Rating: 
Summary: Wow
Review: A plot so thick, you can't imagine. Great book, but I won't spoil it for you.
Rating:
Summary: Left me thinking "Wow" (Again)
Review: Amazing. The ending, outstanding. Makes you think what will happen, next...With Renault's life torn apart and Archie Costello gone, who knows what may happen...
Rating: 
Summary: Not as good as the original but defintely worth reading
Review: Beyond the Chocolate War continues the story of Jerry Renault, Roland Goober, Obie, Archie and the Vigils. Cormier's slightly gritty and truthful writing is a welcome change from the perfect worlds in many Young Adult books. He tells it like it is; the pressure of secret peer society, the need to belong in the world and the ever-tumultuous teen relationship. The sequel is definitely as good as its prequel, though I preferred the latter, and the addition of new and exciting characters such as Ray Bannister and Laurie Gundarson and a deeper probe into Jerry's injuries make this book suspenseful and disturbing as it looks closely into the face of evil. The plot twists and turns, with Cormier's mastery of the teenage fiction novel evident. Since this book was an easy read, exciting and full of adventure, I would definitely recommend it to teens and adults who enjoy suspenseful books.
Rating:
Summary: A Great Sequel to a Great Book
Review: Beyond the Chocolate War continues the story of Jerry Renault, Roland Goober, Obie, Archie and the Vigils. Cormier's slightly gritty and truthful writing is a welcome change from the perfect worlds in many Young Adult books. He tells it like it is; the pressure of secret peer society, the need to belong in the world and the ever-tumultuous teen relationship. The sequel is definitely as good as its prequel, though I preferred the latter, and the addition of new and exciting characters such as Ray Bannister and Laurie Gundarson and a deeper probe into Jerry's injuries make this book suspenseful and disturbing as it looks closely into the face of evil. The plot twists and turns, with Cormier's mastery of the teenage fiction novel evident. Since this book was an easy read, exciting and full of adventure, I would definitely recommend it to teens and adults who enjoy suspenseful books.
Rating:
Summary: I don't read much, but this book was wonderful.
Review: Beyond the Chocolate War is the squel to The Chocolate War. The book is about a Catholic all boys school. There is a secret society called the Vigils. With a guy named Archie Costello, the Assigner, who gives kids assignments to do or other wise you get his phycological violence. This happends in the Chocolate War. Afterwards there are many students who want to get back at Archie for his assignments. Who knows how far they'll go?
Rating:
Summary: Not as good as the original but defintely worth reading
Review: I have just recently read "The Chocolate War" in my 8th grade English class. I decided to purchase this book on my own and read it. This book is excellent but not as good as the original. Cormier will keep your interest throughout the entire novel. You really get into the heads of the characters in this sequel and see how the Vigils and Brother Leon have affected the student body at Trintity. I recommend this book as well as "The Chocolate War" if you have not already read it. This book kept my interest and made me feel as if I was a part fo the book. It should do the same for you.
Rating:
Summary: Peer orientation and its results brilliantly shown
Review: I have read "Chocolate War" and "Beyond Chocolate War" along with another book "Hold on to Your Kids: Why Parents Matter" by Gordon Neufeld, Ph.D. and Gabor Mate, M.D.
and I found those books complementing one another brilliantly. While "Hold on to Your Kids" presents a theory of peer orientation (looking for direction to peers) and why it is destructive to immature, young individuals, "Chocolate War" and "Beyond Chocolate War" demonstrates this theory in action.
Teens who have not yet achieved psychological maturity (defined roughly as being comfortable with oneself, knowing who you are and being able to hold on to your values and principles without letting another control you and make you compromise them)
and who do not have developed close and meaningful relationships with their parents or caring adults, stand no chance to achieve maturity and the sense of oneself when throw into a community full of the same immature young adults i.e. school.
Both "Chocolate War" and "Beyond Chocolate War" demonstrates intimidation and manipulation applied to young people who are unable to withstand it, because they are simply not equipped psychologically to handle it and who are also left "to fend for themselves" with no meaningful support of adults that surround them. Very sobering reading. Recommended to teens and especially to adults.
Rating:
Summary: An excellent sequal!
Review: I loved THE CHOCOLATE WAR, because of its non sugar coated reality of the very unchristian goings on in a Catholic high school in Monument, and because of the blunt and fascinating writing style. This author is not afraid to write what he thinks. He is not afraid of writing something that might offend people. He writes honestly and superbly. So I had to read the sequal, of course! AND I wasn't disappointed! This book focuses on what happened after the infamous incident of Jerry Renault being beat up by Janza in the boxing ring when he refused to sell chocolates. As the Goober held the bloody Renault in his arms, Jerry said, "Don't disturb the universe." This left all of the students at Trinity high in a state of guilt and apprehension. No one knew what to do next. Everyone was in shock that they has supported such an event. The infamous Brother Leon is now the headmaster of the school, and the Vigils are laying low but planning to become active again. Archie Costello, the assigner in the secret organization of the Vigils, wants to hadn out some horrible assignments before he graduates from Trinity. His best friend Obie, however, is not really participating in The Vigils meetings because his mind is always on his girlfriend, Laurie. Archie is training Bunting, a cunning and cruel sophomore, to take his place next year as the assigner. Bunting and his stooges fake rape Laurie, and Obie's life with her is destroyed. Hopeless, he decides to get back at Archie for all of the bad things that he ever did to him and the students at Trinity. He meets Ray Bannister, an outsider kid who likes to do magic, and is interested in him because he has a guilotine that he wants to use on Archie. This is a great, fast moving novel that all teens and young adults will love. Heck, even adults will love it! The writing style is brilliant, and the story line realistic.
Rating:
Summary: Cormier does it again
Review: I normally think sequels in books and movies are dumb. take the great movie jurrasic park and its sequel the lost world and you'll see what i mean. but i must say.. robert cormier is one of the best writers i've come across. i love his books! the character of archie costello is so evil, so uncaring that i think he may have made him a bit unbelievable... the switching from scene to scene with different characters was a bit confusing at first but i caught on. i dont really understand what was going through jerry renaults head. why did he have to "fight" janza again? all in all, maybe i'm biased, but i believe all his books are excellent
Rating:
Summary: I read the sequel 22 years after I read the original
Review: I read the Chocolate War in the 8th grade. It was one of my favorite books growing up. I read everything else Cormier wrote, until I went to college and "grew up". I had no idea that Cormier wrote a sequel until I came across it on Amazon. I immediately ordered both the original and this sequel. While it is not the book the original is, its definitely worth reading. If you know any teens who have not read these books, it makes a great present. Anybody who read the original remembers the characters and the final, disturbing scene under the lights on the athletic field. The original was about Jerry Renault, but the sequel is about Archie Costello, Obie, and the rest of the vigils. Its a good read, but not the great read that the original is.
|
