, particularly the first half.
I wanted Lily’s journey to be more transformative; she lacked energy and motivation and I was praying for some sort of epiphany for her. There's also a mysterious incident that occurs amongst the men just before they join the girls, which they're not allowed to discuss, with one contestant getting lost in the desert. This seemed suspicious and had great potential for a dramatic twist, but I was left wanting. At the very end it felt like the story ran out of energy, much like the remaining contestants in the show.
I prefer more of a definitive wrap up, plus a bit of character transformation combined with some last minute drama. These three opportunities were missed, imo.
I enjoyed the read; Lucy Boynton did a good job on the narration, but it left me a little unsatisfied, so I’m giving this one four stars.
With thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins UK Audio for the chance to listen to an ARC.
The Compound released on July 3rd.

I hadn't planned on reading this and wasn't aware of the little hype it is starting to gather. For once I only went with "oh that cover looks intriguing" and the blurb sounding appealing. I am not the biggest Dating Reality Show watcher, but of course I have seen 1 or 2 shows.
The reader is following Lily and a group of people entering the Compound where they have to do challenges in order to receive rewards. These can be earrings, sunglasses, sun loungers or even very much needed suppliers such as food and water. Everything is filmed, and people need to be banned in order for one to be the winner... and Lily wants to win.
While I get that the idea is for this to feel as if you are watching a reality show, for me it stayed too superficial. We do get some inside from Lily which makes it even more unbalanced. I would have wished for either no inside and to stay a watcher or to get more depths. I did like the idea of the novel and how most of it played out, but missed the emotional connection.

This was an absolute wild ride. I ate it up and couldn’t put it down. I loved to loathe Tom throughout and pretty much all the men. Was glad to see Becca get a bit of a redemption arc. I’m not a love island girly but if it was like this book then I’d 100% watch it haha.

This story breathes life into a familiar trope, with a group of men and women chosen to participate in a mysterious game in a reality TV show 'romance' format.

Our unhealthy obsession with the behaviour of others is highlighted here, as is the insight into participants' inner lives. The narrator does a good job of bringing the characters and their tensions to life.

So, buckle in for a ride that combines elements of Lord of the Flies with The Hunger Games to produce a very readable story. With plenty of suspense and action, this one gets 3.5 stars.

Thank you to HarperCollins UK Audio | The Borough Press, the author and NetGalley for a LRC in return for an honest review

Holding a (Black) Mirror up to Reality (TV)

The category of Reality TV spans many sub-genres, most of which I have little to no interest in. I’ve always been a huge fan of the original social experiment - Big Brother (UK) - I am however far less enthused by the dating/romance/makeover/transformation/scripted reality shows — but I do enjoy a select few that fall under the competition or celebrity-based formats. So, with that in mind, I decided to indulge my curiosity with The Compound.

The novel is billed as Lord of the Flies meets Love Island, and marketed to fans of Black Mirror and The Hunger Games as “thought-provoking and disturbingly relevant.” That alone made it feel worth a shot — though I should disclose that I’ve never watched Love Island, and have no plans to.

I didn’t warm to any of the characters — they’re deliberately vapid, exaggerated types, caricatures rather than complex people — but that feels intentional. The novel isn't asking you to empathise with them so much as to observe them, dissect them, and question what society has made of us.

Aisling Rawle's debut novel is a sharp critique of modern reality television. It paints an apocalyptic picture of fame-hungry culture and the ruthless pursuit of brand deals, while offering a blistering commentary on capitalism and the rise of influencer culture.

In my mind, The Compound also bears clear similarities to both Squid Game and Dead Set* — the former a deadly, dystopian survival game and the latter a British horror series created by Charlie Brooker, where Big Brother contestants are trapped in the house during a zombie apocalypse. Like both, The Compound examines what happens when entertainment, desperation and public voyeurism collide — all within a brutal, enclosed setting.

Lucy Boynton’s narration is spot on. Perfectly judged tone for the story’s simmering tension and biting satire.

* If you've never seen Charlie Brooker's Dead Set I highly recommend you go and seek it out! It's got a pretty impressive cast list - Riz Ahmed (The Night of), Andy Nyman (best known for his work with Derren Brown) and Shelley Conn (Good Omens) to name but a few. I suspect if you loved The Compound then you will relish it. If nothing else it is worth seeing just for Davina McCall and Brian Belo's disturbingly proficient portrayals of Zombies.

