Tolog Review: The Chocolate War

The Chocolate War
by Robert Cormier
reviewed by Mila Mendoza

Robert Cormier’s The Chocolate War tells the tragic story of a boy determined to defy high school conformity. Trinity, an all-boys Catholic preparatory school, hosts an annual chocolate sale led by a fear instilling, power hungry priest. Every student willingly participates until some scrawny, average, shy freshman opts out. The formerly mentioned freshman is Jerry Renault: a boy who was practically destroyed by football tryouts but somehow made the team. Jerry’s defiance causes quite an uproar as students begin admiring or hating him. The chocolate sale is not the only tradition instilled at Trinity: the elite, private school also is home to a circle called “The Vigils” whose ringleader, Archie, spends his days musing on how to mentally abuse people. After Archie and the Vigils discover Jerry and his noncompliance, I found myself unable to stop reading the Chocolate War.

This haunting novel focuses on manipulation, corruption, true evil, and the repercussions from upsetting the “status quo” while keeping the reader dying to know what happens next. In my opinion, Cormier wrote this book masterfully, but he does not hold back: the characters experience unbelievable amounts of cruelty to the point that some readers may not find it enjoyable. I personally loved this book for the very same reason. Overall, I found this book very enjoyable and would recommend it to anyone looking for a good read as long as he or she can handle a harsh viewpoint.