The Compound by Aisling Rawle
The Compound
by Aisling Rawle
Dystopian | Thriller
292 Pages
Released June 2025
Rating: ★★★★
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Content Warnings
I remember coming across this book when it first came out and being interested but not fully enough to pick up. Then, when some of my favorite reviewers also talked about it favorably, I decided it was time to check it out as well. It’s an unusual one, for sure.
This book follows Lily, a contestant on a game show that has just woken up in the Compound where she and the other contestants will staying. Lily has arrived by mysterious circumstances, unable to remember how she got there. To win the show, she must be the last person to be eliminated or voluntarily leave, all the while competing with her housemates for items ranging from luxury brands to food. But soon the stakes are raised and the game becomes dangerous. Lily must decide, what is she willing to do to win?
This is one of those books where I was left not sure how I felt by the time I finished it. It’s a difficult feeling to explain.
The setting was very unusual. The characters enter the Compound as it was left by the previous round’s contestants. The Compound they stay at is left a wreck with no real explanation how it ended up that way. The setting is otherwise quite vague and mysterious which gave the book an overall sinister feel (at least, in my opinion). There’s also an interesting dystopian/isolation feeling that the author conveys really well. We see the contestants but the show’s producers and viewers are also left a mystery.
This book was also strangely psychological because the main character felt so flat and detached. You’re following her reasoning as she schemes her way to being the last contestant remaining and it feels almost psychopathic. It’s very rare that I enjoy the book when I struggle to feel engaged with the main character but that’s exactly what happened here. It made the story feel more voyeuristic, which I suppose makes sense for a game show.
All in all, it was a very intriguing premise, one that left me feeling a little off kilter and unsettled all the way to the final pages. If you enjoy dark books with vague settings or game show books with high stakes, I’d definitely consider picking this one up.