The Compound

The Compound is the debut novel by Irish author Aisling Rawle. The novel is a dark satire following a young woman named Lily who competes on an unnamed reality television show set on a desert compound. To win, Lily must pair up with a male resident and compete with other residents to earn personal items and the supplies necessary for life on the compound. As the stakes get higher, Lily must question what she will sacrifice to win. Major themes in the novel include The Insidious Nature of Reality TV, The Perpetuation of Capitalism Through Materialism, and The Threat of Climate Change.  

This guide is based on the 2025 Random House e-book edition.

Content Warning: The source material and this guide feature depictions of death by suicide, physical abuse, emotional abuse, gender discrimination, racism, mental illness, sexual content, sexual violence, rape, child sexual abuse, graphic violence, anti-gay bias, animal death, and cursing.

Plot Summary

A young woman named Lily wakes in a house in the middle of a desert compound. She is familiar with the house, having watched it many times on television. Lily and nine other women, “the girls,” in the house prepare the compound for the arrival of nine men, “the boys,” who woke up in the desert. Although they are banned from discussing their private lives, cliques form quickly among the girls: Jacintha, Sarah, Susie, Becca, Melissa, Mia, Vanessa, Eloise, and Candice. On the third day, nine men ages 20-30 arrive at the compound, covered in injuries and having lost a member in the desert. Knowing they must be in relationships to stay in the compound, the girls do their best to charm the boys: Ryan, Sam, Tom, Andrew, Marcus, Carlos, Gavin, Evan, and Seb. Lily is chosen by Ryan, the best-looking boy, but also connects with Sam.

The group completes “Communal Tasks” to win food and supplies to improve the compound. When Becca cannot stay underwater for 60 seconds to complete a task, Tom forcibly holds her under, securing a couch for the house. Residents also complete “Personal Tasks” to earn items such as clothing and makeup. The group votes to banish Gavin in exchange for a freezer after he breaks the rule against discussing Personal Tasks. Lily talks to Sam to earn a necklace and is embarrassed when he questions her motives.

As the group begins running out of food, Tom and Andrew take charge, assigning the rest of the residents roles in compound upkeep. Although Andrew is the one delivering instructions, Lily believes Tom is really in charge. The group completes several tasks but does not receive food. Instead, Sam and Ryan work together to catch wild ducks, and the group celebrates with an elaborate feast. The next day, Andrew insists that they still need to complete tasks to ensure a steady supply of food. The group completes a series of humiliating tasks for seemingly useless rewards. When Seb is discovered with a secret stash of food, the other residents take the first opportunity to banish him. They are rewarded with a large supply of meat.

As romantic relationships strengthen, some couples have sex. Ryan promises Lily that he won’t pressure her but insists that he wants to be her boyfriend. Meanwhile, Lily’s feelings for Sam grow stronger as they spend more time one-on-one. When a fox ransacks the kitchen, Tom and Andrew insist on completing a task: temporarily banishing Susie in exchange for wood to build a new door. Susie is jumpy and irritable when she returns, and the others quickly banish her permanently.

A Personal Task leads Lily to discover that Ryan is having an affair with Vanessa. The girls convince Lily to vote to banish Ryan at the next opportunity, recruiting votes from Sam and Carlos as well. With Ryan banished, Lily couples up with Sam. The next morning, she realizes Tom expected her to come to him and left his bed empty. Tom forcibly banishes Vanessa and couples with Becca.

Lily secretly breaks Tom’s record player in exchange for a dressing gown. While bragging about his rewards, Tom accidentally reveals one of his Personal Tasks. The group receives a banishment task, and Jacintha and Carlos offer to leave, devastating Lily. Their departure earns a hot tub for the compound. That night, Tom is badly burned in the hot tub as punishment for rule-breaking. He spends days in bed recovering.

Lily privately fantasizes about spending the rest of her life on the compound with Sam, despite knowing he only wants to stay for a few weeks. When Tom discovers the broken record player, he hits Lily, triggering a fight with Sam. As punishment, the unseen producers set fire to all structures on the compound except the house. The fire crushes the group’s spirit, and they stop completing Communal Tasks or cleaning. The compound falls into disrepair. When Becca demands that they complete a task, it emerges that Andrew had sex with Carlos. As a result, Andrew’s partner, Candice, decides to leave.

With only five residents left, the rules change: Communal Tasks are now elimination challenges in addition to reward challenges, and the remaining five may now discuss their personal lives. Despite this, Sam feels he doesn’t really know Lily and asks her to leave the compound with him. She refuses, arguing that life in the compound is better than anything she can expect outside. Heartbroken, Sam leaves alone.

A few days later, the water is shut off. Becca offers to share her secret stash of water with Lily, giving the girls a tactical advantage over Tom and Andrew in the next elimination task. When Tom follows Lily into the compound’s maze and discovers Becca’s stash, he violently assaults both girls. He chases them out of the maze to force them to complete the task: a 100-meter race. Lily wins, followed by Tom, Andrew, and Becca. Before leaving, Becca tries to strangle Tom. She only stops when producers arrive to intervene. After Becca leaves, Andrew, who has experienced particularly severe dehydration, is removed for medical care.

Tom reveals that he joined the show after his employer fired him and his ex-girlfriend filed a restraining order against him. Lily reveals that she was almost fired from her job for not being able to do basic math. They receive a task to identify the number of hours until Christmas. Lily hides meat around the perimeter and then cries for help, locking Tom outside when he responds. She refuses to let him in until he completes the task. Tom fights off a wild dog attack but gives in when Lily pours bleach in his eyes. Lily’s guess is closer, and Tom is banished.

Andrew returns to the compound reenergized and builds a monument to the producers out of scraps. However, when the producers force them to spend the night exposed in the cold, Andrew loses hope and intentionally loses a banishment challenge. As sole resident and winner, Lily spends several days requesting luxurious items, which she receives without completing tasks. However, she soon grows depressed and lonely. When Lily receives a voice note from Sam claiming that he still loves her, she decides to leave. She loads up a sled with her rewards and heads into the desert, thinking about what excellent television she’s producing.