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The Outsiders

by S.E. Hinton

3.95 · rating details · 123,828 ratings · 6,929 reviews

Written over forty years ago, S. E. Hinton's classic story of the struggle between the Socs and the Greasers remains as powerful today as it was the day it was written, and it is taught in schools nationwide. Now available in a great new package with an improved trim size, a stunning new cover, and bonus material. Designed with classroom use in mind, the new edition will m...more

Mass Market Paperback, 180 pages

Published November 1st 1997 by Puffin (first published April 24th 1967)

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Sep 07, 2010

karen rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: and-so-this-is-grad-school, why-yes-i-ya

the outsiders is a book about a group of youthful greasers living in oklahoma, and about their struggles to exist in a society that seems designed to dismiss them.

oklahoma is also the name of a popular musical.

draw your own conclusions, or continue reading.

see, i don't know from oklahoma in the sixties. maybe that is a place where street toughs call their little brothers "honey" and "baby" and enjoy sunsets and stars and reading margaret m...more

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Jun 12, 2011

Joel rated it

· review of another edition

Recommended to Joel by: Donna

Shelves: 2010, 52-in-2010, classics, ya, disaffected-youth, stay-gold-ponyboy-stay-gold, 30-day-book-challenge

Stay gold, Ponyboy. Stay gold.

***********

The Outsiders is a book about sensitive teenage boys who alternately get into gang fights, hug one another, and burst into tears. They also spend more time than you might expect ruminating on how the tightness of a t-shirt might enhance the rippling musculature of a steely-eyed fellow gang member (this is where Stephanie Meyer got the idea for how to characterize Edward). Even though they're always complimenting each other's hair and d...moreStay gold, Ponyboy. Stay gold.

***********

The Outsiders is a book about sensitive teenage boys who alternately get into gang fights, hug one another, and burst into tears. They also spend more time than you might expect ruminating on how the tightness of a t-shirt might enhance the rippling musculature of a steely-eyed fellow gang member (this is where Stephanie Meyer got the idea for how to characterize Edward). Even though they're always complimenting each other's hair and doing gymnastics, it's not gay at all because it takes place in 1965, shortly after James Dean had made crying and homoerotic tension cool.

This is the kind of book that teachers like to assign to 7th graders (or dumb high schoolers) because it offers up a lot of THEMES about how EVERYONE IS DIFFERENT BUT STILL THE SAME, and teachers feel pretty safe giving a quiz on that because even the stupidest kid can figure it out, as every few paragraphs the narrator will just go ahead and state it outright, like this: "Even though we're Greasers and they're Socs, I guess in the end, we all look at the same sunset." (Sample essay question: What did Ponyboy mean when he said that everyone looked at the same sunset? And all you have to do to get it right is repeat the first half of the sentence.)

As a narrator, Ponyboy kept reminding me of Holden Caulfied, if Holden was poor and actually managed to do anything interesting with his evenings. But maybe that just has to do with the time period and the fact that they both say stuff like "I was just about bawling my eyes out, to tell you the truth" every few pages, except Ponyboy is doing it because his best friend knifed someone and then died of a broken back and being on fire, and Holden is just sad because his roommate smells bad (oh and I guess his brother got cancer and died pffffft). I do think they would get along if they ever met, and maybe make out a little bit.

I love the last few sentences of every chapter, where SE Hinton trots out her corniest stuff. Chapter 7: "Socs were just guys after all. Things were rough all over, but it was better that way. That way you could tell the other guy was human too." Chapter 8: "'Thanks, Ponyboy.' She smiled through her tears. 'You dig okay.' She had green eyes. I went on, walking home slowly." Oh and it doesn't come at the end of a chapter but: "Not even the rattling of the train could keep me awake, and I went to sleep in a hoodlum's jacket, with a gun lying next to my hand." There's also the best deathbed speech in all of teen literature (probably), which goes like this: "INTERPRETS THEMATICALLY RELEVANT POEM" (DIES).

So somehow I never read this in middle school, and when I read it now, I just end up giggling at half of the overwrought emotion (which happened with Catcher in the Rye too, but there I'm going to assume Salinger was writing on multiple levels, because he was a competent adult, whereas The Outsiders was written by someone Holden's age). But it's still a pretty awesome book.

