253rd out of 8,283 books
—
40,717 voters
The Chocolate War (Chocolate War #1)
Jerry Renault ponders the question on the poster in his locker: Do I dare disturb the universe? Refusing to sell chocolates in the annual Trinity school fund-raiser may not seem like a radical thing to do. But when Jerry challenges a secret school society called The Vigils, his defiant act turns into an all-out war. Now the only question is: Who will survive? First publish...more
Paperback, First Knopf Trade Paperback Edition, 267 pages
Published
September 14th 2004
by Ember
(first published 1974)
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This is one of my favorite books. I never read it as a kid, but I've read it several times now as an adult and it's still so beautiful. The writing is stark and concise, and so is the story, which is one of the most difficult plots to describe. This is one of those where you talk about the theme more than the actual story: "It's the best book about good and evil that exists," you tell someone, after trying to outline a chocolate sale at a religious boy's school that ends in a sadistic boxing fig...more
This book is one of the most censored books in the country for young adults. I read it for my censorship lesson for my lit class and I was honestly frightened of what I would find but it was easily one of the most haunting and well-written books I have ever read. Cormier is a genius of writing with layers. It's a deceptively easy read; easy in that I finished it in 2 days, deceptive in that I could read it again and come away reading something different.
Brother Leon is truly evil. His example w...more
Brother Leon is truly evil. His example w...more
I know this is considered important juv. lit. and amazing, but I disliked it very much. I can recognize that the whole point was to make you hate the fact that there is evil in the world and even you can become desensitized or mentally manipulated (the author is manipulating the reader, overall, and wants the reader to finally recognize it and question it at the end). However, this book portrays women as nothing but sex-objects (only briefly bringing women or girls into the picture for this purp...more
Reading this for/with the 8th grade. Mrs. LeVasseur had a pile of them and she highly recommended it. "Sure!" I says.
SO now I'm well more than half way and fascinated. I keep thinking that it's some big analogy for government and democracies or maybe the school is Russia and it's about communism. I'll have to check when it was written.
And now that I'm finished with it...let me continue my review:
I'm really surprised by the complexity of the characters. It reminds me of Watchmen in a way because...more
SO now I'm well more than half way and fascinated. I keep thinking that it's some big analogy for government and democracies or maybe the school is Russia and it's about communism. I'll have to check when it was written.
And now that I'm finished with it...let me continue my review:
I'm really surprised by the complexity of the characters. It reminds me of Watchmen in a way because...more
Allison Freeman
APA Citation:
Cormier, R. (2000). The Chocolate War. New York: Dell-Laurel Leaf.
Genre: Controversial/Banned
Format: Print
Selection Process: ALA’s List of 25 Most Challenged Books 2000-2009
Review:
Jerry Renault is asked to join the Vigils, a secret society or peer group (gang) at Trinity School for boys. The task he must finish to become one of the Vigils, he must say "No" to selling chocolates for 10 days. Brother Leon is infuriated by his refusal and many of the boys at the school f...more
APA Citation:
Cormier, R. (2000). The Chocolate War. New York: Dell-Laurel Leaf.
Genre: Controversial/Banned
Format: Print
Selection Process: ALA’s List of 25 Most Challenged Books 2000-2009
Review:
Jerry Renault is asked to join the Vigils, a secret society or peer group (gang) at Trinity School for boys. The task he must finish to become one of the Vigils, he must say "No" to selling chocolates for 10 days. Brother Leon is infuriated by his refusal and many of the boys at the school f...more
MY BLOG: Your Move, Dickens
I absolutely loved this book, which isn’t surprising since it reminded me of John Green’s novels. John Green is ONE OF MY FAVORITE WRITERS. Now, Cormier and Green are two completely different writers, but Cormier’s use of the T.S. Eliot line ‘Do I dare disturb the universe?’ reminded me of John Green’s use of literary references in his novels. Cormier only used a single line from The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock, but what a perfect line it is. It summed up the novel...more
I absolutely loved this book, which isn’t surprising since it reminded me of John Green’s novels. John Green is ONE OF MY FAVORITE WRITERS. Now, Cormier and Green are two completely different writers, but Cormier’s use of the T.S. Eliot line ‘Do I dare disturb the universe?’ reminded me of John Green’s use of literary references in his novels. Cormier only used a single line from The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock, but what a perfect line it is. It summed up the novel...more
The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier is in my top five favorite novels of all time and is definitely the best book I have read this year so far. The book shows us the cruelty of people and the amazing power of intimidation both by students and by teachers. The story concerns a Catholic school for boys which embarks on a massive chocolate sale mainly controlled by Brother Leon, who uses what he calls school spirit to try and get the students to sell all 20,000 boxes. Jerry, our young protagonist,...more
Here's the deal people, yesterday I was heating up my lunch in the kitchenette at work and had this book with me (because I was planning to read during lunch) and another woman asks me what the book is about. I tell her it's the story of this kid who refuses to sell chocolates at his high school, and then I realize that this sounds like the stupidest book in the world--why would anyone care about reading about fund-raising? I'll tell you why ladies and gentleman--because this book isn't about a...more
Jun 14, 2008
. r a c h a b e t h .
