The Outsiders
Realistic Fiction
By S. E. Hinton
Reviewed by Cherish Simmons
4.5 Out Of 5 Stars
Ponyboy, an intelligent greaser, has found himself in a hole. Ponyboy is the youngest in his family and the only one still in school. Ponyboy has been living with his two older brothers Darrell and Sodapop because their parents were killed in an accident. Ponyboy is one of the only greasers in his “gang” that enjoys movies, which in turn gets him jumped a lot. But one particular night, Darrell, Ponyboy’s older brother, hit Ponyboy in anger. Ponyboy ran out of the house and found his buddy from the “gang”, Johnny. They ran off and this time, Ponyboy wasn’t jumped alone. It’s tragic what happened to the “Soc”, but he had it coming for him. It then turned into a big blow out. What might happen? Ponyboy and Johnny had to run away. They went and found an old abandoned church in a small town. They stayed there for a while. One day, Johnny and Ponyboy left the church for a while to go with one of their buddies also from the gang, Dally. When they came back, the church was on fire with young children in it. The boys went in to save the kids. They got all the kids out and just as Johnny was about to escape, a burning board strikes his back and he’s left unconscious. What will happen to Johnny? You’ll have to read the book to find out yourself.
The Outsiders is a very intense book. It keeps you on the edge of your seat and eager to read more. S. E. Hinton has an amazing talent for writing. Her style is very unique and different. The book stays in the view of Ponyboy for the entire book, but Ponyboy sees a lot and keeps it interesting. I recommend this book to teenagers who enjoy books with older settings and a “meaty” plot. The Outsiders is a great independent read that any teenager would enjoy.