EDITED to add that this Penguin edition makes the book seem really classy, which is nice, but Jodi Picoult's introduction is kind of a joke. She basically asked her 14-year-old son to write a book report and quoted excerpts.

Facebook 30 Day Book Challenge Day 6: Favorite young adult book.(less)

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Aug 28, 2008

Nancy rated it

Shelves: contemporary-fiction, kids-and-teens

I loved The Outsiders when I read it as a teen and again when I read it just a few months ago. S. E. Hinton created a believable and engaging cast of characters who struggle with conflict in and out of their gang and learn the meaning of friendship and family. A very moving and enjoyable story!

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Oct 03, 2007

Briynne rated it

I'm a little horrified at myself for not having this book up before now. We had a discussion about it in class today, and I had to write this as soon it was over. I wish there were more stars to give The Outsiders, but five will have to do. I love this book, and have loved it faithfully since I read it in sixth grade - I must have read it a dozen times, and possibly more. I can quote long sections of the book. I was obsessed, and to some degree still am.

It's not a good book by...moreI'm a little horrified at myself for not having this book up before now. We had a discussion about it in class today, and I had to write this as soon it was over. I wish there were more stars to give The Outsiders, but five will have to do. I love this book, and have loved it faithfully since I read it in sixth grade - I must have read it a dozen times, and possibly more. I can quote long sections of the book. I was obsessed, and to some degree still am.

It's not a good book by any literary standard, really. Hinton uses one of those usually awful formulaic introductions that devotes a paragraph to each main character, explicitly describing their characteristics, history, and appearance. When I think of it objectively, it's almost as bad as that awful, awful introductory second chapter of the Babysitters Club books that repeats in every installment.

I think the point is, though, that I just don't care. In fact, I adore the writing even though it is obvious. Maybe because I first read it when I was eleven and that sort of writing just seemed clear and to-the-point. At any rate, I don't think it suffers too badly from the style, and if anything it benefits from the authenticity of a teenage author.

I can't even begin to say what it was about this book that caught my interest and imagination so completely. I liked the otherness of it - I had never experienced anything like these boys dealt with. Not the pervasive fear and violence, not the absentee, non-existent, or abusive parents, and definitely not the fascinating siege-mentality camaraderie that existed in their group.

The best part of the book, without any doubt, is the characters she has created. I love them all, with the exception of Steve. They are wonderful and so sympathetic, with their odd names and ill-fated lives. I hope for the ending to change every time I read it. Ponyboy's voice, which narrates the story, has a beautiful vulnerability and honesty that makes the story believable. He's often confused, hurt, scared, sorry, and just feels like things are wrong; but, he's also brave and kind and takes chances on people. I think that Hinton's allowing her main character to be a real person, who is more often than not unsure of everything he does, gives the book its credibility with teenagers.

Fantastic, must-read, childhood-defining book. Reading Hinton's "That Was Then, This is Now" is worth it just for the few brief cameos a slightly older Ponyboy makes throughout the story. (less)

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Jul 13, 2011

Ryan rated it

I never read The Outsiders, and I always felt left out because of it.

There are many texts like this in North America. A brief list of stories often taught in grades 7 - 9 might include To Kill A Mockingbird, The Giver, and Romeo and Juliet. Believe it or not, there's quite a controversy over this notion.

Does everyone need to read The Outsiders?

Teachers ask this question quite often, but they're not always given the authority to answer it. Instead, they are ask...more

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Sep 10, 2008

Cristian Cnca rated it

Recommends it for: Gaspar CNCA

What will happen to ponyboy that will change his life? In the story the Outsiders by S.E Hinton ponyboy is a misunderstood, smart, teen that is not like the friends he hangs out with.Johnny is part of the greasers who is treated cruelly at his home.Darry and Soda are pony's brothers ,darry makes pony try his best at school and soda stops a fight when both of them get into a fight.Set at his neighborhood where there is poverty and gang like groups that cause trouble in the neighborhood.Ponyboy ...more What will happen to ponyboy that will change his life? In the story the Outsiders by S.E Hinton ponyboy is a misunderstood, smart, teen that is not like the friends he hangs out with.Johnny is part of the greasers who is treated cruelly at his home.Darry and Soda are pony's brothers ,darry makes pony try his best at school and soda stops a fight when both of them get into a fight.Set at his neighborhood where there is poverty and gang like groups that cause trouble in the neighborhood.Ponyboy has to live with his brothers, his only friends are the greasers the greasers are the poor kids and the socs are a group of rich kids who are against the greasers.Keep on reading to find out what will happen to ponyboy.Will he turn like his friends or live a normal life?

Ponyboy is a kid who hangs with greasers. Ponyboy is an intelligent teen who lives in a poor neighborhoodand , also around bad influence. johnny is the greasers pet who is not accepted at home and is hit by his father who is a cruel man.Both of them hang out with bad influences which are older than them and commit crimes.Darry tries to make a better future for pony and soda that is why he screams at him and wants himto get good grades. Pony changed in the story a lot he was a good kid but around the greasers he is tough and mean.

Rapidly the smell of smoke an poverty and smoke hit anybody who went past the greasers territories. The neighborhood was filthy and polluted by the greasers and people who lived there.In his neighborhood they have fights against tha socs if something happened between them.Anybody who enters the neighborhood gets jumped by the greasers or the socs,and his gang hangs out a lot and sometimes commit crimes and get caught by the police.

Swiftly their was a murder commited in the neighborhood.The main conflict of the story is that they killed a soc and the police are after them. Pony and johnny were helped by dally but they had to leave immiediatly because the story would be in th paper.The story gets more intense when nobody visits them and they get worried that they wil never be able to get out into the world again. The climax is when they save kids from the church they were hiding in,the church was burning but then someone gets seriously hurt. The resolution happens when they save the kids and get rewarded and are named heros on the newspaper. This helps pony not get charged for murder.

The outsiders is a great book which tells the story of the socs and the greasers, the story gets really dramatic an suspenseful.I think that the main characters could really be real life people that can have similiar problems.The neighborhood feels like it could be in a real city where there are gangs and other bad things like crimes.I really enjoyed the plot because it has dramatic and suspenseful parts that makes you not want to put down the book.I think that this book is amazing an everybody should read it! Title:The Greasers story.

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Jun 20, 2007

Needleroozer rated it

Shelves: young-adult

I read this book when I was 13. It moved me so that as soon as I got to the end, I turned back to the beginning and read it straight through again. Of course, all this reading was accompanied by much heartfelt crying.

I told my mom that it was my favorite book. She told me it was not my favorite book. She really meant it wasn't the most well-written book I had ever read, and she was probably right about that. But no one call tell another person what is or isn't his/her/hir favorit...more

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Jun 19, 2011

Dylan rated it

· review of another edition

Recommends it for: Everyone (especially a teen)

Recommended to Dylan by: My teacher

Shelves: my-bookshelf, favorites

One of my favorite novels of all time! What's so amazing is that this is based on a true story! I highly recomend this book! Favorite quote: "Stay gold, Ponyboy, stay gold..." -Johnny Cade.

Edit: This was even better the second time around. I understood the theme so much more clearly. Nothing but an instant classic.

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Feb 16, 2008

Allie rated it

This was a great book but I was incredibly disappointed after I found out it wasn't about aliens.

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Apr 05, 2009

Miguel rated it

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Dec 31, 2011

Leanne rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: classics, rc-winter-2012, i-recommend, lived-up-to-the-hype, ya-realistic-fiction, tears-so-many-tears, why-yes-this-is-ya, to-re-read

How likely is it that if you've never read The Outsiders or heard much about it, you would think it's about Greasers who admire sunsets and stars, and read Gone with the Wind to one another, thinking about Pip from the novel by Charles Dickens, and where Greasers do flips and handless somersaults on staircases, and brothers call each other "honey" and "sweetie"? After reading the synopsis of this book and knowing the storm it caused 40 years ago after being published, I didn...more

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Dec 21, 2010

Kelly rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: 2005, cocktail-party-conqueror

A man died six years ago, but we didn't know at the time. They found him five days later, huddled inside a car, a junkie's tool kit littered across the seat. He was stamped O.D., self-induced slumber. Had the unfortunate been murdered, the label NHI would have been in there somewhere.

I didn't gravitate to this novel immediately. I kind of threw it around my room, getting to it at some point. After the above occurance, this book sort of found it's way back to me, in a lonely, gri...more

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Dec 05, 2008

Werner rated it

Recommends it for: Both teen and adult fiction readers

Recommended to Werner by: One of my grandnieces, Alicia

Shelves: childrens, general-fiction

While the setting of this brilliant novel is presumably Hinton's native Tulsa or modeled closely on it, and the specific social circumstances of the teen milieu she depicts, with its sharp and often violent class conflict between the spoiled, nihilistic upper crust versus the angry, socially/economically circumscribed white underclass, may (or in some places, may not) have changed since the 60s, the themes she addresses here are absolutely universal and timeless: the universality of human feelin...moreWhile the setting of this brilliant novel is presumably Hinton's native Tulsa or modeled closely on it, and the specific social circumstances of the teen milieu she depicts, with its sharp and often violent class conflict between the spoiled, nihilistic upper crust versus the angry, socially/economically circumscribed white underclass, may (or in some places, may not) have changed since the 60s, the themes she addresses here are absolutely universal and timeless: the universality of human feelings, needs, and worth regardless of artificial divisions; the need --and ability-- that every human being has to make his/her own moral decisions and character, regardless of external social circumstances; the value of family ties and friendship; and the transcendent reality that some behaviors are innately right and others wrong, depending on how they treat other people. Through the utterly realistic characters she creates, and the perfectly crafted plot she constructs around them, Hinton conveys her message with an artistry not found among many authors in their 50s and 60s, let alone their teens. She writes thoroughly believable dialogue, and conjures the gritty atmosphere of a lower-class urban neighborhood, without resorting to profanity or cheapening her work with gratuitous sex. And while she conveys a keen consciousness of social injustice, she does not reduce her characters to puppets of social circumstances, nor reduce the personal to the political.

Though the publishing industry marketed (and still markets) this book to teens, there is nothing "juvenile" or "kiddish" about it that merits patronizing treatment by older readers or critics. On the contrary, while teen readers continue to embrace the book, it's a work of serious fiction as appropriate for adults as well as any of the books marketed to them --and a better read with more constructive content than most of those, to boot. In short, this is descriptive fiction as it should be written. Forty years is a short period from which to judge the enduring significance of a novel; but I predict that this one will stand the test of time, and that one day a sane critical community (if we ever have one :-)) will rank it as a crown jewel of the Realist tradition, and of American fiction.(less)

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Oct 13, 2007

Julie rated it

This book, which was written in the 1960's, may have well been written today. It describes the many conflicts between gangs, social groups, family violence, and friends. Many emotions and thoughts surround the patrogonist, Ponyboy, who describes ganglife in the city. The book goes into many depths to develop the personality and emotions of every single character, and even from the view of the main character, you know the intellects of every little character. Every emotion is very sicere and well...more

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Sep 30, 2007

Sara rated it

Recommends it for: Anyone

The Outsiders is very similar to The West Side Story, it talks about 2 gangs however, in th is story, it’s about the relationships and gap between the rich and poor. The two gangs named, The Greasers and The Socs, are common enemies in their society. However, the love part is very similar to Romeo and Juliet, where one person from each of the gangs or the enemies falls in love with each other. Cherry from the Socs falls in love with Ponyboy and Johnny, Greasers. Like in Romeo and Juliet, it ca...moreThe Outsiders is very similar to The West Side Story, it talks about 2 gangs however, in th is story, it’s about the relationships and gap between the rich and poor. The two gangs named, The Greasers and The Socs, are common enemies in their society. However, the love part is very similar to Romeo and Juliet, where one person from each of the gangs or the enemies falls in love with each other. Cherry from the Socs falls in love with Ponyboy and Johnny, Greasers. Like in Romeo and Juliet, it causes more conflict between one another.
The fight all began when Ponyboy was returning home from a movie and the Socs starts to bully them. They got into a big fight and boys from the Greaser comes to help but the problem did not end there. They started to develop bigger problems because the Greasers were hanging out with the girls, the Socs. Eventually, a lot of things starts to happen, fights breaks out, people dies. Johnny, one of Ponyboy’s friend, killed Bob, one of the Socs, because he was going to kill Ponyboy. So, Ponyboy and Johnny runs away to a church with the help of Dally, another Greaser. They are in the hideout for a week and Dally finally takes Johnny and Ponyboy home. However, on their way home, there was a fire in a children’s school; Ponyboy and Johnny decides to help and save kids. They became heros, but Johnny didn’t turn out good. While he was saving the kids, the roof of the school collapsed on him. It broke his back and eventually died at the end. Additionally, at the end, Ponyboy realizes the greater meaning of life, family. He realize how family and friends meant so much to him.
The point where Ponyboy realize how important family means to him is the part where he finally grows up. He finally understands the bigger meaning of life instead of just violence. The Outsider is very much the same as The West Side Story. The characters deals with the same obstacles, the same people dies, the same situation happens to Johnny, but the names of the characters are very different and the name of the gangs are different too, instead of Greasers and Socs, they have the Jet and Sharks. However, pretty much everything else is the same.

This is like my 4th time reading this book, it is so good!(less)

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Apr 01, 2009

Bryan rated it

This book is very great. Even though the 2 strongest characters in the book go away.I like this book because it shows a social life from the two gangs Greasers and Socs. This book makes you get much deeper into the thoughts of S.E.HINTON...

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Feb 13, 2008

Brigid *Flying Kick-a-pow!* rated it

Shelves: 5-star-books, books-for-school, favorites

I LOVE this book. I don't know why I find it so good. The whole thing just seems so real. It's really exciting, and the characters are all really believable. I like how the story was written by a young author who really knew what she was writing about--she based it partly on the experiences of her friends. It's like people say--"Write what you know." And S.E. Hinton did just that, and did an excellent job. The book does have some corny parts, and is one of very few books that actually ...more

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Oct 30, 2009

Ana De Leon rated it

Recommends it for: people interested in realistic struggles between social classes

Recommended to Ana by: My seventh and either grade teachers

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Oct 23, 2011

Michaeguyton rated it

Michae guyton
Survey LT.
Mr.Topel
P:2,3
october 21,2011
The book I'm currently reading is "THE OUTSIDERS" it's a great book by S.E. HINTON. So far I have read that Ponyboy is the narrator and main character of the book, he's a great smart kid, who's of course a Greaser. He lives with his two older brother's [darry,and sodapop].They lost their parents and depend on their gang ,trying to live and survive day-by-day.

I pred...more Michae guyton
Survey LT.
Mr.Topel
P:2,3
october 21,2011
The book I'm currently reading is "THE OUTSIDERS" it's a great book by S.E. HINTON. So far I have read that Ponyboy is the narrator and main character of the book, he's a great smart kid, who's of course a Greaser. He lives with his two older brother's [darry,and sodapop].They lost their parents and depend on their gang ,trying to live and survive day-by-day.

I predicted that the socs and the greasers would alway fight and jump one another gang, just to be doing something because they're different gangs, have different amounts of money, and live in different turf's.I made the prediction because the title told it all to me,and yes my prediction came true.

"Sodapop, steve, and two-bit began throwing paper wads at each other and clowning around, finally steve dropped a hymn book with a bang- accidently, of course. Everyone in the place turned around to look at us, and Johnny and I nearly crawled under the pews. And then Two- bit waved at them.I hadn't been to church since.[page:83]" This reminds me of the time I was at my old school and people began to throw food at one another. Than the principal walked in and me and my friend were under the table so no food would hit us while they were throwing.After that day I felt so embarrassed knowing that they were to big for all that,[they all got in trouble],and from that day on there hadnt been a food fight.

"Darry screamed,"Pony I didnt mean to!" but I was at the lot by then and pretended I couldn't hear. I was running away. It was plain to me that Darry didn't want me around. And I wouldn't stay if he did. He wasn't ever going to hit me again[page:66]". I could make a text-to-world connection to this quote because there are lots of run aways/missing people in this world all because of ,abuse,rape,or getting treated unfair.

"My parents", Johnny repeated doggedly,"did they ask about me?" johnny didn't say anything. But he stared at the dashboard with such hurt bewilderment that I could have bawled[page:106]". I could make a text-to-text connection because I read this book and it reminds me another book I once read when a girl mother was abuseing drugs when only she was in her mother's utero.I visualize johnny feeling really, really hurt knowing his parents don't care for him as he cares for them ,reguarding the fact his father is a drunk and beats him for no reason,and his mother not caring if he comes in the house or not, and not even noticing him.
"We used to seeing Johnny banged up-his father clobbered him around a lot,and although it made us madder than heck, we couldn't do anything about it . But those beatings had been nothing like this[page:47]" I inferr that Johhny will get hurt will bad one day and get placed in the hostpital and die.
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Apr 02, 2008

Bridgit rated it

this book was alright.
it was my father's favorite when he was younger.

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Nov 08, 2011

Destiny Patrick rated it

The Outsiders is a young adult book based on the teen life that the author, S.E. Hinton, was surrounded by every day. She wrote a powerful story using fictional characters. This author takes your breath away with vivid descriptions of each character that walks onto the scene like "movie star looks". The book is about two gangs on two separate sides of town that has lots of tension between them. One of the gangs are the greasers (mostly known as the town's gangsters). The other gang is ...more

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May 19, 2011

Kathy rated it

I read this book when I was a kid, and I remember I absolutely loved it--so much, I wanted to immediately re-read it. I just reread this book again as an adult; this book left me with the same emotions that I had when I read it as a kid. The book is told in the first person from the perspective of a 14 year old boy, and the narrative is so genuine and real...he speaks and thinks like a real 14 year old--not over-edited by an adult editor. From the first page you are sucked into this kids world, ...more

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Jan 03, 2011

Vincent D'Antonio rated it

This is my book review:

Dear Potential Reader,

The book The Outsiders is a very good but very active and kind of not appropriate book for all ages. This book is about 2 gangs that live on the opposite sides of town but have a history with each other. The poor gang or the “Greasers" and the rich gang that lives in the rich part of the town are called "Socs." These 2 gangs have done damage to each other before but not lik...moreThis is my book review:

Dear Potential Reader,

The book The Outsiders is a very good but very active and kind of not appropriate book for all ages. This book is about 2 gangs that live on the opposite sides of town but have a history with each other. The poor gang or the “Greasers" and the rich gang that lives in the rich part of the town are called "Socs." These 2 gangs have done damage to each other before but not like it was in this book. Ponyboy Curtis is the youngest person in the Greasers and has 2 brothers. Darrel Curtis is Ponyboy's oldest brother. Also he other brother named Sodapop Curtis, Ponyboy's happy-go-lucky handsome brother. Also in the Greasers gang is Two-Bit Mathews who is the joker in the gang. Steve Randle Sodapop's best friend since grade school and also works with Sodapop at the gas station. Dallas Winston is the toughest hood in Ponyboy’s group of Greasers. He is also known as Dally. Finally for the main characters is Johnny Cade. He is a 16 year old greaser. Even though he has not been successful in school he tries his best to approach intellectual matters with steady concentration.
In the book The Outsiders I have 2 favorite quotes: My first favorite quote was directed to Ponyboy. Someone told Ponyboy “Stay gold, Ponyboy. Stay gold" This quote refers to the Robert Frost poem that Ponyboy recites to Johnny when the two hide out in the Windrixville Church in Chapter 9 when Johnny is lies dying in the hospital. My second favorite quote is "Dally was so real he scared me." This quote is during Ponyboy and Johnny in the abandoned church when they thinko of Dally.
Kids that are bullied in their school and even kids who simply feel alienated can look at the story Ponyboy tells and realize that they are not alone in their unfortunate circumstances. In fact, with such dramatic displays of violence in The Outsiders, these kids may be able to put their experiences into an even better perspective. On the other hand, kids that are often bullying others are offered the chance to see life from the perspective of the bullied, and hopefully realize that they are not so different.

I also think that is story is a very good story to teach younger teens because i think that the violence and the actions of others in the story may portray a negative influence on the more negative students in your class. Also teachers it wills most greatly if you read this story with a mature group of kids. Some kids may act immature to the story and how they use foul language. I do recommend the book for people who have not read this book but this book is very good and can teach a very good lesson to good kids.
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Apr 17, 2010

Kelly marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Shelves: children-and-teens, classic, fiction

I finally got the book from the library and have just started it. I'm incredibly impressed that this was penned by a kid in high school. It's very well written. There are bits that feel like a teenager wrote it, but that's a good thing because too often lately I've been reading children's books that feel like a 42 year old wrote them. While it's not bad to be 42 and write for kids, I'm 42 and do so, you don't want to sound 42.

I'm also bored. It's not Hinton's fault at all. I'm sure w...moreI finally got the book from the library and have just started it. I'm incredibly impressed that this was penned by a kid in high school. It's very well written. There are bits that feel like a teenager wrote it, but that's a good thing because too often lately I've been reading children's books that feel like a 42 year old wrote them. While it's not bad to be 42 and write for kids, I'm 42 and do so, you don't want to sound 42.

I'm also bored. It's not Hinton's fault at all. I'm sure when she wrote the book it was a fairly fresh idea, even with West Side Story ten years old already. But now, half a century later, this story has been done to death, with stories that take place in that same era as well as the same plot in more modern times. John Hughes made a fortune off of the idea of the rich kids vs. the outsiders.

My experiences weren't like that at all. It had nothing to with wealth but with class. That sometimes corresponds to wealth but not always. For example, I was raised with upper middle-class values but my mom was a single parent so we didn't have a lot of money. At my school, the classes stuck to their own and picked on their own. I was ostracized and picked on by those upper middle class folks, the college bound kids. I was an outsider to both groups. No one went anywhere near our version of the greasers--the "druggies" who may not have done any drugs but they tended to smoke and skip class a lot--they weren't even in our world.

One exception was that one "druggie" in my neighborhood started picking on me long before we had such distinctions. He was even a couple of years younger. That continued into high school until one day someone spray-painted "Sow" on the inside of my fence. He used to call me that and he cut through my yard sometimes so I was pretty sure it was he. I went to talk to his father about it who claimed his son had been in the library all afternoon with his mother. (Yeah, right.) But I sent a flower to his homeroom to apologize for accusing him. (He wasn't there, he was cutting class that day.) After that he was nice to me. It was weird.

Anyway, I'll keep reading.
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Jul 27, 2010

Amber rated it

Shelves: i-read-in-2010, fiction, adventure, realistic-fiction, 1-star

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Dec 01, 2010

Karen rated it

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Shelves: kids-lit, read-with-tay

I was at work the other day and a 7th grade student came by with this book. She has to read it for school! Remember when we read it for fun? I told her I read it in 8th grade because EVERYONE was reading it. She found that hard to believe. In 20 years will they make kids read "Twilight" and write book reports on it? I remember the movie coming out and not being allowed to see it because of all the "violence", which by today's standards is minimal. But I don't think they had P...more

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Feb 26, 2010

Jackie rated it

I am currently 15, and my aunt gave me this book when I was about 12. When I got the book, I put on a happy face and said I as excited to read it. But honestly I did not want to read a book about boys in a bad part of town and about street fights. But my aunt kept asking me if I read it, and after a few months I picked up the book, and from there, I couldn't put it down. This book was so inspirational and great. I loved every one of the characters. My favorite characters were definitely Johnny a...more

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Nov 07, 2008

Oriana rated it

Recommends it for: anyone who has to fight for their lives

Recommended to Oriana by: my teacher

Everyone has problems, everyone one has to survive from something or someone, the worst is when it is both. The "Outsiders by S.E. Hinton" made me feel about what a great life I have. I mean imagine... you having to defend for your life every single day, knowing that if you aren't careful you can lose your life in a heart beat. That frightens me because of how unsafe not just our streets are but how unsafe our world is.

The "Outsiders" shows people the difference ...more

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Nov 10, 2009

Conor rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: 9th-grade-advisory

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. The Outsiders
S.E. Hinton
156 pages
1967, Dell publishing
0-440-96769-4

Ponyboy is a teenaged Greaser hiding away from everything in a life-threatening situation. He is facing the dangers of being found by the cops, and worse, losing his best friend and companion, Johnny. In a battle of loyalty, friendship, and proving the Greasers are better than the Socs, Ponyboy is both emotionally overwhelmed with thoughts and physically tired. If you ever want to read a real...moreThe Outsiders
S.E. Hinton
156 pages
1967, Dell publishing
0-440-96769-4

Ponyboy is a teenaged Greaser hiding away from everything in a life-threatening situation. He is facing the dangers of being found by the cops, and worse, losing his best friend and companion, Johnny. In a battle of loyalty, friendship, and proving the Greasers are better than the Socs, Ponyboy is both emotionally overwhelmed with thoughts and physically tired. If you ever want to read a real captivating page turner set in the real world where everything isn’t meant to be okay, look no further than The Outsiders, written beautifully by then-16 year old S.E. Hinton. This book will be a great personal reflection on how things are meant to be in the world.

The story begins with awkward Ponyboy Curtis walking home when he runs into a trio of Socs (Ponboy’s gang rival) and is about to get jumped. He manages to lure away in time and is rescued by his siblings. The Greasers and the Socs are your two typical rivals in literature – similar to those of the Montague’s and Capulet’s in Romeo and Juliet, the Sharks and the Jets in the critically-acclaimed West Side Story, or even our present day well known gang members the Bloods and the Cryps. The first few chapters of the book set up a solid foreground that prepares the reader for what lies ahead. Each chapter builds up on the other with the last sentence in each chapter saying Ponyboy couldn’t possible imagine things getting worse, but they did. This continued on until the powerful climax of Ponyboy’s companion and best friend, Johnny, drowning a Soc who almost killed Ponyboy. The story goes on to tell the adventures of running away and the meeting of Dally along the way. This powerful work of literature shows the true meaning of loyalty, companionship, and a life lesson for those who pay attention. The lesson is: one cannot always run away from one’s problems, and one will eventually have to face up to the world.

The common theme of loyalty/companionship is beautifully written throughout The Outsiders. In many parts of the book the amount of loyalty the character would give to his gang member would be tested. And that loyalty was always given. All of the gang members come from difficult backgrounds and aren’t gang members simply for the attention. They all need and rely on each other. The fact that each and every one of them (though preference in the story was given to certain characters) can trust and take care of each other offers a valuable life lesson for those who want to accept it. It shows that the worst of the worse, the poorest of the poor, and the meanest of the mean can even show loyalty to one another and that everyone in life needs a good friend.

S.E. Hinton uses all the aspects of a good book that one may dream of. Her sequence of the story makes much sense and there aren’t any floating details up in space. Unlike other books, she doesn’t spend a whole chapter talking about the setting or what color shirt Bob was wearing during his panic attack. She only includes what really matters and in doing that, shows, but not tells. Everything in the book is 100% needed. The ending was sad, but necessary, and couldn’t be written any other way. Hinton uses both descriptive and opening adjectives that show that there’s not too much interpreting of the book. Therefore she is very specific in describing what the characters look like and do. By the time I reached the end of the second chapter I had a vivid image in my mind of what each character looked like. She may have a lot of characters, but they are easy to keep track of once you’ve read a chapter or two. What’s most amazing about this is S.E. Hinton wrote all of this when she was only 16!! This amazing work of literature was written by a Sophomore in High School afraid of what was going on in her school. This just goes to show that you can accomplish your dreams if you work hard enough. S.E. Hinton definitely lived out loud.

Still hesitating? One can only say so much about a thorough well written novel. Pick up a copy of this captivating page turner today. You won’t want to put down the book until you’re finished. Pick up a copy today and enter the real world. You won’t want to put the book down until you have finished. The book contains many good life lessons for those who are willing to listen. 
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Aug 23, 2008

Sue rated it

This is the book that truly made me understand the pleasure of reading. I read it for the first time in high school, and was completely caught up in the characters and storyline. S.E. Hinton writes with a rawness and emotion that is unique - she wrote this book when she was 16 years old; it began as a short story for her English class, but her teacher apparently saw the potential and lucky for us, was able to help her get it published (her initials were used because she thought the publishers ...more

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topics	posts	views	last activity
Who else read this for school?	40	59	6 hours, 54 min ago
Pony Boy and Johnny	11	56	Feb 06, 2012 02:31pm
The Paranormal Ro...: My Book Blog	2	3	Feb 05, 2012 05:40pm
When Johny was in the hospital, did you think he was going to live?	13	42	Feb 04, 2012 04:03am
What are your thoughts about The Outsiders so far?	2	12	Feb 04, 2012 03:16am
Favorite book of all time	23	102	Feb 02, 2012 01:27pm

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About S.E. Hinton

S.E. Hinton, was and still is, one of the most popular and best known writers of young adult fiction. Her books have been taught in some schools, and banned from others. Her novels changed the way people look at young adult literature.

Susan Eloise Hinton was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma. She has always enjoyed reading but wasn't satisfied with the literature that was being written for youn...more

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“I lie to myself all the time, but I never believe me.” — 734 people liked it

“Stay gold, Ponyboy, stay gold.” — 441 people liked it

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