I thought it was a good book, much to the chagrin of many of my classmates who despised it. Although I disagree with the message, I can see Golding's tactics in establishing his opinion. 
 What Golding believes is that 'man is inherently evil.' He backs this up with the deaths of the innocent, of Piggy and Simon, and the cruel methods by which such murders where committed. 
 I also enjoyed his writing style. Many of my classmates (and, to be honest, I doubt very many of them read on a regular basis) thought it was boring, that is dragged on for ages. I, however, loved the description and symbolism that Golding infused into his work. It was exceptional, in my opinion, and the only reason I retracted a star was because, as I stated before, I disagree with his message. I don't believe that without law and order we would all become beasts. Some of us, maybe, but others would retain the sense of civility that they developed in their earlier lives. 
 I would recommend it, but I feel like most English classes make the book a required piece of literature anyway.