Numb and shellshocked by his mother's recent death, Jerry Renault is not prepared to face the pressures of classes and classmates at New England's Trinity School. So when a secret school society known as The Vigils tapes a summons letter to his locker, Jerry is in no mood to answer it. The summons is from Archie Costello, the leader of The Vigils and master of intimidation. But it is Archie who is intimidated when a cool, street-smart teacher orders him to lead the school's annual fundraiser, the famous Trinity chocolate sale. At first, it's an easy job for Archie. But when Jerry refuses to answer his summons to participate in the chocolate sale, the job gets a lot more difficult-and more violent. What will it take to make Jerry obey the summons? The Chocolate War is a brilliant, unflinching portrait of vicious mob cruelty and conformity in an exclusive prep school. A gripping story from one of the most provocative writers in modern young adult literature, it will hold you spellbound until the final, anguished fight on the football fields of Trinity School.