I Am the Cheese is probably Cormier's darkest and most sinister novel. It tells about the fight of the individual against the system - a system where the lines between friend and enemy are blurred. The ending leaves the reader disturbed and breathless. This book definitely deserves a second reading, just because this reading will be so different from the first one. Suddenly everything sounds different, everything makes sense.
Small details become important hints.
The novel therefore is a roller-coaster ride, which deserves closer analysis. The mere narrative techniques and the way this great story is told make it a worthwhile subject for any English literature class. I think that most young adults will be deeply moved by Cormier's story. Am the Cheese , which both include an altered ending, that the book is so different from most conventional adolescent fiction, and the quality of the narration should make it an essential part of any high school curriculum.