Rating: 
Summary: Odd But Good
Review: I like this book, despite the fact that is outdated (but aren't all classics??? i.e. treasure island, last of the mohecans, maniac magee, the light in the forest) has an odd way of writing ( I like that) and has some term you wouldn't normally want. I recommend it for people who think different.
Rating: 
Summary: Dark, Disturbing, and Inane
Review: It's not a "nice" book. There are no heroes, no one to root for, and the good guys don't win. But in "The Chocolate War," Robert Cormier does more than just tell a story. He explores the human soul. Then why did I give it only two stars? Because he got it wrong. The characters that inhabit this book are exaggerations of real high school students. Their actions are unrealistic but the entire piece has the feeling that Cormier thinks he's onto something big. Jerry is a caricature of the nice little kid who gets caught in the middle. Archie is a caricature of the cruel neighborhood bully and his lust for power. In fact, everybody is a caricature of some real high schooler. The whole book has the feel of a Loony Toon that the reader is supposed to take seriously. "The Chocolate War" escapes the dreaded one star review by containing precious few elements that really are pertinent to teenagers. Case in point: The much-challenged masturbation issue. Robert Cormier teaches us that all teens have sexual feelings and we're not alone if we want to express them. So there you have it; aside from some few points of interest to real teenagers, Cormier's "cruel, cold world of high school" goes way over the top. I should know; I live there.
Rating: 
Summary: This book is one of the most important I have ever read
Review: When i was younger I did not understand this book. It has stayed with me as I grew and has become one of my favorites. Everyone could learn some hard lessons from this. One of the only realistic books aimed at young, modern, readers I have experienced. painfully honest and rare in it's viewsl. On par with "Catcher In the Rye" in my mind.
Rating:
Summary: This book has a lesson for young adult readers.
Review: The Chocolate War, by Robert Cormier, is not one of the best books I've ever read but it's still better than most young adult books because it teaches valuable lessons. This takes place in New England, in a Catholic school called Trinity Collage. In this school there's a "mafia" called The Vigils. The president was Carter but of course the head of The Vigils was The Assigner, Archie Costello who was always one step ahead of everyone. The secretary, the one who alternately hated and admired Archie was Obie. Brother Leon, indirectly asked The Vigils to help the school raise funds, and that's the reason why the school existance always depended on The Vigils. Jerry Renault, a high school boy, was persued to refuse to sell the chocolates in the school sale, so he refused to sell the chocolates. After the ten days he was supposed to sell, he was then told to sell the chocolates, this time he refused to do everything they told him. Then Jerry turns from hero to outcast, left alone and vulnerable. I really don't like Robert's way of writing, I hate books with many short chapters, worst when they always begin without continuing what the previous was talking about. On the other hand, many lessons are clearly showed to the reader. I like books whose goal is to teach you something and the author makes a great job at it. I also enjoyed this book 'cause it ends in a realistic way, not like others which always have happy endings.
Rating:
Summary: This is a great book!
Review: Robert Comier is a magnifiscent writer. He beautifully tells the story of teenage boys attending a private, catholic, highschool. But, the story goes much deeper than that, and there are wonderful surprises at each turn of the page. You'll have your head in the book the entire day!
Rating: 
Summary: Do I dare disturb the universe- Teachers-
Review: I really HATED The Chocolate War. Then why did I give it a 5? Either Cormier's writing style fits you or it doesn't. The book had graphic violence, profanity and sexual scenes. Some people actually like this. While reading Amazon's reviews, people either really hated it (1) or loved it (10). This is a total matter of taste and i respect that. Teachers: Do not make all your students read this. Some will despise it, and some will admire it. My teacher made me read it and I hated it. Class is so much less enjoyable when discussing a book you hate:
Rating:
Summary: one of the few worthwhile young adult books
Review: Granted, it has been some time since I read this novel, at least twelve years, back when I was a member of the target audience. What I remember most about this novel, as well as all of Cormier's other books, is the fact that it is actually about something. I credit Robert Cormier a lot with influencing my adult tastes in literature. Most young adult novels are drivel, with tacked-on, inappropriate happy endings, striping away any seeming integrity and banishing those books to that netherworld of mediocrity. Kids don't always need happy endings. It is the rare book at all that pulls off a satisfying conclusion with bells and smiles and weddings and wealth. Cormier, fortunately, managed to express a deep story arguing for indepentant thought and anti-authoritarian politics in such an unexpected format. OK, I'll admit it, I love sad stories. I love withering and feeling the pain and misery of oppressed narrators and defeated heroes. These endings seem more realistic, no last minute rescues, no heavenly intervention, just cold, harsh reality, drying up hope and explaining what the world is truly like. I miss Robert Cormier. I wish more people would rediscover is unrecognized genius.
Rating: 
Summary: this book is a disgrace to novels everywhere
Review: I, a sixth grader from a good suburban school, shudder at the fact that people actually rated this a ten. The ending and the whole entire book was a let down the entire way. The climax was %*&@# and the resolution was that also.
Rating:
Summary: awesome- I mean, pretty good, for some part of it
Review: ok, I was reading some of the reviews up there and I can't quite believe there are people rating it an 1. Even though then I discovered there IS something missing in the book, the whole conduct is still beautiful. What was missing is a more convincing ending, is what I think. Well, I haven't found out what "Beyond the Chocolate War" is about, just gonna check it out after finishing this, and to find if there is a satisfactory ending
Rating:
Summary: save yourself a few nightmares--don't read this novel!
Review: I read this book two years ago, in eighth grade. I can vividly remember despising it. It disurbed me in a way I didn't think possible. I managed to force this book down in a day, and it was probably one of the worst days of my life. It's simply an extraordinarily unsettling, disturbing tale about one boy's decision to go against the norm and abandon tradition. It left me with an extremely sick feeling that I'd like to forget. I don't care how well the author writes---this book simply isn't worth it. I don't understand why I was assigned to read this novel--I somehow missed the educational value. It's truly awful. Save this book for when you feel like depressing yourself beyond belief.
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