The Outsiders

Genre: Classics

Book Type: Audio

Author: S. E. Hinton

Narrator: Jim Fyfe

Pages / Length: 224 / 5 hours and 8 minutes

Publisher: Speak; Platinum ed. edition (April 20, 2006) / Listening Library

Book Description:

No one ever said life was easy. But Ponyboy is pretty sure that he’s got things figured out. He knows that he can count on his brothers, Darry and Sodapop. And he knows that he can count on his friends—true friends who would do anything for him, like Johnny and Two-Bit. But not on much else besides trouble with the Socs, a vicious gang of rich kids whose idea of a good time is beating up on “greasers” like Ponyboy. At least he knows what to expect—until the night someone takes things too far.

The Outsiders is a dramatic and enduring work of fiction that laid the groundwork for the YA genre. S. E. Hinton’s classic story of a boy who finds himself on the outskirts of regular society remains as powerful today as it was the day it was first published.

Thoughts:

Reading along with my daughter is one of my favorite things! I recalled enjoying this when I was younger, but re-reading this book as an adults puts a whole new spin on what I get out of some of these books.

This is a book that will never be “outdated” as the issues of being an “Outsider” or a “Socs” is just as relevant today as it was when this was written in 1967. I found this more heartbreaking as an adult, as the older you get, the more you see these divides and it makes me so angry that opportunities are so different for children. The story of perseverance, rising above, desire for change and acceptance are themes that we need to continue discussing with our children. This was a good book to read with my middle-schooler that led to some great conversations.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

#youngadult #Contemporary #classic #drama #adventure