Beyond the Chocolate War by Robert Cormier
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Book Reviews of Beyond the Chocolate War
Book Review: Peer orientation and its results brilliantly shown
Summary: 5 Stars
I have read "Chocolate War" and "Beyond Chocolate War" along with another book "Hold on to Your Kids: Why Parents Matter" by Gordon Neufeld, Ph.D. and Gabor Mate, M.D.
and I found those books complementing one another brilliantly. While "Hold on to Your Kids" presents a theory of peer orientation (looking for direction to peers) and why it is destructive to immature, young individuals, "Chocolate War" and "Beyond Chocolate War" demonstrates this theory in action.
Teens who have not yet achieved psychological maturity (defined roughly as being comfortable with oneself, knowing who you are and being able to hold on to your values and principles without letting another control you and make you compromise them)
and who do not have developed close and meaningful relationships with their parents or caring adults, stand no chance to achieve maturity and the sense of oneself when throw into a community full of the same immature young adults i.e. school.
Both "Chocolate War" and "Beyond Chocolate War" demonstrates intimidation and manipulation applied to young people who are unable to withstand it, because they are simply not equipped psychologically to handle it and who are also left "to fend for themselves" with no meaningful support of adults that surround them. Very sobering reading. Recommended to teens and especially to adults.
Book Review: Danny B. book summary
Summary: 5 Stars
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
Book Review: Robert Cormier's Beyond the Chocolate War
Summary: 5 Stars
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
Book Review: A book is only as smart as it's author.
Summary: 5 Stars
That's true you know. And for that reason, I would very much like to meet Robert Comier. Beyond the Chocolate War wasn't one book however. It was many books all in one, and each one ended at different times. Each chapter is separate from the next and the previous, in fact, all of them, yet at the same time, they are all connected. No need to explain to you who Archie Costello is, someone else can do that. But I am envious of him. Envious of a ficticious character thought up by a very smart man. Is this the way Mr. Comier is in real life? Bottom line of Archie: No matter what he did, or how bad of it was, he had a way of making you think it was your fault. The characters in the book realize and think that Archie is right, and so does the narrator (whoever that is) but I find this not to be so. Read the book and determine for yourself. A good book.p.s. -- You won't learn anything from this book.
--Adam Cortright
Book Review: Great book!
Summary: 5 Stars
This is a great book, and a worthy sequel to Robert Cormier's outstanding book The Chocolate War. I was afraid that the sequel would not live up to the standards set by its predecessor, but it lives up to expectations, and even passes the level of quality in the Chocolate War. It's everything you want in a sequel.
The book starts out slow, but then you realize it starts it out slow for a reason, as it needs to introduce some key characters and plots that will be in play in the book. It soon gets into the action, though, with robert Cormier doing what he does best: Making Archie manipulate others, even manipulating his two top officers, Carver and
Obie. This book touches on subjects that other young adult authors don't, such as rape, extortiong, and cruelty in schools.And at the end, everything culminates into an immensely satisfying conclusion.