We reread 'Lord of the Flies,' and it's way more sinister than you remember

Ahhh, the simple struggles of childhood: Why can't you just play all the time? What happens when you argue with a friend? How do you grapple with the existential dilemma that comes with realizing the beast terrorizing humanity was us all along?

Okay, maybe that last one is a bit extreme, but that's the core question that the child characters must face in William Golding's classic tale Lord of the Flies.

The book follows a group of British school students who crash land on a deserted island, and must survive with no resources or adults, unsure if or when they will be rescued. As kids try to govern themselves, they quickly split into two factions: the orderly students focusing on being found, led by Ralph, and the brutal hunters determined to rule the island, led by Jack.

Soon, their attempts at governance quickly dissolve into anarchy and violence, as the kids strive to escape a terrifying beast ... themselves (gasp!).

Join us this week in revisiting the high school classic Lord of The Flies.

Then, inspired by Lord of The Flies, we also discuss our favorite books where kids run the show (for better or for worse) including Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie, Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare, and It by Stephen King.

Then, as always, we close the show with recommendations.

• Peter gives a shout out to Mashable's gaming section and especially their E3 coverage. "They all just did a wonderful job and Mashable has really interesting people working their gaming section. They're really amazing humans who do really great work, and last week was no exception."

• Aliza recommends The Simpson's parody of Lord of the Flies, titled "Das Bus." "It's hilarious and amazing." She also recommends "My application to replace Sean Spicer," a humor piece by Alexandra Petri. "You should read it and every other thing Alexandra Petri writes."

• MJ recommends Jezebel's Father's Day story "A List of Zaddy's." He also recommends Anthony Oliverira's Twitter thread about coming out. "It's this beautiful thread about the importance of coming out, letting people know they have a community ... [the thread] lets people know they are heard and they are acknowledged and that they are supported, even when they don't feel it."

Next week we are reading The Twelve Lives of Samuel Hawley by Hannah Tinti, which is also our MashReads book club pick of the month. We hope you'll join us. You can also RSVP to chat with Hannah Tinti and MashReads IRL here on June 29 at 6:30 p.m. ET at Mashable HQ. 

And if you're looking for more book news, don't forget to follow MashReads on Facebook and Twitter.