LoveReading Says
Well, that was intense! Twenty contestants take part in a desert based reality TV series in which they get voted off one by one. Debut author Aisling Rawle has cleverly constructed a setting that feels recognisable yet just out of reach. Time-wise it isn’t now, but could be just around the corner. The sense of place is immense, I knew exactly where I was within the compound, which made the surrounding desert feel threatening. Feeling at home in the premise ensured an immediate connection, particularly when introduced to the participants. Right from the start though, small jarring notes began to hit, and tension grew, not only within the group, but also with what was happening on the outside. A claustrophobic atmosphere hovers over proceedings, greed and violence parade through the pages. The characters are handled beautifully, with the unreality of reality TV balanced against a need for survival. Friendships form, fluctuate, and disappear. Relationships feel flimsy. Rivalries become dangerous. Brimming with a menacing energy The Compound is a decidedly edgy and absolutely compelling novel.
Liz Robinson
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The Compound Synopsis
You wake up in a compound in the middle of the desert, along with nine other women.
All of you are young, all beautiful, all keen to escape the grinding poverty, political unrest and environmental catastrophe of the outside world.
You realise that cameras are tracking your every move, broadcasting to millions of reality TV fans.
Soon, ten men will arrive on foot – if they all survive the journey.
What will you have to do to win?
And what happens to the losers?
The Compound is an addictive literary satire on modern excess: it holds a twisted mirror up to our obsession with winning, losing and, above all, watching.
About This Edition
| ISBN: |
9780008710088 |
| Publication date: |
3rd July 2025 |
| Author: |
Aisling Rawle |
| Publisher: |
The Borough Press an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers |
| Format: |
Hardback |
| Pagination: |
336 pages |
| Primary Genre |
Dystopian and utopian fiction
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| Other Genres: |
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| Recommendations: |
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Aisling Rawle Press Reviews
‘Lord of the Flies meets Love Island – dark, thrilling, and delightfully twisted’ LOUISE O'NEILL
'So gripping and propulsive that it beats reality tv at its own game. Why watch TV when Aisling Rawle does it better?' TORREY PETERS
'THIS is the book to read this summer. Easily one of my favourite novels I’ve read this year… 10 out of 10'CECELIA AHERN
READERS ARE GRIPPED
‘THE must read hot book of summer 2025!’ ?????
‘Ok I seriously loved this. The story is so addictive. There are sudden twists, simmering uneasiness and a wholly fitting ending that has stayed with me since I finished reading it’ ?????
‘Deliciously dark, this was a real page turner that I couldn't wait to get back to each night' ?????
‘There aren't many books that I would want to read twice, but this is one of them' ?????
‘This was sold to me as Love Island meets Big Brother meets Survivor, and oh my gosh it didn't disappoint!’ ?????
‘Fans of Black Mirror and The Hunger Games will find The Compound both thought-provoking and disturbingly relevant' ????
‘A fun beach read, perfect for the summer' ?????
‘I absolutely inhaled this. What a read. Materialism, wealth, love…. Wow. So original and well written' ?????
