Chocolate War: Novel-Ties Study Guide

This book is considered a classic of young adult literature, so we read it as part of my young adult literature class. I had a hard time getting through it. The plot of the book is actually pretty simple: there's a chocolate sale at a Catholic boys' school to raise funds, and Jerry refuses to participate in the sale. Meanwhile, the Vigils, the school's secret society, bully Jerry psychologically and physically. I was not very interested in the story, and I couldn't relate to the characters very much. The violence upset me, and so did the ending. I realize not every book is going to have a happy ending, but I wish this one would have included a little more hope at the end at least. On a positive note, I think this book is still relevant today because of its themes of peer pressure, bullying, and abuse of power.It could create some great discussions among teens if studied in the classroom or during a book group. I liked that the author told the story from several different characters' points of view. I can see why it's considered a classic, but personally, I did not enjoy it.

Freshman Jerry Renault is invited to join a secret bully group, The Vigils,at the all boys Trinity Catholic School. His initiation is to refuse to sell chocolates for a fund raiser, making him a target for ridicule and psychological abuse from both students and teachers. Teacher Brother Leon is determined to break Jerry, to get him to tow the line and sell the chocolates. Archie, leader of The Vigils, also seeks Jerry's downfall.
First published in 1974, Robert Cormier created this classic book when bullying was considered boys (and girls) being boys, before the awareness we have in the twenty-first century. THE CHOCOLATE WARS was a book before it's time, gritty, raw, honest, and at times painful to read. Younger readers, who weren't around in the 1970s, might wonder if the events described are realistic and could have happened or think this story to be like pure imagination, like LORD OF THE FLIES, but those of us old enough to remember when bullies were celebrated can assure them, sadly, the realism of the story.

Robert Cormier introduced this book in later editions by saying that he didn't write it as a young adult novel--he just wrote it, and that's how it got picked up. A lot of parents, teachers, and defenders of organized religion HATED this book because of its supposed corrosive influence on young people. Well, I'm a teacher and a supporter of organized religion, and though I don't necessarily think this book's audience is limited to young adults, I do think it is an absolutely incredible (if cynical) work of literature. I came to this book as an adult, and I was blown away.

Jerry Renault is a normal Catholic school kid, struggling to get over the death of his mother, make the football team, and survive the normal, terrible pangs of adolsence. He's accosted by the Vigils, a secret society of students inside Trinity School that serves only to torment and upset the balance of the school universe. They assign jobs to younger students, tasks that require them to do things that are immoral, uncomfortable, and counter-authority. In Jerry's case, this means a simple (?) refusal to participate in the annual school fundraiser: selling chocolates.

The only problem is, EVERYONE sells the chocolates, and this year, the overly ambitious Brother Leon has staked his job and the school's finances on this sale. What follows is a colossal battle of wills that is waged on three fronts: Jerry, the school, and the Vigils. The eventual outcome is brutal, heartrending, and fundamentally counter to any established expectation one may have while reading from the young adult market. Even the movie--which got an R-rating--didn't have the stomach to represent the ending in all of its unapologetic nastiness.

Some may forget that William Shakespeare built a career on this kind of total story collapse. It's called tragedy. And in THE CHOCOLATE WAR, the genre is rendered beautifully for a modern audience.

(This review has been posted by Marcus Damanda, author of the vampire book "Teeth: A Horror Fantasy.")

[Warning: spoilers included]

In the Dickens novel NICHOLAS NICKELBY, Nicholas joins a troupe of actors that put on their own version of ROMEO & JULIET which is designed to please the audience and spare them the tragic ending, making sure that EVERYONE lives in the end! Hooray!

As much fun and as funny as that is, it captures a reality that often is not a reflection of reality at all: all of the best stories do not have happy endings. That is, after all, why they are called "tragedies."

Take THE CHOCOLATE WAR for example. It is bleek, ominous, and essentially the first truly tragic modern young adult novel I can think of.

From the opening sentence ("They murdered him") to the painful conclusion, Robert Cormier's masterwork is a lesson in Tone. Almost like being caught in the far-reaches of a whirlpool that slowly brings you in, tricking you into thinking you have some control and are able to extricate yourself from its pull, so too does THE CHOCOLATE WAR bring you in. And as desperate as we readers are to find the protagonist working his way out of the whirlpool, it is, unfortunately, inevitable that he cannot.

This is a truly memorable novel because its tragic theme seems to be harsh, bitter and entirely unrealistic, but, in fact, it is sadly real -- a little reminder that not everyone gets what they deserve; some terrible people are victors in life; and not everyone finds salvation. These lessons are terribly hard to swallow, and impossible for some to accept. For those who dislike the book, I suggest you consider the idea that Cormier, by writing such a different book, has himself "dared to disturb the universe" of young adult novels. Perhaps those who chastise him for such a downer of a book ought to consider themselves similar to the characters in this book who demand that he (Jerry/Cormier) get in line and who wish to bring about the destruction of the nonconformist.

If that weren't enough to warrant a read, Cormier performs another act of bravery as a writer: THE CHOCOLATE WAR, a book clearly meant for teenage boys, reveals an almost complete range of teenage boys that exist in our world. They range from those who rely entirely on their brains to those who never do (or can); there are the arrogant, the fastidious, the cautious, the bold, the fake, the selfish, the scared, the empowered, the weak, the easily-swayed, the failures, the spineless, the metamorphic, the blood-thirsty, and then there's Jerry. Like watching a mouse within a snake's reach, the reader watches Jerry and prays that he survives what seems to be unavoidable -- dear God, intervene and make it not happen! But sometimes, God answers prayers with a "No."

This book is difficult to read, difficult to accept, difficult to embrace...but read it if you dare; accept it if you can; embrace it if you want to grow. It's important that we acknowledge that not every great story ends happily, but every great story IS magnificently told.

The book started out well, the descriptions were vivid and the characters were interesting. I found myself drawn into the world that Archie, Goober, and Jerry created, and then the author left me feeling almost cheated at the end of the book. The same story and the same scene kept being repeated over and over again, which made me lose a little bit of interest. Don't get me wrong, it's a very quick read--I finished it in two hours. But, with it being a quick read, I felt that the plot just...ended. The moral of the story, one that was targeted towards young adults, was a pretty depressing one, to be honest. I read this book for a book club at work, and I'm afraid it fell short of what I wanted it to be. I remembered reading it in high school as an assignment, and now, rereading it as an adult, I'm just not impressed.

The Chocolate War is a horrible novel. All that the author, Robert Cormier, writes about is Jerry Renault, a freshman at Trinity High School, and how he does not sell the chocolates that everyone in the school is supposed to sell. Trinity is an all-boys, catholic high school. Every year the kids have to sell fifty boxes of chocolates. This year Archie Costello, the leader of the Vigils, gives Jerry an assignment to not sell the chocolates for ten days. The Vigils is a group of kids who give out assignments, like this one, to other kids. However, Jerry goes beyond the assignment, and after ten days he still refuses to sell any chocolates. The novel goes on and on about this. The Chocolate War has some gruesome parts in it. The author goes into detail about the different fights that the kids at Trinity get into. He talks about all of the blood and broken bones, and it is not necessary for all of that to be in the novel. A little bit of that is okay, but the author writes too much about it. The Chocolate War is also confusing. Some chapters go from one subject to another without finishing the first one. In chapter thirty-five there are six pages. In those six pages the author writes about six subjects. He does not go into enough detail about each one, but instead he writes very little about them. However, in other parts The Chocolate War is too detailed. In one part, Jerry hears people outside calling his name. The author then writes about Jerry's childhood, which is not needed. The author needs to be less detailed and more concise. The Chocolate War is an overall appalling book. It is too gruesome, confusing, and detailed. The novel is just plain monotonous. If you like to read novels like this, then The Chocolate War is the book for you.

