Lord of the Flies by William Golding (psychological fiction)

Few books have been taught in schools as extensively as William Golding’s Lord of the Flies. One of the most frequently banned and challenged books, it shows a layered insight into good and evil and shows a realistic rendition of what a world without adults would look like. The novel tells the story of a group of British schoolboys, whose ages range from 6 to 12, stuck on a deserted island after their plane is shot down. The story is set during a future war, and the boys, with no way to communicate with the outside world, form their own community on the island. Rules are put in place and jobs are assigned and for a short while things go smoothly. This cast of boys includes Ralph, the confident elected leader, Jack, the brash leader of the hunters, Piggy, the intelligent but whiny voice of reason, and Simon, the mysterious outsider. Eventually though, things take a turn south. Divisions between the group, matched with the looming threat of a beast spotted lurking on the island, slowly unravels the civilized way of living they once had. As tensions rise, escape and survival increasingly come into question, and the boys’ true characters are shown.

Personally, I really enjoyed this book. It was so interesting to watch the normalcy of the kids’ lifestyle slowly fade away and eventually descend into madness. The book is dark at some points, but I don’t think that takes away from the reading experience. One thing I really like about the novel is that you can see deeper meanings behind the events that occur during the book, and it’s easy to associate with a lot of the characters, despite them being so young. Another thing I really like about the ending, without giving anything away, is that I think the author does a perfect job at building the tension as high as it can get, making it impossible for you to turn away. Lord of the Flies does a great job at keeping you engaged all the way through, I never really got too bored of reading it. I would recommend this to anyone who wants a book that’s entertaining on its own, has plenty of action, and is fairly easy to read, but has deeper symbolism behind it that’s interesting to learn about. After reading Lord of the Flies, you definitely will see why it’s still taught in schools across our country.

Reviewed by Dario A., Grade 11