The Outsiders
by S.E. Hinton

Penguin Group, 1967, 180 pp., $6.99
ISBN 0-14-038572

When Ponyboy Curtis is coming home from the theater he got jumped by the some Socs and the gang comes to the rescue, the GREASERS include Darry, Dally, Soda, Johnny, Two-Bit, and Steve. Ponyboys brothers are Darry and Sodapop. The Greasers are the rival gang of the Socs and the Greasers have it tough. Darry is always telling Ponyboy to do better and use his head. But when Darry accidentally hits Ponyboy, Ponyboy runs away. When Ponyboy runs away he calls Johnny and without hesitation Ponyboy and Johnny leave. They go to the park so Ponyboy can blow off some steam but then some Socs come and they start saying, “need a haircut greaser” as one of them pulls out a knife and that’s the least of their worries because what happens next is just unbelievable.

The Outsiders is a wonderful book if you like a book full of fighting, conflict, honesty, drama, and bravery. The Outsiders is the book for you!  Hinton writes a wonderful book with a surprise at every turn waiting to jump out at you. She twists all of this emotion and it’s just waiting to explode and it all releases to capture you and keep you in it. When I read it I stayed up all night. This book has it all, even a death.

This story is about love, loss, loyalty, social class, trust, and friendship. The Outsiders is a wonderful book. I recommend it to ages 10 and up. If you like a story full of action then this is the book for you. So I hope you like it because I did. It keeps you in a thrill ride with suspense at every turn. I would read this book over and over again but my teacher would only count a book once on my reading log. I hope you like it as much as I did.


~ reviewed by Abdi