Review Detail

Reader reviewed by Emily

ALERT: This is a great novel and very much worth your time to read. However, it has a definite age limit in terms of theme comprehension. That's not to say that Lord of the Flies is inappropriate in any way, it simply has complex underlying themes that wouldn't be understood without a basic knowledge of government and authority. This is a high school level book, and should not be taught in junior high.

That said, the story of Lord of the Flies begins with a group of boys that get stranded on an uninhabited island with no adults and no means of communicating for help. Their decisions ring bells of democracy, anarchy, and dictatorship, showing the raw nature of human kind in the race for survival. Effective if read in conjunction with a government class or unit. The movie is also worth watching.