Citation:
Klaus, Annette Curtis. Blood and Chocolate. New York, NY: Delacorte Press, 1997. Print.
Summary:
Vivian is a teenager who finds herself displaced after a tragedy along with the rest of her "family." The event has put a strain on the dynamics of the group and Vivian uses her school as her escape from the turmoil. Love leads to pain and worse, danger, as Vivian and the rest of the pack struggle to regain balance.
Personal Impression:
I saw this movie a few years ago and was unimpressed. However, knowing that books and movies are often vitally different, I decided to give the book a try when it showed up on the reading list for this class. I'm glad I did. The book is infinitely better than the movie and furthermore, it is a good read. Despite the fact that werewolves form the majority of the characters, it serves up a good lesson in realizing that there are consequences to your actions no matter your species.
Reviews:
Gabriel—raw and sharp like blood; Aiden—rich and smooth like chocolate. It’s Aiden, sensitive and gentle, whom Vivian thinks she desires, but he is a “meat-boy,” a human, and Vivian is a werewolf, a worshiper of the Moon and part of a small sect of werewolves living double lives in a contemporary Maryland suburb. Should Vivian reveal her proud, sleek animal self to the boy she loves? By the author of the Silver Kiss (1995), this violent, sexy novel is a seamless, totally convincing blend of fantasy and reality that can be read as feminist fiction, as smoldering romance, as a rites of passage novel, or as a piercing reflection on human nature. Vivian is a strong main character, tough yet vulnerable, and her every move reflects her duality. Klause’s imagery is magnetic, and her language fierce, rich, and beautiful, whether she is describing a frightening, vicious fight to the death among Vivian’s werewolf clan or the moment when Vivian realizes that showing her true self has been a tragic mistake. Passion and philosophy dovetail superbly in this powerful, unforgettable novel for mature teens. — Stephanie Zvirin
Retrieved from Booklist Online; http://www.booklistonline.com/ProductInfo.aspx?pid=2810020
From Kirkus Reviews
Klause returns to the steamy sensuality of her first book, The Silver Kiss (1990), for this tale of a hot-blooded teenage werewolf who falls for a human ``meat-boy.'' Grieving for her father and unimpressed by the age-mates in her pack, Vivian defies her mother and fellow lycanthropes by setting her sights on suburban poet-schoolmate Aiden Teague. It's an experiment that's doomed from the start. Vivian may look human (when she chooses), but her attitudes, instincts, and expectations are decidedly wolflike; short-tempered, direct in action and emotion, rough in love and play, shapeshifters make dangerous companions, their veneer of rationality as thin as their senses are sharp. Poor Aiden--as a prospective lover he's not so different from prey; to Vivian his smile flashes like heat lightning, and at times he looks so delicious she wants to ``bite the buttons off his shirt.'' When, after a series of sultry but frustrating dates, Vivian reveals herself to him, he responds, not with the pleasure and lust she expects, but stark terror. Extrapolating brilliantly from wolf and werewolf lore, Klause creates a complex plot, fueled by politics, insanity, intrigue, sex, blood lust, and adolescent longings, and driven by a set of vividly scary creatures to a blood-curdling climax. The werewolves' taste for risky pranks and the author's knack for double--and even triple--entendres add sly undercurrents to this fierce, suspenseful chiller. (Fiction. 12-14) -- Copyright ©1997, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.
Use in a Library Setting:
I have had the idea for the past year of setting up a book club focusing on the paranormal which entails books that have vampires, witches, ghosts, and werewolves (among other things) involved. This would be a prime example of a book to include in such a group.
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