“The Outsiders” Review: A Story of Friendship, Loss and Growing Up

Ava Renner

“A guy that’ll really listen to you, listen and care about what you’re saying, is something rare.”

-S.E. Hinton, The Outsiders

Book Title: The Outsiders

Author: S.E. Hinton

Length: 180 pages

Genre: Fiction, YA, Coming of Age

My Rating: 4/5

My Age Rating: 13+

Content Notes: Abuse, Fighting, mild language and slang, death, emotional themes, gangs

“I’d rather have anybody’s hate than their pity.”

– S.E. Hinton, The Outsiders

The Outsiders: Book Synopsis

Ponyboy can count on his brothers. And his friends. But not much else besides trouble with the Socs, a vicious gang of rich kids whose idea of a good time is beating up “greasers” like Ponyboy. At least he knows what to expect-until the night someone takes things too far.

Book Review

Some books tell a story. In others, you grow alongside the characters. “The Outsiders” does both.

”The Outsiders” is a book about friendship, belonging, and growing up. It is heavy and emotional, yet still easy to read and connect with.

Here is why I suggest reading “The Outsiders.”

As I mentioned before, this book deals with some heavier themes, but since it is meant for teens, those themes are handled in an appropriate and thoughtful way. Even during emotionally heavy moments, the story never feels like it is dragging on.

This is one of the main reasons I enjoyed the writing style so much. I was worried I would have a hard time reading it or get bored, since I find that a lot of older books struggle to hold my attention. This book was the opposite. It was fast paced, hard to put down, and I finished it in just a couple of days.

I also really loved how the plot was structured, especially how the first sentence is also the last sentence. I love when books are written like that because it makes the story feel complete.

Another thing I loved about this book was the characters. They felt very real and human. They were struggling, and you could see it and feel it. It truly felt like you were walking alongside them as they went through difficult situations.

At the beginning of the book, the author spends time describing the characters, including how they look, their personalities, and what they like. Because of this, you feel closer to them. You know them well enough to sympathize with them, and they feel less like characters in a book and more like friends navigating the challenges of growing up as greasers.

This book made a strong emotional impact on me. It opened my eyes to a life that I will hopefully never experience. It made me realize how privileged I am to live a violence free life with a hopeful future ahead of me.

I did cry while reading this book, especially near the end when it becomes more emotional. I think this is because you form such a strong bond with the main characters throughout the story.

This book was also clean. There was a very limited amount of inappropriate content. Occasionally there were a few comments with mild innuendo, but it was never the focus of the book. There are some mild swears, along with slang and informal language, which makes sense since many of the greasers are not very educated.

There are also intense themes such as abuse, death, murder, grief, and social class. Overall, I would recommend this book for ages 13 and up, as long as the reader is mature enough to handle some of the harsher and more realistic themes.

So if you are looking for an emotional, fast paced book that gives you a real look at life, this would be a great choice. Prepare for a powerful story that will stay with you long after you put it back on the shelf.

Happy Reading,

Ava

Click on this Link to get your own copy of “The Outsiders”