Hinton, S. E. The Outsiders. Puffin: New York, 1997. ISBN-13: 978-0140385724, paperback $9.99
A classic bildungsroman set in the mid nineteen sixties, the story follows Ponyboy, a teenage orphan who is a member of a local gang called the Greasers. Ponyboy develops feelings for Cherry, a young rich girl associated with the rival gang, the Socs. When a fight between the Greasers and Socs turns deadly, Ponyboy and Johnny (his friend and fellow gangmember) hide out in a local church. Johnny decides to turn himself in, but dies in a tragic accident while saving a group of children in a fire. Ponyboy is forced to choose between his self destructive life or a life of his own choosing.
The Outsiders will remain a classic coming of age story. It is essentially an American novel, written for younger adults. It’s themes of class struggle, drug and alcohol abuse, domestic violence and gang warfare reflect the fractured culture adolescents face. This book is essential reading for junior high level readers.
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