Books for Young Adults "YA"

Robert Cormier. The Chocolate War. Random House, 1974. 263 pages. ISBN -0440944597

“The destruction of Room Nineteen took exactly thirty-seven seconds. Archie timed it from the doorway. A sweetness gathered in his breast as he saw the room being turned into a shambles, a sweet moment of triumph that compensated for all the other lousy things, his terrible marks, the black box.” Powerful, political, and moral, this YA book is set at Trinity School, a boys Catholic Prep High school steeped in tradition and includes a secret society that is alive and well. Until Jerry Renault arrives as a 9^th grade student and dares to disturb the universe. Cormier’s ability to paint an accurate picture of the inner workings of the life of teens is masterful. He captures the masks and emotions that are relevant to this age group. The Chocolate War was high on the list of Banned Books. Objected to because of language, sexual inference, and violence. This reviewer recommends this book for students in 9^th grade and above. The story will appeal primarily to boys but would recommend it to the female counterparts to gain perspective on bullying in the lives of boys. The reviewer also highly recommends the audio version.