The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier
It was on the list, so I got it off the shelf. Immediately, I thought this might be a bad idea. Why? Because the cover describes it as a combination between Lord of the Flies and A Separate Peace, both of which I hated. Also, this is the oldest book on the reading list. I wondered why. Apparently, this is the first book that is considered young adult. Well, that seemed to explain why it was on my reading list. It had to be done, so I read it.
I'll be the first to admit that this book was nothing like the two books it was compared to. It was actually much easier to read, and stay focused on. I won't say I enjoyed it, however.
This book takes place at a Catholic boys' school in New England. There's a corrupt teacher, and a "secret society." We hear from several different character's perspectives. It's about a school fundraiser, and what happens to the one boy who decides he doesn't want to participate. It's not good, and the ending is a bit unresolved, as the reader doesn't know what happens to the dissenter.
What would have made this better, in my opinion, is knowing why Jerry didn't want to sell the chocolates. For the first two weeks, it makes sense, but after that, he doesn't give much of a reason. Then again, if everyone knew why he didn't want to sell the chocolates, it probably wouldn't have ended the way that it did. I also really wanted to see Archie get what was coming to him, but that didn't happen either. Those things were a bit of a let down for me.
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