rated it
1 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
uh for once i have no idea. no one.
Recommended to . r a c h a b e t h . by:
for high school english. yay.
Oh god. You know? I honestly wish I could remember cool things from high school English, but whenever my roommate and I embark down memory lane, all I whine about is this book. What can I say about "The Chocolate War?" (Spoilers ahead, folks!)
It stinks. No seriously. Jerry's musings about "disturbing the universe" (poor T.S. Eliot) put me to sleep and I honestly couldn't wait for the school's secret society to knock the ever lovin' crap out of him. I may also be missing some grand message, but I...more
It stinks. No seriously. Jerry's musings about "disturbing the universe" (poor T.S. Eliot) put me to sleep and I honestly couldn't wait for the school's secret society to knock the ever lovin' crap out of him. I may also be missing some grand message, but I...more
The Chocolate War, by Robert Cormier, takes place in a Catholic prep school for boys. The main character is Jerry Renault, a freshman who is dealing with the recent death of his mother. Not only has Jerry’s mother died, but his father has become very depressed and is unable to help Jerry through this difficult time. When school starts Jerry puts everything he has into making it on the football team, and things seem to be going well until the lead member of the school’s secret society, The Vigils...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
Name: Josephine Wold
APA Citation: Cormier, R. (1974). The chocolate war. United States: Pantheon Books.
Genre: Controversial/Banned (also contemporary realistic fiction)
Award: The Chocolate War is one of the books Robert Cormier was honored for as 1991 Winner of the Margaret A. Edwards Award in 1974.
Format: Print
Selection process:
1) #3 on ALA’s List of 25 Most Challenged Books 2000-2009
2) Starred review from Kirkus Reviews
3) American Library Association (ALA) Best of the Best Selection
4) Selectio...more
APA Citation: Cormier, R. (1974). The chocolate war. United States: Pantheon Books.
Genre: Controversial/Banned (also contemporary realistic fiction)
Award: The Chocolate War is one of the books Robert Cormier was honored for as 1991 Winner of the Margaret A. Edwards Award in 1974.
Format: Print
Selection process:
1) #3 on ALA’s List of 25 Most Challenged Books 2000-2009
2) Starred review from Kirkus Reviews
3) American Library Association (ALA) Best of the Best Selection
4) Selectio...more
The bleak viciousness that is this novel made me really really anxious and depressed. I couldn’t wait until it was over. I skimmed the whole final chapter and I've been doing my breathing exercises for the past couple of hours to rid myself of the bad chemicals that are pumping through my body.
Ultimately this book is about:
How evil pervades
How pacifism is ultimately a violent act
Martyrdom gets you nowhere
How vicious children really are
Writing a vicious book about viciousness that assaults the re...more
Ultimately this book is about:
How evil pervades
How pacifism is ultimately a violent act
Martyrdom gets you nowhere
How vicious children really are
Writing a vicious book about viciousness that assaults the re...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
We were told to read The Chocolate Wars for English this year and my feelings went from being excited, confused, excited yet again then finally, disappointed.
