The Outsiders
by S.E. Hinton
Historical Fiction
Realistic Fiction
Review #1
* * * * Stars (Great!)
This was a really great book. It was awesome because it was so realistic. It is about a boy who is living in a bad neighborhood with his brothers and his “gang.” He has a hard life, but he has his brother, Sodapop, to help him through. When he meets a girl at the drive-in it will lead to an unforgettable night.
Review #2 (Pretty Good)
* * * Stars
I had to read this book at school and if we didn’t have to read it, I probably would not have. The thing I was annoyed by throughout the book was the way the characters talked. I also didn’t enjoy reading that the characters were always smoking, drinking, getting beaten up, or fighting. The main character Ponyboy is a Greaser and the Socs are always going around and doing bad things to the Greasers. If you really want to read it, then read to find out what happens. (Sorry if that didn’t make sense.)
Review #3
* * * Stars (Pretty Good)
I thought this book was okay. It’s better for boys, because it’s about a gang of boys who do gang things. It has some violence in it. I would recommend it to boys and maybe girls who are interested in gangs and violence.
Review #4
* * * * * Stars (Amazing!)
I like this book because it’s interesting, suspenseful, and fast-paced. Another great thing about this book is that it’s appealing to both boys and girls. This book is a book about a gang from the 60s, called the Greasers, and their struggles. If you like a book with action you will love this book.
Review #5
* * * * * Stars (Amazing!)
This book is amazing! S. E. Hinton wrote this book when she was still in her teens and since she was born in 1948, she knew of two rival gangs at her school, namely the Greasers and the Soc’s, and wanted to write a book from the Greasers point of view. Because of this, her book has sold more than 14 million copies and is increasing by more than 500,000 books a year. The Outsiders is a novel following the Greasers and the Soc’s and how diffrent their lives are because of their socioeconomic status. This book is told from the view point of shy, quiet 14 year old Greaser, Ponyboy Curtis.
Review #6
* * * * Stars (Great!)
Ponyboy, a “Greaser,” knows he can always count on his brothers and friends, Two-bit, and Johnny. However, one night changes everything. The Socs, a gang of rich kids who like beating up the Greasers, take things too far.
I liked it because it expressed the world of gangs and the loyalty, love, and fear found in them.
Review #7
* * * * * Stars (Amazing!)
I loved the book. I really loved Ponyboy and Dally.
Review #8
* * * * * Stars (Amazing!)
“The Outsiders” by S.E. Hinton revolutionized young adult fiction. The story is told from the perspective of Ponyboy Curtis, a greaser from the east side. See how the conflict between the Socs, the rich kids, and the greasers, the low class, plays out.
Review #9
* * * * * Stars (Amazing!)
This is one of my favorite books. It is a tale that represents societal struggles and how easy it can be to deem oneself an outsider.
Review #10
* * * * * Stars (Amazing!)
In the 1950s there are two types of people in the world: Greasers and Socs. A Soc has money and almost never gets in trouble for anything. A Greaser is poor and always needs to watch his back. Ponyboy is a Greaser and proud of it. But one terrible night, his friend Johnny kills a Soc and they are forced to run away. Ponyboy feels conflicted about the murder and realizes pain feels the same whether you are a Soc or a Greaser.
Review #11
* * * * * Stars (Amazing!)
There are Greasers and Socs. Both have their own turf. They battle and some die. Until one mistake changes everything. I liked it because it was a page turner.
Review #12
* * * * * Stars (Amazing!)
The greasers and socs (social groups) have been rivals forever. When a group of greasers run into a soc girl at a drive-in things get bad. Some greasers get in a lot of trouble and almost get separated, and some people die along the way.
Review #13
* * * * Stars (Great!)
Pony-boy and his so-called gang, which is pretty much his family – his two brothers in the role of his parents and his friends in the roles of his brothers. This isn’t your average group of friends. These kids go through stealing, jumping, fighting, and even killing. Two of these kids get stuck in the biggest trap they ever got in. What will happen in the end? I liked this book because it was intense.
Review #14
* * * Stars (Pretty good)
“The Outsiders” is a wonderful coming-of-age book that follows the main protagonist, Ponyboy Curtis in Tulsa, Oklahoma. It focuses mainly on the Socs and the Greasers. The Socs are the high upperclassman who are spoiled and come from rich families. They lack discipline and usually gang up against the Greasers. The Greasers come from low-class families and usually wear jean clothes and drive beat-up old cars. In the book, the Greasers are portrayed as close friends who never turn their backs on each other, no matter what circumstances may occur. Though the Greasers are stereotyped as “juvenile delinquents,” by the end of the book, the plot takes a twist. Ponyboy is a Greaser, along with his gang, which includes his siblings, Darry and Sodapop. Other than Darry and Sodapop, the gang consists of Johnny, Ponyboy’s best friend Steve, Sodapop’s friend, Two-Bit, the oldest of the gang who is rough and tough when he needs to be, and Dally, a cunning convict who the fuzz have their eye on, ever since the age of 10. Ponyboy is proud to be a Greaser, until one night when he and Johnny are willing to rumble against a gang of Socs (short for “Socials”) for the sake of his gang of Greasers, until…when Johnny fatally kills a Soc. What will happen after this fateful murder? Will the gang stay together?
This book was a pretty good read for me since the use of 60s slang and figurative language intrigued me. I enjoyed following the events of what happened after the murder occurred, and Ponyboy’s recovery after certain events. I would not recommend this book to students under the age of twelve due to underage substance use, drinking, and the use of language. I would have liked for this book to be longer and for it to be from different perspectives, due to the fact by the end of the book, Ponyboy becomes an unreliable narrator. For middle and high school teens.
Review #15
* * * Stars (Pretty good)
“The Outsiders: by S. E. Hinton follows the life of Ponyboy Curtis, a teenager navigating the struggles of adolescence within a deeply divided society. The novel is set in a small town where the rich Socs and the poor Greasers are constantly at odds. Ponyboy and his friends confront violence, loss, and the harsh realities of their world. The climax of the book forces Ponyboy to reevaluate his views of life and his place in the world.
The story of Ponyboy Curtis and his struggles with social class divides, friendship, and identity is relatable. Hinton’s writing style makes the reader want not to put down the book. Hinton’s portrayal of the tension between the Greasers and the Socs is vivid and realistic. It captures the challenges faced by teenagers in a divided society. “The Outsiders” is an impactful novel with an important message about loyalty and social conflict. For middle school readers.
