Reviews with content warning for Violence - The Compound

Reviews tagging 'Violence'

The Compound by Aisling Rawle, Aisling Rawle

85 reviews

jmlytle's review against another edition

3.5

reflective tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Content Warnings

hopealexa91's review against another edition

4.25

adventurous tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Love island, survivor, and big brother combine to meet in a desert with 20 beautiful people escaping an unnamed war-torn post-capitalist nation competing for a desolate home and endless sponsored prizes.

Content Warnings

sangsmiles's review against another edition

4.0

dark tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

Love Island-Black Mirror mashup is exactly as creepy as you'd expect. Also reminded me a lot of Louise O'Neill. Good commentary on patriarchy and late stage capitalism, and how everything can disintegrate really quickly. Wish we had a better picture of the world outside, but I guess that's the point?

Content Warnings

aileron's review against another edition

3.5

dark mysterious 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

taliaalongi's review against another edition

4.5

dark reflective fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Content Warnings

kirstenpod_'s review against another edition

3.0

dark mysterious tense fast-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

Content Warnings

mrscorytee's review against another edition

2.0

slow-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: No

I am really not sure how this book is getting so much hype. I’m giving it two stars for the premise and the setting. The characters were flat, the story dragged, and the writing honestly felt like AI at points.

Content Warnings

unhingedbookbitch's review against another edition

3.5

challenging emotional reflective 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

My first reaction? Love Island, but make it post-apocalyptic. Basically what the next season will look like once society fully collapses. Honestly, I was into it. Two of my life goals are 1) become a reality TV icon and 2) survive the end times, so this felt like a two-for-one special.

I usually enjoy speculative reality TV stories with ambiguous endings, but this book kind of gave... entry-level. Like if I were grading it, I’d give it a C+—solid concept, some interesting themes, but the execution felt like it ran out of budget halfway through.

You can tell the author wanted to explore real issues—racism, misogyny, homophobia in reality TV—and I respect the attempt. For example, there’s a moment where the only Black woman expresses concern she’ll be paired with the only Black man just because they match skin tones. Real! Valid! And then… nothing. The moment just vanishes like someone said “racism exists” and then sat back down like it was handled.

Same with the queerness angle—there are a couple characters who express same-gender attraction, and the show’s fear of it is noted, but again… the narrative just throws a tarp over it and walks away. Like—are we confronting this or what?? If you’re gonna invite the elephant into the room, either talk to her or give her snacks. Don’t just let her hover awkwardly in the corner like a middle school substitute teacher.

It felt like watching someone go, “Look! A cockroach!” and then do nothing. Not stomp it, not spray it, not even trap it under a cup. Just letting it vibe out. And no offense to cockroach truthers, but I grew up with flying ones the size of small birds, so I do not play like that.

You get what I’m saying? The problems were pointed at, but never actually handled. It’s like if the book said, “This man is a misogynist,” and then expected me to give it a standing ovation for noticing. Like… yes?? Correct?? But now what??

Final Verdict:
This book had the bones of something great, but never really put meat on them. It felt like it wanted to be deep but got distracted by hot people making out in the apocalypse—and hey, same, but I needed a little more follow-through. Would I watch this as a Netflix show at 1 a.m. with a snack I’m ashamed of? Absolutely. Would I reread it? Probably not unless the world actually ends and I need something to barter with.

Content Warnings

cassiereadsbooks_'s review against another edition

2.0

Content Warnings

brotestantethic's review against another edition

4.5

dark funny medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

A fun one! I flew through this short and exciting read—what begins as a Love Island-style drama fest quickly becomes an exposé on the human psyche (so… Love Island). I loved the concept of the show, and I loved how Lily was your classic, selfish contestant, not the one who pretends to be otherwise. This would have been five stars if not for the ending—I felt it wrapped up way too quickly. We were gearing up for a deeper ending than what we got. Still, I would recommend this to anyone who consumes reality TV.

Content Warnings

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