The book The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier is a chilling story about a school wide chocolate sale and how a secret school gang takes advantage of it. The school gang is like a secret society that controls the school. Throughout the book, the gang called the Vigils takes advantage and destroys the boy named Renault. This book displays how secret societies have a big hand in some things. The author created the most sinister and unfeeling character named Archie Costello who is the ring leader of the Vigils and the school. He has the quality of some of the more sinister politicians today, because he can manipulate thoughts, control people and lie blatantly in your face no matter who you are. The author gives this a surprisingly sad ending where Renault is nearly killed and Archie the Ring leader of the event got away unscathed. The author is conveying that the one who speaks up from the crowd is the one who can get hurt the most. This is a dark and powerful idea/thought that is very true and I understand his meaning if he intended it or not. I would recommend this book because it is not your average book because it is thought provoking and keeps you reading to see what the Vigils will do next.

The Chocolate War, written by Robert Cormier, is an interesting novel. There are three main characters. The first one is a freshman named Jerry who is trying to find out what his purpose is in life. He becomes an outcast because he refuses to sell chocolates for a school fundraiser. Archie, a tough senior, decides to make Jerry's life miserable after he finds out that Jerry isn't selling the chocolates. Brother Leon is the acting principal of the school. He thinks that Jerry's refusal is just an assignment, or "dare," given out by the Vigils, a group in school, run by Archie, that causes trouble. Brother Leon somehow forces kids into doing things, and he tries to do that to Jerry, but it does not work. Jerry thinks that he has the school on his side until Archie comes into the picture. Jerry suddenly has the whole school against him and he must learn the hard ways of dealing with life, without anyone on his side. Although Cormier has an odd and complex way of writing how the characters feel, he gets the point across. Cormier does a beautiful job of opening one's eye's to the negative aspects of life as an outcast. Even though Cormier does a great job of conveying the message, it is a negative one and I would not recommend the novel.

The Chocolate War is a powerful book that provokes lots of emotion. If a boy who gets beaten up because he will not sell chocolates does not pull you in, then what will? The part of the book that really makes me want to express my anger is when Archie, the leader of The Vigils, a powerful school group, discovers that Brother Leon, a teacher and acting headmaster at Trinity, is on his side. Brother Leon is not against Archie getting Emile Janza, a school bully, to beat up Jerry. The plot is a bit unusual but like anything else it could happen. This author writes about peer pressure but in a different way than most writers would write about it. The author shows peer pressure through the selling of chocolates instead of through the use of alcohol or drugs. One of the best things about this book though is I never knew what was going to happen next. This book stresses that you cannot take actions without there being consequences. An example of this is when Jerry refuses to sell chocolates. For doing this he gets beaten up a lot. This book will reel you in with sad moments, funny moments, and moments that will provoke anger. I recommend this book. It is definitely a page-turner.

The Chocolate War is a very powerful book about mob mentality at a boy's prep school. There is a group at the school called the Vigils that give other students assignments such as making a kid unscrew all the screws in a classroom so that when people sit down everything falls apart. No one dares not do one of the assignments, which are given out by Archie Costello, the unofficial leader of the Vigils. There is a chocolate sale every year at the school where all the students are expected to sell 50 boxes of chocolates. Jerry Renault is given the assignment by the Vigils to not sell chocolates for ten days. He fulfills his assignment, but continues to refuse to sell chocolates when the asignment is over. He is at first seen as a hero, but he is then made to look like an outcast and a scapegoat by the Vigils who are blackmailed into this by the headmaster. Robert Cormier does a great job of depicting a high school controlled by a cruel gang, and a corrupt headmaster. It also shows that anyone can break away from a crowd, and stand up for themselves. Yet it also has a realistic ending that shows that there will be consequences to your actions. I definitely reccomend this book.

The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier involves a young boy by the name of Jerry Renault. Jerry is a quarterback at The Trinity. Trinity is a Catholic school where each year they have a chocolate sale to raise money for the benefit of keeping the school funded. This year The headmaster Brother Leon has decided to sell 20,000 boxes of chocolates. Because of the high quantity he asks the Vigils , a secret society of students from Trinity, for their help in the sale. The assigner of the Vigils Archie Costello gives Jerry Renault a assignment which tells him to refuse to sell the chocolates for ten days and then start to sell them. The only problem is after the ten days are up he continues to not sell them by his own will. Throughout the book Jerry has to deal with the anger and hostility he has caused by taking a stand. It seems that in the book Jerry is more then just a freshman, he is a hero who won't give up for his cause. The book explains lessons in life and shows how sometimes things don't always go the way they are planned. I would definately recommend this book to any teenager. Cormier's excellent way of perception and description shows the reader how talented he is. I have not read any of his other books but I would not doubt they have this same kind of inquisitve writing style as the one portrayed here.

The novel, The Chocolate War, is a book that left me in suspense after reading every chapter. Even though the book is slow at the beginning, it becomes more interesting as it goes on. The main character, Jerry, a freshman football player, is given an assignment by the Vigils, a very powerful group. The assignment is for Jerry not to sell chocolates which is the school's tradition. The assignment is only supposed to last for ten days, but Jerry brings it farther, leading the whole school to rebel against him. I liked the novel, The Chocolate War because it was neat how the author put all the characters into different chapters. Even though it was really confusing to tell who was who, it was fun to figure out who did all the mean things to Jerry. This book is also very emotional, and it made me sad to think of all the mean things the Vigils did to all the kids at Trinity. I would not like to have a group like the Vigils at my school. The Chocolate War is a very depressing book. I do not remember one single happy moment. I do not know why I liked the book but something grabbed my attention and maybe it will grab yours as well.

The Chocolate War is a very powerful book about mob mentality at a boy's prep school. There is a group at the school called the Vigils that give other students assignments such as making a kid unscrew all the screws in a classroom so that when people sit down everything falls apart. No one dares not do one of the assignments, which are given out by Archie Costello, the unofficial leader of the Vigils. There is a chocolate sale every year at the school where all the students are expected to sell 50 boxes of chocolates. Jerry Renault is given the assignment by the Vigils to not sell chocolates for ten days. He fulfills his assignment, but continues to refuse to sell chocolates when the asignment is over. He is at first seen as a hero, but he is then made to look like an outcast and a scapegoat by the Vigils who are blackmailed into this by the headmaster. Robert Cormier does a great job of depicting a high school controlled by a cruel gang, and a corrupt headmaster. It also shows that anyone can break away from a crowd, and stand up for themselves. Yet it also has a realistic ending that shows that there will be consequences to your actions. I definitely reccomend this book.

