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134th out of 331 books
—
394 voters
Beyond the Chocolate War (Chocolate War #2)
The school year is almost at an end, and the chocolate sale is past history.But no one at Trinity School can forget The Chocolate War.
Devious Archie Costello, commander of the secret school organizationcalled the Virgils, stall has some torturous assignments to hand out before he graduates.In spite of this pleasure, Archie is troubled by his right-hand man, Obie, who has s...more
Devious Archie Costello, commander of the secret school organizationcalled the Virgils, stall has some torturous assignments to hand out before he graduates.In spite of this pleasure, Archie is troubled by his right-hand man, Obie, who has s...more
Paperback, 288 pages
Published
August 1st 1986
by Laurel-Leaf Books
(first published March 12th 1985)
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After reading The Chocolate War, I decided I should read the sequel. I'd been told it wasn't that good, but I actually ended up quite liking it despite its flaws. It's a different book from the first; it definitely continues the same tone and themes, but it's not quite as focused -- instead of one strong plot that winds tighter and tighter as the book progresses, this one has several different focal points.
Beyond the Chocolate War is more of a horror novel than the first. I realized after readi...more
Beyond the Chocolate War is more of a horror novel than the first. I realized after readi...more
This books usage of literary metaphor intense descriptive diction as well as highly intriguing characterization are what led me to rating it four stars. On the surface this isn't really a book that I would be interested in and the premise of the story itself seems somewhat immature at first glance. However, don't be mistaken this book is not only extremely opaque in its nature, its also amiably interesting. On more of a worldly perspective, people growing up expect their schools to be welcoming...more
Jan 10, 2013
Taylor Terriberry
added it
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
Written ten years later, this sequel takes place a few months after its predecessor. Jerry Renault returns to Trinity after recovering in Canada; Obie meets and loses a girl, and plots revenge against Archie for all the injustices he’s done; Carter does more or less the same; David Caroni, the blackmailed A-student, has lost his mind and awaits orders for revenge from his piano; and a student who loves magic has built a guillotine that may play a role in the students’ revenge.
This book is not qu...more
This book is not qu...more
Robert Cormier is my favorite author.
The incident between Renault and the Vigils has rocked the school. Only the Vigils' leader, Archie Costello, continues on harder than ever, undeterred by the challenge to the Vigils' authority. The other senior Vigils, Carter and Obie, know that Archie will be the ruin of them all, and make plans to bring him down. But will anyone escape the wave of destruction Archie is leaving behind?
This is, in my opinion, one of Cormier's darkest books. While The Chocolat...more
The incident between Renault and the Vigils has rocked the school. Only the Vigils' leader, Archie Costello, continues on harder than ever, undeterred by the challenge to the Vigils' authority. The other senior Vigils, Carter and Obie, know that Archie will be the ruin of them all, and make plans to bring him down. But will anyone escape the wave of destruction Archie is leaving behind?
This is, in my opinion, one of Cormier's darkest books. While The Chocolat...more
I chose this book because I found the first "Chocolate War" to be very interesting and thought I should continue the series. "Beyond the Chocolate War" continues the story from the end of "Chocolate War". The war is now between Archie and Obie. The Vigils want to ruin Archie's reputation before the school ends, but they're plans backfire on them. Despite all the efforts, Archie remains in charge and passes on his position to his "successor", who ruins the school the following year. My favortie q...more
I truly adore Robert Cormier, and I'll read anything he writes. I LOVED The Chocolate War, and it was only upon a fifth reading of that book that I realized there was a sequel, so I ran out and got this immediately. I wasn't disappointed with this book, but I didn't like it as much as its predecessor.
While this was written 10 years after the original novel, it takes place only months after the action of The Chocolate War. The end of the school year is rapidly approaching, and many of the major p...more
While this was written 10 years after the original novel, it takes place only months after the action of The Chocolate War. The end of the school year is rapidly approaching, and many of the major p...more
"That was the secret of the world's agony, and the reason crime—and, yes, sin—would always prevail. Because the criminal, whether a rapist or a burglar, loves his crime. That's why rehabilitation was impossible. You had to get rid of the love, the passion, first. And that would never happen."
—Beyond the Chocolate War, P. 45
"Find out a person's passion and you have him in the palm of your hand. Find out what a person loves or hates or fears, and you can play that person like a violin. Find som...more
—Beyond the Chocolate War, P. 45
"Find out a person's passion and you have him in the palm of your hand. Find out what a person loves or hates or fears, and you can play that person like a violin. Find som...more
Sep 20, 2012
Kelly Knapp
rated it
3 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
those who have read The Chocolate War
This book was no where near as wonderful as the prequal, THE CHOCOLATE WAR by Robert Cormier. However, it follows the events of that prequal near perfectly.
