Customer Reviews

Beyond the Chocolate War

5 star:		(19)
4 star:		(15)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This novel focuses on what occurs after the infamous Chocolate incident. Trinity was scarred by the event, in which cancer-like distortions ripple through the students. The entire school corrupts, and time ticks toward multiple plots of revenge directed at the Vigils, the faculty, and Archie Costello himself.

Cormier's characterizations are elaborated in this sequel, and you see different side to each student that you've never thought possible. Everyone has a dark side, a lust of blood. What made this book a winner was how Robert depicted everyone's mind. David Caroni's insanity was constructed in an absolute genius fashion.

However, it's complexity decreased it's appeal, and the intellectual brooding after I read the Chocolate War didn't happen as long as it did here. Still, an excellent "what-happens-afterward" story, but not as powerful as it's predessesor.

Anyone familiar with Cormier's books knows of his pitch-black view of human nature, so the outcome of this follow-up to TCW will not surprise in that regard.

However, this predictability does not go far in making this book a compelling read, especially when you figure out the themes are pretty much identical to the first installment.

I had very high hopes for this book. Cormier's writing is top notch, as is his character development, and even by the first 3/4 of the book, you are primed for greatness. Even the back of the book leads you to believe that some monumental (no pun intended) retribution lies in wait for Archie and his evil minions. But, instead, we get the same old denouements in a different wrapper.

Now, I like dark books and don't particularly enjoy happy endings if they're not believable, but this book's unhappy endings are no more plausible. At the time and place of the original book --- before the horrific "showdown" on the athletic field --- it was somewhat imaginable that things would remain status quo at Trinity. But after those events, and the subsequent seismic rumblings that follow (which the sequel expends great effort at communicating to the reader), it is unimaginable that here be no real repercussions (aside from the suicide of one character that, while masterfully drawn, doesn't address the vileness of the school and it's roots of evil --- or where that evil comes from).

I would have preferred some interaction from the many mute parents (including David Caroni's parents or Jerry Renault's dad) that could have really ignited a powderkeg under the whole affair.

Good fiction contain lots of conflict, and there just isn't enough to warrent the amount of text here. It's a lot of energy to expend only to see the same scapegoats hauled out and abused again and again. Real people --- at least not all --- are seldom so cowed by tyranny, unless it's executed by a more omnicient force, such as goverment. And the Vigils aren't on that caliber, not even close.

The novel, Beyond the Chocolate War, is the second of two books that provide riveting and heart-breaking stories that take place throughout the high school years. The novel is set in an elite, private, Christian high school for young men. Located within, is the secret society, the Vigils and their calm yet menacing leader, Archie Costello. The Vigils assign deadly tasks to meek students, which keep an undercurrent of discipline, evil, and extreme fear throughout the student body. In the beginning of the book, Archie realizes that his right hand man, Obie, is abandoning him and the Vigils, because Obie realizes that without Archie, his life wouldn't be falling into pieces. Thus, he sets up a plan to end Archie's life in front of the entire school. With the help of a new and lonely teen, by the name of Ray Bannister, and Ray's magic, fool proof guillotine, Obie cleverly is able to get Archie to put his head on the block during the last day of school before graduation. With the guillotine rigged, Obie confidently pushes the button to make the blade slice through human skin.
I would definitely recommend this book, especially to teens. The novel touches on topics such as suicide, loneliness, depression, anger and jealousy, all of which are common problems in the high school years, and the reader is able to connect to it with his or her own past dilemmas.

This book was not nearly as good as the previous one, Beyond the Chocolate War. I kept reading it, hoping it would get better, thinking it had to get better, but it never did. It seems like Cormier is trying to say that in the end the evil side is going to win anyway, so there's no point in even trying to beat them. I felt so confused and wondered what happened to people when the book ended. I needed a whole lot more closure. Were Jerry and Goober still friends or did they just ditch each other? Was Archie really evil or was there something else behind his plots? I'm just confused and disappointed in the novel. If you liked the first one, don't ruin it by reading this one.

Robert Cormier herein revisits the scene of his initial Young Adult literary triumph, The Chocolate War. Readers will recall the setting of Trinity High, a Catholic all-boys school set in fictional Monument, MA, and the downbeat ending, as Jerry Renault, the only boy to defy the corrupt powers-that-be, is seduced and destroyed by the false promise of vengeance (Familiarity with The Chocolate War is not a prerequisite, although helpful; Beyond stands on its own).

The Chocolate War posited a claustrophobic world run by fear, where adult authority was indifferent (Jerry's father) or weak (Brother Eugene); women were more or less nonexistent. Violence, and the threat of violence, was the only currency; conformity the only defense against it. In Beyond the Chocolate War, Cormier has broadened his scope; the larger world intrudes, with its adults and girls.

The central character of Beyond is Obie, the assistant to Archie, the undisputed leader of the Vigils, Trinity's secret student organization. The Vigils rule Trinity with an unquestioned quiet reign of intimidation; Brother Leon, the oleaginous headmaster, accepts the Vigils as a sort of unofficial Hitler Youth. The stage is set when Obie finds an interest outside the confines of Trinity and the Vigils: a girlfriend. Obie's relationship with Laurie is all-consuming to him, in the manner of first love. Unfortunately, rumor of his membership in the Vigils, and their awful antics, cool Laurie's interest, leaving Obie crushed and bent on revenge against Archie as the perceived author of his fate.

Archie also faces other challenges. Alarmed by Archie's plot to embarrass Trinity's faculty and bishop, Carter, the Vigils' nominal president, secretly tells Brother Leon. Graduation looms; will Archie have sufficient time to indoctrinate the next generation of Vigils? His protégé, Bunting, is willing enough, but is more brute than Machiavelli.

