The Chocolate War [Paperback]

Robert Cormier (Author)

Book Description

Release date: September 14, 2004

IN 1974, AFTER SUFFERING rejections from seven major publishers, The Chocolate War made its debut. An uncompromising portrait of conformity and corruption, it quickly became a bestselling—and provocative—classic for young adults.

“Masterfully structured and rich in theme; the action is well crafted, well timed, suspenseful.”—The New York Times Book Review

“The characterizations of all the boys are superb.”—School Library Journal, Starred

“Compellingly immediate. . . . Readers will respect the uncompromising ending.”—Kirkus Reviews, Starred

An ALA Best Books for Young Adults

A School Library Journal Best Books of the Year

A Kirkus Reviews Choice

A New York Times Outstanding Books of the Year

Editorial Reviews

Review

"The Chocolate War is masterfully structured and rich in theme; the action is well crafted, well timed, suspenseful; complex ideas develop and unfold with clarity."-The New York Times Book Review

"The characterizations of all the boys are superb...  This novel [is] unique in its uncompromising portrait of human cruelty and conformity."-School Library Journal, starred review

"The novel is cleverly written with a good sense of the realistic and a good ear for dialouge, qualities which will attract any reader."-Bestsellers

"Robert Cormier has written a brilliant novel."-Children's Book Revie Service

From the Inside Flap

IN 1974, AFTER SUFFERING rejections from seven major publishers, The Chocolate War made its debut. An uncompromising portrait of conformity and corruption, it quickly became a bestselling--and provocative--classic for young adults.

"Masterfully structured and rich in theme; the action is well crafted, well timed, suspenseful."--The New York Times Book Review

"The characterizations of all the boys are superb."--School Library Journal, Starred

"Compellingly immediate. . . . Readers will respect the uncompromising ending."--Kirkus Reviews, Starred

An ALA Best Books for Young Adults

A School Library Journal Best Books of the Year

A Kirkus Reviews Choice

A New York Times Outstanding Books of the Year

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Age Range: 12 and up
  
• Paperback: 272 pages
• Publisher: Ember; 30 Anv Rep edition (September 14, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0375829873
• ISBN-13: 978-0375829871
• Product Dimensions: 5.2 x 0.6 x 8.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (50 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #14,879 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars This Chocolate Isn't Sweet, but It's Very, Very Strong August 13, 2007

By Marcus Damanda

Format:Paperback

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.")

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars THE CHOCOLATE WAR August 16, 2007

By Drama/English teacher

Format:Paperback

[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.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars The Chocolate War Review May 21, 2007

A Kid's Review

Format:Paperback

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.