Set several months after Jerry's assault, we begin to see the events from the characters who initiated the events and those that actually carried the events to their heart-rending conclusion.
Jerry is a ghost of his former self and still recovering physically, but his emotional state may well be irreparable. Of course, the "vigils" at Trinity...more
Set several months after Jerry's assault, we begin to see the events from the characters who initiated the events and those that actually carried the events to their heart-rending conclusion.
Jerry is a ghost of his former self and still recovering physically, but his emotional state may well be irreparable. Of course, the "vigils" at Trinity...more
I actually think this book should rate higher than a three, but there are some parts of the story I really did not like and therefore I gave it a 3. First of all, I have not read the first book about the chocolate war and I was really confused on the beginning because everything is like fragments on the beginning. However, everything becomes clear after I finished the book and read the chapters in the book that I have confusion a few time. I know that one of the main character, Archie is wicked...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
As Jerry Renault is rushed to the hospital, he tries to tell Goober that he should never question authority and should follow their orders to stay out of trouble. The Chocolate War's lesson is that if you attempt to disturb the universe, the universe will react back, push you around and make you regret your decision. Beyond the Chocolate War, as the name indicates, is the sequel and deals with the aftermath of Trinity's crazy chocolate sale.
It's almost the end of the year and many things have c...more
It's almost the end of the year and many things have c...more
Exploring the aftermath of the chocolate sale and various participants plans for revenge, as well as the continued dominance and cruelty of Archie and Brother Leon. As much as one hopes and prays for the villains to get what they deserve, it seems that Cormier's overarching lesson is that there will always be evil and cruel people in the world and that it's up to the so-called "good guys" to decide how to deal with them. Will they turn traitor, stand strong and take it, end it all, or become wha...more
This is how a sequel should be written. Although lacking the singular focus and finesse of the first novel, it makes up for it by being more character driven and multi-layered. As a stand-alone I don't think it works, but for the reader who has invested a lot of commitment toThe Chocolate War and wants something more - more character arcs, a more concentrated look at each individual, more soul and beyond just another great, but superficial story, then this delivers in spades. Robert Cormier is e...more
The Chocolate War has a lot of events, but there's one clear focus: "What is going to happen with Jerry Renault?" This sequel gets more complicated, and more sinister as well. There are now several different stories to follow, but that doesn't make it confusing so much as overwhelming.
The tension builds to the point at which it was hard for me not to glance ahead, just to ease up on the pain. It's still hard to imagine a high school that could get this messed up, but I guess that's part of Corm...more
The tension builds to the point at which it was hard for me not to glance ahead, just to ease up on the pain. It's still hard to imagine a high school that could get this messed up, but I guess that's part of Corm...more
I loved the Chocolate War and thought I'd give the sequel a try. I knew it probably wouldn't be a good, but it's not too far off. The loose ends tend to be addressed. But what makes this book less powerful is the shift in focus from Archie (best antagonist in a novel?) to Obie and a series of other characters.
It additionally didn't have the same impact because I wasn't outraged at the end like I was at The Chocolate War. Not everything worked out, but there was at least some since of justice. A...more
It additionally didn't have the same impact because I wasn't outraged at the end like I was at The Chocolate War. Not everything worked out, but there was at least some since of justice. A...more
1 like · like · see review
I enjoyed the sequel way more than the original Chocolate War, which I felt moved too slowly and didn't have much at stake but it's best to read before going for this one). Everything is heightened in this book - there is more suspense, more at stake, with the boys on the verge of graduation. Archie has to pick a new Assigner for the Vigils, while the boys seem to be turning against each other. Those who seemed broken down at the end of the first book came back, and they had new resolve, new em...more
This book earned an extra star for effective cautionary tale elements. Both on suicide and peer pressure.
Best quote:
"You could have said no anytime, anytime at all."
However the actual story felt unfinished like Cormier was in a rush get the book out and didn't take time to fine tune it. It's hard to say exactly what is missing, but there's a lack of cohesion to the different story threads.
It made me wonder if he was setting up for a trilogy, but never got around to writing the third book.
Best quote:
"You could have said no anytime, anytime at all."
However the actual story felt unfinished like Cormier was in a rush get the book out and didn't take time to fine tune it. It's hard to say exactly what is missing, but there's a lack of cohesion to the different story threads.
It made me wonder if he was setting up for a trilogy, but never got around to writing the third book.
Close, but no Hershey bar.
Beyond the Chocolate War is the lesser-known and lesser-studied sequel to the legendary (And highly controversial) YA book The Chocolate War. Quite a few people who have read the original have no idea that this book exists, not only because it just doesn't have quite the same power as the original, but also because it was written a decade after the original book. Does this book still hold up? The simple answer is that it holds up in parts.
