The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton

     Though I usually prefer science fiction and fantasy, reading The Outsiders was a phenomenal experience. The story line is good, but what sparked my interest is how S. E. Hinton, who was 16 at the time she created this, writes. Everything flows smoothly, and with so much detail. You get to know the characters so well it’s hard to believe the story just covers one week of their lives. This book is extremely hard to put down.

The Outsiders is about a gang of “greasers,” or underprivileged teenagers, living on the east side of Tulsa, Oklahoma. They are constantly under attack from the rich west-side Socs, and have parties and rumbles all the time. The narrator, the orphan Ponyboy Curtis, pretty much knows what to expect from his day - school, track, homework, football at the lot - until one of his friends takes the greaser-Soc battle too far.

From that point, Ponyboy can barely keep track of what is happening. He goes from hopping a train to escape a crime scene to being in the newspaper as a juvenile delinquent hero. Everything seems to move too fast to handle. To find out the whole story, read the book!

If you like symbolism, this novel has plenty, but the main one is to “stay gold.” The book has a strong message of staying young and innocent. It teaches us not to create a shell to block emotions and the importance of friendship. This is one book you definitely will not want to skip.