The Outsiders

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Summary: An Enduring Work of Modern Time
Review: The Outsiders was required reading for my 7th grade class. There was analysis and discussion for each chapter. The characters are all memorable and their differences are definable. The conflict between gangs of different social status holds attention, and the subtle lessons learned by readers as they identify with the events and the tragedies in the book are those they will long remember. A timely and excellent read, highly recommended for adolescents.
Evelyn Horan - teacher/author
Jeannie, A Texas Frontier Girl, Books One-Three

Rating:
Summary: The Greener Grass
Review: The Outsiders, by S.E. Hinton, is a book about a boy growing up without his parents, having to depend on his brothers and his gang to get him through life's many obstacles. Ponyboy is the main character and the narrator of the story. He lives with his two brothers Darry and Sodapop on the east side. Darry is Ponyboy's oldest brother. He didn't finish college. After their parents died in a car accident, Darry had to get a full time job to support Sodapop and Ponyboy so that the three of them could remain together. Sodapop was the second oldest. He dropped out of high school but he was still Ponyboy's favorite brother. Then there was the gang, the greasers. Steve was Sodapop's best friend. Ponyboy didn't like Steve very much but he respected him because Sodapop would have wanted him to. Two-Bit was the oldest of the gang. He kept everyone smiling because he was always cracking jokes. Dallas was meaner then the rest of the gang. He spent a few years on the streets of New York. That's how he became so tough. Johnny was the second youngest. He was the gang's pet. Everyone considered Johnny to be their younger brother and everyone was always looking out for him. Johnny is the main reason that the Greasers hated the Socs. The Socs are a gang from the West Side. They are richer then the greasers. They drive nicer cars and wear nicer cloths. When Johnny got badly beaten by the Socs, The gang became was more protective of Johnny and the Greasers always held that grudge on the Socs. The Greasers ran into problems with the Socs throughout the entire book.
My favorite character in the book is Johnny. He was forced to grow up faster then he should have. His mother didn't care about him and his father beat him, but he was still a good person and a dedicated friend to the gang. He seemed to have everything all together. It was almost like he'd seen it all and was a walking testimony to everyone else. Towards the end of the book Johnny was more open then he had ever been, and I got a chance to see the real Johnny.
I mostly related to Darry in this book. He was a hard worker and he was very responsible. He cared a lot about his siblings, and he held things together. I care a lot about my sisters and I would help them out if they were ever in a sticky situation. I am a responsible person and I could hold a job to support my family if they needed me to. Darry was very worried about Ponyboy when Ponyboy ran away. He was scared to death that Ponyboy would be hurt or get into trouble. He didn't sleep well while Ponyboy was gone. I was really worried about my sister when she went into labor and was rushed into the hospital. I always heard about women who had trouble with their pregnancies and I couldn't sleep the entire night that she was gone. I worried that my nephew wouldn't be healthy and that my sister wouldn't get through it okay.
I really enjoyed this book. It is my favorite book and I am currently reading it again. My favorite part of this book was when Ponyboy hugged Darry. It was my favorite part because in the beginning of the book, Ponyboy doesn't think that Darry cares about him. They were almost always fighting and Ponyboy never felt close to Darry like he did to Sodapop. Ponyboy finally understood that Darry loved him. He finally realized that Darry cared about him and that he worried about him all the time. When Ponyboy and Darry hugged, it was the first time that they ever showed affection towards each other.
I have never read a book as fast as I read this one. Once I started reading it, I couldn't stop. I couldn't get enough of it. The way the book was written and my imagination helped me to actually live on the East Side and I was able to get into the book after only a couple pages of reading it. The book was fantastic and I wouldn't have changed a thing.
I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who enjoys adventures. The Outsiders would be perfect for anyone that is growing up or has grown up around gangs. This book is filled with nowadays situations and confrontations. Gangs fought over the same things then that gangs fight about now. This book was exciting and suspenseful. It kept me on my toes the whole time I was reading it. I recommend this book to everyone that can read. This book was easy to follow, and I guarantee that when you finish it, it will be one of your favorites.

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Summary: The Turns IN life
Review: The Outsiders are a wounderful book It is full of excitements and ful of sensory details. The Author did a tremendess job writing the book. The Charecters in the book are full of voice and are full of realistic situations with the collion of gangs and life changes. I believe that the author did a fabulous job with the setting and charecters. THe Book should get award bbecause of its realistic fetures.

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Summary: The BEST teen book ever!
Review: This book pretty much changed my life. It tells the story of a young boy, the brothers he loves, and the friends he hangs with who are almost like brothers, and all the adventures they get into. I don't know how many times I've read it - but it touched something inside of me so much, like S.E. Hinton knew what I was feeling as a teen. I wanted to be Ponyboy (a neat trick for a girl!), and eventually I was, at least for a while.
If you're a teen who dreams of danger and adventures and friendships that you can count on no matter what, then I recommend this book to you! An absolute classic.

