A review by libraryofavirgo
The Compound by Aisling Rawle

adventurous challenging reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

I'll admit I'm a sucker for Love Island, so naturally, when I saw this being described as Love Island meets Lord of the Flies, I dropped everything to read it. And it was a spectacular decision! This is Rawle's debut novel, and she knocked it out of the park! While the main theme of this remains similar to Love Island, it gives reminiscences of Black Mirror, Survivor, Big Brother, and a bit of The Hunger Games. This novel takes a magnifying glass to our society and forces us to reconcile with the construct of reality TV, the need for fame, societal performance, consumerism, capitalism, gender roles, our need for connection, and so much more. This book truly felt like I was watching a show play out, rather than reading it. I want to say so many things about it, but this is one of the novels where the less you know going in, the better. 

This is truly a one-of-a-kind experience, and I highly recommend it to everyone. This is peak summer reading, and it just might be my favorite book of the summer.