Beyond Chocolate War

I was reading Beyond The Chocolate war by Robert Cormier.Beyond The Chocolate war is a sequel to The Chocolate War. So it would be better to read The Chocolate War first, so you under stand the book a whole lot better. I liked this book because it was very interesting with all the stuff that happens in the book. In this book there is about six main chracters, Archie, Obie, Goober, Jerry, Janza and also the headmaster Brother Leon.Also in the book is a mafia like group called the Vigils, which is led by Archie. The Vigils basically run the whole school, by telling them what to do and they do it in fear of what might happend if they don't do it. When some of the vigils do somthing to Obie, Obie willtry to kill whomever did that. If you read The Chocolate War, you would know that Jerry almost died during aboxing match that was put into because he didn't sell chocolate bars, well he basically wants to kill Janza for doing that and Goober feels like he let down Jerry last year because he didn't save him so now Goober will do anything to help.Now Ray, the new kid, is caught up with Obie and Ray is in a magic show with Obie. I think a young adult would like this better because they would understand it and it has some adult stuf in it that is not suitable for a fifth or sixth grader

Sequels usually end up disappointing me. Not the case with Robert Cormier's Beyond the Chocolate War. He is rapidly earning his spot on the mantle with my other favorite authors, up there with J.D. Salinger, J.K. Rowling, and C.S. Lewis. Although, he may need 2 initials in front of his name to be a permanent member. He launches us right back into the action with a guillotine on the first page. Actually, it's in the first sentence. And the action never stops. What I love most about his action is its Catholic school, teen angst, secret society tension. Unlike those sequels that die on the vine that the last book grew up on, Cormier's novel utilizes the first semester trials of Archie, Goober, Renault, and others as a strong beginning to a powerful second semester ending. Not afraid to wrestle with some serious issues that writers, in general, have bowed away from - Rape, Suicide, Murder, Revenge, Drugs - Cormier tackles them all with a tremendous universality that (like all good fiction - yes, even YA) questions those desires that we find wrapped up within the fabric of our humanity. Reviewed by Jonathan Stephens

Robert Cormier herein revisits the scene of his initial Young Adult literary triumph, The Chocolate War. Readers will recall the setting of Trinity High, a Catholic all-boys school set in fictional Monument, MA, and the downbeat ending, as Jerry Renault, the only boy to defy the corrupt powers-that-be, is seduced and destroyed by the false promise of vengeance (Familiarity with The Chocolate War is not a prerequisite, although helpful; Beyond stands on its own). The Chocolate War posited a claustrophobic world run by fear, where adult authority was indifferent (Jerry's father) or weak (Brother Eugene); women were more or less nonexistent. Violence, and the threat of violence, was the only currency; conformity the only defense against it. In Beyond the Chocolate War, Cormier has broadened his scope; the larger world intrudes, with its adults and girls. The central character of Beyond is Obie, the assistant to Archie, the undisputed leader of the Vigils, Trinity's secret student organization. The Vigils rule Trinity with an unquestioned quiet reign of intimidation; Brother Leon, the oleaginous headmaster, accepts the Vigils as a sort of unofficial Hitler Youth. The stage is set when Obie finds an interest outside the confines of Trinity and the Vigils: a girlfriend. Obie's relationship with Laurie is all-consuming to him, in the manner of first love. Unfortunately, rumor of his membership in the Vigils, and their awful antics, cool Laurie's interest, leaving Obie crushed and bent on revenge against Archie as the perceived author of his fate. Archie also faces other challenges. Alarmed by Archie's plot to embarrass Trinity's faculty and bishop, Carter, the Vigils' nominal president, secretly tells Brother Leon. Graduation looms; will Archie have sufficient time to indoctrinate the next generation of Vigils? His protégé, Bunting, is willing enough, but is more brute than Machiavelli. Meanwhile, Jerry Renault must face his own fear: how does one live in dignity when violence is threatened at every turn? Cormier deftly handles these complex themes. Personal responsibility, ambiguity and the transience of human relationships are explored. Violence still exists, but not to the exclusion of other means of communication. As in life, Cormier provides no easy answers or certainties, only the possibility that hope exists (in equal measure to violence) if one has the moral courage to reach for it.

The sequel is about the aftermath of the chocolate sales. It takes a more cynical look at human nature, showing that no one is perfect. Dark, suspenseful, and sad, but a wonderful read. One of my favourite book

This novel focuses on what occurs after the infamous Chocolate incident. Trinity was scarred by the event, in which cancer-like distortions ripple through the students. The entire school corrupts, and time ticks toward multiple plots of revenge directed at the Vigils, the faculty, and Archie Costello himself. Cormier's characterizations are elaborated in this sequel, and you see different side to each student that you've never thought possible. Everyone has a dark side, a lust of blood. What made this book a winner was how Robert depicted everyone's mind. David Caroni's insanity was constructed in an absolute genius fashion. However, it's complexity decreased it's appeal, and the intellectual brooding after I read the Chocolate War didn't happen as long as it did here. Still, an excellent "what-happens-afterward" story, but not as powerful as it's predessesor.