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The Compound : A GMA Book Club Pick
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GOOD MORNING AMERICA BOOK CLUB PICK Nothing to lose. Everything to gain. Winner takes all. "Every bit as addictive as your favorite guilty pleasure binge-watch, but with all the substance of a literary classic."--Oprah Daily "It's fun to watch hot people do psychotic things in this novel. . . . Smart and provocative and] so damn addictive."--The New York Times Book Review
A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR: NPR, THE NEW YORKER, GOOD HOUSEKEEPING, OPRAH DAILY, THE GLOBE AND MAIL, CHICAGO PUBLIC LIBRARY Lily--a bored, beautiful twenty-something--wakes up on a remote desert compound, alongside nineteen other contestants competing on a massively popular reality show. To win, she must outlast her housemates to stay in the Compound the longest, while competing in challenges for luxury rewards like champagne and lipstick, plus communal necessities to outfit their new home, like food, appliances, and a front door. Cameras are catching all her angles, good and bad, but Lily has no desire to leave: why would she, when the world outside is falling apart? As the competition intensifies, intimacy between the players deepens, and it becomes increasingly difficult to distinguish between desire and desperation. When the unseen producers raise the stakes, forcing contestants into upsetting, even dangerous situations, the line between playing the game and surviving it begins to blur. If Lily makes it to the end, she'll receive prizes beyond her wildest dreams--but what will she have to do to win? Addictive and prescient, The Compound is an explosive debut from a major new voice in fiction and will linger in your mind long after the game ends.
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Details
- ISBN-13: 9780593977279
- ISBN-10: 0593977270
- Publisher: Random House
- Publish Date: June 2025
- Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.1 x 1.3 inches
- Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
- Page Count: 304
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Why are we so captivated by the emotionally manipulative, slow-moving train wreck that is reality television? Simple: It pushes every superiority button hardwired to our egos. Of course we know the difference between sear and scorch, unlike the hapless rookie cook who stumbles headlong into the Eighth Circle of Hell’s Kitchen. Of course we wouldn’t cast solar eclipse-level shade at our fellow housewives, even if we did live in Beverly Hills.
But what would you do if you found yourself marooned in a remote mansion with a gaggle of strangers, competing for a galaxy of prizes and the opportunity for a cushy gig as an influencer? Would that bring out your very best self? That’s the dilemma facing Lily, the narrator (and second-best looking woman, as voted by the male contestants) of Aisling Rawle’s dystopian debut novel, The Compound.
In this Bachelor in Paradise-meets-Survivor scenario, a random mix of young people is tasked with cooperating just enough to keep their commune supplied with the goods it needs to be livable. Pair bonding takes place, but there’s also a fair degree of gender-specific bonhomie, though it’s undercut somewhat by the nature of the competition. Alliances form and break, and Lily, who finds herself initially paired with the most handsome boy (as voted by the female contestants) begins to wonder if the choices she’s made are wise.
As the unseen producers continue to crank up the tension—this is reality TV, after all—fissures erupt around the compound, and the delicate balance of power shifts. The self-appointed leaders find keeping the “community” together a near-impossible task, and the threat of violence hangs heavy in the desert air.
With the number of contestants dwindling, Lily is faced with difficult questions, one of which is whether she has the strength and cunning to outlast her peers. But the bigger question posed by The Compound is what this amassing of goods will mean in the larger context of Lily’s life after the cameras are finally turned off. That’s a reality even the producers are unable to manipulate, and Lily’s struggles toward her ultimate choices keep the pages turning at a brisk clip. And unlike most reality series, Rawle’s diverting debut leaves the reader with a question or two of their own to mull over even after the last chapter ends and the screen goes dark.
Why are we so captivated by the emotionally manipulative, slow-moving train wreck that is reality television? Simple: It pushes every superiority button hardwired to our egos. Of course we know the difference between sear and scorch, unlike the hapless rookie cook who stumbles headlong into the Eighth Circle of Hell’s Kitchen. Of course we wouldn’t cast solar eclipse-level shade at our fellow housewives, even if we did live in Beverly Hills.
But what would you do if you found yourself marooned in a remote mansion with a gaggle of strangers, competing for a galaxy of prizes and the opportunity for a cushy gig as an influencer? Would that bring out your very best self? That’s the dilemma facing Lily, the narrator (and second-best looking woman, as voted by the male contestants) of Aisling Rawle’s dystopian debut novel, The Compound.
In this Bachelor in Paradise-meets-Survivor scenario, a random mix of young people is tasked with cooperating just enough to keep their commune supplied with the goods it needs to be livable. Pair bonding takes place, but there’s also a fair degree of gender-specific bonhomie, though it’s undercut somewhat by the nature of the competition. Alliances form and break, and Lily, who finds herself initially paired with the most handsome boy (as voted by the female contestants) begins to wonder if the choices she’s made are wise.
As the unseen producers continue to crank up the tension—this is reality TV, after all—fissures erupt around the compound, and the delicate balance of power shifts. The self-appointed leaders find keeping the “community” together a near-impossible task, and the threat of violence hangs heavy in the desert air.
With the number of contestants dwindling, Lily is faced with difficult questions, one of which is whether she has the strength and cunning to outlast her peers. But the bigger question posed by The Compound is what this amassing of goods will mean in the larger context of Lily’s life after the cameras are finally turned off. That’s a reality even the producers are unable to manipulate, and Lily’s struggles toward her ultimate choices keep the pages turning at a brisk clip. And unlike most reality series, Rawle’s diverting debut leaves the reader with a question or two of their own to mull over even after the last chapter ends and the screen goes dark.