Fourteen-year-old Jerry Reno did nothing but refuse to sell chocolates, which were traditionally sold by all school students. But this began the real war. A war that involves teachers, students and the secret school society of Guardians. How do ordinary teenagers turn into a crowd and how far can they go in bullying the black sheep? Where is the line between inaction and complicity in cruelty? How will the chocolate war end and will Jerry be able to defend himself and his choice? The novel by Robert Cormier (1925–2000), first published in 1974, was critically acclaimed. It has been compared to William Golding's Lord of the Flies. In the United States, the book caused heated discussions and, despite the resistance of some teachers, was included in the school curriculum. In 1988, the novel was filmed.