The Chocolate War

My mother gave this book to me to read around the time that it first came out & I remember really liking it, although I didn't remember much about it. In reading it again this week for Banned Books Week, it all came back to me.

This book resonated when I was a kid because I didn't sell band candy.

Show More

Everybody was supposed to, but my parents felt that it was unsafe to ask children to go door-to-door asking strangers to buy candy. I always got some funny looks for that refusal, although never anything as extreme as the main character in this book got.

I also related to this book because it, more than anything else I've ever read, truly & accurately portrays what it's like to be bullied in school. Having been on the receiving end of various kinds of bullying (from lunch trays dumped over my head to being tripped on the stairs) I loved the fact that this book gets it right - it's awful, teachers are just about always in on it & there isn't ever any justice for anyone who is bullied. Your choices tend to be a) to conform or b) refuse to conform. There are prices for either choice, but the price is more obviously brutal for those who won't give in.

Add to all of that the fact that Cormier writes beautifully & this is a book that demands to be read for all of the ways it confirms the experience of so many kids & for all of the ways it speaks to power about how awful all of that is.

Show Less

The Chocolate War, this book was defiantly not what I thought of it to be, when I choose it out of the long list of books given to us for choice reading. When I ordered it, I believed the book to be about maybe how African Americans were treated and sent to fight in the Vietnamese war during the

Show More

50’s – 60’s. To my upheaval the book was about a young man named Jerry and his life going through a high school ruled by fear and intimidation. Only one of the many surprises this book gave me over my time reading it.
During the first couple of chapters it was hard to get into the book, you really don’t know anything about the characters being set, I believe if the author “Robert Cormier” had introduced the main antagonists with the cunning he later attributed him, the story would have been easier to ease into. However the way the antagonists in this story operated was cruel in its own childish kind of way, I expected them to be more hardcore with their actions but the pranks and misdeeds they pulled seemed to be more on the bully aspect of things, rather than the that of a full out gang they are portrayed to be.
Jerry, the character being followed the majority of the tale is an interesting one at that, his morals and actions speak louder then his words. While reading the book Jerry gave me several senses of empowerment as he defied the ways set by “the Vigils”, but it is soon shot down by his unfortunate background as well as his doubts about if he should have “disturbed the universe.” However Jerry’s character was described very well and kept in character, if that makes any sense.
The Chocolate War reminds me greatly of Lord of the Flies, while not being nearly as brutal, many similarities can be made. Several leader figures struggle for power, over weak-minded followers. The environment and every day setting changes the way people act and the way their morals are set, almost savage. Kill or be killed, follow or be followed, would be a good way to sum up how the chocolate wars environment works.
I felt the ending of the book was shocking; it may leave some even depressed. Usually in this kind of story most people would have a happy ending complex in their mind, as they wait for the main character to take down the antagonists once and for all, unfortunately The Chocolate war ends differently. I was actually angered after finishing up those last few pages I found myself saying “this story better not end with such a cheap ending.” Unfortunately it did, and I was not amused.
Even with my unhappy resolve with the ending of the book, I would recommend it to anyway who wants to have a suspenseful good read. I may have not liked the story in my own opinion, but it is written very well. The details are vivid, and the text is flavorful.
I would just recommend you brace yourself for the ending.

Show Less

As we mentioned in our class discussion, this could definitely be a classic that is taught to high school students. The dark tone of the book will appeal to teens who are experiencing their own personal battles with peer pressure and conflict with society-at-large. The title might be somewhat

Show More

misleading for teens, who might not understand that the book has dark, almost dystopian tones throughout the novel. Personally, I found it almost so depressing that I didn't enjoy the book, but this doesn't mean that it is an bad book. On the contrary, there is a lot to say packed into this small novel.

Show Less

Yet again, Robert Cormier puts it off with an amazing, well-paced, and smart book. Cormier is an amazing book writer, and this book, ‘The Chocolate War’ is one of the best books that he’s ever written.
Jerry Renault is a young boy, and he just arrived at at his new school, Trinity. He thinks

Show More

he’s taking it smooth. But then, Trinity does something that Jerry doesn’t even believe. They start a chocolate sale. Now, the goal is to sell all the boxes of chocolates. But Renault doesn’t believe this is a way to get the SCHOOL money, but more or less the teachers, or the ‘secret’ school society, The Vigils.
If I had to read this book again and again, I would. Cormier puts things in all of his books that when you pick it up, you get more and more shocked, because some of the details from the first reading of that book hasn’t completely made it to your brain. If I had to choose between Stephen King and Robert Cormier, I still would pick King, but Cormier is a worthy adversary.
I give this book 3.5 stars. Why? Well, the book is good and all, but it kind of leans off the beaten path, taking us across to other kids perspectives, such as Gilbert ‘The Goober’ and Emile Janza. If Cormier had written a stronger book, meaning sticking to the actual main character of the book, Jerry Renault, then this book would deserve to be rated higher, but right now, it's still a solid 3 1/2 stars.

