As a freshman at Trinity Catholic High School, Jerry Renault just wants to fit in. He tries out for the football team, hoping for acceptance, and pondering the quote on the poster in his locker everyday, "Do I dare disturb the universe?" However, lurking in the shadows is Archie Costello and the secret society, the Vigils, who run the school through Archie's intimidation. When the school's annual chocolate sale begins, and Brother Leon asks the Vigils for their support in the sale, they agree. Jerry, however, decides to defy the school, and the Vigils, refusing to sell the chocolates. According to Archie, his defiance needs punishment from the Vigils, punishment that will make Jerry never want to cross them again.

The Chocolate War is a novel that I've heard a lot about, being in the field of young adult literature, but one I've never gotten the chance to read until now. As one of the classics of young adult literature, I think it is important to see where the genre came from, and compare it to where it has come in the past 20 years or so. Overall, I thought it was a good piece of literature, with fleshed out characters and a plot that always kept me guessing, even certain parts were obvious. Cormier does a good job of capturing the peer pressure that so many people feel at this age through the character of Jerry, and though there might not be a secret society like the Vigils in every school, there is that one group of students that everyone is afraid of, the "in crowd." There was one issue that I had with the book, and it may stem from my study of LGBTQ inclusive literature in the past, but the part when Jerry is insulted by being called a "queer fairy." I know that this may stem from the time period that this was written in (the 70s), but it's things like this that help to perpetuate stereotypes. Aside from this fact, I thought that this was a good read, and definitely would prompt good discussion with others that have read it.

As for a classroom, this book could definitely be paired with another classic, or even used on its own in a classroom. Because of the complexity of the issues presented, and all of the philosophical questions presented, this novel would create good discussion among students. It's one of those novels that you want to discuss with others after you have read it, plus it is relatable to the majority of high school students. This is definitely a book to keep in mind when teaching young adult literature in the classroom.