Rating: 
Summary: Relates to real life
Review: My name is Bridie and for literature my class had to read the book 'the chocolate war' by Robert Cormier. This book, relates to real life. Face it, on the television there are perfect people with perfect lives. No one ever swears or does anything bad. This book tells people what its like in schools. In the real world, that barley ever happens. Sexual references, perversion, pain, violence, mind games, greed, power, and corruption all do occur in a school environment. It can't be stopped. Its part of growing up. Cormier's book represents to me, that we all struggle to survive. He has a different perspective of things and that does tend to confuse the reader. Archie takes control and takes advantage of other peoples weaknesses. That's what I call a weakling. All you need in a school is a selfish snob and a bunch or people who follow him like sheep and you can cause a lot of trouble. The way Cormier jumped from person to person in each chapter was confusing but to really get this book across to the readers, you have to go each person and get their personality. I don't recommend this book to anyone with a short concentration span.
Rating:
Summary: missing the point
Review: Most negative reviews of this book focus on the language and references to masturbation. I found much more disturbing the fact that the girls in this book (for the only 'woman' that exists in the world of this novel is a dead mother of one of the main characters)are portrayed solely as objects for adolescent boys' fantasies - reinforcing a madonna/whore view of women. Additionally, despite the fact that the author is Catholic and has set this in a Catholic boys' school and telegraphed in the opening and closing chapters that the boy who is brutalized is a Christ figure, that symbolism is not discussed. At least one review has depicted the book as one that promotes collective social action as the only solution to combatting evil, as one individual cannot. Yet I find it hard to believe that this book can be adequately understood apart from a Christian theological worldview.
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: The Chocolate War
Review: The Chocolate War is a book about a corrupted teacher, an underground society, and a lone kid who stands up against them all, at a private Catholic School called Trinity. The entire ordeal begins when Brother Leon uses unauthorized money to buy 20,000 boxes of chocolates for $20,000.00. Usually, at the Trinity annual chocolate sale, students would sell 25 boxes each, at a dollar a piece, but with the extreme need of money, students are forced to sell 50 at 2 dollars a piece. This is the cause for Brother Leon to call in the help of the Vigils, a "secret", underground organization within the school. The group is led by the notorious Archie Costello, who dreams up pranks for some victim chosen by the Vigils to perform. One such victim is Jerry Renault, who is ordered not to sell chocolates for 10 days. On the eleventh day, he becomes the only person to defy the Vigils by saying "No." once again to a dumbfounded Brother Leon. Who will prevail, the corrupt Brother Leon and the Vigils, or Renault? The Chocolate War is an interesting book but has an undefining ending. Don't fret over that, however, because this is simply a lead up to the sequel, Beyond The Chocolate War, which is suggested for you to understand the entire aspect of the Vigils, Archie, and the shady Trinity Prep.
This is a very worthwhile book to an avid reader, although some may get lost in the plot.
Rating:
Summary: It was the closest book to reality that I have ever read!
Review: The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier involves a young boy by the name of Jerry Renault. Jerry is a quarterback at The Trinity. Trinity is a Catholic school where each year they have a chocolate sale to raise money for the benefit of keeping the school funded. This year The headmaster Brother Leon has decided to sell 20,000 boxes of chocolates. Because of the high quantity he asks the Vigils , a secret society of students from Trinity, for their help in the sale. The assigner of the Vigils Archie Costello gives Jerry Renault a assignment which tells him to refuse to sell the chocolates for ten days and then start to sell them. The only problem is after the ten days are up he continues to not sell them by his own will. Throughout the book Jerry has to deal with the anger and hostility he has caused by taking a stand. It seems that in the book Jerry is more then just a freshman, he is a hero who won't give up for his cause. The book explains lessons in life and shows how sometimes things don't always go the way they are planned. I would definately recommend this book to any teenager. Cormier's excellent way of perception and description shows the reader how talented he is. I have not read any of his other books but I would not doubt they have this same kind of inquisitve writing style as the one portrayed here.
Rating:
Summary: stupid and waste of time
Review: This book was stupid, confusing, and a waste of time. I really didn't get the point. If your in to books about guy's in a all boys school touching each others butt in the halls as a sighn of frindship. Boy's in gangs trying to pull pranks on teacher. Asking the same question over and over again weather or not the main charecter is gay or lonley. if you don't want to waste your time DON'T READ THIS BOOK!
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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: Powerful Book
Review: This is a good book with a powerful message. It starts with a high school freshman Jerry Renault being picked on by a secret school society called the Vigils. Brother Leon, a teacher at the school assists them in the harassment when Jerry refuses to participate in an annual school chocolate sale.As stupid as it may seem, the Vigils see him as a threat to them and the school tradition. I'll just tell you that they do some nasty things to him and those who admire him for his defiance (I don't want to ruin the book for those of you who haven't read it). All in all, it shows you that standing up for what you believe in and doing what you want to do is not always the best choice. Jerry didn't go along with the rest of the crowd and suffered the negative consequences for his choices. It's a good, suspensful, and exciting read, and for those of you who haven't read it, you should.
Rating:
Summary: Depressing, bleak and utterly disappointing.
Review: I expected to read a children's classic, but apparently, my definition of a classic is different than some people's. "The Chocolate War" is a book that wallows in hopelessness and despair. Adolescence is difficult enough without filling children's heads with the bleak, crude ideas in this book. None of the characters are likeable, parents are characterized as empty shells sleepwalking through life, teachers are either cruel and domineering or weak-minded and feeble. Finally, the students are depicted as sheep who act only as they are directed. The writing is poor with excessive use of similes. It seems every other sentence contains "like", "as if" or "a kind of". Examples of this are: "the smile remained on his face like a label on a bottle" or "the dial tone was like a fart in his ear". Huh? People "laugh as if it was some kind of joke". Awful. I don't understand why this is required reading in many schools. This book is supposed to depict "realism", but I think it succeeds only in revealing Robert Cormier as a misanthrope.
Rating:
Summary: Disliked teenage book
Review: This is a back and forth teenage life story. How a new freshman comes and expects to be different. But as the story prolongs he has to beg a differ. Even though the story might sound interesting you might want to first read more reviews. I will not give the story away but this is not a book you would want to read. The book starts off slow. It also does not stick to one plot. There are various points in the book. There are graphic teenage actions in the book.
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