42. Blood and Chocolate by Annette Curtis Klause

Blood and Chocolate by Annette Curtis Klause

ISBN: 978-0-385-90434-4

Delacorte Press, New York, 1997

264 p.

Plot Summary

Vivian Gandillon is a teenage werewolf, able to walk amongst humans unnoticed during the day and then undergo the change to run free at night.  She lost her father, who was also the pack’s leader, in a fire after the townspeople connected the pack to a couple of murders in town and suspected them of being werewolves, setting a house ablaze.  After this discovery, the pack moved from West Virginia to a suburb in Maryland, hoping to start anew.  However, acts of rebellion signaled that it was time to pick a new leader through the Ordeal, a tradition in which members of the pack fight until there is only one left, earning the title of leader.  Because of the part some of the pack played in leading to her father’s death, Vivian wants less and less to do with them, rejecting any of the advances they send her way.  At the same time, she meets a human or “meat-boy,” Aiden, who shows interest in paranormal elements, including werewolves.  Embracing his sensitive nature, Vivian begins to fall for him despite the warnings of her mother and she wonders if she should reveal her true self to him, believing that he will accept the magic of it all.  However, when a murder puts the pack in danger of being exposed, Vivian must decide which world she really belongs in.

Critical Evaluation

With Blood and Chocolate, Annette Curtis Klause depicts a magical world in which werewolves live amongst humans, but resist forming any friendships with them.  She is also able to create wonderful characters with many different personalities and depth to them, particularly with regard to Vivian, Esme, and Gabriel.  As the protagonist of the novel, Vivian is the character with which the reader becomes the most involved.  Scarred by her father’s death, Vivian no longer feels the closeness to the pack that she once did, but she still does not reject her own existence as a werewolf, reveling in the sweet feelings that the change brings her.  Once she gets close to Aiden, she starts to pull even further away from the pack, wanting her independence to do as she pleases.  Even though members of the pack voice their disapproval, she fights back against them.  She also puts herself at risk, both physically and emotionally, by considering whether she should show Aiden her other side, trusting him to love her as she is.  In contrast to many of the weaker female characters in recent teen paranormal romance literature, Vivian is a strong female that does not let anyone rule her.  With the character of Esme, the reader is introduced to her as a female member of the pack that is constantly looking for companionship with younger males.  As Vivian’s mother, she does not seem to harbor the same pain about her husband’s death as Vivian does.  However, the reader sees the sensitive side of her when Vivian finds her mother in the living room with pictures of her husband strewn about around her.  My favorite character in the novel is Gabriel; though intimidating and sometimes scary, he bares his softer side at the end of the novel, suggesting that his powerful demeanor is more for show than reflective of his personality.  Overall, I found the novel extremely entertaining and sometimes suspenseful with Klause’s character development being the strongest asset.

Reader's Annotation

Sixteen-year-old Vivian is torn between her connection to her fellow werewolves and her love for a human.  When the secrecy of the pack is threatened, Vivian must pick to which side she belongs.

Information About the Author

Annette Curtis Klause was born in 1953 in Bristol, England.  She moved to Maryland prior to earning her Bachelors in English literature and Masters in Library Science from the University of Maryland.  She continues to work at a library, currently as a children’s materials selector in Maryland.  Since 1990, Klause has published four young adult novels, including Blood and Chocolate.

She did not really learn about the existence of young adult literature until she was in library school.  Realizing that there were books that she would have loved as a teenager, Klause wanted to contribute to the effort and cover even more issues.  Klause states, “When I started to write seriously for teenagers I wrote what I would have enjoyed when growing up but couldn't find, and I didn't worry about how scary or sexy I made my stories.  I wasn't going to let myself be hobbled by an exterior censor. I wrote what that story needed and I would see what I could get away with later.  As it turned out, the things I loved as a teenager are still enjoyed by teenagers now, and my editors have been very supportive of the way I have written about these things, so my instincts were right.” (information from author’s Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Annette_Curtis_Klause and quote from author interview with Ravenstone Press: http://www.ravenstonepress.com/klause.html)

Genre

Young Adult – Paranormal Romance/Dark Fantasy

Curriculum Ties

N/A

Booktalking Ideas

1. Discuss the negative feelings that Vivian has toward the Five.

2. Focus on the relationship between Vivian and Aiden.

3. Identify the differences that Vivian has from the other single female werewolves.

4. Tell about the sense of belonging that Vivian craves.

Reading Level/Interest Age

14+

Challenge Issues

The novel includes sexual situations and some graphic descriptions of violence.

When confronted with complaints about this novel, librarians should become familiar with the material and its content.  Turn to reviews from publications such as Publisher’s Weekly, School Library Journal, and Booklist, as well as reviews from teens that have read it.  Also, it is beneficial for librarians to present reasons backed by the ALA in support of intellectual freedom.  As stated in the Library Bill of Rights:

I. Books and other library resources should be provided for the interest, information, and enlightenment of all people of the community the library serves. Materials should not be excluded because of the origin, background, or views of those contributing to their creation.

II. Libraries should provide materials and information presenting all points of view on current and historical issues. Materials should not be proscribed or removed because of partisan or doctrinal disapproval.

III. Libraries should challenge censorship in the fulfillment of their responsibility to provide information and enlightenment.

Why Include Book in Selection? 

I found this novel when researching for my part of the Author/Genre presentations on dark fantasy.