The Chocolate War

Cormier, Robert. The Chocolate War. 2004. 267p. ISBN 9780375829871. Available on the library shelves at FIC COR.

Jerry Renault is a new student at Trinity, a private catholic school for boys. In ninth grade, Jerry joins a highly organized and regimented social order controlled by the Vigils, a secret society made up of upperclassmen. The Vigils dictate assignments to students, such as all coughing at the same time in a class, or performing a series of actions when a specific word is used. No one dares oppose the Vigils, not even the teachers.

Jerry does most of the activities that students do at school. He joins the football team and tries out as the quarterback. He makes a few friends. Life is not good, since his mother died and his father and himself now live in a small apartment.

Life is about to get much more difficult, however. Every year, Trinity conducts a fundraiser which consists of selling boxes of chocolates. This year, Brother Leon has overextended himself and has purchased over 20,000 boxes of chocolates. This is 50 boxes of chocolates per student at the school! He needs the Vigils’ help in getting this accomplished. Unfortunately for Jerry, however, he has received the assignment from the Vigils of refusing to sell chocolates for ten days. Ten whole days during which, at roll call, he must tell Brother Leon that he refuses to sell chocolates. For ten days Jerry’s life is made miserable. But on the eleventh, when Jerry is finally free to accept chocolates, he refuses again. This simple act of defiance suddenly becomes a challenge to the Vigils, and the chocolate war breaks out. Can Jerry resist the pressures to conform and accept the sale of chocolates, or is something more important than this fundraiser now at stake at Trinity?