Citation: Hinton, S. E. (1997). The outsiders. Penguin Young Readers Group. Original work published 1967.
Dear Reader, this book contains material related to violence, death, and gun violence that some readers may find distressing. There are also portrayals of underaged drinking, smoking, and other illegal behaviour. The content of this work may be emotionally challenging, so self-care is advised.
The Outsiders, despite having been banned in numerous schools and libraries due to its portrayal of gang violence, drug use, and language, has remained a classic for over fifty years and been hailed as a founder of modern young adult literature.
This book tells the story of a young teen whose brothers and friends are constantly harassed and assaulted by the bored children of the upper class, until one fateful night changes everything.
Although somewhat dated in its social groupings, even modern readers for whom “greasers” and “socs” are relatively meaningless terms will be able to relate to Ponyboy as he lays bare the pain of being marginalized for factors beyond his control and expresses the sweetness at his core. Although The Outsiders is unlike any other book of its time, readers may also enjoy Jumped In (Flores-Scott, 2013); both are emotionally intense books following sensitive working-class characters faced by tragedy.
Check out our other review of The Outsiders here.