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Robert Cormier

Robert Cormier

Robert Edmund Cormier was an American writer and journalist, known for his deeply pessimistic novels, many of which were written for young adults. Recurring themes include abuse, mental illness, violence, revenge, betrayal, and conspiracy. In most of his novels, the protagonists do not win. [Source: Open Library]

Titles3
Editions5
Adaptations2
Media6
Years covered1974–1979

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Cover of The Chocolate War

The Chocolate War

1974 · Contemporary

2 editions: Print | eBook · 2013

1 adaptation: The Chocolate War · Film · 1988

About this work & edition details

One of the most controversial YA novels of all time, The Chocolate War is a modern masterpiece that speaks to fans of S. E. Hinton’s The Outsiders and John Knowles’s A Separate Peace. After suffering rejection from seven major publishers, The Chocolate War made its debut in 1974, and quickly became a bestselling—and provocative—classic for young adults. This chilling portrait of an all-boys prep school casts an unflinching eye on the pitfalls of conformity and corruption in our most elite cultural institutions. “Masterfully structured and rich in theme; the action is well crafted, well timed, suspenseful.”—The New York Times Book Review “The characterizations of all the boys are superb.”—School Library Journal, starred review “Compellingly immediate. . . . Readers will respect the uncompromising ending.”—Kirkus Reviews, starred review An ALA Best Book for Young Adults A School Library Journal Best Book of the Year A Kirkus Reviews Editor’s Choice A New York Times Outstanding Book of the Year

Print · English

eBook · Knopf Books for Young Readers · 2013 · English

Cover of I am the Cheese

I am the Cheese

1977 · Mystery & Thriller

1 edition: Print · 2007

1 adaptation: I Am the Cheese · Film · 1983

About this work & edition details

Before there was Lois Lowry’s The Giver or M. T. Anderson’s Feed , there was Robert Cormier’s I Am the Cheese , a subversive classic that broke new ground for YA literature. A boy’s search for his father becomes a desperate journey to unlock a secret past. But the past must not be remembered if the boy is to survive. As he searches for the truth that hovers at the edge of his mind, the boy—and readers—arrive at a shattering conclusion. “An absorbing, even brilliant job. The book is assembled in mosaic fashion: a tiny chip here, a chip there. . . . Everything is related to something else; everything builds and builds to a fearsome climax. . . . [Cormier] has the knack of making horror out of the ordinary, as the masters of suspense know how to do.”— The New York Times Book Review “A horrifying tale of government corruption, espionage, and counter espionage told by an innocent young victim. . . . The buildup of suspense is terrific.”— School Library Journal , starred review An ALA Notable Children’s Book A School Library Journal Best Book of the Year A Horn Book Fanfare A Library of Congress Children’s Book of the Year A Colorado Blue Spruce Young Adult Book Award Nominee

Print · Ember · 2007 · English

Cover of After the First Death

After the First Death

1979 · Mystery & Thriller

2 editions: Print | eBook · 2013

About this work & edition details

Sixteen-year-old Miro had instructions to kill the bus driver immediately. They would then take the busload of children to the bridge and begin the standoff. Artkin was Miro’s mentor; the mastermind behind this act of terrorism that would get the world’s attention. But Artkin had told Miro that the bus driver would be an old man. Sixteen-year old Kate sometimes substituted for her uncle and drove his bus when he was ill. She even got a special license to do so, and she’d always liked kids. She wondered what was going on when the van in front of her stopped, but when the man and the boy with guns forced their way onto the bus, she knew her worst nightmare was beginning.

Print · English

eBook · Knopf Books for Young Readers · 2013 · English

Podcasts & Discussion (6)

Screen & Stage

I Am the Cheese

A teenage lad struggles to piece together his reality following a traumatic event.

Film · 1983 · Released

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