Rating: 
Summary: A realist novel, which teaches the truth
Review: Rarely does a novel describe the realities and hardships of a teenagers life. The book is misunderstood by most, and considered unhealthy for adolescents. The truth is, reality is not about goodies beating baddies, it is about coping throughout hardship.
Rating: 
Summary: A Gripping View of the Truth
Review: Although Mr. Comier's books may not pull one in right away (true for this book and "I Am the Cheese"), it is obvious that this writer had great talent in expressing the truth of all matters. After reading "I Am the Cheese" this summer as a required book for the entrance to the eighth grade, I grew to love Mr. Cormier's writing. His ways of expressing the themes and ideas through names and events is truly ingenius. To those who did not understand or like this book, I think that they might have not fully understood the true signifigance of some of the book's events. I am also very young and probably missed some of the concepts of this book, but the themes of the misuse of power and the intimidation by peers in high school are enough to shake anyone who is WILLING TO READ THIS BOOK WITH AN OPEN MIND. Caveat emptor to those with unliberal minds: this book is not for you. Be open to all ideas and writing styles. Please give this book a chance, ad be prepared to look at it from different perspectives. I do not recommend this as an assigned book. One should be referred to this book, but if they are forced to read anything it takes the pure joy out of it. Bottoms up to Mr. Cormier and all his books!
Rating: 
Summary: Not a page turner.
Review: This book was not a page turner at all. The whole book was based on a kid not selling chocolates. Page after page was just about a kid not selling chocolates and worrying about being beat up. The book was okay at sometimes and horrible at others. One of the better parts is when Jerry got into a fight with Janza and his gang. The horrible parts were when the gang was planning to do something or when the school and the gang were thinking up ways to sell all of the chocolates. There were to many different people and to many points of view. It was almost confusing at sometimes. A small matter that came up in the story could drag on page through page until your finally tired of reading about it.
Rating:
Summary: Quality work for a troubled teen
Review: I believe there is a little bit of Jerry in everybody. Everyone had the same feelings as Jerry at some point and time. That's what makes this book so perfect. Mr. Cormier captures this feeling very nicely. Time and time again you think I've been there, I've felt that before. When a book like this comes along you have to like and respect it. Archie's character is someone everybody can dispise, and hate. He aggrivates you with his arrogance. Everytime he reaches into the Black Box you hope that he pulls out the Black Marble. The fact that he never does aggravates you even more and makes you want to read more in hope that he does. The only thing that I do not like about the book is that it ends so abruptly. I wonder what happened to Jerry. Did he ever get to his father? Was he ever satified with his life? What happened to the Goober? Did he get his stuff together? All these things make me wonder. Maybe its just me but I would like to know.
Rating:
Summary: It's a powerful book.
Review: The Chocolate War is a very powerful book about mob mentality at a boy's prep school. There is a group at the school called the Vigils that give other students assignments such as making a kid unscrew all the screws in a classroom so that when people sit down everything falls apart. No one dares not do one of the assignments, which are given out by Archie Costello, the unofficial leader of the Vigils. There is a chocolate sale every year at the school where all the students are expected to sell 50 boxes of chocolates. Jerry Renault is given the assignment by the Vigils to not sell chocolates for ten days. He fulfills his assignment, but continues to refuse to sell chocolates when the asignment is over. He is at first seen as a hero, but he is then made to look like an outcast and a scapegoat by the Vigils who are blackmailed into this by the headmaster. Robert Cormier does a great job of depicting a high school controlled by a cruel gang, and a corrupt headmaster. It also shows that anyone can break away from a crowd, and stand up for themselves. Yet it also has a realistic ending that shows that there will be consequences to your actions. I definitely reccomend this book.
Rating:
Summary: a must for any teen
Review: This book was given to me in 10th grade and it was such a healing book to all of my tough high school career moments. Now, a junior, I am reading it again and has affected me even more the second time. In the book, things like the Vigils and Emile Janza, are such a reality in school that it has helped me stand up for myself, as Jerry did in his assignment with the chocolate sale. Cormier did such an excellent job by leaving certain thing unfinished or untouched; such as the brother Leon issue, and having you speculate for yourself, his reason for needing the chocolate sale money. Or how jerry comes out of the hospital at the end. If you haven't read this book, READ IT! And if you have, READ IT AGAIN!
Rating:
Summary: Fantastic. It left me thinking,"Wow."
Review: Robert Cormier has written a novel that explains everything from the most important details to the smallest characters and actions. This book was so compelling and superb that I read it in one day. I can't wait to get my hands on the sequel.
Rating:
Summary: An honest, moving depiction of trying to buck the system.
Review: When this book was first published, I was just about old enough to be in the "target" audience. However, here I am at 35 and I have just had my first exposure to this wonderful book! Reading it, I couldn't help but wonder how it might have changed my life during those early teen years by giving me hope and reinforcing my sense that being outside of the crowd isn't so wrong or always undesirable. I attended a private school run by religious not too different from those depicted in this book. And, one of the major events of the school year was a fund-raising drive which is remarkably similar to this book's chocolate sale. Is it possible that this book was kept out of our hot, little hands since it may have given us "ideas"? Educators: you do a dis-service to young adults by keeping this book away from them -- no matter what your reasons. Certainly, I wouldn't recommend this book for anyone under high school age. But it is wrong to let young ! adults live in the modern world without helping them to form self-awareness. This book could be the catalyst some young person needs to learn how to explain themselves. I should also mention that this is great reading! Robert Cormier is very talented.
Rating:
Summary: Sorry I didn't get a chance at this one as a kid
Review: I didn't read this wonderfully disturbing book until I took Adolescent Literature in college. It was a great read, and sparked more class discussion than any other title. Cormier did a great job, but I couldn't understand how he could let them do what they did in the movie (I'll let you see it). Growing up in a small, rural Arkansas town, I was deprived of books like this in school. I had no idea they existed, until a 9th grade teacher sneaked me a copies of Catcher in the Rye and Summer of '42. I wish she had known about Chocolate War!
Rating:
Summary: This is one of my favorite books.
Review: I actually read "Beyond The Chocolate War" before I read "The Chocolate War", and both have entered the small list of books I read over and over again. The lessons are powerful and the ending shows reality as it sometimes is - the good don't always win, and sometimes you aren't even sure who the "good guys" are. The characters are believable and what makes them tick is explored in depth. The level of manipulation used on some of the characters makes me feel sick when I read it, but the lessons the book teaches stay with you long after the book is done. A must-read for anyone with the maturity to handle it.
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