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challenging
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This was a page turner for me! Since I'm not really a fan of reality TV, I wasn't sure if I would appreciate this one but kept hearing about it, so I gave it a try. I got hooked fast and mostly flew through it- except for a bit in the middle where I got tired of their daily life. I did not like the abrupt ending, but I know it had to be that way to keep the focus on what happens at the compound.
The characters themselves varied greatly, and though I often got irritated with Lily's voice, her passivity allowed us to see the other contestants more clearly. Lily herself is unapologetically there for the prizes. She is materialism and influencer life. She has no other depth to her, and though she sometimes get uncomfortable when her goal is revealed, she otherwise doesn't care.
I was worried about the dystopia/sci-fi feels, but they are so low key with small mentions of a "war" and references to "what's the point" of long term thoughts, that I didn't really notice it at all. It really is kept to life on the compound not the "real world."
I would suggest this as a book club book. There are many parts I wanted to discuss as I was reading.
Overall, this is a great summer read that leaves you with a lot to mull over. It won't be a favorite of the year for me, but I don't think I'll forget it any time soon.
There are some trigger warnings for confinement, blood, violence, vomit, physical abuse, cursing, etc.
There is also LGBT+ representation.
The characters themselves varied greatly, and though I often got irritated with Lily's voice, her passivity allowed us to see the other contestants more clearly. Lily herself is unapologetically there for the prizes. She is materialism and influencer life. She has no other depth to her, and though she sometimes get uncomfortable when her goal is revealed, she otherwise doesn't care.
I was worried about the dystopia/sci-fi feels, but they are so low key with small mentions of a "war" and references to "what's the point" of long term thoughts, that I didn't really notice it at all. It really is kept to life on the compound not the "real world."
I would suggest this as a book club book. There are many parts I wanted to discuss as I was reading.
Overall, this is a great summer read that leaves you with a lot to mull over. It won't be a favorite of the year for me, but I don't think I'll forget it any time soon.
There are some trigger warnings for confinement, blood, violence, vomit, physical abuse, cursing, etc.
There is also LGBT+ representation.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Violence, Blood
Moderate: Infidelity, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexual content, Alcohol
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Violence, Blood
Moderate: Animal death, Sexual content
Minor: Gore, Mental illness, Torture, Stalking, Fire/Fire injury, War
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I was first drawn to this book for its comparison to Love Island meets Lord of the Flies. The book is set on a reality tv compound where 10 people compete to be the last one standing, completing tasks and earning rewards along the way (all while being watched by viewers at home). I ultimately felt like it was more like Big Brother with a hint of Hunger Games. It honestly didn’t get as dark and twisted as I was expecting, but I was fascinated by its comments on consumerism, greed, and backstabbing. How far would you go to win branded rewards? It seems to take place in a world slightly beyond our own, but it doesn’t seem all that far away.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
Moderate: Confinement
Minor: Vomit, War
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Confinement, Violence, Grief
I received an ARC from the publisher, Random House. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
This book hooked me right away!
THE RULES
1. IT IS FORBIDDEN TO DISCUSS THE SHOW.
2. IT IS FORBIDDEN TO DISCUSS LIFE OUTSIDE THE COMPOUND, UNLESS INSTRUCTED TO DO SO.
3. IT IS FORBIDDEN TO DISCLOSE YOUR PERSONAL TASKS.
4. IT IS FORBIDDEN TO HARM ANOTHER RESIDENT.
Lily finds herself in a compound far from civilization with 19 other contestants competing in a popular tv show. To win, you have to outlast every other contestant to stay at the Compound the longest. The contestants compete in challenges for house necessities and have personal side quests to get luxury items. Not only do you have to avoid getting voted out, but each night you face the risk of elimination if you aren’t partnered up— if you are not sharing a bed with someone of the opposite sex by sunrise you are gone.
Love begins to bloom between some of the players— but it’s hard to know inside the Compound who is genuine and who is just wanting their next prize. As the number of players dwindles down, the stakes begin to get higher. The players find themselves in increasingly terrifying situations—the producers surely wouldn’t let them die, right?
I really enjoyed this book and I did not want to put it down. Parts of the book felt like it dragged on, but overall I loved the pacing. The book ends very open ended which I really enjoy (as much as I dislike not knowing).
Overall, a great debut read!
This book hooked me right away!
