The Outsiders
by S.E. Hinton

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

In The Outsiders, S.E. Hinton shows how even the roughest of gang members really can have a passion for someone that is close to them. You will learn that right away when you read the Outsiders. There were two main gangs the Socs and the Greasers. They were bitter rivals who fought all the time. They would jump the other members of the opposing gang, get in fights, and even claim their own turfs. Then between the two gangs, things start going terribly wrong and the whole story takes an unexpected turn.

Johnny, one of my favorite characters, was a great piece to the puzzle that the greasers, main gang, made. He was a best friend with the narrator Ponyboy. Ponyboy was the youngest and had all the brains. He loved to read and go to school. Even though not all of the gang members were role models to me, I was still happy when they stuck up for each other, especially when the Socs, short for Socials, came rolling around into the greasers turf. When some unexpected events start to happen everything goes downhill and they learn that running away from your fears isn’t always the answer. They find out how hard it is without your best friends by your side.

Hilton’s writing style was amazing by how you really got lost in the book. There were lots of characters in this book and I felt like I knew each person personally. There also were so many details that when I was reading this book, I felt as though I was right there next to them. When they were alone of fighting, I wanted to be there to help them.

I would recommend this book to ages 12 and up because it can teach you really good life lessons. If you like getting lost in a really good book and a tale of friendships, this is the book to read.

~ reviewed by Katie W.