I have always been a fan of books that introduce many characters and manage to make us care for all of them like the characters in the Gone series or the Shadows of The Apt series by Michael Grant and Adrian Tchaikovsky respectively. However, The Chocolate War is a very short novel and I personally do not believe it did a good job in the sh...more
I have always been a fan of books that introduce many characters and manage to make us care for all of them like the characters in the Gone series or the Shadows of The Apt series by Michael Grant and Adrian Tchaikovsky respectively. However, The Chocolate War is a very short novel and I personally do not believe it did a good job in the sh...more
The Chocolate War
By Robert Cormier
David Kwon
Plot Summery :
Jerry the protagonist is fighting the antagonist Archie, the leader of Vigils which is a secret student run society group. Archie may reflect only himself or he may represent the Vigils and Brother Leon. When the Assistant Headmaster Leon plans to raise money by selling chocolates, he and Archie form a kind of a partnership. Brother Leon gets Archie’s help in selling the chocolate and in helping, Archie gains nearly absolute authority ov...more
By Robert Cormier
David Kwon
Plot Summery :
Jerry the protagonist is fighting the antagonist Archie, the leader of Vigils which is a secret student run society group. Archie may reflect only himself or he may represent the Vigils and Brother Leon. When the Assistant Headmaster Leon plans to raise money by selling chocolates, he and Archie form a kind of a partnership. Brother Leon gets Archie’s help in selling the chocolate and in helping, Archie gains nearly absolute authority ov...more
My friend Vicki sent me a list of the American Library Association’s list of most challenged books of the last ten years. The Chocolate War was on that list, so I figured, what the hell! I’ve never read any young adult literature. This might be a good place to start! Let’s see what all the hoopla is about!
I can see why this novel has been challenged in the past. There are several references, and other clear statements, about what high school boys do with themselves when they’re all alone in thei...more
I can see why this novel has been challenged in the past. There are several references, and other clear statements, about what high school boys do with themselves when they’re all alone in thei...more
you read the blurb and ask yourself: it's a story about a school drive to sell chocolates?!
trust me, it's so much more than that. yes, it's fundamentally a story between good and evil but then you reach a certain point where you can no longer distinguish the good guys from the bad guys. you start to question the characters' motivations for doing what they do - why archie orchestrates twisted plans against everyone-the school administration, the popular kids, the bullies, even against the vigils;...more
trust me, it's so much more than that. yes, it's fundamentally a story between good and evil but then you reach a certain point where you can no longer distinguish the good guys from the bad guys. you start to question the characters' motivations for doing what they do - why archie orchestrates twisted plans against everyone-the school administration, the popular kids, the bullies, even against the vigils;...more
I Did not like this book at all. I had to force myself to finish it just because I hate leaving books unfinished. It is a story about a chocolate sale at a private boys prep school. The action revolves around one evil bully, an equally evil and manipulative teacher and their victim. I find it extremely unbelievable that one teenage boy could have as much power as the bully in this story does. The plot was completely ridiculous. I did not care for the theme of the book or most of the action of th...more
There's a reason why teachers have been using this searingly real and powerful book to teach about morality and the perils of group think for the past 30 years. It's because The Chocolate War is an amazing story, filled with characters of variety and depth, told by an author of supreme talent.
I really enjoyed this dark look at teenage life and the cost of conscientious objection in the face of severe peer pressure. See my full review on Bewitched Bookworms.
I really enjoyed this dark look at teenage life and the cost of conscientious objection in the face of severe peer pressure. See my full review on Bewitched Bookworms.
Aug 05, 2011
Ted
added it
Another superb, dark YAF novel from Robert Cormier. This book and I Am the Cheese are two of the coolest teen novels I've read because they don't sugarcoat or dumb down situations for teens.
In The Chocolate War, a secret society, the Vigils, are the proverbial inmates running the asylum. In this case, the bedlam takes place over Jerry Renault's freshman year at Trinity High School for boys. Jerry dares to defy the Vigils and its leader, Archie, by refusing to sell chocolates for a school fundrai...more
In The Chocolate War, a secret society, the Vigils, are the proverbial inmates running the asylum. In this case, the bedlam takes place over Jerry Renault's freshman year at Trinity High School for boys. Jerry dares to defy the Vigils and its leader, Archie, by refusing to sell chocolates for a school fundrai...more
This book was obviously not written for me, as I’m not a teenage boy. I get the conflict, the feelings and where they come from. I even found the characters more or less believable. I didn’t find the ending particularly satisfying either. In fact, I had to listen to it twice. Something about it that I can’t put my finger on is sitting wrong with me. Would I have been able to appreciate this when I was younger (and still not a boy)? Probably, but I’m not sure I would have put in the time. Would I...more
The reason The Chocolate War is a central novel to YA literature is it is the first YA novel to suggest that “evil might conceivably carry the day” (Cart, p.70).Goober best describes the situation at Trinity. “Look, Jerry. There’s something rotten in that school. More than rotten. He groped for the word and found it but didn’t want to use it. The word didn’t fit the surroundings, the sun and the bright October afternoon. It was a midnight word, a howling wind word.” (p. 151). Several sentences l...more
I picked this up as a teenager but didn't get past the first chapter. I don't remember why. It didn't grab me, even though I loved another of Cormier's books, Fade, which I read twice.
