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Type of bind: Paperback
EAN num: 9780375829871
ISBN number: 0375829873
Label: Knopf Books for Young Readers
Manufacturer: Knopf Books for Young Readers
Quantity: 1
Page Count: 272
Printing Date: September 14, 2004
Publishing house: Knopf Books for Young Readers
Age index: Young Adult
Release Date: September 14, 2004
Sale Popularity Level: 4220
Studio: Knopf Books for Young Readers
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Amazon.com:
Does Jerry Renault dare to disturb the universe? You wouldn't think that his refusal to sell chocolates during his school's fundraiser would create such a stir, but it does; it's as if the whole school comes apart at the seams. To some, Jerry is a hero, but to others, he becomes a scapegoat--a target for their pent-up hatred. And Jerry? He's just trying to stand up for what he believes, but perhaps there is no way for him to escape becoming a pawn in this game of control; students are pitted against other students, fighting for honor--or are they fighting for their lives? In 1974, author Robert Cormier dared to disturb our universe when this book was very first published. And now, with a new introduction by the celebrated author, The Chocolate War stands ready to shock a new group of teen readers.
Product Description:
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
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Rated by buyers 
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Another in the group of young adult books I bought for my wife to help her develop her reading skills before we get to the states and she has a go at attending college in America.
I had my doubts about this one when I picked it on Amazon, but it sounded kind of interesting in a "Dead Poet's Society" meets "1984" kind of way, and I gave it a shot. It was a disappointment.
For such a simple story, it seems that it would be easy enough for the author to execute one of the most basic tasks of novel writing: resolving the conflict in a way that effects a change in the main character. With The Chocolate War, however, Robert Cormier has not only failed to make a change in his main character - he has failed to even choose a main character.
** This review may spoil the novel a bit if you read further.**
That is, the author tries to have his cake and eat it too by maintaining two main characters - Archie and Jerry - throughout the entire book. Instead, however, he simply ends up with a big cake-y mess at the end, where nothing changes, the main characters engage in some final meaningless self-reflection, and the reader hardly cares.
The real disappointment is that there were multiple entry points in the final few chapters where the author could easily have chosen an effective outcome. Obie's anger, Carter's violent jealousy, Janza's self-doubt before it all gets started, the grey box, Leon's mysterious presence, and even Brother Jacques' cutting the power - any of these points could have lead to a more satisfactory resolution. But each of these points passed by quickly, as if the author were afraid to take up the task of resolving the story in favor of one group or another and instead simply let things peter out with no resolution, no epiphany, and indeed, no point in having read or written this story at all.
Don't get me wrong. I don't think that all novels need to follow cookie-cutter patterns, and I see nothing wrong with leaving some loose ends or some ambiguity about the characters' futures. But my final summary of this novel is that Robert Cormier had an idea one day and started writing about it, and then one day he kind of ran out of ideas, and at that point he stapled on the back cover and published the book. That's not post-modern or exploratory or playing with the medium of the novel - that's just bad writing. Not recommended.
Rated by buyers -
I would think that having some perspective on the world would help me to think more kindly on this book, but it doesn't. I read this book when I was in junior high school, a time when I should have been able to better relate to it. But I couldn't. The characters were flawed, yes, and that's fine, but I couldn't grasp anything redeemable about them either. Cormier's depiction of male teenage masturbation is something he seems a little too fond of, and is referenced several times throughout. Sure a young man's sexual awakening is an awkward and uncomfortable thing to address, but was it really necessary to address it that many times. Once is plenty. The Chocolate War isn't the only title that Cormier seems to favor referencing this as well and I also remember an interview that we read after having (unfortunately) read several of his other books, in which he said that in this title he had an entire chapter in which one of the characters masturbates and thinks a little bit. He decided to cut it out when he realized that it didn't help further the story along. This book also dealt with football. Now as I am not all that interested in sports or competition, it comes as no surprise that this was a book that was difficult for me to get through. But that is not to say that I wouldn't like it. Look at my review for Wait 'Til Next Year. That book was told in the language of baseball, and I loved it! But this book didn't win me over and neither did After the First Death. Robert Cormier is an author that I don't care for, and I honestly wonder if his books are geared towards young readers, or his way of working out some form of sexual repression for teenage boys.
