5/5 - This was a reread of a classic I read in 8th or 9th grade. 
 In case you don't know for some reason, here's the storyline: a group of boys, all between the ages of 6-ish to 12-ish, are stranded on a deserted island when their plane crashes. At first the idea of surviving without adults is fun, but slowly the group is divided between boys who want to hunt and those who think a signal fire is the most important thing. They become dirtier and more primitive. It's meant to show just how close humans are to savagery and basic animal instincts and while it's fascinating to think about, I think Golding makes the boys a little too animalistic. Sure, if this sort of situation occurred in real life, leaders would emerge and fights would break out but it's more likely that most of the kids would die from disease or dehydration. I know that's not the point of the book though, Golding's asking a question and making us think about what really keeps people from toeing the line between order and lawlessness. (Although, if you look at the state the world is in today, I don't think we've quite figured out how to stay on the order side of that fence.) 
 This is a great book to re-read without a teacher going on about what the Lord of the Flies stands for when Simon sees him. It's nice to enjoy the grossness of the scene without being tested on it. As a side note, I also enjoy Golding's prose. Some people find it annoying but I could practically feel the heat waves off the sand. My rating is 5/5, because how can it not be? All hail Ralph's conch.