The Outsiders
S.E. Hinton
Set in the 50s, the world is divided into two groups. Socs (Socials) and Greasers. Ponyboy is part of the Greasers gang along with his two older brothers Sodapop (the heartbreaker) and Darrel/Darry (the father figure). His coming of age story begins when he leaves the movie theatre with Paul Newman in mind and gets jumped by a pack of Socs. The next thing Ponyboy is looking at "is Johnny's hand. He was clutching his switchblade, and it was dark to the hilt."
Short review: I dare you to not carry all of Ponyboy's emotions. I dare you to not see where Darry is coming from and why he's such a hardass. I dare you to not fall in love with Sodapop. I dare you to try and put this book down while reading.
Substantial review: It's hard to imagine that S.E. Hinton was only 15 when she wrote The Outsiders. She writes with such vision and purpose that you feel as if you are involved in every detail of the story. The 50s gave birth to the teenage rebel and all things teen. The Outsiders is all about teenagers. Adults are only mentioned as formidable parents or teachers. Ponyboy is smart and polite but thinks that he needs to toughen up so he can be more like his older brothers and their friends. He likes to read and there are few mentions of other books in here such as Gone with the Wind. He's the one that gets mostly A's in English. This is suitable for 14+ readers boys and girls. Classics have no gender.
Hinton teaches you to think and shows you how others think. The events that take place in Ponyboy's life are not unpredictable but when you experience them through his narrative, they are explosive. Get ready for "movie star handsome good looks", "dangerous moods" and don't forget to comb your thick greasy jet black hair back. And above all else, stay golden.
