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The Compound

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The Compound

By: Aisling Rawle
Narrated by: Lucy Boynton
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** A BBC RADIO 2 BOOK CLUB PICK **

A GOODREADS CHOICE AWARD WINNER

SHORTLISTED FOR THE BOOKS ARE MY BAG READERS AWARD: FICTION

A GOOD MORNING AMERICA BOOK CLUB PICK

A 'BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR' IN THE NEW YORKER & OPRAH DAILY

‘Relentlessly gripping’ ABIGAIL DEAN

‘Menace-dipped’ THE TIMES

‘Thrilling and haunting’ NEW YORK TIMES

You wake up in a compound in the middle of the desert, with nine other women.

All of you are young, beautiful, and keen to escape the catastrophe of the outside world.

Cameras broadcast your every move to millions of reality TV fans.

Soon, ten men will arrive on foot – if they survive the journey.

What will you do to win?

And what happens to the losers?

–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– READERS ARE GRIPPED

‘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' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘A fun beach read, perfect for the summer' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘I absolutely inhaled this. What a read. Materialism, wealth, love… Wow. So original and well written' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

©2025 Aisling Rawle (P)2025 HarperCollins Publishers Contemporary Dystopian Editors Select Genre Fiction Literary Fiction Science Fiction Thriller & Suspense Exciting Witty
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Editorial Review

An unputdownable listen to devour seaside
Fans of bingeable reality TV and speculative fiction alike will find themselves gripped by the premise of Aisling Rawle's debut. Our beautiful heroine Lily wakes inside "the compound"—the remote desert set of a blockbuster reality show—where she must compete against 18 other contestants to earn both prizes and the right to stay. Amidst the romance and machinations, there's also this mysterious, niggling sense that just maybe beyond the borders of their titular home, there's an apocalyptic event on the horizon. Beyond that unnerving mystery, the combustion engine at the heart of this stylish story is Rawle's nuanced understanding of the motivations at play when beautiful people rank themselves against one another. She renders them far more human and tangible than the show producers ever would. It was enough to make this listener wonder if the author herself had ever enjoyed a stint of temporary fame; but it's more likely that—as a secondary school teacher by trade—Rawle knows better than most the feeling of sharks swarming. —Emily C., Audible Editor

Critic reviews

'Lord of the Flies meets Love Island – dark, thrilling, and delightfully twisted' LOUISE O'NEILL
'A debut 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. Exceptional, I was riveted from the first page and couldn’t put it down. Easily one of my favourite novels I’ve read this year… 10 out of 10' CECELIA AHERN
'This menace-dipped novel is an unsparing take on how much we are being commodified in this social media age of consumerism and manipulation' THE TIMES
'Written with total verve and delight… definitely a name to watch' STYLIST
'An Animal Farm for our age of relentless materialism' NEW YORK TIMES
'As addictive as the shows it satirises, and so relentlessly gripping that its cleverness sneaks up on you… You'll be petitioning Rawle for another season' ABIGAIL DEAN
'Beautifully written and thought-provoking’ DAILY MAIL
'Sinister in all the best ways’ ELLE
'Twisty, satirical… delivers on its binge-worthy premise with romance and betrayal' MAIL ON SUNDAY
‘Smart and provocative… thrilling and haunting’ NEW YORK TIMES Book Review
'A brilliant debut, with some unexpected twists, a simmering uneasiness and an ending I've thought about since I finished reading it’ DAILY MIRROR
'Innovative, captivating, and impossible to put down' LEILA MOTTLEY
'A fresh, original debut, searing in its interrogation of modern life, utterly engrossing, everyone should read it. I loved it' ANDREA MARA
'Riveting and deeply unsettling… a book for our times: I flew through it and kept thinking about it long after the last page' JANELLE BROWN
'A clever and delicious treat that’s even more addictive than the reality television it lambasts… I dare you not to tear through at lightning speed' ZAKIYA DALILA HARRIS
'Propulsive and brilliant. I read it in one big gulp and then brought it up at two different dinners to talk about its mix of gender dynamics, capitalism, and power' MEGAN GIDDINGS
All stars
Most relevant
Felt like young adult fiction, although not marketed as that. Story interesting enough to keep listening but doesn’t really go anywhere, but I do feel I was not the intended audience. Narrator was good.

Interesting enough

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The is story has so much potential and it did keep me involved right till the end. But I need closure!!

Easy listen but abrupt end

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I really enjoyed this, it was shorter than what I expected but ai loved the dark undertones, the world building although a very small 'world' was beautifully crafted so you understood quickly the social and environmental factors that have huge impacts on the contestants in the story. I would say this is a profound story, and although the main character is lacking, you still end up caring for Lilly.

The stretches of social experiments

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I enjoyed listening to this book. It was different to my usual titles. The characters were believable and the story compelling at times but I always felt that I was waiting for something to happen. It never did really. The story plots felt more like sub plots, never quite significant enough to make you feel like "this is it". It's a shame as it could have been a really engaging and different book if the author had of developed the story further and provided some type of ending. As it was I felt like it just fizzled out. The narrator was excellent I must say.

Excellent narration and intriguing but lacks a direction

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Overall a compelling story but slightly to close to the bone of Love Island and other reality shows that I feel could of been made more extreme or greater depth in the effects of these shows.

A late bloomer

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