Review Detail

The Outsiders. Hinton, S.E. New York: Penguin Group, 1967. 180 pages.

Looking for a breathtaking book? If so, The Outsiders is a fiction novel by S.E. Hinton that is just for you!

The book is written in first person point of view and is told by the main character Ponyboy, so you are able to hear things through his thoughts, and you get to know how he feels about the rest of the gang and the situations that are happening. Ponyboy is a 14-year old boy who lives with his two brothers because their parents died. They are always trying to make sure that Ponyboy and one of his brothers named Soda do not have to go to a foster home due to getting in trouble or doing something wrong. The three brothers and their gang all protect each other from their rival gang known as the Socs. The Socs often times jump Ponyboy and his gang, who are known as greasers because they heavily put on a lot of grease in their hair all the time.

            The purpose and theme of the book is to show kids how when times are tough you have to find people who will accept you for who you are and who you can trust. Once you find those people you must stay close to them. The author shows that not all things in life will turn out the way that you want them to be. The intended audience is people who take what they have for granted or people who want to know more about what life is like for people in a gang or with troubled pasts. S.E. Hinton did a great job of showing that we shouldnt take the things and family members that we have for granted because some people do not have family members or have lost many people close to them. She also showed that the necessities that some people have, others do not have, so we should be thankful for everything we have. We need to realize when we dont think life is fair, that there are many others who would love to have our lives so we should be thankful for the life that we have now.

The book really made me appreciate how great my family is, and all of the things that I have and the resources that I have in life. I think that all people from the age group of mature middle school kids and older should read this book. There is a little bit of profanity in the book which is why I recommended this age group. There are too many exciting events to count! You are left on the edge of your seat for every scene, and after one great scene you sped right on to the next one. The adventures never end in this book! The book is truly amazing. You have to read it for yourself to find out if Ponyboy and his brother, Soda, do get sent away from their other brother Darrel, (known as Darry) to a foster home. Youll also want to find out if they ever end up getting rid of their arch rival the Socs. The book is fantastic and everybody should read it!