The Outsiders
by S.E. Hinton

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

"Need a haircut Greaser?"  It may seem like a harmless questions, but when you're not a barber, but sitting on top of your enemy so he can't get up and defend himself, using a switchblade, and planning to start the haircut from right below the chin really isn't a harmless question.  That's why Greasers always look out for each other.  So they never have to get a haircut by the Socs.  The Socs, a vicious, rich gang, are waiting around every corner looking to give a Greaser trouble.  Everything is going okay for the Greasers until one night their lives take a turn that will lead them down a dark path.  You will find everyone in both gangs dealing with bad changes that some members will never want to get used to and learning that fighting doesn't solve everything.  Both of the gangs will be different forever because of one rebellious action, bringing booze to a movie theater.

As a result, tension escalates; some gang members put aside the hate between the two gangs to try to bring peace between them. The Outsiders is filled with friendship, love, fights, differences, dealing with changes and other interesting subjects that keep you reading. Throughout the book love is defined in a different way by single character. Even the toughest members will crack and you will find them needing love and more than simple friendship.

S. S.E. Hinton does an excellent job with the characters in The Outsiders. She does not use so many characters you need to write them down to remember them (as in the Lord of the Rings) but she does use enough so you need to pay attention while you read. She expresses the characters’ feelings very well by filling the chapters with abundant detail. Hinton also does a wonderful job in getting you attached to the characters and although it is written in first person she gives a lot of details. If something bad happens to one character you feel their pain and wish it didn’t have to happen. For example when Johnny gets hurt you are always hoping he will get well and back with the greasers.

S.E. Hinton creates the book in a first person with Ponyboy as the narrator so you always know what is going on in his mind and what he thinks is going on in the people around him. She uses slang words correctly and often to make it authentic so it makes you feel like you are part of the story. Although Hinton doesn’t use any flashbacks or flash-forwards; she gives you precise details like a Norman Rockwell painting. You can always picture the buildings and people around Ponyboy. She also does a great job in showing how the characters develop throughout the story by showing their feelings in the beginning and end.

Unlike other books it doesn’t take long to get into this intriguing story. Very soon in the book the action begins. Also there is never really a slow spot in the story; every chapter is filled with action. Hinton also leads into the next chapter beautifully relating to the previous chapter. Although I usually like books that switch the point of view about every chapter, Hinton did an exquisite job in writing the book in first person.

I would recommend The Outsiders to anyone who likes a fairly easy read that will keep you absorbed for the entire night. Although I would have preferred the book maybe in third person or different point of views throughout the book I think Hinton did an excellent job with first person. Anyone who likes a good classic story about friendship will love this book with its unique gang twist.

~ reviewed by Eve