Blood and Chocolate

Book review by Carrie R. Wheadon, Common Sense Media
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Common Sense says

age 15+

Sensual and suspenseful werewolf fantasy for mature teens.

Annette Curtis Klause Fantasy 1997
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Parents say

age 15+

Based on 1 review

Kids say

age 13+

Based on 2 reviews

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A Lot or a Little?

The parents' guide to what's in this book.

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What Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that this lauded werewolf novel, published in 1997, has been banned by a number of libraries in the past for its sexual content. At the book's center are great messages about taking pride in who you are and embracing your place in the world, but yes, there's definitely a lot of sensuality to go with it. The werewolf pack strips in front of each other to change into wolves, sleeps around, and there's talk about how sex is better rough, and when you're partially changed into animals. The main character, teenage Vivian, is dating a human boy and frustrated that he's taking things slowly. But there are no graphic sex scenes, just plenty of talk and some kissing. There are a few graphic violent moments, though, where werewolves fight each other (the word "entrails" comes up), human bodies are discovered, and a severed hand drops out of someone's bed. Language can get a little rough too, with a few instances of "f--k" and a fair amount of everything else. Vivian drinks heavily in one scene and blacks out.

Community Reviews

CSMContentDefault
CSMContentDefault Adult
March 12, 2015
age 15+
Girl meets boy. Girl loses boy after turning into ravenous wolf monster. Girl tries to get boy back. It’s a fairly standard tune, right? At least, it is for poor Vivian. With the wilderness shrinking fast in the face of urban progress, disaster seems to follow the loup-garoux wherever they flee. Without a true home to call their own, these nomadic werewolves are forced to live among humans in secret. Befriending “meat-people” is strictly discouraged, an easy task for Vivian. She’s never fit in among anyone at the human high school she attends. But then she meets Aidan, a sweet, sensitive (non-furry) boy who is deeply interested in the occult. Is he her ticket to true happiness? Or will an innocent misunderstanding compromise the pack’s safety once again? Although the novel boasts to be a teen romance, this proves to be more of a subplot. The true story is about a young woman learning to tell the difference between love and lust. While this in itself is an admirable undertaking, Klause falls sadly short in terms of plot and character development. Vivian is the only character that truly comes into her own, while Aidan and the members of her pack seem two-dimensional. In terms of plot, what could have been a great story turns into a regrettably mediocre treatment of an otherwise fascinating fantasy creature. But Klause doesn’t strike out completely. Vivian’s journey from the innocence and luxury of teen rebellion into the sobering reality of adulthood dispels any unrealistic attitudes some teens might have about romance, and Vivian (despite being furry) has enough teen issues and rebellion to be an attractive heroine to readers. Recommended for Ages 15-up.

This title has:

Great messages
Too much sex
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What's the Story?

When a rogue werewolf makes a forbidden human kill it puts a whole pack in jeopardy. They're burned out of their reclusive home and forced into the suburbs, where they try to quietly assimilate. Sixteen-year-old Vivian's adjustment is the hardest, having lost her father, the head of the pack, in the fire and suddenly finding herself in high school and attracted to Adrian, a fully human boy. Despite her mother's reservations and the acting out of some possessive \"cousins,\" she falls for him and starts hanging out with his crowd. Just as she gets brave enough to even think about revealing her big secret to him, a rogue wolf kills again. And Vivian fears that what she doesn't remember about the night before could put her at the scene of the crime.

Is It Any Good?

It's funny how a 264-page stand-alone fantasy read is such a novelty now; let's hope mature fantasy fans don't pass this one over, because there's no tantalizing follow-up. BLOOD AND CHOCOLATE will draw in readers who like suspense, a bit of mystery, and a little bit of voyeurism to go with it. The author makes no apologies for the animal instincts of the pack and even shows the beauty in this more sensually charged culture. It's actually what makes Vivian and Adrian's relationship woes humorously refreshing; sweet, perfect boyfriend meets a girl who wishes he'd stop lighting candles around his room and bite her neck already.

While readers are hoping they can possibly work out their cultural divide, Vivian and the pack's troubles mount, the mystery heats up, and Adrian ends up in mortal danger. Yes, all that's wrapped up beautifully and economically in 264 pages. Ah, the good old days.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about why Blood and Chocolate has been challenged. Do you think the sexual content is too much? Do you think it could have anything to do with the teen girl being the sexually assertive one instead of the boy? Why or why not?

  • Blood and Chocolate, published in 1997, is two things most fantasy books aren't anymore: stand-alone novels and under 300 pages. Why do you think books are so much longer now and always come in groups of three or more? What influential fantasy series have come out since this novel was published?

  • What does Gabriel means when he says humans can't change into werewolves but believes "that they have a beast within.... If a person can't give it a safe voice it warps and rots and breaks out in evil ways"?

Book Details

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