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Title: Not as depressing as the first but not good
Review: I hated "The Chocolate War". I found it disturbing, depressing and the ultimate message (conform--or else) to be frightening. Cormier had no intention of making a sequel but for years he got letters asking what happened to the main characters. So--he wrote this. The protagonist in the first (Jerry Renault) has survived the brutal beating that ended the first book. However, he's beaten up AGAIN (although not as bad) and this is shown as a positive thing!!! Archie and the Vigils are up to their sick power games again and Brother Leon is still a twisted pathetic man. Also this book contains a teenage suicide which is just harrowing. It DOES end on a positive note (that's why I'm giving it two stars) but Cormier seems to enjoy going into great detail about all the humiliation and beating students endure. this book is out of print...hopefully it will remain that way.
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