Thursday, February 26, 2015

The Outsiders - S. E. Hinton

The Outsiders
Title: The Outsiders
Author: S. E. Hinton
Publication Date: 1967
Pages: 192
Genre: Young Adult
How I Found It: required reading for my Family in Literature course
Date Completed: 2/1/15

Summary: One of the first real young adult novels written, the story follows Ponyboy, his brothers, and his friends as they try to find their place in the world. The Greasers vs. Socs battle rages on and Ponyboy is stuck right in the middle of it.

What I Thought: This is one of those books that someone slipped through my education. Maybe because of its age; it was published in 1967. I do not think I had even really heard of it until it was assigned for my Family in Literature course this spring. 

I guess I liked it ok. I really struggle to connect to stories about adolescent boys. What can I say? I never was one. I don't understand them. 

I respect the book for what it is: groundbreaking in creating a genre that now regularly topples The New York Times best seller list. The characters are complex and the plot is well thought out. Still, I just could not get into it. I had the same problem with Ender's Game. Great work, just not for me. 

Rating: ★★★☆☆
Will I Re-Read: Probably not
If You Liked This Try: Ender's Game / Holes / The Maze Runner

A Reduced Review: Teenage boys run around getting into trouble and discovering what's important in life - but they fail to capture me in the process. 

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