I loved the first half of this unsettling dystopian novel about a reality show that is a combination of Big Brother and Love Island, with a dash of Survivor (and some reviewers had added Lord of the Flies to the mix). I was glued to the first half, but about 3/4 through, I started getting weary of the unlikable contestants and the machinations required to stay in the game, some of which were quite brutal. I understood what the author was trying to convey about consumerism and the public’s fascination with every move of a group of relationships that become dysfunctional (and mean) in the quest to be the “sole resident” of the Compound. However, I still found it a little tedious.

That all being said, this would be a fabulous book for groups, as there are sure to be those who love this and those who feel the way I did about it, which always leads to a good discussion.

Despite its lack of nail-biting narrative, fans of The Hunger Games series may enjoy this, and those who liked Libba Bray’s Beauty Queens (especially in audio format) will likely appreciate this novel as well. For a real-life take on participating in a reality show, Parvati Shallow (from Survivor) has a recent memoir, Nice Girls Don’t Win.