Blood and Chocolate by Annette Curtis Klause


Klause, A. C. (1997). Blood and Chocolate. New York, NY: Random House Children’s Books.

ISBN-13: 978-0385734219

Genre: Fantasy, Werewolves, Acceptance, Coming of age

Reading level/ interest age: 14+

Plot summary:

Vivian is a werewolf forced to move to a new home after her pack is discovered by humans and her father is murdered. Cautious because of her past experiences, Vivian distances herself from humans at her new school and as a result becomes alienated and remains friendless. One day, she reads a surprisingly accurate poem about werewolves written by a boy named Aiden. Vivian is surprised when Aiden turns out to have no knowledge of werewolves and decides to pursue him despite their differences. 

The pack has different plans for Vivian though. Gabriel seems the most likely to take over her father’s position as leader of the pack and he shows a keen interest in Vivian despite her mother and another female of the pack, Astrid’s affections towards him. With the pack growing restless, a decision is made to elect a leader in the Old Way. The brawl begins with the male pack members in a grove. Gabriel emerges victorious and Astrid jumps in to win a place as Gabriel’s mate. She viciously attacks Vivian’s mother and Vivian reacts by transforming and killing Astrid. Realizing she has made a huge mistake, Vivian flees the grove in a mad attempt to find Aiden. Can Vivian outrun her destiny and find peace with Aiden?

Reader’s annotation:

Growing up a werewolf can be difficult when dating a human. But when there’s true love, what could possibly go wrong?

Information about the author:

“Annette Curtis Klause, a self-professed fan of horror, science Fiction and fantasy, read her first vampire book when she was 14; it was Jane Gaskell's The Shining Narrow Grin. ‘I was enthralled,’ she says, and immediately began fantasizing about the book. Klause, who is currently head of children's services at the Aspen Hill Community Library in Maryland, had been a member of a biweekly writing group, mostly writing picture books, when the group's "mentor" encouraged her to write [her first book Silver Kiss].

“What is she really--human or beast? Born in Bristol, England, Annette Curtis Klause now lives in Hyattsville, MD with two cats. Klause holds a B.A. in English literature and an M.L.S. from the University of Maryland, College Park. In her spare time, Klause collects science Fiction, fantasy, and horror first editions, limited editions and chapbooks, and enjoys going to science Fiction conventions” (Ifogo.com, 2014).

Curriculum ties: N/A

Booktalking ideas:

1.       Why do you think Vivian changed her mind so quickly over Gabriel?
2.       Would you have been as hurt as Vivian was over Aiden?

Critical evaluation:

Blood and Chocolate is an interesting book because it was written in the late 1990s when the young adult genre was in a very formative stage. The book leans more towards teen fiction than adult fiction yet the story contains more descriptions and longer scenes than typical for the genre. Blood and Chocolate would best be described as a coming of age novel as Vivian struggles with her immature love for Aiden and a more duty bound connection with Gabriel. Vivian also has family issues with her dad having been brutally murdered and her mother seeking a new husband. The book details Vivian’s struggle with authority as she often acts out and breaks the law on several occasions. Acceptance is a major theme with friendships taking a back burner. Vivian is surrounded by very toxic people and though she manages to get rid of some bad influences, she jumps right into another destructive relationship with Aiden. Blood and Chocolate is also nothing like the movie version. The book has very dark undertones and a very different ending. Vivian also must learn to accept herself for who she is.

Challenge issues: N/A

Why included:

I wanted to include this entry because this novel represents the middle period of young adult fiction when the genre was still gaining popularity. I think that teens will enjoy this book because of werewolves’ current popularity.

Reference:

Ifogo.com. (2014). Bio-Annette Klause. Retrieved August 22, 2014 from 
http://www.ifogo.com/1Authors/Annette%20Klause/klause.html

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