Rating: 
Summary: Chocolate Gone Sour
Review: The Chocolate War focuses on the defiance of a lone boy against his school. Jerry Renault, a lowly freshman, is given an assignment from The Vigils. The Vigils are a not-so-secret secret school society. Archie Costello is the Assigner of the Vigils, and basically the head of them too. Renault isn't the only freshman to be given an assignment.
The Vigils, with Archie's command, had 'volunteered' to help with the annual school Chocolate Sale. This year, Brother Leon needs help making sure that all the boys sell their quota of chocolates because the quota had been raised. The previous year, the quota had been 25 boxes per boy at $1 a box. However, this year the quota had been doubled to 50 boxes per boy at $2 a box.
The Goober is assigned to take out every screw in Brother Eugene's room so that at the slightest touch, the room shall fall apart. Goober, with the help of some Vigil members, completes the task, causing the breakdown of Brother Eugene. Meanwhile, Jerry is carrying out his assignment: to refuse to sell the chocolates for ten school days. Then, after the time limit was up, Jerry continued to refuse to sell the chocolates. Why? Read the book and find out.
I gave this book two stars out of five because at times it can be quite boring. Also, I think boys would enjoy this book better than girls.--Kathy--
Rating: 
Summary: Chocolate War- Inspiring
Review: The Chocolate War is a good book. It contains good writing, thoughtful ideas, and situations that kids can learn from. The book should be available to anyone who wants to read it. However, it does contain some stuff to make it ideally for kids 13 and over.
The Chocolate War starts out with the main character, Jerry Renault, trying out for the football team at Trinity High School. He gets beat up while playing, but he makes the team because of his determination. There is a gang at his school by the name of the Vigils. Archie is (unofficially) the leader of the Vigils. He writes out malicious "assignments" that designated students must do. Later in the year, Brother Leon decides that the school should strive for a higher goal in the annual chocolate sale. He overspends the budget in buying chocolates for the sale, and therefore eagerly waits for the sale to begin and for all the chocolates to be sold by the boys. Archie gives Jerry an assignment to boycott the sale for ten days. What happens next? read and find out!! I loved the book because of its message that one person can make a difference. Also I loved the message on no conforming.People do things just for the sake doing them, I loved how the book showed the flaws in that.
Rating: 
Summary: The benefits of conformity
Review: The Chocolate War is one of the best books I've ever read, and that's saying a lot. The characters in the book are some of the most well-developed I've ever come across, considering the book's length and complexity. The plot sounds stupid when summarized, especially the idea of a gang of students pulling strings and running the school like a puppet-regime. But it works, deliciously and realistically! I particularly enjoy the "evil" characters in the book. Archie and Janza are perfect. Leon is also a masterpiece. It's hard to pity Jerry. He almost has to be destroyed, or else the book wouldn't work. The characters I pity most are Obie and Carter, who seem like good guys who just got caught up in something bad. The book is realistic, almost to a fault, considering how many people are offended by reality. My advice: Grow up you retards. This book should be a measuring stick that all other adolescent literature is measured by. Once I started it, I couldn't put it down. The uncompromising ending works too. I first read it in high school, and since then, have probably read it a dozen times. The best of the best here. You can't go wrong with any Cormier book. Trust me.
Rating: 
Summary: A well written book of inhumanity.
Review: The novel, The Chocolate War, by Robert Cormier, is an interesting and truthful book. The main character, Jerry Renault, is a student who attends an all boys Catholic school. He is trying to be different by going against a school tradition of selling chocolates. Archie, a manipulative leader of The Vigils, a gang which is powerful and influential, and Brother Leon, a cruel teacher, are trying to force Jerry to sell the chocolates. Archie, who likes to intimidate people, is never embarassed, and is very powerful. He tries to hide embarassment by shrugging it off. Jerry faces a lot of trouble because he goes against the tradition of selling the chocolates. Although the ending is shocking and may not be for everyone, the author portrays a different outlook on writing novels. Instead of having a positive ending, he made his book a bit depressing. The ending can be liked or disliked depending on whether or not the person who is reading it is sensitive to violence and cruelty to others. Unlike other authors, Robert Cormier shows what life is really like and how people can purposely hurt each other. Although the ending is rather disturbing and inhumane, the book is well-written.
Rating:
Summary: The Chocolate War
Review: This teenage story takes place in a boys-only, private Catholic school called Trinity. The conflict encountered is one that any student in any school around the world could recognize. The Chocolate War, written by Robert Cormier, who has also published such novels as I Am the Cheese and After the First Death, is an excellent book for young adults. The book is written with a style and a vocabulary that would even be understood by a junior high student.
Jerry Renault is an active football player whose mother is dead and whose father is hardworking. Most of the story revolves around Jerry, but also looks at some of his friends like Goober, the receiver for the football team. The Vigils are run by the boxing club president and star football player named Carter. Primarily working for him is the student who makes the assignments, Archie Costello, who comes up with ideas to assign people. When assigned a job, a person must do it, or else they will be tormented by the Vigils.