Show Less

A high school freshman refuses to take part in the school fundraiser and becomes the target of a group of bullies.

The Chocolate War was originally published in 1974, which means it was still a relatively new book when I first read it--and I can’t remember exactly when that was, but it was either in middle or high school, and I started high school in 1978. I’ve read it more than once, but definitely not

Show More

since I finished high school in 1982. The fact that it seems to be a perennial on the banned-and-challenged-books lists has made me curious to revisit it for a while--I’m always curious to see if I understand why books I had no idea might be controversial when I originally read them have come under fire in the years since--and it’s one of two books I’m re-reading for this year’s 30th anniversary of Banned Books Week.

Secret societies seem to be a staple of fiction set in private schools. They may truly be secret to all but a few, or they may simply be unacknowledged publicly--but either way, they retain an air of mystery that gives them power, which they use to varying degrees from benevolence to criminality. The Vigils are the secret society at Trinity High School, and while most of their activities might be considered pranks, their influence is strong enough that acting headmaster Brother Leon wants to be sure he has their support behind the annual school chocolate sale. The students need to sell twice as much candy as they did the year before, and although participation is officially voluntary, every student has always made at least an effort to sell his quota...until freshman Jerry Renault comes along. Jerry’s outright refusal to sell for the first two weeks of the sale starts to win him admiration from his fellow students--until it becomes defiance of the Vigils and their mastermind, Archie Costello, which cannot be allowed to stand.

My recollection was that The Chocolate War was a pretty dark novel, and it certainly is, but its dystopian world is that of the contemporary high school--and at almost forty years old, it barely feels dated at all. In fact, its bullying theme may be, sadly, even more timely now. Cormier’s characterizations aren’t terribly complex, but his adolescent boys behave believably. The novel’s plotting is tight and the tension rarely lets up. There’s a good deal of violence here, both psychological and physical.

I’d forgotten some of the details of The Chocolate War since my last long-ago reading, but I did remember the basics of the story--and when I reached the ending, I remembered that I hadn’t been pleased with it. I’m still not, but as an adult reader I find it more satisfying than I once did. The Chocolate War is chilling, unsettling, and very true to life, and I can see many reasons why it’s frequently challenged, It’s also a defining work of young-adult fiction that needs to be read and discussed for many years to come.

Show Less

** spoiler alert ** One of the things that makes this really groundbreaking in young adult literature is that it shows a gritty, dark side of being a teenager. The novel brought in not only peer pressure, with Archie and his Vigils assignments, but also pressure from authority, such as when Brother

Show More

Leon threatens a student with an F for information. The plot also deals with issues of morality and ethics. For a moment it seemed like despite all of the bad things that were happening, the Vigils might be defeated and “good” would overcome. Jerry almost starts a revolution, with other students not selling chocolates, but the Vigils quickly squash it. It just goes to show the power a group of teens can have, especially when they are cruel and don’t care about consequences.

The ending of the book is particularly disturbing. All of the boys in the school were like wild animals, screaming for blood. It reminded me of the novel Lord of the Flies, in that it showed how boys could deteriorate into beasts and be so un-humanlike. The fighting is awful, and no one stands up for it or really tries to do something about it. This was an interesting parallel to the scene where Brother Leon called out Bailey in front of the class and accuses him of cheating, mercilessly taunting him, and no one says anything. In the end, Goober tries to say something but just like in the classroom, it is too little, too late. This also further cemented the parallels between Brother Leon and Archie.

I do wonder about the tone of the ending, though. There were a few times when it seemed like a little hope might be restored, but hope was absolutely destroyed, with Jerry declaring that it’s better not to disturb the universe. I’m all for showing teenagers in a realistic light, and even all of the horrible details about what can happen, but is ending the book in this way really the message we want to send to teenagers? It seems to tell teens that it’s better to lie down and take whatever the bullies give you, or else you’ll end up a bloody pulp like Jerry, wishing he had never tried to be different. I think this book could have still been very effective but also thrown in at least a small glimmer of hope or redemption at the end. Of course, it may just be that I’m a sucker for a least a somewhat happy ending, and perhaps most teens prefer this sort of ending.