#TheCompound #NetGalley

4/5 stars.
"Lord of the Flies meets Love Island" - I hated The Lord of the Flies when I had to read it for school and I have never in my life seen an episode of Love Island or any other reality TV show for that matter (except maybe I'm a Celebrity... Get me Out of Here some 10 years ago). So why would i be drawn in by a book which seems to combine those two things? - I have no clue, but I really enjoyed this book! Minus times minus equals plus I suppose.

The Compound has a dystopian reality show setup: twenty contestants stuck in a desert compound, filmed constantly, competing both to stay inside the compound and for luxury items that they will be able to keep. The book made me feel uneasy from the beginning (which is a good thing). As contestants have to leave the compound, the tension builds slowly but effectively and there is a looming sense that something bad is going to happen. Lily, the main character, seems a bit flat and boring at first but she undergoes some character developement you could say.

Why not 5 stars? The ending didn’t hit quite as hard as I’d hoped, but overall, this was an addictive, smart, and unsettling audiobook (I also really loved the narrator!) I would definitely recommend it to people who like reality TV, dystopian novels, or none of these things (like me). Honestly, I'm surprised, the average rating isn't higher.

Thanks to Netgalley and HarperCollins UK Audio for the free audiobook!

I somehow ended up with both ebook and audiobook of this title. I listened to the mid section and it greatly enhanced how much I enjoyed the book. Lucy Boynton’’s narration is perfect.

The below review is the same as for the print version. I have mixed feelings on The Compound by Aisling Rawle. First for the positives - of which there are many. I very much enjoyed the story being told through lens of main character Lily, and despite her being mostly rather unlikeable, and at times with an acknowledged passivity, I found myself glued to the page, eager to know what would happen next. And it wasn’t only Lily who was well-drawn; there were a lot of characters of similar ages yet they were each so distinctive I didn’t once confuse any of them with each other.
What confused me, though, was the promise in the blurb of this being satirical - Love Island meets Animal Farm. The reality TV elements included here were so tame that they just missed the mark, for me, on satire; there wasn’t any exaggeration of what we’ve seen on our screens. Arson’s been done on Outlast, severe injuries on Alone, sex on Love Island, etc. So anyone reading this expecting social commentary anywhere approaching Animal Farm might feel rather short changed.

The Compound by Aisling Rawle is a really intriguing thriller that I feel should be read by fans of reality tv, especially Love Island. The book is narrated by Lily who wakes up in a desert compound next to one other women, not knowing how they got there but accepting it as part of the reality show theu signed up for. Lily and a group of women are left to fix up the compound for the arrival of a group of men finding their way to this "oasis" and from there will do challenges for prizes (and the camera), sharing beds together to avoid expulsion.

This was definitely pitched as a dystopian read, but it's essentially just Love Island. A lot of vague noise is made about ongoing wars that people are fighting in (which is happening around the world, conscription just isn't happening around the UK), and we are told Lily is motivated by her life of unrewarding work and living with her difficult mother out of necessity well into adulthood (this is literally true of lots of people, including in the UK).

It's definitely an interesting look at celebrity and influencer culture in the current economic climate, but pretty surface level stuff - it's mostly just a trendy background for a thriller.

I raced through the audiobook, which I felt was a good format for something entertaining while not being something I had to expend a huge amount of concentration on, so it was a great audiobook for multitasking.

Going into The Compound, I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect. I’d seen a range of opinions floating around and wondered which side I’d fall on. Thankfully, I ended up pleasantly surprised and found myself really enjoying the read.

The concept is a striking mix—Love Island meets Lord of the Flies—and it works well in creating a tense, unpredictable atmosphere. The setting adds to the intensity, and Aisling Rawle does a good job building a world where reality TV-style drama collides with psychological survival. Could she have said more on the social aspects, yes, but it didn't detract from the book.

I found the characters engaging and distinct enough to keep track of, and the plot moved along at a good pace. While it didn’t completely blow me away, it held my interest throughout and had enough twists to keep the pages turning.

Overall, The Compound is an entertaining and thought-provoking read. If you're into dark reality-show thrillers with a dystopian twist, this one’s worth checking out.

Having read this on my kindle I wanted to try the audiobook as I’m not a big audiobook reader and I knew I liked the story.
It was enjoyable, I didn’t find the narrator irritating as I have previously and all in all, it was a nice experience.