The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier involves a young boy by the name of Jerry Renault. Jerry is a quarterback at The Trinity. Trinity is a Catholic school where each year they have a chocolate sale to raise money for the benefit of keeping the school funded. This year The headmaster Brother Leon has decided to sell 20,000 boxes of chocolates. Because of the high quantity he asks the Vigils , a secret society of students from Trinity, for their help in the sale. The assigner of the Vigils Archie Costello gives Jerry Renault a assignment which tells him to refuse to sell the chocolates for ten days and then start to sell them. The only problem is after the ten days are up he continues to not sell them by his own will. Throughout the book Jerry has to deal with the anger and hostility he has caused by taking a stand. It seems that in the book Jerry is more then just a freshman, he is a hero who won't give up for his cause. The book explains lessons in life and shows how sometimes things don't always go the way they are planned. I would definately recommend this book to any teenager. Cormier's excellent way of perception and description shows the reader how talented he is. I have not read any of his other books but I would not doubt they have this same kind of inquisitve writing style as the one portrayed here.

The novel, The Chocolate War, is a book that left me in suspense after reading every chapter. Even though the book is slow at the beginning, it becomes more interesting as it goes on. The main character, Jerry, a freshman football player, is given an assignment by the Vigils, a very powerful group. The assignment is for Jerry not to sell chocolates which is the school's tradition. The assignment is only supposed to last for ten days, but Jerry brings it farther, leading the whole school to rebel against him. I liked the novel, The Chocolate War because it was neat how the author put all the characters into different chapters. Even though it was really confusing to tell who was who, it was fun to figure out who did all the mean things to Jerry. This book is also very emotional, and it made me sad to think of all the mean things the Vigils did to all the kids at Trinity. I would not like to have a group like the Vigils at my school. The Chocolate War is a very depressing book. I do not remember one single happy moment. I do not know why I liked the book but something grabbed my attention and maybe it will grab yours as well.

When reading some reviews of this book, I am struck by how some people can totally understand what Cormier was trying to say, but at the same time they are so appalled by it that they downgrade this book. Yes, Cormier was saying that manipulative and evil people can control the weak. Yes, Cormier was saying that nonconformists have a terrible lot in life. Yes, Cormier was saying that kids are inherently mean and sometimes evil.

And you know what? HE'S RIGHT. This book is a teenage version of South Park before South Park existed! And that's the true beauty of this book. People will all react differently to it. I have taught it in English classes for years, and the discussion, arguments, and truisms of life that have come from students using this book as a catalyst are immeasurable.

Look, most people have mediocre jobs with bosses that we can't stand, surrounded by people that we don't want to be around. We all have been pushed around and wanted to fight back, but either couldn't or wouldn't. That's what Cormier was expressing here. In the end, the central question, "Do I dare disturb the universe?" is up to the reader to decide on a case by case basis in REAL LIFE. That's how life works. Do I bug the boss about a promotion today or wait until he's in a better mood? Do I apply for that home loan now or wait until my finances are in better order? Do I ask her to marry me or wait until I'm absolutely sure? Humans make feeble attempts to "disturb the universe" on a daily basis, and Cormier was trying to get readers to understand how even though those decisions may seem trite to others, they are everything to us and who we are in the great human existence.

What a strange, disturbing little book. I honestly have very mixed feelings about it. And not for the disturbing parts, I actually liked those. What I didn't really like about this book was the style of the writing, which is probably weird on my part I guess.

Jerry is just trying to fit in at school. After the death of his mother and the loving but distant relationship with his father, he needs something else in his life. So he goes out for the football team. And you would think that would be where things get interesting. But no, Jerry's school is a little different. It's a prep school for the middle class, and underneath it all is a secret organization of boys who's main purpose seems to be creating mayhem. They like to "assign" tasks, and in this case Jerry has to forgo selling chocolates in the school's annual sale. And something so harmless doesn't seem like much at the time to Jerry, but it quickly becomes much more sinister.

I never really connected to Jerry as a character. We're given a little bit of his background and his emotions, but never all of it. And I think that made the book wanting a bit. Heck, I'm still not even sure why he didn't want to sell chocolate although I feel like I should know. And the rest of the kids weren't exactly endearing either, although I think that was kind of the point. I think the only character I did like was Jerry's father, and he didn't even play much of a role. But at least he was sympathetic and a little bit of light shone in the book.

The concept behind the book was brilliant. Peer pressure, sinister schools, the animalistic side of humans. There was a lot of different themes here. And it was definitely a dark and disturbing book with some lessons hidden here and there. But the writing, I just couldn't get into the style of writing. The lack of connection to the characters was one thing, but reading it in half a regular book and half through a teenage boys eyes was tough to do. Now granted I've never been a teenage boy, but I should at least be able to sympathize a little bit right? I just had so much trouble enjoying the pace and flow of the book and getting caught up in it. I was actually a bit glad when it was over, not because I hated it, but because it was tedious for me to read in that voice.

Fantastic idea which sub par writing, I'm not sure if I'd attempt the sequel or not. Although the ending is a bit ambiguous which I actually liked for once and it made me curious.

The Chocolate War
Copyright 1974
191 pages

Review by M. Reynard 2012

I feel I need to defend this novel, especially after the plethora of negative reviews.
Often in childrens/YA novels good v. evil is played out in fantasy terms, (witches, demons, etc.) but this novel disturbs the universe and places real people in real situations. A freshman at a private high school decides to "disturb the universe", and soon realizes that he may have overstepped his bounds. The shifting narrative is very distinct and unique, yet sometimes confusing. This is a great novel for classroom discussion with some strong themes: to include, courage & cowardice, peer pressure, victimization, individualism, good v. evil and god and religion. The ending is unconventional and truely climatic, can you remember when you first realized that life is not fair, and sometimes doesn't come close to being fair?
This book opened up the new genre of YA literature, and Cormier certainly "disturbed the universe" with its publication. This book is constantly under the eye of parent groups who would like to see it "banned" or placed on a restricted list(recently under pressure from a parent's group here in VA)...because that is the case, it should be required reading for all teenagers. If you are younger, you may want to read Spinelli's WRINGER: a story so foul, so horrifying with peer pressure that it should be shelved next to Cormier's The Chocolate War.
As a children's librarian, I will continue to offer Cormier's books because he refuses to compromise the truth as he sees it.
For an indepth look at Cormier's writing try: PRESENTING ROBERT CORMIER Twayne Publishers

The Chocolate War, by Robert Cormier, is a great young adult novel. The author illustrates the real hardships of being a teenager. The author shows nothing but the truth. The realism is what keeps the book going. I like the novel because it is very easy for me to relate to and to imagine what the characters are going through. The book is also at times a little slow, but it is easy to get through these parts. The real story begins when Jerry, a quiet freshman, starts a mission assigned to him by the Vigils, a high school gang that earns respect through threats and intimidations. The school needs to sell chocolates to keep running. Jerry's assignment is to not sell the chocolates for 10 days. However, he takes this too far when he keeps refusing to sell chocolates. He has the power of the school behind him at one point but soon loses student support when he does not act on his power. The book depicts what high school can be like when a gang and most of the school is against you. This novel is wonderfully written, and I would recommend it to anyone. I give this book four stars.

