Gabrielle Lord is woefully unknown, in my opinion. I've enjoyed everything I've ever read by her, and this is one of the best. It brings you into the world of Lisa, an unhappy Australian teenager struggling in a world that is indifferent to her existence. She is a believable, real character, and as she descends into madness, it makes you wonder exactly how much of it can be blamed on the society that ignores her. I spent quite a happy while reading this book and biting my nails waiting to see what happened!

This was a highly suspenseful novel - I found myself reading almost breathlessly to find out what was going to happen. The characters were engaging if not fully developed. I found the plot improbable in terms of the motivations of the kidnappers.

As the title of the review suggests, I saw some parallels with William Golding's novel Lord of the Flies in terms of the brutality of the ending and the capacity for cruelty it demonstrated. There was, however, a huge difference in the complexity of the characters and the writing style.

Sally Jones is a teacher in a one-room schoolhouse in Sunny Flat, a small town in New South Wales, Australia. She teaches a class of 12 students, ranging in age from kindergarten to around the 10th grade level. One day in May, her classroom is invaded by four men wearing character masks who kidnap her and her students and intend to hold them for ransom. Their plans are thrown into confusion when Sally and her students take their fate into their own hands.

First published in 1980 and also Gabrielle Lord's first novel, this book reads like a true crime novel. I found myself reading ahead to make sure of what was going to happen next and prevent too much suspense from building up (I can't take it!). I enjoyed this novel a bit, but I don't know if I will be reading more by Ms. Lord as I am not a huge fan of crime novels.

I read this book prior to meeting the author who was promoting her latest book in Perth. The beginning of the story captured my interest and encouraged me to go on. The book was not a long story and I felt that some of the characters were invisible for too long. The suspense and ingenuity of the group was entertaining and the storyline was feasible. I believe that this was her first work and I have since read three others that are more polished in the story and character development. The ending while being possible still seemed a little far fetched. However it did not end as I had expected. I enjoy reading Ms Lord's writing and she can weave a tale to entertain and thrill.