Take a photo of a barcode or cover
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book makes a great attempt to show reality tv from the perspective of a participant in the show's cast. It interrogates our society's obsession with beauty and wealth in a world that is falling apart due to political conflict and late stage capitalism. I do wish it had been faster paced, as it made me realize just how hard it is to translate the glamour and captivating nature of reality tv into book/audiobook format.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence
challenging
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
“I thought, in a brief moment of unease, about the trampoline that I had wanted so desperately as a child - that maddening, all-consuming desire to possess something that I didn’t have - and how quickly I tired of it, how soon after I was looking for something new to covet.”
The Compound follows a group of young adults competing in a reality television show, where they live together in a compound and compete in challenges to acquire gifts and luxury items. It definitely has a dystopian vibe and is very much a critique on society.
As an avid reality tv watcher- I think this does a fantastic job of portraying that kind of show and setting. It was super interesting to see the dynamic in the compound as it unravelled throughout the story. It started out with such harmony and felt like a vacation/show you’d want to be a part of too and then continued to descend into something darker, with stakes getting higher and tasks getting more unhinged. Really goes to show what one might do when they’ve been cut off from society for so long and when fame and riches are waiting for them on the other side. I didn’t really find myself rooting for any of the characters and it overall felt really grim. Even though this is meant to be thought-provoking, I kind of kept waiting for something to happen that never came. So for that I am left feeling slightly unsatisfied.
Overall an intriguing novel that will leave you thinking about it!
Thank you to Netgalley, Aisling Rawle, and Random House Publishing Group for providing this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.
The Compound follows a group of young adults competing in a reality television show, where they live together in a compound and compete in challenges to acquire gifts and luxury items. It definitely has a dystopian vibe and is very much a critique on society.
As an avid reality tv watcher- I think this does a fantastic job of portraying that kind of show and setting. It was super interesting to see the dynamic in the compound as it unravelled throughout the story. It started out with such harmony and felt like a vacation/show you’d want to be a part of too and then continued to descend into something darker, with stakes getting higher and tasks getting more unhinged. Really goes to show what one might do when they’ve been cut off from society for so long and when fame and riches are waiting for them on the other side. I didn’t really find myself rooting for any of the characters and it overall felt really grim. Even though this is meant to be thought-provoking, I kind of kept waiting for something to happen that never came. So for that I am left feeling slightly unsatisfied.
Overall an intriguing novel that will leave you thinking about it!
Thank you to Netgalley, Aisling Rawle, and Random House Publishing Group for providing this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Infidelity
Minor: Fire/Fire injury, War
dark
mysterious
tense
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
The Compound follows Lilly, a young woman waking up in a remote desert compound with nineteen strangers, all competing in a high-stakes reality competition. As the game progresses, seemingly simple tasks evolve into dangerous, morally questionable situations, and Lilly must decide how far she’s willing to go to win.
Overall, the book started strong and gave me major Love Island meets Big Brother vibes, with a touch of Nerve. I was hooked until chapters 15/16 when the plot took a chaotic turn that lessened my enjoyment, ultimately dropping my rating to 3.75 stars. It’s a great fit for reality TV fans who enjoy suspense, but even I—an avid reality TV viewer—found the chaos a bit overwhelming.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Blood, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Animal death, Infidelity, Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Racism, Sexual content, War
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
Content Warnings
Moderate: Infidelity, Violence, Blood
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Violence, Blood
Moderate: Sexism
Minor: Racism, War
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I’m very surprised at how well-rated this book is. I was convinced to read this after hearing it was “Hunger Games meets Love Island.” Boy, was I disappointed.
Overall, this book was pretty underwhelming with no real point or message. The vast majority of it is focused on a flat, directionless romance and there is no form of class commentary nor exploration of complex relationships between interesting characters as one would expect per the premise. The motivations of the protagonist were shallow and pointless.
The only reason I’m giving this a slightly positive rating is because the actual writing and narrative style was good at balancing the protagonist’s thoughts and descriptions of the scenes. It kind of reminded me of the narration in “I Who Have Never Known Men.” It was very matter-of-fact and unemotional, which I found made it easy to get through the book which is why I didn’t DNF it.
Overall, this book was pretty underwhelming with no real point or message. The vast majority of it is focused on a flat, directionless romance and there is no form of class commentary nor exploration of complex relationships between interesting characters as one would expect per the premise. The motivations of the protagonist were shallow and pointless.
The only reason I’m giving this a slightly positive rating is because the actual writing and narrative style was good at balancing the protagonist’s thoughts and descriptions of the scenes. It kind of reminded me of the narration in “I Who Have Never Known Men.” It was very matter-of-fact and unemotional, which I found made it easy to get through the book which is why I didn’t DNF it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Blood
Moderate: Alcoholism, Mental illness, Self harm
dark
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexism, Violence
adventurous
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The ending sorry of fizzled for me, but it was non stop, couldn’t put down until about 85%
Content Warnings
Minor: Violence, Fire/Fire injury
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
What a wildly weird book. I don’t know if I would have picked this one up on my own, but it was the perfect compulsive read, especially after coming off of two books I didn’t care for. Fans of reality TV will feel right at home as the plot line is a reality TV show drawing similar themes from Big Brother / Love Island, while having the high stakes dystopian elements of Lord of the Flies / The Hunger Games. It’s a slow burn and the beginning is a bit hard to really get into with so many characters, but as the people whittle down and the stakes get higher, it’s gripping. There are elements of a psychological thriller where it is written to make you feel squirmy uncomfortable and it did. Deeper themes of consumerism, overconsumption, performativity, and surveillance are present and will definitely get you feeling and thinking. The ending was a bit of a bore for me, but I enjoyed the slow burn that escalated until it was boiling over. An unexpectedly bingeable and unique debut!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Blood
Moderate: Animal death, Infidelity
dark
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence