The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton

"I had taken the long way around, but I was finally home. To stay." Chapter 6, p. 99

Hinton's book follows a group of young boys (approx. 16 years of age) in mid-century America. The boys in the town are divided by social class, a typical characteristic of the '50s, and are struggling to discover who they are despite the labels that are put on them. For example, the narrator of the story is from the "Greasers" who are mostly poor and often abused youths.
The future of these boys does not seem promising, and the society does not place a lot of faith in their potential. Their rival group is known as the "Socs" (Socials) who are mostly rich and 'valuable' children with supposedly bright futures; although it is revealed that their group has just as much dysfunction as the Greasers.

The depth of the characters and the semi-realistic feelings that are described in the novel help the reader to identify with at least one of the characters. The family of boys were put through difficult obstacles, but Ponyboy pulls through and continues to learn from his experiences. As a reflective young man, he realizes over the course of the book that even though his eldest brother appears to hate him because he only shows him tough love, his brother, in fact loved him so much that he wanted him to succeed beyond the low expectations that were placed on the Greasers. This type of revelation in the book is beneficial to readers who may be experiencing similar feelings and experiences and may shed some light on their own relationships in life. One of the problems that I had with the book, however, is that rather than just hinting about relevations, the author spells out everything, leaving little to the reader's imagination.

This is a great book for teenagers to learn that they are not alone in the world even when the obstacles seem too difficult to conquer. The characters go through many events that the average person will hopefully never encounter at such a young age and in a short time period, including losing parents and friends, which may also help put other difficulties into perspective. The close bond that Ponyboy cherishes with his family and friends reminds us what is truly valuable in life.