The Chocolate War, by Robert Cormier, is not one of the best books I've ever read but it's still better than most young adult books because it teaches valuable lessons. This takes place in New England, in a Catholic school called Trinity Collage. In this school there's a "mafia" called The Vigils. The president was Carter but of course the head of The Vigils was The Assigner, Archie Costello who was always one step ahead of everyone. The secretary, the one who alternately hated and admired Archie was Obie. Brother Leon, indirectly asked The Vigils to help the school raise funds, and that's the reason why the school existance always depended on The Vigils. Jerry Renault, a high school boy, was persued to refuse to sell the chocolates in the school sale, so he refused to sell the chocolates. After the ten days he was supposed to sell, he was then told to sell the chocolates, this time he refused to do everything they told him. Then Jerry turns from hero to outcast, left alone and vulnerable. I really don't like Robert's way of writing, I hate books with many short chapters, worst when they always begin without continuing what the previous was talking about. On the other hand, many lessons are clearly showed to the reader. I like books whose goal is to teach you something and the author makes a great job at it. I also enjoyed this book 'cause it ends in a realistic way, not like others which always have happy endings.

The Chocolate War is a great example of what many adolescents face in a high school setting today. There are many issues of conformity and non-conformity and what to do if you were the person stuck in the position that Jerry Renault became involved in. Jerry is the quarterback of Trinity High School and as a quarterback he is viewed traditionally as a leader that makes quick decisions. Ironically enough, Jerry is taken out of his leadership role as a quarterback and forced to make a decision on whether or not to perform the Vigil assignment. Although the assignment itself may seem unrealistic in the year 2000, peer pressure still occurs today. Other important aspects to find in this novel are the apparent biblical allusions of "it was like the parting of the Red Sea". This is a direct reference to Jerry as Moses when the boys are clearing the hallway. There are also references to John the Baptist. There are many references to Nazi Germany with Brother Leon as Hitler, the Vigils as Nazis, and the other teachers as SS men. This is a story that has many different themes evident and one that is a great story to be taught in a classroom.

The Chocolate War is a brilliant story written by Robert Cormier. Young-evil Archie Costello, the leader of a deviant student organization called "The Vigils," has devised a plan to raise money. If they were to get their fellow students to sell 20,000 boxes of chocolate at two dollars a box, they would be able to raise $20,000. They sorted out the chocolate into equal amounts, with the expectation that each kid will sell his or her share. To stir up trouble the Vigils tell Jerry Renault to refuse to sell the chocolate for 10 days. Even after the 10 days were up, Jerry still refused to sell the chocolate. The rest of the story follows the drama of Jerry continuing to refuse to sell the chocolate because it was something that he considered voluntary and he didn't want to do it. The story peaks at the end of the book when Jerry fights a kid they call Janza. Jerry ends up blacking out and gets sent to the hospital with internal injuries and a jaw fracture. Rated on a scale of 1-5 this book would be a 4.

Jerry Renault isn’t participating in the Catholic school’s annual chocolate sale. He’s the only child who dared to opt out of the optional fundraiser. His defiance may only get him a few nasty glares from the teachers, but when he challenges Holy Trinity’s underground student-run society, things get heated.

Ummmm, I don’t get it. I really, truly don’t. The whole time I was reading it, all I could think was, yeah, so what? The kid doesn’t want to sale some chocolates. Get over it. Then, I remembered it’s a “modern classic” and it must have something more to it than just that. So I racked my brain. Then I forgot about it. Then I racked it some more. And now I’ve come to the conclusion of I don’t get it.

The only possible answer I came up with to the literary genius hidden in between the pages of a meager chocolate sale is the theme of corruption. The Vigils (the secret society) begins with harmless hazing pranks and rather too serious meeting rituals. Okay. Yes, all the teachers know they’re there, but nobody acknowledges them. The boys can continue to pretend they have a top-secret club and the teachers can continue to not care. Perfect balance. They tell Jerry to not accept the chocolates for 10 days, then begin to sell them. Instead, he never accepts them. With that act of disobedience, the system crashes. The administrators panic and turn to The Vigils for help. The Vigils steely stance refuses to be swayed by one boy, so they take measures to the extremes to keep the balance. Yet it’s too late; the scale has already been tipped. And everyone loses.

I think there is more to it than that, though. I may be wrong. I don’t know. Like I said, I don’t get it. Otherwise, I thought the writing style was interesting. It was third person omniscient, and there are plenty of characters to go around. The reader jumps from Jerry to The Vigils leader to the lead teacher to the agreeable boys who want no trouble at all but get caught in the fray all the same.

Honestly, though, I thought it was kind of boring. How much can you really write on a chocolate sale? I kept waiting and watching for the climax, and while it did make an appearance at the very end, that made the conclusion weaker. The pace of the book was too slow for me.

Also, this is just a little nit-picky thing, but I didn’t like how Cormier describes girls. The boys go to an all boys private Catholic school, so they’re always on the look out for girls at the bus station and such. But as a girl, I felt extremely awkward the way he described things like their bodies. Ew. It’s not even a feminism thing or anything, it was just a little weird. But I guess it’s just more of a guy book.

It wasn’t great, but it definitely wasn’t bad. I admit, though, for a modern classic, I felt disappointed.

More reviews at Stealingpages.com

... that this book is a brilliant achievement rarely matched in YA fiction. This is the tale of a social snowball effect where the stakes keep getting higher for everybody involved, including the adults.

Many readers are complaining about the book's downward arc and lack of morality. The point is implicit here - you have to read between the lines to understand Cormier's uncompromising rendering of cold truths. The point is not "don't buck the system." The point is, "bad things happen and can snowball out of control when good people give in to conformity & don't stand up for what's right."

Do you doubt it? See: Nazi Germany.

What's brilliant about Cormier's narrative is that anywhere along the way, the snowball could be stopped by someone stepping in and risking some social disapproval - and a few times it comes close. But as fallible human beings, we understand why they don't stick their necks out. THE CHOCOLATE WAR has the courage to show how strongly mob rule relies on the fear of vulnerable individuals. It's hard not to read this and think - what would I do?

Another common complaint is that Jerry's motivation for resistance is undefined. It's not, really - it's that at his young age, he has trouble articulating it. Jerry Renault's rebellion is the rebellion of any individual against an uncompromising conformist system. Communist dictatorships come to mind. Jerry Renault stands up for the right to BE an individual.

The book has great descriptions of physical sensations, and doesn't flinch from ugly truths about manipulation, cowardice, and social dominance, and contains some pungent dialogue. Cormier's also got a pitch-perfect ear for character names.

So far this week for my Young Adult Resources class, I have read The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier. I hadn't read this before and, when I went to pick it up at my local library branch, I got to thinking...

First, I had picked up a copy of The Outsiders when I had a (very poorly paid) job grading essays for
standardized tests. I was grading high school essays and noticed that the remedial students (evident
by their writing skills) were assigned to read The Outsiders and A Child Called It - I was so intrigued
that I had "missed" these that I went out and read them...and was rather surprised at the violence and
poverty and lack of adult mentorship being presented to them! Now reading them in relation to this
course, I'm wondering if they were assigned reading because the kids could relate easily to the main
characters. Which kinda freaks me out, especially if you've read A Child Called It.

