5/4 - This is a hard book to review, but I can definitely say I'm enjoying it. The motivations of some of the characters are beyond me. There doesn't seem to be a 'nice' boy among the whole lot of them. Maybe Piggy, but he seems to spend the whole time following the boys who are cruel to him, which makes it hard to feel too much sympathy or affection for him. I did not understand Ralph's behaviour at the beginning at all. I think I have trouble putting myself in other's shoes, if I was in Ralph's place (as an adult female) I know what I would do, but I don't know what I would do if I was a 12-year-old boy. Definitely a compelling, if sometimes mystifying, read. To be continued... WARNING SPOILERS AHEAD 6/4 - I'm having some problems with the disjointedness of the dialogue. The boys start and stop sentences all over the place, making the flow of some of the conversations a bit hard to follow. Some of the words used as an alternative to "Wow!" are completely unfamiliar, which is to be expected considering the time it was written as well as the era it was set, but it does add to the confusion created by the broken sentences. I'm glad to see Jack go, but at the same time I think his departure from the main group is just going to cause a slow burn of resentment that will lead to an even worse explosion the longer it's allowed to simmer. To be continued... WARNING SPOILERS AHEAD 7/4 - See, an even bigger explosion and now poor Piggy's dead, as well as Simon. The boys had faults that caused me to feel a lack of sympathy towards all of them, to some degree (some more than others), so the only time I felt even a little bit emotional was during the description of the killing of the first sow. While I was telling myself not to tear up I was also thinking "Those stupid boys, don't they realise if they kill the sows the piglets won't have a mother to feed them and they'll die of starvation, cutting off your meat supply completely. They should be killing a piglet every few days instead." Another reviewer mentioned that this book is taught in primary school (although they actually said grade school), I desperately hope it's not taught to children of such a young age (the 10-year-old boys that I remember from my school days would've attempted to act out some of the more gruesome scenes in the playground at lunchtime, with possibly horrific results). This is definitely an 'M' rated book, with graphic descriptions of pig slaughtering, dead bodies that appear to move, murder and what happens to a person's body when they fall off a cliff - subject matter far too adult for anyone under the age of 14. Most of the boys' ages aren't given, except to divide them into groups of either 'littluns' or 'biguns'. The 'littluns' being around 6 and, I think, the 'biguns' being anywhere from 10 to 14, but it was hard to tell just from the writing. When the rescue arrived and Jack was described as being a 'little boy' I thought maybe I had been wrong in imagining him as a big 14-year-old, maybe he just seemed big because of his aggressive and domineering personality. I wonder what would've happened if there had been another chapter. Would there have been some kind of disciplinary action when the boys got back to England and possibly had to explain what had happened on that island?

what needs be said, classic and for a good reason

Creepy book. Not a fan. I understand the message and everything, but...ugh. A bunch of teen boys running wild on an island run by mob violence is a lot scarier that I thought it could be.

Did not particularly like this classic. Though it has a great message, the way the story was written did not sit well. Reading it felt like swallowing bricks... through my nose. Still! Everyone should read it.

amazing book ever

I had to read this book for school and initially, I didn't think I would enjoy this at all. But I was wrong! I, in fact, had enjoyed this book very much!

Our tale begins with a group of British schoolboys on a deserted island. Their plane has crashed, and no adults appear to have survived the wreck. Initially, the boys seem to cope well: they choose a leader, establish rules, build shelter and a fire, and find food. But the good times don’t last long. The boys quickly devolve into savages and expose their true natures. Kind of dull, but it is a “classic” novel with an oft alluded to plot and theme. I can now say that I have read it.

This is one of the best books I have ever read. After going through it In class and understanding how meaningful it is, I can say that it has impacted me. The book has an insane amount of symbolism and layers to it, which is one of my favorite things about it. It shows the dark changes that can happen to people overtime. At first it's a serene island with English school boys, but by the end of the book it's a burnt island with "savages". The theme that serious changes can happen overtime has resonated with me and I hope that others can appreciate the meaning of this book

this book was very good : ) it showed a portrayal of the dark side of humanity

I hated this book. The only reason I read this was because my teacher made me. I read the first three pages and (literally) never read any more of it. Not a good read at all!!!