Take a photo of a barcode or cover
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The author does a fantastic job at setting the atmosphere and making you see the world through the eyes of a child. Suddenly the island is so big and the forest is so dark and you feel so helpless and even though you know what "the beast" is the descriptions of how they perceive it and convince themselves of what it is are chilling.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Child death, Violence, Blood, Murder
Moderate: Body shaming, Gore
Minor: Mental illness, Racial slurs, War
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Amazing book. Never read this book in school, but I heard good things so I thought I'd pick it up. I didn't expect it to be YellowJackets in book form. Holy crap. Piggy oh piggy. Really good book that is so easy and so fun to psychoanalyze. It's metaphorical in so many ways, and I love how the writing style tends to be very imagery-driven. This leads to a lot of things not being directly told, but rather suggested and assumed. Felt like a mystery to read. That ending, and the deaths of the boys, so sad and I truly feel bad for all of them. Even Jack who was driven to insanity by his insecurities.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Body shaming, Bullying, Child death, Death, Fatphobia, Gore, Violence, Blood, Murder
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I didn’t find this book entertaining expect for the beginning and end of the book. Book concept is intriguing but it’s hard to keep attention.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Bullying, Child death, Death, Violence, Blood, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, War, Injury/Injury detail
challenging
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
They say fears and desires can change a person.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Violence
Moderate: Racism, Blood, Murder
adventurous
challenging
dark
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Violence
Moderate: Animal death, Death, Fatphobia, Blood, Fire/Fire injury, Classism
Minor: Racial slurs, War
adventurous
dark
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Child death, Violence
Moderate: Bullying, Fatphobia, Racism
Minor: War
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Body shaming, Bullying, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Violence, Murder, Abandonment
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I reread Lord of the Flies of my own free will this time—unlike in high school, when it was forced upon us as part of some “critical thinking and writing” curriculum that mostly left me annoyed and disengaged. Back then, the symbolism felt heavy-handed and the analysis felt like a chore.
But reading it again as an adult? A completely different experience.
Now I get why we spent so much time picking apart the plot, the characters, and the message. The book is dense in ideas but still accessible, and this time, I found the pacing incredibly engaging. The tension builds fast, the intensity never lets up, and I was constantly eager to see what would happen next—even though I knew what was coming.
What really stood out was how complex the characters are. There’s no clear hero or villain here—just kids shaped (and shattered) by fear, power, and the brutal freedom of lawlessness. The themes hit harder now: the fragility of societal norms, the construction of authority, the struggle for identity, and the warped lens of social perception.
The character development is a wild ride that often had me thinking, “I wouldn’t do that…” But would I? Would any of us, really, in that situation?
Lord of the Flies isn’t just about boys on an island—it’s about what happens when civilization is stripped away and we’re left with nothing but the raw materials of who we are. This re-read reminded me that some books demand time and life experience to fully appreciate.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Child death, Fatphobia, Torture, Violence, Vomit, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail
adventurous
dark
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This story is an interesting thought experiment. I don't necessarily agree that humans are hard-wired to descend into tribalism and mayhem when there's a lack of structure or accountability. But when someone like Jack is involved , things can get ugly. The tendency for horrible people to create their own army by weaponizing the fear and anger of others is a legitimate threat to any society. There's a lot of vivid imagery in this novel, both beautiful and horrific. Overall I enjoyed this book, especially the last chapter.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body shaming, Bullying, Child death, Fatphobia
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal death, Child death, Fatphobia, Murder