So, when I was in the Teen section (that's what it's called at my local branch - it's basically three sparsely full bookcases and a table), I simply read the titles from left to right on the shelves. (Here's a complete aside while I'm at it: When I was scanning the books, some girls were at the table. They were talking about how the other week, they were there doing their homework and chatting and the librarian told them they were too loud...so they went to Barnes and Noble. Hmm...) Many of the books mentioned so far in my class and on a Young Adult book listserv I subscribe to were not there. The plots seemed to be mostly realism - main character a teen trying to fit in and be cool and get through the stress of growing up. This is the essence of The Chocolate War as well. As an adult, I could appreciate it. But as a teen, I'm not so sure...much like I HATED (and still do, because I can) A Separate Peace.

Realism didn't appeal to me as a teen. I didn't want to know that other people felt like me! To read a
novel where the characters are typical teens...meant I was a typical teen. How awful. I mostly jumped
into adult novels that were over my head or books with animal characters - I loved Watership Down and the Brian Jacques' Redwall mouse heroes (ok, so mousy bookworm becomes a librarian...).

I see that perhaps these true-to-life books work as a sort of therapy for getting a young adult through difficult feelings and situations. But I think that The Chocolate War became a classic simply because it does not fit this prescribed typical teen novel. Jerry's real reasons for refusing to sell chocolates are never directly known (even by him). No one is happy and no one is cool and even though they all say their lines at the right time, everyone knows they are all acting. Archie never learns his lesson and Jerry gets pummeled. The bad guy wins, not comic style, but just by chance and that's enough.

I'm still waiting for The Contender and Mr. and Mrs. Bo Jo Jones to come in via interlibrary loan. I'm
curious to know if these realism novels are more or less popular than graphic novels and fantasy in this age group. Vampires seem to be pretty in right now so perhaps even tuned-in teens can only take so much reality as well (Reading the listserv with all these posts on the New Moon parties librarians were planning...yeah, I thought we must be having a full moon this October).

I feel I need to defend this novel, especially after the plethora of negative reviews.
Often in childrens/YA novels good v. evil is played out in fantasy terms, (witches, demons, etc.) but this novel disturbs the universe and places real people in real situations. A freshman at a private high school decides to "disturb the universe", and soon realizes that he may have overstepped his bounds. The shifting narrative is very distinct and unique, yet sometimes confusing. This is a great novel for classroom discussion with some strong themes: to include, courage & cowardice, peer pressure, victimization, individualism, good v. evil and god and religion. The ending is unconventional and truely climatic, can you remember when you first realized that life is not fair, and sometimes doesn't come close to being fair?
This book opened up the new genre of YA literature, and Cormier certainly "disturbed the universe" with its publication. This book is constantly under the eye of parent groups who would like to see it "banned" or placed on a restricted list(recently under pressure from a parent's group here in VA)...because that is the case, it should be required reading for all teenagers. If you are younger, you may want to read Spinelli's WRINGER: a story so foul, so horrifying with peer pressure that it should be shelved next to Cormier's The Chocolate War.
As a children's librarian, I will continue to offer Cormier's books because he refuses to compromise the truth as he sees it.
For an indepth look at Cormier's writing try: PRESENTING ROBERT CORMIER Twayne Publishers

The biggest event of the whole year at Trinity High School is the annual chocolate sale. Each student was to sell twenty-five boxes of chocolates, for one dollar each. But this year was different, with Brother Leon running the school and ordering 20,000 boxes of chocolates, each student was to sell fifty boxes of chocolates worth two dollars each. In order to get the job done, Brother Leon relied on a secret student organization called, the Vigils. The Vigils were run by the president, John Carter, an athletic senior on the boxing and football teams. The man who was really in charge though, was Archie Costello, a mischievious senior with many sneaky ways of getting people into trouble. He was the one who made all of the decisions. His job as the assigner was to assign kids to certain jobs. These were not ordinary tasks though. They were not easy either. In fact, the who "Chocolate War" started by one simple assignment given to Jerry Renault. Nobody dared stand up to the Vigils. Jerry Renault was a freshman who just moved to Trinity High School. His assignment was to not sell the chocolates for ten days, and then recieve and sell his chocolates within the next couple weeks. So every morning, when Brother Leon would do his roll call, every student would report the number of boxes they have sold, but Jerry would just state "No.". Despite Brother Leon's anger when he realized Jerry that refused to sell chocolates, selling chocolates was an optional duty. But when Jerry said no, Brother Leon was shocked because every other student at school sold the chocolates. Jerry was carrying out his assignment fine until the day he was suppose to accept his chocolates. Jerry said no. Soon, word got around the school about the new freshman that was taking a stand against the school, Brother Leon, and the Vigils. The Vigils were worried that kids would follow Jerry's lead and stop selling their chocolates. After all, it was optional. Brother Leon put Archie in charge of getting all the chocolates sold, and that is exactly what he was going to do. Read the book to find out what happens. But there would be other students like Jerry every once in a while to look out for.

The Chocolate War is not an interesting novel at all. I found myself not even paying attention to what I was reading because it was so boring. The novel is about a kid named Jerry who refuses to sell chocolates for his all-boys prep school over and over again. The one interesting part is when Jerry gets beaten up by some kids who want him to sell the chocolates. The novel is also hard to follow in some chapters. It skips to perspectives of six or seven characters. I became very confused in these parts, and I had to read them over and over again to understand them. The book was also very cruel, and I did not understand how people could have the personalities that Robert Cormier gave them in The Chocolate War. There was this one kid named Archie who is very cruel to Jerry, and it seems as if he has no heart. I would not recommend this book to any younger children or to people who cannot stand a lot of cruelity. I would recommend this book to people who can sit through the boring parts of a novel to get to the more interesting parts.

A 1001 CBYMRBYGU.

Jerry Renault is a freshman at a private Catholic high school. It is chocolate time, the time in which the students are asked to sell chocolates to raise money for the school. This year, students are asked to sell more chocolate than ever and the cost of each bar is twice as much.

At Jerry's school, there is a secret group of boys who enjoy the pain of others called The Vigils. The Vigils ask Jerry to refuse to take part in the chocolate sale for ten days. Jerry complies. On the eleventh day, when Jerry is supposed to fall in line again, he suddenly decides to continue to refuse to take part in the sale.

The group dynamics in this book are fascinating. I'd love to hear what high school students would think about this book.

I have mixed feelings about the novel, The Chocolate War, by Robert Cormier. I disliked the beginning of the book because there is too much unnecessary description about the characters sexual thought's. For example, there are too many instances when Archie the head of The Vigils, a gang, tries to blackmail Emile, a trouble maker, with embarrassing pictures. The middle is helpful but it is too repetitive about the chocolate sale. The information about the characters helped me understand the plot of the beginning of the book. I learned that Archie is the head honcho of the school and bosses around all of the kids. A part in the book that is repetitive is when Brother Leon, one of the teachers, repeatedly asks the kids to sell chocolates and they all say "I will". I liked the ending of the book because it is different from most endings and not what I expected. I advise you to read this book if you like surprises.

