Welcome to Litsy!

#Read2025

Finished in August & read this #BOTM novel for #FictionalTraveler August #Hot (it‘s set in a desert compound in the summer).

I am a sucker for reality television drama even though I rarely watch it these days so I quite enjoyed this dystopian version. For a debut novel, it was well done & I liked the elements of reality tv & looking at what is truth versus fiction. It had both dark humor & a few mild thrills & twists thrown in.

Lily is a contestant on a reality show where contestants must bunk next to a member of the opposite sex each night or be kicked out. While the compound can provide big rewards when things go right, the contestants must complete challenges designed to create drama and follow certain rules or risk terrible punishment. Lily just wants to have nice things, relax, and escape a tedious life, but how much does she want to win? I really enjoyed this one.

This book is so in my wheelhouse. I love the weird dystopian (but you don‘t really know why it‘s a dystopia) setting, the reality show and the boundaries it pushes for the sake of “entertainment,” and the view of consumerism. How much of yourself would you give up for stuff, especially with it being televised? My jaw dropped a couple of times, and these are some fleshed out characters. I loved it. Gave me Chain-Gang All-Star vibes.

🌟🌟2/5

The dark side of reality TV but make it fiction

Incredible writing, incredible story, and especially incredible audio narration! Gripped me from start to finish. Many people feel it doesn‘t go far enough, but I disagree—I think its strength IS how close to our reality it is. By giving just a HINT of dystopia while mostly resembling our world (and voyeuristic, consumerism reality tv as it exists now), the messages hit that much harder. Restrained AND brimming with tension in all the right ways.

8-7-25: My 52nd finished book of 2025! Think Love Island kind of meets The Hunger Games but not quite. Not as violent but just as cutthroat. Lily is the first to arrive. She just wakes up there. Then the other 9 girls and 3 days later 9 boys arrive from the desert. They compete for prizes they can use around the compound but also do personal tasks for their own stuff. As people are banished, Lily must figure out how to be the last one standing.

My last BOTM box sorted. I haven‘t been thrilled with many of the choices lately but wanted a free b‘day book. Will cancel when it arrives.

Yes, I loved THE COMPOUND!

⭐️⭐️

Too much telling, not enough showing. Grossly underdeveloped characters. No backstory. No explanation for time, place, or why the show exists. Nothing to make me care what happened. Maybe if I watched reality dating shows, the satire would‘ve landed? Was this satire? I don‘t even know. It wasn‘t clever nor humorous. Want a dystopian competition reality show with a solid message? Try Chain-Gang All-Stars.

Do I need to watch more reality tv? I had such a good time with this! Hypnotically engaging, The Compound examines the insidious nature of consumerism as our ultimate escape from reality and barrier to connection. Loved the narration 🎧

We meet Lily and the 18 other contestants as they arrive at The Compound, a place in the desert and location of a reality show of the same name. They compete in group and (secret) individual tasks to try to stay in the game as long as possible. There‘s so much here about interpersonal relationships, capitalism, and even climate change. I‘ve never been a fan of this type of reality show, but I did love this book.

⭐️⭐️⭐️

“The Compound” was an interesting microcosm of human nature. It was bingeable, but I wish it had dug deeper and hit harder. I think reality show fans will like this more! 🎧

Think a Survivor/Big Brother ‘ish competition in the not to distant future where the end-date of the game is negotiable and the small amenities of life (received as rewards) as we currently know it have significant value on the open market. With a dwindling ensemble cast of 19 characters I liked this but it was a slow roll for me. With the ensemble I was expecting multiple perspectives but we only got the perspective of the FMC, Lily.

I want this book and I love the cover.

My friends hate the cover!

Who is right? Haha

The Compound is a house out in the desert where 18 young people compete in a reality competition by pairing up with another contestant. As they work together to solve challenges, they get rewarded with items from sponsors (don‘t forget to thank them!)