Overall I found the writing style to be really good, and I appreciate the fact that Cormier was trying to show teens in a different light. However, the book was downright disturbing, but beyond that it was also implausible much of the time. The fact that boys can be cruel I buy. But for a teacher to be as horrible as Brother Leon is, and nothing done about it, I don't understand. Not one single boy tells a parent what's going on? None of the other teachers try to do something? And after the whole ending Archie doesn't get punished in any way whatsoever? At the very least, I think Jerry's dad would have called the police after all of the creepy phone calls!

Show Less

Robert Cormier is one of my favourite authors and The Chocolate War and Beyond the Chocolate war are two of his finest works.

He has a great writing style and and the ability to build a story and never flinches from exploring the darkest side of young adult behaviour.

The Chocolate War starts off

Show More

with what could be an innocent act of rebellion and turns into something much more sinister and distressing.

A great writer and one every teenager should read.

Show Less

The Chocolate War is not what it seems. This book is an example of judging a book by its cover. Although it wasn’t my favorite book, it was an ok read. The title threw me off, I thought the book was going to have more action. The book wasn’t that gripping in the beginning because there wasn’t

Show More

much action. Instead it focused more around deception and rebelling against the norm. The tension rises when Brother Leon reveals that he has bought a large amount of chocolates with money he was not supposed to spend. The Vigils are then determined to sell chocolates but only a few members know the true reason.
There are a few main characters in this novel. The protagonist is Jerry Renault a freshman at Trinity high school. Jerry is different from almost everyone at his school. He gets harassed, tormented, and beaten from day one. However he chooses not to tell his father or anyone else that could help him. Jerry never complains about what he has to go through he just remains quiet and calm. Archie, one of the main antagonists, is the leader of the gang called the Vigils. The Vigils silently run the school, all the students know about them, however most teachers choose to ignore them. Archie is very manipulative. He not only controls the Vigils, but he can control the student body and Brother Leon. Brother Leon is uncannily similar to Archie. He is just as manipulative as Archie, the only difference is Brother Leon controls the teachers while Archie controls the students. There are many members of the Vigils that appear frequently in the book but only Obie thinks the Vigils are not moral. He wasn’t as strong as Jerry because he had the chance to call out Archie but did not take the chance until later on in the story.
The book mainly takes place around the school. The Vigils have a meeting room which is behind the gym. The football field is where Jerry is first beaten up and it sets the tone for the rest of the book. The book had a few different themes and symbols the most noticeable to me was rebelling against standards that are wrong. There are some little symbols throughout the story that support this. The most notable was near the end of chapter three, there is a billboard that has “WHY?” written on it and spray painted next to it someone spray painted “WHY NOT?” This reflects Jerry’s personality and gives the reader an early hint of what is to unfold.
The Chocolate War is for people who like reading books with plot twists and deception. The author shows how the two people in high power were the most corrupt and the people that supposedly had no power caused the most impact. Archie and Brother Leon knew that Jerry was starting to impact the others so they tried to stop him. In the final chapters there is a fight which surprised me because there wasn’t a lot of physical confrontation in the book. The author ends the book without a real conclusion, it will leave you wondering.

Show Less

Creepy. The horrid effects of peer pressure gone horribly wrong... Fundraiser anyone?

I enjoyed this book though, I really do believe the sequel is better. When I read this I attended a quite liberal highschool, some schools have banned this book, as the book its self is about a private religious affiliated school. Having highschool in recent memory I can attest that The Chocolate

Show More

War realistic book. It is a good book to read in highschool, as you can relate to characters very easily. It is not sugar coated, there is swearing and some sexual content that appears to be appropriate for highschool aged readers. But yeah read the sequel, es mucho bueno.

Show Less

There is a reason why this book is for teens. This book was actually pretty good though. Bullies in a secret society called The Vigils plot revenge on a teenage boy for not selling chocolates. This book had the best climax I have ever read, however it was kind of creepy.

Jerry defies the Vigils and the teachers by refusing to sell chocolates for a school fund raiser. Violence and harassment ensues. In the end, the reader must ask, Do I dare disturb the universe?