The novel, The Chocolate War, by Robert Cormier, is not the best book that I have ever read. This story takes place at an all boys Catholic school with a "secret society" in it called the Vigils. The Vigils go around the school harrassing kids by giving them assignments to carry out, such as not selling chocolates for the school sale, or unscrewing all the screws in a class room so everything falls apart. The novel is confusing and hard to follow. For example, in just one chapter there are six different scenes with six different characters in them. The author does not make it clear when he is moving from one thought to the next. At the end of a chapter, Cormier is in the middle of a thought and then starts off the next chapter talking about a totally unrelated subject. Another reason why this book is not the best book that I have ever read is that the book goes into too much description about nothing. For example, in chapter 14, the author goes into great detail about a bunch of boring kids; this is irrelevant to the rest of the plot. The end of the novel is exactly not what you think it will be. I would not recommend this novel unless you like vast amounts of description, you can follow absolute mayhem, and you like surprise endings.

The enjoyment of fiction usually requires the suspension of disbelief. To enjoy this novel as portrayal of something that could happen in a 1970s parochial school requires that you do more than suspend your disbelief. Take your disbelief, bind it, gag it, blindfold it, stuff cotton into its ears and lock it in the trunk of your car. Then and only then can you read this novel as a slice of life.

However, you can accept a secret (not so secret) society (the Vigils) in a Catholic school having power out of proportion to their numbers; the teachers having full knowledge of their existence and activities; along with a headmaster want-to-be with the ambition of a third-world dictator, if, and only if, you view this novel as a dark fable. One that would be more at home in a Brothers Grimm setting.

The influence of the powerful is then magnified and unquestioned as in the olden times, not the rebellious 70's.
Motivations become a little clearer when you realize the understory. Those with ambition that are in power wish to remain in power. Those with ambition that are out of power wish to gain power. Both will do anything, even work with each other, for that power and to run over anyone who threatens that power.

Enter Jerry Renault, someone with no ambition caught between the striving factions. When he defies one, he defies the other and neither can tolerate his defiance. Working together they make his life miserable and then destroy it, almost costing him his life.

One review stated the moral was to "give up". Another, might be the following, "one person might begin a change to the system, but one person alone cannot and, if you choose to fight the established power structure, be prepared to lose, not just the battle, but everything you hold dear".

A good read, but only three stars.

In the chocolate war by Robert Cormier young Jerry Renault a freshmen at trinity receives a special assignment from the vigils, a local school cult. His assignment: He must deny selling chocolates in the schools biggest chocolate sale ever.

A story about the problems of the average teenager, the chocolate war sends a message not just to teens but also to adults as well about bad influences in school and in life. It also lays bare the problems many young people face such as peer pressure, dating, and school. This book also shows the relationship between teachers, kids, and adults as well as the struggle to fit in.

Based on his own son's experiences Robert Cormier has created an exciting read that compares and contrasts the lives of average teenagers. Indeed many kids can compare there own experiences, and problems to those of the people in the book.

This book is geared more towards young adults and has some inappropriate language for younger kids, however adults will enjoy this book as well. There are also many other books by Robert Cormier written in a similar manner that you can also enjoy.

The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier is a story about violence, bullying and manipulative people controlling others. Young adults enjoy reading about dystopian worlds so they can make better sense of their own lives. They might not be able to control what happens in their own worlds, but in reading, they can gain that satisfaction of seeing the wrongs righted, the wicked punished. Unfortunately that doesn't happen in The Chocolate War. The ending leaves you feeling depressed and hopeless. You feel cheated because there was no resolution and the adult who could have prevented and helped the weak, stood by and watched.

The Chocolate War is written in a 3rd person omniscient narrator point of view, limited to the teenage mind. As the narrator skips from character to character, the thoughts and actions of the characters are disclosed. Regrettably, some of the characters actions are not divulged, you therefore are left guessing why they are so mean and violent to those around them.

I wouldn't recommend this book to others to read. There was too much unsolved violence that I feel was unnecessary for the story. I also feel that young adults should be able to "disturb the universe" without fear of their lives.

Jerry Renault is just your typical fourteen-year-old freshman (and football player) at a private Catholic high school minding his own business when, one day, a gang of student thugs called The Vigils task him with refusing to sell chocolates for the annual fundraiser. Brother Leon, a no-nonsense, obnoxious teacher doubles the usual candy order, then requires that the students take on the task of selling them (50 boxes each) willingly by requiring them to "accept" the chocolates during a daily roll call. Day after day, Jerry replies "No" to the question of whether he will accept his boxes and the task of selling, leaving Brother Leon livid. But after the order is rescinded Jerry continues his act of defiance. To save face, the Vigils go on a chocolate selling spree and start tormenting Jerry through prank calls and other mischief, including spreading a rumor that he is gay. It all comes to a head at an event involving an unusually-themed raffle. The message seems to be - bullying is bad. But I expected more from a book whose jacket's contention is that it's a "groundbreaking novel." Better: The Lord of the Flies by William Golding, A Separate Peace by John Knowles, and Great Expectations by Charles Dickens.

"The Chocolate War" is an interesting insight into the life of a young child forced into line by a mafia style school gang. It raises many questions about how safe students are in a school and how evil some people can be. However, one of the main characters, Archie, seems to be too evil to be real. Another main character, Jerry, is brave and seems to be very realistic in his depiction by Cormier. This novel shows how immoral some poeple can be in this world but seems too dark a future for the world. Many themes are raised including violence, evil and power and Cormier does a reasonable job in writing about teenage issues. Even though much analysis is required and a second reading is advised, this novel is good for study by high school aged students. A good read but nothing to write home about.

I read about this book online somewhere, and decided to check it out of the local library. It only took a couple of days to read, and in spite of a few flaws, I did enjoy it quite a bit. First of all, I never read this when I was in school (perhaps because I attended Catholic schools?), in fact I'd never heard of it until a few weeks ago. All I can say is that I'm 43 now, and I found it to be rather chilling in spots! Some of the main characters are as evil as you will ever find, which is okay with me (I tend to enjoy "dark" stuff). The main problem I had was with the ending, which left several things unresolved. That said, I would recommend this book for adults and mature teens who want something different. It is especially meaningful when you are or have attended private Parochial schools (yep, I had to sell chocolate in my youth!). Yes it's kind of depressing, but it's still engrossing, a quick read and very good. I'm looking forward to reading the sequel!

The Chocolate War is a book about a corrupted teacher, an underground society, and a lone kid who stands up against them all, at a private Catholic School called Trinity. The entire ordeal begins when Brother Leon uses unauthorized money to buy 20,000 boxes of chocolates for $20,000.00. Usually, at the Trinity annual chocolate sale, students would sell 25 boxes each, at a dollar a piece, but with the extreme need of money, students are forced to sell 50 at 2 dollars a piece. This is the cause for Brother Leon to call in the help of the Vigils, a "secret", underground organization within the school. The group is led by the notorious Archie Costello, who dreams up pranks for some victim chosen by the Vigils to perform. One such victim is Jerry Renault, who is ordered not to sell chocolates for 10 days. On the eleventh day, he becomes the only person to defy the Vigils by saying "No." once again to a dumbfounded Brother Leon. Who will prevail, the corrupt Brother Leon and the Vigils, or Renault? The Chocolate War is an interesting book but has an undefining ending. Don't fret over that, however, because this is simply a lead up to the sequel, Beyond The Chocolate War, which is suggested for you to understand the entire aspect of the Vigils, Archie, and the shady Trinity Prep.
This is a very worthwhile book to an avid reader, although some may get lost in the plot.