Firstly, Beyond the Chocolate W...more
Beyond the Chocolate War is the lesser-known and lesser-studied sequel to the legendary (And highly controversial) YA book The Chocolate War. Quite a few people who have read the original have no idea that this book exists, not only because it just doesn't have quite the same power as the original, but also because it was written a decade after the original book. Does this book still hold up? The simple answer is that it holds up in parts.
Firstly, Beyond the Chocolate W...more
1 like · like · see review
I read this immediately after reading "The Chocolate War" original. Like his first book, Cormier has one hell of a pessimist view of human nature. ;) Well, I supposed that's not completely true. Not to spoil the ending of this book for anyone, but some characters do end up doing the right thing in the end, or at least the nearest to the right thing they can get. While others continue to give adolescent boys a bad name. I enjoyed both books in the set. Again, there really aren't any prominent fem...more
1 like · like · see review
Good wins over evil in this book ... and that is why I think it and the original are banned a lot.
This book is the sequel to The Chocolate War. It picks up at the end of the year from hell for the main character Jerry Renault. In the first book, Archie Costello, the assigner for the Vigils made life miserable for Jerry, and in the end he was physically assaulted and almost killed. In the sequel the readers are able to experience Jerry's recovery both physically and mentally and see the impact...more
This book is the sequel to The Chocolate War. It picks up at the end of the year from hell for the main character Jerry Renault. In the first book, Archie Costello, the assigner for the Vigils made life miserable for Jerry, and in the end he was physically assaulted and almost killed. In the sequel the readers are able to experience Jerry's recovery both physically and mentally and see the impact...more
1 like · like · see review
This is not a book to read right after something good happens, because it will shatter your belief in the goodness of humanity. I enjoyed the way there were multiple story lines, though because it has been a while since I read The Chocolate War I did not remember who David Caroni was until a third of the way through. Cormier's writing is like glass snakes. I hope that I never meet a person like Archie Costello. Both Chocolate War books are like Lord of the Flies set in a Catholic boys school, wi...more
This book is a sequel and I haven't read the first book but I didn't really feel lost. The story is basically what parents would think is not happening to their children in high school. It might be scary to think that you can't be safe even in the most secure private schools, but it's the truth and we have to face that. The children need more attention than what is given to them. And this just doesn't happen in the States only. The truth is, this could happen even in our own neighborhood school,...more
Beyond a doubt the most depressing book I've read. Honestly, it didn't really add all that much to the ending of the other book, which is why it only gets 4 stars--that, and the fact that Jerry Renault was barely in it. It was sort of a reiteration of the same points as the first book. If it had ended one chapter earlier, it would have had the perfect ending, and 5 stars, but the ending just seemed over-the-top depressing.
This is one of the few sequels out there that is as good as the original (The Chocolate War) in the same way. This is definitely still the dark world we got to know in The Chocolate War, with its unflinching portrait of psychological sadism and clannishness among teenage Catholic school boys. But while it moves on from the events of the first book, suggesting what the future of the school and its secret society may hold, its plot is still driven by the effects of the chocolate war we learned abo...more
This book, obviously the sequel to The Chocolate War, serves only to tie up the first book's loose ends and let the reader know that life at Trinity School, which is already miserable, will get even worse. (Megan Dimmerling's review claims that good wins in this book; that's not true.) It's just a sequel, not the horrifying masterpiece of sick nihilism that The Chocolate War is.
Wow, this book was really good. Robert Cormier beatuifully wrote it. What I like about this sequal is that it picked off right where the first book left off after Jerry got beaten up by Emile. I think the characters were very well written and I always liked how each chapter is a different character POV on what is going on in their life.
Way better than the first one. Better writing, better focal points, better messages, better points to ponder. Much more satisfying and much less frustrating. Familiarity with the characters from the previous book may have helped but it really feels like this book's characterization is just better. It's much more serious, and darker, but far better handled. I might actually recommend it.
After I finished the first book I found myself immediately the next day racing to the library seeking this elusive sequel (at least, it was elusive at the time in 1999). I'll be honest, I really loved this book, though I can't say the same for others I've talked to. Still, I'd recommend it!
While not nearly as good as the first, this is still in the same field. This book is darker than the first, and focuses on other characters more than the protagonist from the first book. However, the dark ending for Renault in the first book is somewhat resolved by the end of the squeal.
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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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“It would be nice to avoid the world, to leave it and all its threats and unhappiness. Not to die or anything like that, but to find a place of solitude and solace.”
—
5 people liked it
“Sometimes I wake up at night in a panic. Wondering: What will my life be like? And sometimes I even wonder: Who am I? What am I doing here, on this planet, in this city, in this house? And it gives me the shivers, makes me panic.”
—
2 people liked it
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What a bitch! It's not like Obie ASKED his fellow Vigils to rape her. That guy worshipped the ground she wal...more
updated Oct 03, 2010 05:27pm