But I've since heard a lot about it, and this book can probably be considered a classic, so I read it.
What stood out to me was the beautiful descriptions and perfect pacing, and from the six weeks I have spent in a starchy boy's high school, disturbingly accurate picture of the atmosphere. The description of Broth...more
But I've since heard a lot about it, and this book can probably be considered a classic, so I read it.
What stood out to me was the beautiful descriptions and perfect pacing, and from the six weeks I have spent in a starchy boy's high school, disturbingly accurate picture of the atmosphere. The description of Broth...more
I liked how this book was written from different perspectives. You got to know how about 6 or so high school boys thought and what they were going through. Most books have you in the mind of one person and what other people's actions make them think, but you get to know more characters here and there thought processes and why they do what they do. I also like how this book deals with real problems that high school boys deal with. Maybe not specifically selling chocolate, but the choice to go aga...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
My overall rating for Robert Cormier’s The Chocolate War is 3 out of 5 stars.
Jerry Renault attends Trinity High School. Where there is always an annual chocolate sale. Jerry ends up saying no to selling the chocolates. He becomes pretty popular overnight with the rest of the students, but it gets him into a little bit of trouble with The Vigils, an underground organization of students. Nobody wants to mess with them.
What I liked about this story was how Cormier described what was always going o...more
Jerry Renault attends Trinity High School. Where there is always an annual chocolate sale. Jerry ends up saying no to selling the chocolates. He becomes pretty popular overnight with the rest of the students, but it gets him into a little bit of trouble with The Vigils, an underground organization of students. Nobody wants to mess with them.
What I liked about this story was how Cormier described what was always going o...more
I read
The Chocolate War
many years ago, and I still look back on the book as formative in my understanding the reality of the world we live in. I come from a global Christian worldview outlook, having grown up in the Philippines and having encountered Jesus Christ in a personal relationship since my teens. My background in a non-Western, "backwards" country that continues to struggle with corruption and evil in many forms (not to say that evil is not present in the neon lights of countries lik...more
The overall rating that I am giving for The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier is 4 out of 5 stars.
At a private school where a group called the Vigils, dominate the grounds, something as miniscule as a freshman, dares to disturb their power. Jerry Renault, a normal freshman, with a normal life, just wants to fit in. Yet, when put to the test to participate in the annual chocolate sale that is run by the Vigils, Jerry refuses to participate. Jerry’s defiance turns into something much larger than an...more
At a private school where a group called the Vigils, dominate the grounds, something as miniscule as a freshman, dares to disturb their power. Jerry Renault, a normal freshman, with a normal life, just wants to fit in. Yet, when put to the test to participate in the annual chocolate sale that is run by the Vigils, Jerry refuses to participate. Jerry’s defiance turns into something much larger than an...more
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| comedy? | 7 | 45 | Jan 18, 2013 03:49pm | |
| The Filipino Group: [Buddy Reads] The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier (Kwesi, Sheryl, Rollie, Carry, Maria & Po; Eavesdropper: Jzhun). Start Date: March 31, Saturday | 86 | 49 | Apr 20, 2012 09:28am | |
| Young Adult Book ...: Movie-The Chocolate War | 4 | 20 | Dec 20, 2011 07:27pm | |
| Young Adult Book ...: Final thoughts | 24 | 105 | Jan 19, 2010 08:51am | |
| Join in the discussions! | 1 | 11 | Apr 29, 2009 09:49am | |
| Young Adult Book ...: Characters | 3 | 29 | Mar 30, 2009 02:28pm |
Robert Edmund Cormier (January 17, 1925–November 2, 2000) was an American author, columnist and reporter, known for his deeply pessimistic, downbeat literature. His most popular works include I Am the Cheese, After the First Death, We All Fall Down and The Chocolate War, all of which have won awards. The Chocolate War was challenged in multiple libraries. His books often are concerned with themes...more
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“Cities fell. Earth opened. Planets tilted. Stars plummeted. And the awful silence.”
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19 people liked it
“He hated to think of his own life stretching ahead of him that way, a long succession of days and nights that were fine - not good, not bad, not great, not lousy, not exciting, not anything.”
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