Wow. Quite simply, wow. This book focuses arounds so many delicious themes that normal people do deal with in every-day life: Power, Revenge, it's all here.
I will not restate the plot, since it has been elaborated on numberous occasions.
The re-occuring detriment in each of the negative reviews for this book is that it is un-realistic. I tell the reader of this review right now that Archie's type of "Gang" (such a primitive word for what it really is, but will do to a certain degree) truly does exist (my school would be an example, though not to the extent that it existed in the book;). But even if it didn't, the reviewers clearly didn't understand a very important part of the book's message, "The Limits Of All Power.....Are Limitless."
It is truly amzazing to read a book that demonstrates the supreme power of authority. Then when one reads it, they remark to themselves "How can such a horrible thing such as that exist? Doesn't anyone ever DO anything about those types of mattters?" Then it hits (later on, of course), that you know someone who has dealt with pains from misusage of Power at least once in their lives. You.
This is what makes this book so magnificent. It personalizes everything you have read about; but still you do not have the courage, or maybe even opportunity to act. Hypocritical thought will enter your head about how problems should be resolved when reading this novel. Applicatoin is always the hardest to master, not the knowledge itself.
I challenge the reader of this review to read "The Chocolate War."
And then, for once, decide not to follow the masses when your heart truly believes in a different cause.

Robert Cormier's cynical, sardonic, nihilistic language in the Chocolate War evokes Catcher in Rye. The story itself shares many of the same tensions and violence of Pat Conroy's Lords of Discipline. This is beyond a young reader's book. It has an edgy tension that will captivate all generations. Jerry Renault is a fine protagonist, somehow winning in spirit, even in despair. Archie Costello is an equally compelling villain - somehow apathetic and resigned, even in victory.

I listened to the Chocolate War unabridged on CD, narrated by George Guidall. Guidall gives a commanding and forceful performance, bringing tension and teenage fragility to all the fine characters.

"Do I dare disturb the universe?" This passage is taken from the novel The Chocolate War, written by Robert Cormier, and one can say that it is the main theme throughout the novel. This book takes place in a boys private prep school called Trinity. It is based on a realistic freshman named Jerry Renault. His character is lonely, unliked, and yet determined. Throughout Jerry's first few months at Trinity, he is approached by Archie Costello, a leader of a group called the Vigils. The Vigils are a cruel group that gives the boys at Trinity assignments that they have to carry out. Some assignments are very risky and some are just plain mean. Such is the case for Jerry. Jerry's assignment is to not sell chocolates for the traditional chocolate sale for ten days, but his assignment is carried out too far. The Chocolate War comes to an abrupt end and is left unresolved. The Chocolate War is filled with unimportant, useless characters, and each chapter is about a different person. The characters and their actions are cruel and mean. This novel is very depressing and is not recommended by this reader.

I chose to read Robert Cormier's "The Chocolate War" as an extension of banned book week (September 21-27, 2014). As a person who attended this type of college prep school who was also forced to sell chocolate, the ideas rang true, though I was never aware of a secret society of students, just the thuggish teachers. "The Chocolate War" is a compelling story for about the first 150 pages. The idea of the power struggle between those in power, the behind the scenes power, and the individual is compelling. Then as the book reaches it's climax, Robert Cormier suddenly looses the thread and introduces a rediculous climax which does the rest of the book an injustice. The climax is horrible, and the "moral" of the book seems against the text, though not of reality. The moral is not o much a moral, but a statement of the current reality. The powerful retain their power, and individual spirit is crushed. The reader may hate the characters who win "The Chocolate War," but will they recognize who those hated victors are in today's society? and even if they can see where the story transfers into today's society, will they understand the importance of the hero who battles the system, but who does not succeed? and see the importance of his struggle? No, most will continue to be sheep. Sad.

Where to start...

I must say, I stumbled across this book (vaguely remembering the title from my childhood) about a month ago. I try to keep tabs on the most recent banned and challenged books list, and I noticed, year after year, that it made the list, generally along with Cormier's other well-known novel, I Am the Cheese. One of my favorite poets (and the reason I write), Shel Silverstein, also consistently makes the list. Considering that Cormier's level of genius must be on par with Silverstein, I ventured to my local library and attempted to take out a copy. My, what a difficult book to find! For some reason, although there are more than a hundred copies in my library system, nearly half them seem to be in repair or lost. I'm not sure if this is coincidence or something else, but I'm not going to analyze that here.

One of the many complaints about this book is that it condones, and even encourages, violence. This is obviously, and not even subtly, false. Yes, the protagonist, spurred on by rage, revenge, fear, and a sense of regaining his position as "hero", decides to enter the ring at the end of the novel, after being manipulated by the novel's antagonist, Archie. Yes, he throws a punch and revels in the beauty of it. But wait! Wait for one moment. First, I'd like to reach deep inside of all of you. There is a little violence there, something a little wild, animalistic, stirring under the surface. If provoked to the level to which he was provoked, I am not ashamed of saying that I would also consider violence. But that's the key word, consider. Would I go so far as to punch someone in the face? Yes, I imagine I might. Second, Would I stop, as the protagonist does, and realize that violence pains me more than it pains my opponent? Yes, I'm also sure I would. Cormier portrays a stark, black reality, but a reality, nonetheless. I'd like to quote from his novel:

"A new sickness invaded Jerry, the sickness of knowing what he had become, another animal, another beast, another violent person in a violent world, inflicting damage, not disturbing the universe but damaging it."

Does this sound like an author who condones violence?

The characters are real, and, maybe shocking to most of you who live in a magical land of unicorns and lollipops, quite believable. The novel, particularly towards the end, evoked in me a feeling similar to that when I read Lord of the Flies. However, it lacks the hysteric mania of that novel. Everything is calculated, well-planned, and executed flawlessly (for the most part). Does that make it more frightening than that novel? Surely. Does it make Archie a monster? I suppose that's how you choose to look at it. I both love and hate that boy, just like his underling, Obie.

Regardless of how you react to Cormier's characters, it is impossible to deny how much depth he gives them. Most of the time, without looking at who's speaking, I can guess. Each character has a distinctive voice, and I also enjoy that, as the novel is written in a third person omnipotent perspective, I can get into their heads, almost like a voyeur, realizing how completely their inner selves and outer expressions may contrast.

I do not mean to imply, through any of this, that I am a cynic or think badly of the world. Quite the contrary, I am a full-fledged optimist with some realism thrown in for good measure. However, what Cormier portrays is not far-fetched, merely bleak. It is not unrealistic, and in fact, from my own experiences and interactions, a little too painfully real.

This review is going to sound so lame compared to all the others...

Okay, here's the story. In Trinity High School, the annual fund-raiser of selling chocolates has been altered a bit this year. This year there are to be 20000 chocolates to be sold, half of last year's amount. Jerry has been assigned by the Vigils to refuse to sell for 10 days. By the time 10 days pass, Jerry's still not selling the chocolates. Because of this little thing, students are getting all heated up. Students are threatening Jerry to get with the program and start selling or else. Don't underestimate this book. It's much more than selling, it's about power, mind games, feelings and all that. This is an excellent story. It was amazing how the author could capture all the feelings and details and personalities of the characters.

