The Outsiders: A Review

S.E. Hinton's The Outsiders

Logistics
Title:  The Outsiders
Author:  S.E. Hinton
Published:  1967
Publishing Company:  Speak
Page Count:  192

Summary via Goodreads
According to Ponyboy, there are two kinds of people in the world: greasers and socs. A soc (short for "social") has money, can get away with just about anything, and has an attitude longer than a limousine. A greaser, on the other hand, always lives on the outside and needs to watch his back. Ponyboy is a greaser, and he's always been proud of it, even willing to rumble against a gang of socs for the sake of his fellow greasers--until one terrible night when his friend Johnny kills a soc. The murder gets under Ponyboy's skin, causing his bifurcated world to crumble and teaching him that pain feels the same whether a soc or a greaser.

My Thoughts
This is a really fantastic book.  The message and rivalries transcend time and place when it comes to The Outsiders and the influence it can have on people could be highly beneficial in today's society.  For a book written in the mid-60s, the themes of loyalty and right and wrong can easily be applied to life today.  Ponyboy, the youngest in the greasers' group, is faced with gut-wrenching decisions after one of his fellow greasers kills a rival soc.  He shows that sometimes loyalties have to be tested in order to make the right decisions, despite the consequences that those choices might cause.  It's a brilliant look at social dynamics and growing up.  If you've never read this book, I definitely recommend it.  Also, I should probably get around to watching the film version...

Rating
Five stars on Goodreads.  A great book.

What are some of your favorite "tough choices" books?

Happy reading!