The Compound: A GMA Book Club Pick

A Novel

By: Aisling Rawle

Narrated by: Lucy Boynton

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.

I kept waiting

I kept waiting for something deeper to happen; would we learn about what’s happening outside? About the producers? About the main characters?
Nothing. Waste of time

Difficult to follow the audio

While the story sounded like it would be an interesting concept; the narrator was hard to follow. She was loud at times; but more often than not she was too quiet. I have read many books narrated by English narrators ; and loved them. This was difficult at times. Maybe better read .

Fairly entertaining, but overhyped.

Unlikeable un relatable and shallow main character/narrator. Elevated vocabulary was not a fit for the voice of the character. Ending fell flat. Talented writer though. So much potential there.

Best Work of Fiction for 2025 So Far

Fiction is subjective, but this book was amazing!
It’s overwhelming at first as you’re introduced to a lot of characters in the beginning but the story comes together quickly. The characters are well-written and the story hooks you very quickly and keeps you engaged until the end. Blends dystopian fiction and satire seamlessly.

Sooooo weird

I thought the premise of this book was great and I was so into it at first but the story barely went anywhere and built to basically nothing but social commentary