The uncertainty and rejection felt by a freshman named Jerry Renault in anall-boys prep school is portrayed marvelously in The Chocolate War by RobertCormier.

Disturbed by the recent death of his mother and stunned by themelancholy life led by his father, Jerry proceeds on his quest to discover a lifewhich is out of the ordinary. He refuses to participate in the annual schoolfund-raiser of selling chocolates. At first, the school sees Jerry as a hero,since he is the only person to ever decline to sell the chocolates.

Thenthe Vigils, a secret school society, orders Jerry to participate in the sale; heagain refuses. The Vigils sees this as an act of defiance, and Jerry must takethe consequences. Striving to stick up for his beliefs, he encounters cruelty andrejection from a society that does not accept "different." The leaders of theVigils produce an interesting plan to sell Jerry's share of the chocolates. Thisplan will leave a mark on the whole school forever.

This book wasexcellent. It was very realistic and true to life. Most people can connect withfear, pain, and rejection; Jerry Renault felt all of these. Readers tend to bedrawn toward characters that they can relate to. Cormier's use of suspense in TheChocolate War will capture the reader's attention from cover to cover.