Rating:
Summary: If only 0 stars was an option
Review: I hate this book. The only reason I'm reading it is because it's for Lit class. Almost no one in my class likes this book. It's about how Ponyboy and his Greaser friends, gang, whatever, are poor, and get beat up by a rich kid gang, Socs (short for socials). For everyone that is thinking about reading this book, do your brain cells a favor and don't!

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Summary: Amy's Absolutely Fabulous Review
Review: The Outsiders is one of the best books I have ever read. I enjoyed the controversy between the greasers and the socs. I found Ponyboy's personality very intriguing because he is very different at the beginning then he is at the end. The story of The Outsiders is very raw and true to what life was like in the small town of Tulsa, OK during the early 60s. It has appeal to young readers as well as older readers, the fact that the story deals with teenagers and is easy to follow is probably why the book is favored by so many age goups. The Outsiders will always be loved and treasured by all who read it.

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Summary: Two Communities One Desire
Review: The Outsiders, by S.E. Hinton, shows that people from different communities are more alike then different. Ponyboy a greaser is ready to fight in order to support his fellow greasers, but when he gets in a fight, and his friend, Johnny kills a Soc, things get a bit complicated. After this Ponyboy goes through a chain of events that end up showing him that Soc's and Greaser's both think alike in some circumstances. I highly recommend this book because once you start reading you will not be able to stop. The book also keeps you hooked because of excitement found throughout it.

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Summary: An Outsider Review- The Outsiders by S. E. Hinton
Review: The outsiders, an amazing book, is one of my personal favorites. This book is unpredictable and well written, and causes your reaction to change throughout the book. Even though it's set in the past, it relates to today's world in many ways. There is a sequel to the book called, That Was Then This Is Now, that I wish to read in the near future.
S.E. Hinton shows great talent while writing the book, particularly because she was only sixteen at the time she wrote it. I felt like the character as I read, as if I was walking in their shoes, and seeing what they saw. I was facing the problems they faced, and feeling what they felt. This truly amazing writer definitely got through to me, and touched me.
As you read the book, it takes you on a roller coaster ride of emotion. Sometimes I was astonished and glad, sometimes shocked and sad. No matter which way I was feeling, it held my attention and kept me turning the pages.
The story takes place in a city, with two very different sides of the town. There is the West Side and the East Side. The East Side is where the greasers live. They're hoods with no money, which are looked down on by people that are "better" than they are. Some wear hand-me-downs because they can't afford clothes. Most of them are dropouts that have a poor job and a pack of cigarettes handy. Almost everyone that isn't a greaser thinks that the greasers aren't well educated, and don't have any manners or are just plain rude. Ponyboy (Pony) Curtis, a greaser, is the main character. Darry Curtis, Sodapop (Soda) Curtis, Dally Winston, Johnny Cade, Two-Bit Matthews, and Steve, are also members of the greasers. Through the many difficult situations in the book, including deaths and murders, the greasers always stick together.
On the other side of town, the West Side, the Socs are rich, stuck-up snobs. They're smart and don't have any problems (well, that's what all the greasers think). The Socs have as many problems as the greasers do, and are normal people like them. However, you'll find in the story that the greasers think they don't have any problems at all. The Socs own rich, fancy cars, such as the Mustang. The greasers and socs don't like each other at all. For fun, the socs "jump" the greasers.
Pony, Soda and Darry live alone with out their parents who died in a car accident. They aren't forced to go to a boys' home, but if anything goes wrong, they will. Darry, the oldest, and Pony, the youngest, don't get along. Darry is responsible for Pony and Soda, though he takes out all his stress out on Pony. At one point in the book Darry gets furious and causes Pony's absence, creating a big scene that is central to the plot of the whole book.
This extraordinary book relates to today's world in so many ways. This book definitely says that "you can't judge a book by it's cover" meaning that it's not what you do physically that counts the most, it's what kind of person you are on the inside.
The Outsiders is an amazing, extraordinary, and fabulous book that I strongly recommend to other people.

Rating:
Summary: An Excellent Book for Young Adults
Review: The Outsiders impressed me with it's honesty. This is a great book for young adults to read in the classsroom. There is action, drama, suspense and shocking situations. While we would never wish these situations on our young people I think it is important to expose them to the realities of other young people's lives in the world. The characters are believable and reliable. I found the sense of loyalty that is evident amongst the characters comendable and necesary, however misguided it is. It also gives us some idea of what life without the usual support systems can be like for a group of struggling young men. There is an inferred moral to the story and lessons to be learned using the language of young adults. This is a must add to the classroom reading list.

Rating:
Summary: The Outsiders
Review: Pony was a Greaser,a lowlife gang.All Greasers hated the Socs,a snoby rich gang.But,one night things went to far,a Greaser went to killed a Soc. Ponyboy and Jhonny ran from the "fuz," the police.If you are looking for a good book to pass time this is it.It keeps you on the edge of your seat.I give this book 5 stars because of the action.