The Chocolate War

Robert Cormier

Laurel-Leaf, New York, 1974

Genres: Violence, Body Self, Friends and Family

Reading Level: Young Adult (14-18)

Pages: 263

Summary:

Jerry Renault dares to disturb the universe, just like a poster tells him, and it's causing an uproar in his school. The annual chocolate sale has began, yet Jerry won't sell his share of the chocolates. Everything seems tolerable until the school's secret society gets involved.

Reaction:

Awesome book, but definitely not a happy one. The story really gets into some of the emotional issues that high school ages kids deal with, plus it deals with issues such as peer pressure, popularity, and standing up for oneself. The ending isn't a happy one, so don't read this book on a rainy day.

Cautionary Note: Language, Sexual references, violence, peer abuse, and rule breaking is mostly what the book is about, so don't expect it to be pretty.