The Compound (e-book) (used book) | Aisling Rawle | bookbook.eu

Description

Love Island meets Lord of the Flies in this explosive debut novel from a major new voice in fiction--a must-talk-about-it read as bingeable as the best reality TV.

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, like food, appliances, and a front door.

Cameras are tracking her every move, but Lily has no desire to leave: why would she, when the world outside is falling apart? Forced into heterosexual couples but forbidden to reveal personal information, it becomes increasingly difficult to distinguish between desire and desperation. Although she has her pick of charming suitors, Lily can't decide whether she wants handsome and uncomplicated, or strong and smart. Just as tricky is determining which of the lovely smiling girls she can trust, or which are threats.

As the competition intensifies and intimacy grows, Lily's grasp on what is real and what is contrived becomes less certain. When the unseen producers raise the stakes, forcing contestants into distressing, even dangerous situations, the line between playing the game and surviving it begins to blur. If Lily makes it to the end, she'll win endless prizes beyond her wildest dreams--but is the thrill of winning enough to make her stay?

Addictive and prescient, The Compound plunges readers into the very center of our media-obsessed culture and will linger in your mind long after the game ends.