THE RULES
1. IT IS FORBIDDEN TO DISCUSS THE SHOW.
2. IT IS FORBIDDEN TO DISCUSS LIFE OUTSIDE THE COMPOUND, UNLESS INSTRUCTED TO DO SO.
3. IT IS FORBIDDEN TO DISCLOSE YOUR PERSONAL TASKS.
4. IT IS FORBIDDEN TO HARM ANOTHER RESIDENT.
Lily finds herself in a compound far from civilization with 19 other contestants competing in a popular tv show. To win, you have to outlast every other contestant to stay at the Compound the longest. The contestants compete in challenges for house necessities and have personal side quests to get luxury items. Not only do you have to avoid getting voted out, but each night you face the risk of elimination if you aren’t partnered up— if you are not sharing a bed with someone of the opposite sex by sunrise you are gone.
Love begins to bloom between some of the players— but it’s hard to know inside the Compound who is genuine and who is just wanting their next prize. As the number of players dwindles down, the stakes begin to get higher. The players find themselves in increasingly terrifying situations—the producers surely wouldn’t let them die, right?
I really enjoyed this book and I did not want to put it down. Parts of the book felt like it dragged on, but overall I loved the pacing. The book ends very open ended which I really enjoy (as much as I dislike not knowing).
Overall, a great debut read!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Confinement, Infidelity, Blood
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
OMG what a book! This was such a unique story! I read the majority of it in one day.
Following the contestants of this dystopian-esque Love Island-meets-Lord-of-the-Flies reality show through the narrator, Lily’s, POV is incredibly gripping. The author keeps you guessing with what is happening next, and the tension between the characters builds so quickly and only made me read faster. The lengths some of them go to in order to win were horrifying and I could not look away. My only complaint is that the ending felt rushed, and somewhat anticlimactic. Really solid sci-fi horror novel!
Following the contestants of this dystopian-esque Love Island-meets-Lord-of-the-Flies reality show through the narrator, Lily’s, POV is incredibly gripping. The author keeps you guessing with what is happening next, and the tension between the characters builds so quickly and only made me read faster. The lengths some of them go to in order to win were horrifying and I could not look away. My only complaint is that the ending felt rushed, and somewhat anticlimactic. Really solid sci-fi horror novel!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Violence, Blood, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Confinement, Emotional abuse
Minor: Infidelity
dark
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Readers are dropped directly into the action in this dystopian story focus on the contestants of a reality television show similar to Big Brother. Those who enjoyed Girlfriend on Mars by Deborah Willis or Patricia Wants to Cuddle by Samantha Allen. While the setting is limited to the Compound, a resort style house including a pool and hedge maze, surrounded by a desert, hints are given throughout the story that all is not right with the outside world. Just like the reality television it skewers the book is a compulsive page turner, and will keep readers progressing quickly to see who makes it to the end.
On the surface level it doesn't sound so different from reality, characters hold jobs like project managers, financial analysts and students, but as the story progresses readers get some sense of the outside world through the thoughts and conversations of the characters. There are mentions of an ongoing war, anxiety about the future, some brief mentions of politics, and the willingness of the contestants to do increasingly outrageous and dangerous things to stay in the compound. Also, the willingness of the show runners to allow the contestants to do increasingly dangerous and potentially harmful acts, seemingly at the encouragement of viewers. Readers are left wondering in what kind of world entertainment like this is possible...and how close our reality is to it already. This will appeal to fans of reality television, but also to those who are interested in speculative fiction with social/political messages.
On the surface level it doesn't sound so different from reality, characters hold jobs like project managers, financial analysts and students, but as the story progresses readers get some sense of the outside world through the thoughts and conversations of the characters. There are mentions of an ongoing war, anxiety about the future, some brief mentions of politics, and the willingness of the contestants to do increasingly outrageous and dangerous things to stay in the compound. Also, the willingness of the show runners to allow the contestants to do increasingly dangerous and potentially harmful acts, seemingly at the encouragement of viewers. Readers are left wondering in what kind of world entertainment like this is possible...and how close our reality is to it already. This will appeal to fans of reality television, but also to those who are interested in speculative fiction with social/political messages.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse
Moderate: Animal death, Body shaming, Confinement, Sexism
Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Excrement, Stalking
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Violence, Blood, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Violence, Blood, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail