I heard about The Compound by Aisling Rawle on Sarah's Bookshelves. It was described as Lord of the Flies meets Love Island and while that's not exactly accurate, it's not entirely inaccurate, either.
In a near-future (maybe current day?) Lily wakes up in a remote desert compound where she is on a reality show with nineteen other young people. She's 20something, beautiful, driftless, and she's counting on this show to help make her future easier. The world is hard - jobs are boring, there's constant war, and there's a hint that these young people don't think they'll be alive in twenty years.
The first part of this book was tough because twenty people is a lot. By the time you get to half that number, it's a lot easier to follow who is who. As the show goes on, we see Lily do more and more things for rewards and prizes that she wouldn't have considered doing early on in the show. Will Lily make it to the end with her own true self intact?
I think this book is mostly a critique of social media and late-stage capitalism (buy more stuff! stuff will make you happy!), but when I finished the last page, I still was wondering what the take home theme was supposed to be. There are plenty of interesting social critiques - how women (and men) of color are treated on television, how even when gender roles aren't assigned, people do what's "expected" of them, sexual attraction versus love, and the whole idea of television production on "reality" television and how it influences behavior outside of a set - but I just left the book feeling jangly and uncertain.
Maybe that's the point. 4/5 stars
Line of note:
The boys were delighted with themselves, and spent a long time finishing it, and a longer time congratulating themselves on it. (page 136)
Ahem.
Hat mentions (why hats?):
Some people put their shoes on the lower shelf, and others put sunscreen and hats and aloe vera on the shelves. (page 80)
After two further challenges (name fifteen capital cities - a tin of white paint; reveal who we voted for in the last election - baseball hats for everyone) we were exhausted and starving. (page 90)
They were plainly dressed in shorts and T-shirts, sunglasses and hats. (page 134)
"A month ago, I could have told you the minute and the hour and the date at the drop of a hat." (page 264)
a swimming hat (page 287) - WTF does that even mean? Like one of those stretchy cap things?
It does seem weird to call a swim cap a swimming hat. Also, I might have wondered idly if you counted hat mentions that were idiomatic rather than literal, and this answers my question. Is it obvious that I can't think of anything intelligent to say about the book review or the book? I did try to read a book that sounds somewhat similar to this, but it was told in a strange format (I think) and I couldn't keep reading.
ReplyDeleteHa! I like seeing how your mind works when you don't have anything to say about the book. It's fun!
DeleteI've heard a lot about this book, but it doesn't really appeal to me. And- they must have been talking about a swim CAP (the stretchy thing)- I've never heard of it being referred to as a swim hat before.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad I'm not the only one who was fascinated by the swim hat/swim cap thing.
DeleteHuh... I have not come across this book.
ReplyDeleteI am not drawn to anything social media or reality show like to be honest. maybe it is to close to what I do all day and when I read I just want to dive into different worlds.
I am super interested in the backstage shenanigans of reality shows. But if that's not interesting to you, this is definitely not the right book for you.
DeleteAhem indeed. Your reaction to that made me chuckle. I keep my distance from reality series and most social media stuff so I don’t think this book would appeal to me. Made you feel jangly- I can imagine. I’ve also never heard of a swim cap referred to as a swim hat. Sounds like something my aging brain would come up with while my hands are motioning to my people to help me find the real word.
ReplyDeleteIt is crazy how some people require more praise for doing the bare minimum than other people, isn't it?
Delete"Jangly" sounds like a good description of this novel! I don't watch reality TV, so I don't have a frame of reference. But it did remind me of the essay "Reality TV Me" in Jia Tolentino's _Trick Mirror_ where she talks about being on the show "Girls v. Boys." (And I think that's a book you might enjoy, Engie--it's smart and sparkling.)
ReplyDeleteThanks for this rec! I just ordered it from the library!
DeleteI just got this from the library and devoured it-- so good. Part vapid summer delight, part horrifying rumination on life right now.
ReplyDelete