Trinity is planning to conduct the annual chocolate sale led by Brother Leon. He has placed a large amount of faith in the boys to sell far more this year than they ever have before. He leaves out the fact that he spent more funds than allowed to do so, because the chocolates he bought were on sale. To spook Brother Leon, Archie comes up with what he thinks to be the most brilliant plan yet: to have the years previous top seller not sell any chocolates at all for the first week. That will cause a scare in Brother Leon, and show once again that the Vigils can do whatever they want. Unfortunately for Jerry, he was last year's previous top seller. He learns of his assignment, but will he accept it?
The story in general is to show the lives of ordinary private school boys put to the test. Every day, kids around the world are bullied by those bigger and older, and they constantly have to make the decision if they will continue to take the abuse, or if they will stand up to the group. The Chocolate War shows not only the Vigils encounter with the Jerry, but also with several others including Jerry's friend Goober and a brief encounter with a hot shot named Rollo. Jerry's decisions weave him down a winding road, which leads nowhere but to trouble. At one point, Jerry is jumped by a gang of guys led by Janza, a Vigil "associate" known for his love of fighting. Midnight prank phone calls and fear of being beat up stalk Jerry throughout the whole story. He finally gets his chance to fight back at Janza. Who will triumph, the gang of troublemakers called the Vigils, or Jerry?
There is plenty of material in this book that could be seen as "inappropriate" material to some extent. While understandable, I think much of this is presented in real life by the time a person has reached high school. Also, because not many books touch on this topic, I think it is important for more people to read this, rather than be sheltered from them. It shows a good lesson in life that is not often seen.
Throughout the book, the reader struggles along with Jerry in whether or not he should do as the Vigils say. The decision could affect the rest of his Trinity life, but that's just it. If he decides wrong, it will only affect him for those few years of high school. Those few years could seem long if the Vigils torment him throughout. While most readers probably can't relate to this exact situation, they have most likely encountered something similar. Thus, the relationship makes making it more thrilling to follow Jerry in his struggles with himself and the world around him.
Rating: 
Summary: The Chocolate War a peice of trash
Review: this was possably the worst book I have ever read, and I had to read Going Bananas. Not only does this book have no plot-why on earth did Jerry not sell chocolates it was also very poorly written. It gives people the idea that you should give up. And in my opinion we don't need books that tell people that they need to give up. The charecters in this book were very poorly developed, some of the male charecters acted like girls, and the book gives kids the idea that teachers are there to hurt them. the book had no climax at all, and what little action was in the book was pointless and could have easily been left out. This book would not pass the 4th grade writing test. Please take my advice and don't read this book.
Rating:
Summary: The Chocolate War delivers truth
Review: When the selected literature for my grade 9 novel studies was presented to the class, my last choice would?ve been the Chocolate War. In fact, I originally chose to read the Chrysalides yet again, but who could stand reading that book after the over analysis forced upon us by our grade 8 English teacher? Reluctantly I chose to read the Chocolate War instead. My first impression was another unrealistic plot, involving melodramatic teenage deficiency. Another example of human prejudice on my part, I was wrong.
After reading the book, I was awed. The tale, so dark and thought provoking was amazingly well written. Cormier?s the Chocolate War was an amazing portrayal of teenage angst and conformity. It was the most accurate portrayal of teenage recession, rebellion and corruption (although a little dramatized) I had ever read. Although many found its dark nature depressing, I on the other hand found its amazing ability to deliver truth, which is one of its characteristics I valued most. The story follows Renault, an insignificant freshman attending Trinity, a catholic prep school. His aspiration of making the football team is foiled when Archie and the Vigils (the school?s source of power and corruption) decide to intervene with his life. His life is dramatically changed when he is forced to refuse the annual chocolate sale, a symbolic tradition and is psychologically damaged. He pursues his own rebellion against the sale and against the power of the Vigils in hopes of change only to come to a tragic fate, and an even eerier conclusion.
Never a dull moment in the book, never a word lacking suspense, the cruelties and harsh realizations of the book were what made the book a masterpiece. I especially was impressed with the realistic characterizations Cormier made. The Vigils (especially Archie) were the kind of realistic villains lacking in other books, with the power to emotionally bruise and control using psychological force. Characters like the ruthless Brother Leon and his pursuit to sell chocolates made us realize the kind of corruption humans posses and the scenery, a catholic prep school composed of order showed us how easily the world is disfigured and corrupt.
The finest aspect of the book Cormier was able to produce though was its climatic ending. Bleak in its nature but so forthright was it delivered. The scene with Renault and Janza is still so fresh in my mind, the general hostility, the savageness of the boys in the stands, the demons we let our selves posses. Though, unresolved in many ways (as Archie doesn?t pick the black marble and does not come to the traditional antagonist end, Jerry receives no justice and everything goes back to the way it was), the ending was true to the nature of the book. It was compared to the cruelties of life and like life, which is not sugar, coated we do not always see our problems resolved, we do not always have a happy ending and we are the ones who suffer while the villains thrive in their corruption.
It is truth that authors have covered with happy endings and unrealistic solutions and I thank Cormier for having the power to be honest to his readers.
In the end I was really impressed with the quality of Cormier?s preaching and I recommend reading this book to anyone who enjoys dark humor and reality based literature. Cormier?s powerful messages will leave you stunned and will force you to look at things with greater perspective and ask, ?do I dare disturb the universe?? However, I do not recommend this book to anyone who does not like depressing endings because, it is in fact depressing. Other than that, give the book a try; I think many will enjoy it. As Archie Costello would say ?beautiful.?
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