Rated by buyers 
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Jerry Renault decides to "disturb the universe" by refusing to sell chocolates in his private school's annual fund-raiser. He angers the militant and ambitious Brother Leon, as well as the school's hazing-crazy secret society, the Vigils. Jerry is alienated and harassed for his revolutionary rebellion against the mob and its power-mad leader Archie. Excellent (though dated) story about adolescence and school culture and human nature. Disturbing and full of truth. Grade: B+
Rated by buyers 
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I think this is a great YA book. I read this for an assignment while getting my Masters in Library Science. While the book is controversial, a great teacher can discuss the elements in the book while holding the attention of the class. There are some great points of discussion.
Rated by buyers -
Where to start...
I must say, I stumbled across this book (vaguely remembering the title from my childhood) about a month ago. I try to keep tabs on the most recent banned and challenged books list, and I noticed, year after year, that it made the list, generally along with Cormier's other well-known novel, I Am the Cheese. One of my favorite poets (and the reason I write), Shel Silverstein, also consistently makes the list. Considering that Cormier's level of genius must be on par with Silverstein, I ventured to my local library and attempted to take out a copy. My, what a difficult book to find! For some reason, although there are more than a hundred copies in my library system, nearly half them seem to be in repair or lost. I'm not sure if this is coincidence or something else, but I'm not going to analyze that here.
One of the many complaints about this book is that it condones, and even encourages, violence. This is obviously, and not even subtly, false. Yes, the protagonist, spurred on by rage, revenge, fear, and a sense of regaining his position as "hero", decides to enter the ring at the end of the novel, after being manipulated by the novel's antagonist, Archie. Yes, he throws a punch and revels in the beauty of it. But wait! Wait for one moment. First, I'd like to reach deep inside of all of you. There is a little violence there, something a little wild, animalistic, stirring under the surface. If provoked to the level to which he was provoked, I am not ashamed of saying that I would also consider violence. But that's the key word, consider. Would I go so far as to punch someone in the face? Yes, I imagine I might. Second, Would I stop, as the protagonist does, and realize that violence pains me more than it pains my opponent? Yes, I'm also sure I would. Cormier portrays a stark, grey reality, but a reality, nonetheless. I'd like to quote from his novel:
"A new sickness invaded Jerry, the sickness of knowing what he had become, another animal, another beast, another violent person in a violent world, inflicting damage, not disturbing the universe but damaging it."
Does this sound like an author who condones violence?
The characters are real, and, maybe shocking to most of you who live in a magical land of unicorns and lollipops, quite believable. The novel, particularly towards the end, evoked in me a feeling similar to that when I read Lord of the Flies. However, it lacks the hysteric mania of that novel. Everything is calculated, well-planned, and executed flawlessly (for the most part). Does that make it more frightening than that novel? Surely. Does it make Archie a monster? I suppose that's how you choose to look at it. I both love and hate that boy, just like his underling, Obie.
Regardless of how you react to Cormier's characters, it is impossible to deny how much depth he gives them. Most of the time, without looking at who's speaking, I can guess. Each character has a distinctive voice, and I also enjoy that, as the novel is written in a third person omnipotent perspective, I can get into their heads, almost like a voyeur, realizing how completely their inner selves and outer expressions may contrast.
I do not mean to imply, through any of this, that I am a cynic or think badly of the world. Quite the contrary, I am a full-fledged optimist with some realism thrown in for good measure. However, what Cormier portrays is not far-fetched, merely bleak. It is not unrealistic, and in fact, from my own experiences and interactions, a little too painfully real.
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