The Outsiders
S.E. Hinton (1967)
“Written by a 16-year-old about teenagers killing teenagers — and the book that proved young adult fiction could be real literature.”
At a Glance
Fourteen-year-old Ponyboy Curtis is a greaser — a working-class kid from the wrong side of Tulsa — in constant conflict with the Socs, the wealthy kids who jump greasers for sport. After his best friend Johnny kills a Soc in self-defense, the two go into hiding. When a fire breaks out at an abandoned church, Johnny runs in to save children and is fatally injured. His death, and that of reckless gang member Dally, forces Ponyboy to confront what he's lost — and who he wants to become.
Read full summary →Why This Book Matters
The Outsiders is the founding text of Young Adult literature as we know it — before it, 'teen books' meant sanitized, suburban, problem-free narratives. Hinton proved that teenagers could handle real violence, real class conflict, real death. It has sold over 14 million copies, has never gone out of print since 1967, and is one of the most frequently assigned books in American middle schools. Francis Ford Coppola adapted it in 1983 with a cast that became a generation of major actors. The phrase 'stay gold' entered common American language.
Diction Profile
Casual, vernacular, deliberately teenage — greaser slang coexists with genuine literary sensitivity
Low to medium