Summary and Reviews of The Compound by Aisling Rawle

Name: The Compound
Rating: 4.7 (7 reviews)
Author: Aisling Rawle
ISBN: 9780593977279

The Compound

A Novel

by Aisling Rawle

Critics' Consensus (7):

Readers' Rating :
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First Published:
Jun 24, 2025, 304 pages

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- Speculative, Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Alt. History
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Book Summary

Love Island meets Lord of the Flies in this must-talk-about-it read, as bingeable as the best reality TV.

Lily—a bored, beautiful twenty-something—wakes up on a remote desert compound, alongside nineteen other contestants competing on a massively popular reality show. To win, she must outlast her housemates to stay in the Compound the longest, while competing in challenges for luxury rewards like champagne and lipstick, plus communal necessities to outfit their new home, like food, appliances, and a front door.

Cameras are catching all her angles, good and bad, but Lily has no desire to leave: why would she, when the world outside is falling apart? As the competition intensifies, intimacy between the players deepens, and it becomes increasingly difficult to distinguish between desire and desperation. When the unseen producers raise the stakes, forcing contestants into upsetting, even dangerous situations, the line between playing the game and surviving it begins to blur. If Lily makes it to the end, she'll receive prizes beyond her wildest dreams—but what will she have to do to win?

Addictive and prescient, The Compound is an explosive debut from a major new voice in fiction and will linger in your mind long after the game ends.

Please be aware that this discussion guide will contain spoilers!

How is power distributed within The Compound? Do the contestants truly have agency, or are they being manipulated by unseen forces? How does the illusion of choice factor into the novel?
What role does the desert environment play in the story? How does the harsh, isolated setting affect the characters' behavior and the overall tone of the novel?
How does Lily evolve throughout the narrative? What qualities make her compelling or frustrating as a main character? Do you think she changes for better or worse by the end?
How do the rules and mechanics of the competition clash with the contestants' basic instincts—survival, trust, empathy, etc.? What moments illustrate this tension most clearly?
What commentary is Rawle making about the ...

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Reviews

Media Reviews
Reader Reviews

Media Reviews

New York Times

An Animal Farm for our age of relentless materialism.

Oprah Daily

Every bit as addictive as your favorite guilty pleasure binge-watch, but with all the substance of a literary classic.

Vulture

A disorienting view of a world that doesn't seem too far removed from how we are already living—trapped between the desire for connection and the impulse to only look out for ourselves.

Booklist (starred review)

Irish author Rawle's debut is a masterful, captivating story of materialism and the search for meaning amidst climate crisis and economic instability...With nuanced characters and a sharp examination of the tearing threads of modern society, The Compound is an astounding must-read.

Library Journal

[T]his debut is a must-read for those who like the fast pace of Suzanne Collins's The Hunger Games or Veronica Roth's Divergent but with the literary flair of Gabrielle Zevin's Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow.

Publishers Weekly

Rawle debuts an addictive tale of a fiercely competitive and increasingly dangerous reality TV show...This portrait of a vapid world contains remarkable depth.

Kirkus Reviews

Love Island meets Lord of the Flies...Manna to fans of reality TV and some haters as well.

Author Blurb

Michelle Min Sterling, New York Times bestselling author of Camp Zero

The Compound is a blistering takedown of reality TV in our capitalist world, where the gamification of love and power is sold as entertainment. Aisling Rawle masterfully ratchets up the stakes in this sinister and juicy read until the line between paradise and dystopia becomes dangerously blurred.

Author Blurb

Torrey Peters, author of Detransition, Baby

The Compound is a debut so gripping and propulsive that it beats reality TV at its own game. Why watch TV when Aisling Rawle does it better?

Author Blurb

Zakiya Dalila Harris, New York Times bestselling author of The Other Black Girl

A clever and delicious treat that's even more addicting than the reality television it lambastes ... I dare you not to tear through The Compound at lightning speed.