Blood and Chocolate takes a much different tone than so many YA books these days; the main characters are far from perfect in very realistic ways, even while being totally unrealistic creatures. Vivian, the werewolf lead, is strong, but at times kind of hard to like. She tries to fit into a normal world that has never accepted her while balancing the sense of duty she feels for her pack. I expected this to go one way, hoped it would go that way even, but it veered off on a much different path than I expected. The actual ending was great, and sent a strong message of staying true to yourself and being happy with what has been right in front of you the whole time. ( )

Blood and Chocolate is amust read if you enjoy Twilight (And I must admit it is better written than Twilight). ( )

Author last name, first name. Title. Year. Publisher: City.
Klause, Annette Curtis. Blood and Chocolate. 1997. Random House, Inc.: New York.

Genre:
Fantasy

Themes:
Love, Fear, Werewolves, Family, Relationships, Death of a parent, Treachery, Romance, Young adult

Age / Grade Appropriateness:
14 & up

Awards:
1998 YALSA Award for Best Books for Young Adults

Censorship Issues:
There is a lot of sexual content in this novel. There are very explicit touchy, feely scenes, but never an actual sexual encounter. There is also foul language from many of the teenagers in the novel.

Plot Summary (Summarize the plot in 250 words or less):
Vivian, a 16-year old girl, and her family are part of the loups-garoux, which is a species of werewolves. They have recently moved to Maryland from West Virginia because some people from their community believed them to be killers and set fire to their homes. Her father, the leader of the group, died in this fire. Now her pack has no leader, and fight amongst each other constantly. Vivian adores her double life, and takes pleasure in the change from human to creature. Until, that is, she falls in love with Aidan, a human or “meat-boy” as her pack calls it, at her school. She battles with her differences, trying to make the decision to hide them, or put them out to her new found love. All the while, she is being chased by the boys from her own pack hoping for her undivided love. She must make the decision to show her true self and hope to be accepted, no matter the consequences, or follow the traditions of her ancestry.

Critique (Consider if the book fits the bill of a YA book as we have discussed /read. Include your opinion of the book here as well):
The themes that this novel cover hit home with many young adults. Although the main character has a rare difference, the YAs can identify with her, nevertheless. Some difference that they may have keeps them from feeling a part of the normal crowd. Trying to fit in is a constant worry that is on the minds of young adults these days. The settings in this novel are all very believable as are the characters. There are characters showing several types of personalities, all of which a teenager would come into contact with on a day to day basis.
Curriculum Uses (Possible uses in the classroom / school library / public library):
This book would be a great book for use in a comparison to the Twilight novel. There are many similarities, and many differences. I think it would lead into a quite interesting discussion. This book could also be used when discussing the anatomy of the human body. Along with the discussion of the wolf body, this book could also be used to further study the wolf species and things such as their species, prey, habitat, etc.

Blood and Chocolate is the best one could hope for within the genre of supernatural teen fiction, abundant with strong writing, believable characters, and plenty of page turning suspense. The work stays true to the animal and sexual overtones of werewolf lore without becoming overly horrific or erotic, avoiding the bubblegum banality and preachy moralistic overtone present in a certain popular work of the same genre that succeeded it. This book doesn't end happily ever after, and presents its readers with a valuable lesson: You must be who you truly are, no matter what the cost. ( )

This is a great work of literature. Klause takes a favorite topic of the ages and makes it brand new again. The story will keep readers guessing, eager to find out what new twist will pop up to shock them. The writing style is great, and the characters have an amazing feeling of life that will make you believe they are real. ( )