The Outsiders

This coming-of-age novel is written by a teenager for teenagers. Susan Eloise Hinton was 15 when she started writing The Outsiders and 17 when it was published in 1967. The Outsiders is often credited as beginning the realistic young adult novel.

The story is about of a group of boys, ‘greasers’, living on the east side of Tulsa, Oklahoma in the mid 1960s.

The youngest member of the greasers gang is the novel’s narrator, fourteen-year-old Ponyboy Curtis, who lives with his two older brothers Darry (20) and Sodapop (16).

Darry works hard to care and support his two brothers after their parents were killed in a car accident – not an easy task for one just out of his teens himself. Sodapop has dropped out of school to work at the gas station, so Ponyboy feels the pressure to be a success at school. He is sure that Darry resents him and lives with the fear that he will be taken away and put in a boy’s home.

Sodapop and Darry aren’t Ponyboy’s only family – fellow Greasers, Dally, Two-bit Matthews, Steve Randle, and his best friend Johnny Cade are like his brothers.

The Greasers are constantly at war with the rival rich west side kids, the ‘socs’ (socials). This feud turns fatal one night when a group of Socs corner and attack Ponyboy and Johnny in a park.

Francis Ford Coppola adapted the novel into a film of the same name, released in 1983 starring C. Thomas Howell, Matt Dillon, Ralph Macchio, Rob Lowe, Patrick Swayze, Emilio Estevez, Tom Cruise, and Diane Lane. Hinton makes a cameo in the film as a nurse. Film is worth a watch after reading the book.

The Outsiders is a frequently challenged book and has been banned in many schools and libraries due to its portrayal of gang violence and underage smoking and drinking. Although today it is often a studied text in many high schools, which is fantastic because while the lingo may have changed it’s still as relevant today as it was in 1967.

I thought this was an amazingly written book. It expresses a lot of emotion and it shows close friendships that means a lot. And showing that you can be friends with anybody no matter what crowd they hang out with. I also think anyone who reads it will fall in love with the characters.

A famously classic YA book, which holds the special distinction of being written not only by a teen, but by a female. That alone was an enormous source of inspiration and encouragement for this reader over the years. At the time that I read it, I recall appreciating the author's knack for conveying action -and- emotion, without one weakening the other.

This coming-of-age story is told in first-person from the perspective of Ponyboy Curtis, a tough-yet-sympathetic 14-year-old who's recently lost his parents and is being looked after by his older brother. He and his friends belong to a loose-knit lower-class gang called the "Greasers", who are in active rivalry with a higher class gang called the "Socs" (Socials.) When rivalry escalates to a killing in self-defense, Ponyboy and one of his friends are forced into hiding while an all out gang war brews.
The pacing is brisk and the word choices are concise. A lot of the names are a bit off-beat, but that doesn't long distract from the overall story.

What's always amazed me about this book was that it was vividly believable, in spite of the fact that the author had no personal experience with 'gangs' of the era. She paints a lively portrait of the dynamics between social strata, and the complexities of relationships and loyalties between close male friends. If I hadn't known better, I would have assumed this stemmed from direct knowledge.

Reader reviewed by f00lishchick

this was a very good book. i liked the idea of socs and greasers because it made me think A LOT of the greasers in grease. i think that the book was well read because everything seemed to connect back to the beginning when ponyboy was writing his paper for his english class. i think that even though some characters died, it brang out the inner personality of other characters, such as Dally. i recommend this book for all people to read, but mostly from preteens to how ever old because i dont think kids under the age of 10 will understand the book.

Reader reviewed by peacechik

i had to read this book over the summer for school. i was reluctant to read it at first because no offence, but, i thought it was just about a whole lot of white people doing something. but after i was forced to read it, i found out how wrong i was. ponyboy, the main character's story was really inspiring. some of the parts made me want to cry and others were just heartthrobing. one of the best books ive read. only reason it gets a 4 instead of a 5 is because the ending is so sad. if u want to kno more watch the movie...or better yet read the book:)

Reader reviewed by JackAttack

The OutSiders                                                                                               S,e Hinton                                                                                                                                                                                                      The Gang Killers                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   The story begins with ponyboy getting jumped by a gang named the socs, who one of their member was a guy named bob and they beat him up until the gang came and rescued him. The Greasers Are ponyboy and the gang. After that a kid named Johnny was getting beat up by the socs and the gang rescued him. Johnny was only 14 years old and he already had a gang. One day Johnny, Pony, and Dally went to the movies, the socs appeared and the were looking for trouble, they got into a big rumble Bob had Johnny in the water fountain drowning, so Johnny took out his knife and stabbed him, bob was killed. The police started chasing them, so they had to run away Dally have Johnny and Pony a gun, new clothes, and money he gave this because he knew they were going to need it. When they were there, they were smoking and they left the cigarette lit on the floor. When they came back from they re  walk the church was on fire Johnny knew it was his fault so he went inside and rescued the kids after that when he was leaving a big piece of wood that was of fire fell on his back. When Johnny had woken up he was at the hospital. Dally robbed a store because he felt bad of Johnny death and he just did it on purpose to throw his life away. The rumble had started and Dally left the hospital to help out the greasers in the rumble. The greasers had won the fight Dally had died. I recommend this book for teens 13+ because it has a lot of violence. I rate this book 4 out 5.                                                        

Reader reviewed by taylor

SPOILER WARNING!!!

This book was awesome. I loved how it went into detail. Allot of people should read this book. When they did all of this it was so cool. This book is like so perfect for me. If you are a person that likes to read only some books and the books have to grab you into the book this is the book for you.

I usually dont like books and I loved this one I didnt even like the book twilight I am trying to get to a good part and I am slow though. So I would most likely suggest this book to you. And I do not lie to people I promise. How pony boy got mugged and they said that his friend did they explained it all but not to the point where it got boring. Maybe one or two parts got a little bit boring.

Ok about the book. Come one why did Johnny have to die. And why did they have to do through this rough time. I feel so very sorry for them. It sucks that there parent died. But where did they come up with these names for these people. I do not like how sad this book was.

This book was good. But why do you have to make people or characters you love die even dally died. I personally loved this book. Except for some of the down sides to it. Why do people have to die in books? It is just too sad.

I wish they went more in depth at the end of the book. About what had happened to their parents anything about them except for how they got killed by a train. I wish that none of these characters had died it would have made it a better book.

Reader reviewed by AB

The Outsiders was a book about a gang. Set in the 50s in Oklahama. There were two rivials of gangs. The greasers and the socs.
They all felt like family to one another.
They were all different from each other in some way or another.
Great for a summer read!
 Be ready to e left in suspense and maybe just a little depressed by this wonderful work of art by S.E. Hinton!
I give it a round of applause!

Reader reviewed by Dancerdork

The outsiders is a clasic book read by millions. altho it is required by most public school i would recomend it to those who dont have to read it because it is a great book that isnt a million pages long. I would call it one of those books you dont want to put down utill your done. It has very extrodinary characters that are therowly explained and because it includes both punks and preps all will feel like they could be part of the story.

Reader reviewed by JulieA

The Outsiders is a great book about socs and greasers--two rival gangs.  It takes place in the fifties.  After a tragic incident two of the greasers go on the run--only to find more tragedy.  This is a great book for boys and girls.