Every year, Trinity School runs a chocolate sale. Each boy volunteers to sell a quota of boxes. But this year it's different, because new kid Jerry Renault has refused to take part. This small act of defiance starts a chain reaction exposing the corruption running throughout the school.

The bestselling controversial novel about corruption and misuse of power in an American boys' school.
The headmaster of Trinity College asks Archie Costello, the leader of the Vigils, a secret society that rules the school, to help with the selling of 20,000 boxes of chocolates in the annual fund-raising effort. Archie sees the chance of adding to his power - he is the Assigner, handing out to the boys tasks to be performed if they are to survive in the school. Freshman, Jerry Renault, a newcomer to the corrupt regime, refuses to sell chocolates. Enormous mental and physical pressure is put on him but he will not give in - the result is an inevitable, explosive tragedy.