The Compound: A GMA Book Club Pick: A Novel

Lily, a bored twenty-something, wakes on a remote desert compound alongside nineteen other contestants in a massively popular reality show. To win, she must outlast her housemates while competing in challenges for luxury rewards like champagne and lipstick, as well as communal necessities such as food, appliances, and a front door. Cameras capture her constantly, but Lily has no desire to leave—the world outside is falling apart. As competition intensifies, intimacy between players deepens, and the line between desire and desperation blurs. When unseen producers raise the stakes, forcing contestants into upsetting and dangerous situations, the distinction between playing the game and surviving it becomes unclear. If Lily reaches the end, she will receive extraordinary prizes, but winning may require difficult choices. The Compound was selected as a Best Book of the Year by NPR, The New Yorker, Good Housekeeping, Oprah Daily, The Globe and Mail, and Chicago Public Library.