Meanwhile, Jerry Renault must face his own fear: how does one live in dignity when violence is threatened at every turn? Cormier deftly handles these complex themes. Personal responsibility, ambiguity and the transience of human relationships are explored. Violence still exists, but not to the exclusion of other means of communication. As in life, Cormier provides no easy answers or certainties, only the possibility that hope exists (in equal measure to violence) if one has the moral courage to reach for it.

This book brings to life a common adolescent fantasy; the idea of a secret high school organization that pulls fantastic pranks, and which is universally feared by the student body is a powerful one.

There are several strong characters; a misfit new kid who practices magic, the thuggish enforcer, the diabolical mastermind, the athletic betrayer, and Obie, the closest thing the book has to a protagonist (although he is less central than a protagonist usually is).

Cormier examines the ethical issues that members of the student body face from inside and outside of the Vigils. How much is enough when it comes to stunts and mean-spirited practical jokes? Where does the power of an organization lie, and why? What constitutes the balance between friendship, loyalty, and betrayal?

While I like the idea behind a grim and gritty look at the secret life of high school students, I can't say I enjoyed the execution at all. The book takes itself too seriously, as do the characters involved. The heavy tone would be more understandable if it was presented in the spirit of realism, but the proceedings never have that touch of believability that is needed to make fiction compelling. It comes off as a second-rate soap opera presented to the tastes of an adolescent male audience.

We live in a world where many high schools have gangs, and those gangs maintain their status by perpetrating violence against those who cross some threshold of behavior. But in this world, there is a gang that rarely if ever resorts to violence, and yet which is so feared and respected that not a single student in the school will deny their fear of them. Even students from other schools know about the terrible Vigils. This is just too unbelievable a setup to be presented in such a serious manner.

The interactions between the characters are rarely believable, mostly because of the extreme (and extremely simple) reactions that the characters experience. For example, Carter, a strong, athletic individual, decides to tip off the administration about an impending prank. When Archie, the cold-blooded leader of the Vigils, suspects Carter, he begins making a series of harassing phone calls. Carter finds this to be so terrifyingly traumatic that he becomes a twisting bundle of agonized nerves, and his fear ruins his life.

Another problem I had is that there were just too many competing storylines, some of which failed to reach a satisfactory conclusion.

I came into this book cold, and that might have been part of my problem. The Chocolate War might have established this world and these characters in such a way that the book's weaknesses could be overlooked. But this is one sequel that definitely doesn't stand alone.

I was reading Beyond The Chocolate war by Robert Cormier.Beyond The Chocolate war is a sequel to The Chocolate War. So it would be better to read The Chocolate War first, so you under stand the book a whole lot better. I liked this book because it was very interesting with all the stuff that happens in the book.

In this book there is about six main chracters, Archie, Obie, Goober, Jerry, Janza and also the headmaster Brother Leon.Also in the book is a mafia like group called the Vigils, which is led by Archie. The Vigils basically run the whole school, by telling them what to do and they do it in fear of what might happend if they don't do it. When some of the vigils do somthing to Obie, Obie willtry to kill whomever did that. If you read The Chocolate War, you would know that Jerry almost died during aboxing match that was put into because he didn't sell chocolate bars, well he basically wants to kill Janza for doing that and Goober feels like he let down Jerry last year because he didn't save him so now Goober will do anything to help.Now Ray, the new kid, is caught up with Obie and Ray is in a magic show with Obie.

I think a young adult would like this better because they would understand it and it has some adult stuf in it that is not suitable for a fifth or sixth grader

Sequels usually end up disappointing me. Not the case with Robert Cormier's Beyond the Chocolate War. He is rapidly earning his spot on the mantle with my other favorite authors, up there with J.D. Salinger, J.K. Rowling, and C.S. Lewis. Although, he may need 2 initials in front of his name to be a permanent member.

He launches us right back into the action with a guillotine on the first page. Actually, it's in the first sentence. And the action never stops. What I love most about his action is its Catholic school, teen angst, secret society tension. Unlike those sequels that die on the vine that the last book grew up on, Cormier's novel utilizes the first semester trials of Archie, Goober, Renault, and others as a strong beginning to a powerful second semester ending.

Not afraid to wrestle with some serious issues that writers, in general, have bowed away from - Rape, Suicide, Murder, Revenge, Drugs - Cormier tackles them all with a tremendous universality that (like all good fiction - yes, even YA) questions those desires that we find wrapped up within the fabric of our humanity.

Reviewed by Jonathan Stephens

I have just recently read "The Chocolate War" in my 8th grade English class. I decided to purchase this book on my own and read it. This book is excellent but not as good as the original. Cormier will keep your interest throughout the entire novel. You really get into the heads of the characters in this sequel and see how the Vigils and Brother Leon have affected the student body at Trintity. I recommend this book as well as "The Chocolate War" if you have not already read it. This book kept my interest and made me feel as if I was a part fo the book. It should do the same for you.

This is a great book, and a worthy sequel to Robert Cormier's outstanding book The Chocolate War. I was afraid that the sequel would not live up to the standards set by its predecessor, but it lives up to expectations, and even passes the level of quality in the Chocolate War. It's everything you want in a sequel.
The book starts out slow, but then you realize it starts it out slow for a reason, as it needs to introduce some key characters and plots that will be in play in the book. It soon gets into the action, though, with robert Cormier doing what he does best: Making Archie manipulate others, even manipulating his two top officers, Carver and
Obie. This book touches on subjects that other young adult authors don't, such as rape, extortiong, and cruelty in schools.And at the end, everything culminates into an immensely satisfying conclusion.