Robert Edmund Cormier was an American writer and journalist, known for his deeply pessimistic novels, many of which were written for young adults. Recurring themes include abuse, mental illness, violence, revenge, betrayal, and conspiracy. In most of his novels, the protagonists do not win. Cormier's more popular works include *I Am the Cheese*, *After the First Death*, *We All Fall Down*, and *The Chocolate War*, all of which have won awards. *The Chocolate War* has been challenged in multiple libraries.