The Compound

** A BBC RADIO 2 BOOK CLUB PICK ** ‘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… 10 out of 10' CECELIA AHERN ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– 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. ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– 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' ????? So original and well written' ????? Aisling Rawle's latest work, The Compound, is a dystopian thriller that delves into the harsh realities of a society on the brink of disaster. This contemporary fiction is a must-read, set to top the best stories of the year. For fans of Laura Shepherd-Robinson (The Square of Sevens), Kaliane Bradley (The Ministry of Time), Michael Mcdowell (The Elementals), Liane Moriarty (What Alice Forgot), and Alison Espach (The Wedding People). HarperCollins 2025