Robert Cormier�s The Chocolate War is a terrific book. A feature that makes the book interesting is the fact that every chapter the story is told from a different character�s point of view. This changes your outlook on the plot, especially when an event is first told from the protagonist�s point of view, and then from the antagonist�s point of view. Jerry Renault, the protagonist, is an appealing character. His witty battles with his adversaries make the book interesting. The ending of this book is slightly questionable. It is almost too sudden, and the reader would expect more of it. I liked The Chocolate War; and I would recommend it to all mature 7th grade and older readers.

Hyperboles, symbolism, style, point of view, etc.
Many young people do not care...but after 8 years teaching 8th grade, as well as reading the book myself for the first time in 1989, the same age as my current students, the book changed me. Not back then, I merely worshipped the words, that gorgeous writing style characteristic of Cormier, blending splendid imagery, realistic, simple language, and vibrant sensory detail with a dark tone of corrupt despairity that leaves the reader to question whether or not good exists anywhere in this world, an all too real world, in which we expect our young people to be as "conscientious" and "respectful" and "vanilla" as kids were when people trusted community with little reservation: religious figures,policemen, doctors, firemen, teachers, etc. Should our children harbor a similar sense of complacency? What shall they do in regard to "respecting authority" when they witness countless acts of violence and cruelty in the media? All they CAN DO is supress fear and act as if they don't care. How does a young person find her/his place in the universe without disturbing it? A personal revolution is essential for one to discover, process, and begin to develop sense of self and a reason to just be...
I wrote to an earlier poseter that...
Cormier didn't get it backward; however, your questions and comments are so literal, you may have missed the point. "Fighting the good fight" IS important for students to discuss; I have yet to meet a person, young or old, who can't relate to this theme in some way. Additionally, I haven't found a novel that demonstrates with such raw vulnerability the possible repurcussions when one does not choose her/his battles wisely? Jerry wasn't fighting for chocolate, but rather relied on the experience OF FEELING SOMETHING, other than dullness and pain. Otherwise, we teach students to later view satires like "The Lottery" with a literal lense, and before we know it, they develop "blind faith" and unswerving obedience to authority even when it defies Western, Eastern, and personal morality. Such scapegoating and cowardice lead to the Holocaust...
As a teacher, I exist to witness one more student recognize what it's worth to sense the difference, that brief moment when one must decide whether to persist in the fight or humbly seek advice from an adult who is WORTH emulating, and then walk away...bones intact. My students don't want Jerry's fate. And they appreciate a good tragic hero.

This was a beautifully written, horrible book. This is a work of YA literature from 1974, and like most literature by men in that decade, it featured no female characters that weren't either dead or merely wanking material for the male characters. That's not even why I disliked this book. I dislike it because, as YA literature, it sends a horrible message to the intended audience.

Life is cruel, kid. I'm not going to show you any compassion. I'm not going to show you hope or a coping mechanism or that it might be tough, but you won't regret doing the right thing. Sell out. Sell out now and do it hard. Be a sheep or they will kill you.

I know that the bad guys don't always get what's due, but this book didn't have any perspective. It didn't have any point but to tell a young audience that life is horrible and not worth living. Don't live for yourself. Follow the rules. Grow old and be just "fine" every day and then die. To try for anything more will only bring you to misery and possibly death. Oh, and the bad guys, they get rewarded. You should be like them. Fall in with the greedy and cruel and you will be untouchable.

I would never teach this book to a group of teenagers. I think it would be irresponsible.

I actually read "Beyond The Chocolate War" before I read "The Chocolate War", and both have entered the small list of books I read over and over again. The lessons are powerful and the ending shows reality as it sometimes is - the good don't always win, and sometimes you aren't even sure who the "good guys" are. The characters are believable and what makes them tick is explored in depth. The level of manipulation used on some of the characters makes me feel sick when I read it, but the lessons the book teaches stay with you long after the book is done. A must-read for anyone with the maturity to handle it.

The Chocolate War: The Refused Chocolate

Do you love to read unpredictable books that always want you to turn to the next page? If you do, then The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier is book you would love to read. This story is good overall, but the plot or the storyline could have been better.

The Chocolate War is a story about this new high school student at Trinity high school. He wants to be apart of the football team but that is it. Jerry Renault is in a situation here. The school is having a chocolate sale, in which he wants no part in. The other students start to make fun of him and beat him up in order to make him sell the chocolates, because it is said to be a Trinity tradition. He wants to play football but everyone, even his teammates, try to murder him so he will start selling the chocolates. They keep beating him up, because to sell the chocolates is part of school spirit and Trinity tradition. So, because he is the only different one, they want to pretty much beat him up. The Vigils is a school group That the teachers find it better to deal with if ignored. The gave an assignment to Jerry saying to sell the most chocolates in the whole school. He said no. No one has ever said no to the Vigils. On top of that the whole school hates him for it too

All else I can tell you about the book is that Robert Cormier maybe much of a curser, but he can make a decent book. Not saying I did not like it, but the ending left you hanging and it was missing a few things in the book. Cormier puts the storyline in a way that you just want to keep reading even though it is not that good of a book. I like Robert Cormier, because it looks look that he loves to make unexpected twists. For example, he writes down that they just beat him up in every way possible. Then the next day the teacher, Brother Leon, asked him if he wanted the chocolates to sell them. I do not know how he still said no.

Will Jerry still stand up? Or will he finally give in to the chocolates? Will he get sent to the hospital? Or will he get transferred to another school? If you do not mind any curse words or inappropriate statements every once in a while then I recommend you read The Chocolate War and see what happens. I honestly do not recommend it for the curse words and inappropriate statements.

Trinity High School, a boy's Catholic school of 400 boys, is having a chocolate sale. Brother Leon got a good price on some chocolates left over from Mother's Day. He paid for them up front. Now, he has to make sure that the boys sell them.

Jerry Renault, a well-meaning freshman, wants to dare to disturb the universe. He refuses to sell the chocolates. To some, he stands for the courage to face up to the forces that control the school, and to others, he a threat to their power.

Cormier's characters are always so well developed, that the reader almost feels as if she knows them. The same is true for this book. Sadly, I felt that the plot fell short. I felt that the usual "Wow" that I experience after reading a Cormier book, was just not here.

The Chocolate War is a surprising must-read. It displays realistic topics and brilliant characters. The main character, Jerry Renault, is an admirable protagonist who fights for individualism. When a student-driven gang known as "The Vigils" tells him to refuse selling for the school fundraiser, he is hesitant but surprises everyone when he still doesn't accept the chocolates after the "assignment" is over. Many students are impressed but Brother Leon, the teacher in charge of the sale, is enraged. Although a shy kid, Jerry makes a silent protest against Leon and the Vigils. Soon enough, the Vigils even begin threatening him for not accepting the chocolates when the assignment ended. Still Jerry strives to be unique and shows individualism. Overall, the book holds the readers' attention, is highly recommended and deserves four out of five stars.

Robert Cormier goes into the mind of Jerry Renault, a regular high school boy. Jerry is persued by a school mob and is told by them to refuse to sell chocolates in the school chocolate sale. Jerry follows the mob's orders and refuses to sell the chocolates. When his ten days of not selling the chocolates are up the mob tells him to begin to sell the chocolates. But Jerry refuses. This sets off a exciting (and grusome) war betwewn Jerry and the mob. Robert Cormier seems to know what depression for teenage boys is like, though he was a teenager long ago. Not many writers like him can do this.