The book starts on the premise of a group of young boys trying to survive on a lost and deserted island after their plane crashed. 

Imagery 

The imagery the author used is stunning. No wonder why he won the Pulitzer prize for this book. I have never been so immersed in a world that was painted with that many details. The author takes us on the island with his protagonists. We see, touch, sense, hear, and smell everything. The descriptive aspect of the book is rich and vibrant and feels real. So  much so that it tempts us to experience a moment in a wild uncharted exotic environment.

Characterisation 

Right from the beginning I had a feeling that the characters were not going to develop like in character-driven books. We have the practical and senseful character that elaborate strategies to get out of the island. We have a character that quickly adapts to the environment. He embraces the struggle and the challenge that comes with living in the wilderness. We have the fat character.  He wears glasses, has asthma and is smart. 

Basically the author gave us trop characters. And I did not hate it. It works in this book. The focus was the dilemma to work together in order to survive and get out of a predicament that eventually gets totally out of control.

Plot 

The plot is simple. We have two boys who are led by their ego and end up forming two clans. The clan who does not mind living on the island and adapt to it even if it means that they have to resort to inhuman acts. They are the “savages” . And the other clan who want to work on getting rescued with stratagem while keeping their dignity and integrity in a hostile environment.  As you read you realise that they are both right and wrong at the same time and that their inability to compromise is leading them to experience horrific events.

Pace 

It is a short book of 225 pages. But, it took me a little while to go through it. The ending was dragging in my opinion. The suspense lost me. Maybe I became impatient.

Rhythm

There was a sense of rhythm given by the prose that I really enjoyed. The writing was not only detailed but prose driven. It felt poetic.

Emotion 

The emotion I had when I was reading the book was mostly frustration. It was not targeted at the book but at the characters. I had to remind myself that they were children and that they were trying to survive in a hostile environment without adults. I smiled when  I realised through my frustration that adults would most likely have behaved the same way. The story took place during the war after all. There is definitely a meaning to the story set during the war. It is a critique of the concept of humanity, civility, morality, ego in the face of adversity.