Outsiders Book Review

 The Outsiders

    If you'd ever taken 7th grade English, you probably have heard of this book.

 If you haven't, then you're in the right place. At first, it looks like any other novel, but once you turn to the first page, everything changes. I went for reading it for an assignment to flipping open the book at every chance I got. Partly based off of true experiences with gang violence, it adds to the charm of the book. Now, I know what you're thinking; "Oh, it's gonna be so boring, I'm not reading that!" However, the Outsiders starts off with a setting in the 1950's, and shows how life really was back then, with the class differences turning deadly. 

   Story: 

If you haven't yet reached 7th grade ELA, I would recommend skipping this part. Based of a true story of gang violence in 1957, there's Soc's and the greasers. Socs-standing for Socials-the rich, snobby gang of kids. And then we have Greasers, on the East side of the town, the rebellious, greased back hair, and leather jacket gang. It's always the Socs looking for trouble, while the greasers are just trying to do their own thing.  One day, things go too far. People die. Now they're on the run. But what matters is if they get caught or not. 

Adaptations:

If you aren't one for reading the book, there's also the 1983 film to watch. A "Complete Novel" version was released a while later with all the original cuts that weren't included in the first movie. There's also a Broadway musical that debuted in 2023, winning 4 Tony Awards in 2024. 

Characters:

Each character is beautifully written and developed, and I loved each one equally (except for the Socs, of course).

While there are some themes of suicide with a couple of the characters, it adds to the backstory and makes them more complex. A solid 5/5 from me.

Common Criticisms: 

While I thought the book was perfectly executed, others thought not. Some parents of readers suggested that the themes of gang violence were too "real" and "disturbing". Others said that since Hinton was a teenager at the time she wrote and published this book, it lacked professional experience. 

Final Rating?

5/5. There's nothing more for me to say, seeing as every single detail in the book was explained to the max, and I actually felt like I was in the story with Ponyboy, living every moment with him. If you haven't already, I'd definitely recommend picking this book up from a nearby book store or the library. And if you can't do that, then watch the movie adaptation, which is almost as good.

-bea