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3.82 AVERAGE
3.82 AVERAGE
challenging
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
dark
reflective
tense
medium-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
tense
fast-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:
Complicated
The Compound is compulsively readable in the way reality TV is — quick to consume, high on drama, and low on substance. Set in a near-future, burning-earth dystopia, the novel traps contestants in a Survivor/Big Brother/Love Island-style competition where the last one standing wins. The setup is promising, and the dual pressure of in-house rivalries and a collapsing world outside creates inherent tension. But while the premise begs for sharp social commentary or deep character work, the execution mostly coasts on the page-turning premise.
Characters are the novel’s biggest weak link — the protagonist is paper-thin, and no one in the cast feels compelling enough to anchor the emotional core. The writing is simple and easy to tear through, but it rarely elevates beyond “bingeable.” There are flickers of insight, like the messy interpersonal web of betrayals (including one surprising bisexual twist), yet these moments feel like wasted opportunities in an otherwise underdeveloped sandbox. In the end, The Compound is fast entertainment with little staying power — fun in the moment, forgettable after.
dark
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:
No
reflective
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Aisling Rawle has created the most exhaustingly boring book-- but isn't that kind of the point?
I feel like she has fully disenchanted me from the romanticized idea of being on one of those reality tv shows where they take your phone away. Why? Because it FEELS like it has to be the most boring time.
There is so much offscreen that isn't shown to the viewer. We're missing hours and hours of their lives and this feels like the behind the scenes of all of the little and slow moments that they don't typically include.
And it really shows how humanity slowly gets removed when you're being pitted against your housemates for a challenge. It's a wonder any reality challenge show stars can still be friends with each other outside of the show.
Reading this made me sleepy, feel warm and exhausted. I dissociated often and wasn't engaged. I should have DNF'd probably at the beginning but I was HOPING it would get better at some point.
I had to put the audio on 2x speed just to get through but this entire book made me feel like I was suffering. This should have been like a 3 hour novella. Because the theme of "is the cost of winning worth it" is bashed over your head for like nearly 3x that length.
All of the high reviews make me confused like... did we read the same book, guys? LOL.
I would really just rather watch Love Island UK and Yellowjackets and forget this book.
I feel like she has fully disenchanted me from the romanticized idea of being on one of those reality tv shows where they take your phone away. Why? Because it FEELS like it has to be the most boring time.
There is so much offscreen that isn't shown to the viewer. We're missing hours and hours of their lives and this feels like the behind the scenes of all of the little and slow moments that they don't typically include.
And it really shows how humanity slowly gets removed when you're being pitted against your housemates for a challenge. It's a wonder any reality challenge show stars can still be friends with each other outside of the show.
Reading this made me sleepy, feel warm and exhausted. I dissociated often and wasn't engaged. I should have DNF'd probably at the beginning but I was HOPING it would get better at some point.
I had to put the audio on 2x speed just to get through but this entire book made me feel like I was suffering. This should have been like a 3 hour novella. Because the theme of "is the cost of winning worth it" is bashed over your head for like nearly 3x that length.
All of the high reviews make me confused like... did we read the same book, guys? LOL.
I would really just rather watch Love Island UK and Yellowjackets and forget this book.
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
challenging
dark
mysterious
fast-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
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
This was going so well, I was genuinely enjoying myself and almost thinking if I should start watching Love Island. This didn't feel like a character based story because I never got interested in anyone, but the plot was going well initially. I was also having fun with the challenges though I do think the stakes could have been higher. But what was that ending? The book lost steam in part 3 and completely in part 4. The author completely gave up on the story as it kept moving forward.
I genuinely regret not finishing this book, as the author's attempt to critique the downsides of fame and materialism was truly boring.