Jerry Renault is a freshman at Trinity School, an all-boys Catholic jock school who bucks the system by refusing to sell chocolates; his life is unhappy now that his mother is dead and his father is depressed and emotionally distant and Jerry refuses to sell because he is inspired by a poster in

Show More

his locker that asks “Do I dare disturb the universe?” Although Jerry initially refuses to sell because the Vigils, a group of bullies unofficially sanctioned by Brother Leon, the new interim director, tells him he must refuse, Jerry continues to refuse even after the Vigils tell him to accept. Leon uses the Vigils to isolate Jerry, by then becoming a local hero and overnight Jerry turns form local hero to pariah. No happy ending here, the Vigils continue to harass and isolate Jerry culminating in a public fight between Jerry and the school’s big physical bully, Emile, where students decide who hits whom with which punch. Jerry is badly beaten as Brother Leon watches and he learns, not only that you pay an enormous price for universe disturbing, but also that the adults around him are hypocrites; A dark and powerful book, The Chocolate War will appeal to many teens who often feel powerless and often seem to have an innate ability to sniff out hypocrisy, I loved this book and would recommend it to any middle or high school student individually or as a group. It would generate some interesting and honest discussion about issues important to teens that most of us forget as we become the adults and gains some semblance of control over our lives. This is the kind of book that would have spoken to me like a bible if I had read it when I was young. 09/06

Show Less

The story was good, but I had a really difficult time with the violence.

This is a good book for those days when you want disturbing, edgy, intense, and unhappy. I kept waiting for the tidy, optimistic resolution at the end, but it never comes. It's also rather believable, which makes it all the more depressing. Very well written, though, Very acute. Very psychological.

I hated this book. The author is certainly talented, but I can't stomach manipulation and brutality and this book is filled with it. Hopelessness all around.

great...to fit in or not to fit in and the consequences of our choices.

The cruelty in this story is layered so slowly that the final confrontation seemed inevitable, yet still entirely shocking. although the book is almost as old as I am, I found it very fresh.

This book tells the story of young men at an all Catholic HIgh School that all have individual hardships and must deal with the consequences of living by somebody else's rules. There is a group on-campus called the "Vigils" and they basically call the shots at the school by hazing boys and mentally

Show More

abusing teachers. One boy at the school defies the Vigils and sure enough suffers the consequences. There are a couple of very nasty fight scenes that you must have a strong stomach for. There are also multiple sexual references and profane language is also used. Finally, defying authority is another theme in the book, but honestly the other things might affect you passing the book on to a child before you really consider holding it back because of the authority issue.

Show Less

Notes:
Charged, dark story about a young boy who bucks conformity and stands up against a gang of peers at his all boys Catholic high school. Refusing to participate in the fund raising activity, main character Jerry is tested and tormented as he sticks to his principles. A great story with an

Show More

authentic voice for teens.

Show Less

Supposedly, this is a young adult classic, but honestly, I'm not sure why. It's just not very good. Sure, it's controversial (the characters swear and think about masturbation a lot), but that's not a good enough reason for it to keep being assigned in schools.

Also, I think the thing that should

Show More

make the book controversial is its portrayal of gross cruelty by students and certain teachers. Not that I'm worried that kids will suddenly become cruel just by reading this book (those who are going to be cruel tend to come by it naturally, after all), but if we're worried about exposing children to unsavory things, it ought to cruelty for it's own sake.

But what I really didn't like about this book was that although we're told there's a principle behind the actions of Jerry, who refuses to sell the chocolates, we're never told what the principle is. There's some suggestion that Jerry himself isn't really sure what his principle is, but in the context of the book, that's just not good enough.

It all started when Jerry is "assigned" by the Vigils (the school's student secret society, which doesn't actually seem to be much of a secret to anyone) to refuse to sell the chocolates for 10 days. He does (there's no suggestion that he even thinks about refusing the "assignment") but then continues to refuse to sell the chocolates after the 10 days are up, even after he gets another "assignment" that he start selling the chocolates. But why does he continue to refuse? Is it something about the chocolate sale itself, or is it about defying the Vigils? We don't know. The action of defiance seems to be more important than the principle behind it. I think Cormier got it backward.

Show Less

A disturbing look at violence in a small town catholic prep school, and one young man's attempt at "daring to disturb the universe" by standing alone against "the vigils," a group of thugs who rule the school, and sinister Brother Leon who is no better.

Absolutely must read. The movie is great too.