Scan barcode
karsynisawesome's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Death and Classism
Moderate: Addiction, Bullying, Drug use, Violence, Blood, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Police brutality, Medical content, Car accident, Death of parent, and Murder
danaslitlist's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Death, Violence, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts and Fire/Fire injury
buud_w0rm's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Death, Violence, and Murder
Moderate: Child abuse, Gun violence, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Car accident, and Death of parent
maybe_perhaps's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Death, Violence, and Murder
Moderate: Child abuse, Gun violence, Grief, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Car accident, and Death of parent
claireelyse06's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
This is the book that most American middle school students read in school. I feel like that's just a collective experience we all have. I read this book in fifth grade. I remember that I liked it but didn't absolutely love it the way some people did. I read this book again because I'm going to see the musical in a couple of weeks. And holy mother of God I had no clue what I was missing out on. And now I am even more obsessed with the musical recording than I was before (sorry to the people who live with me for the person I am going to be for the next two or three months). Also, the finale for the musical just cuts even harder now, and it cut to begin with. If you love this book please give the cast recroding a chance. I've heard there have been some problematic changes between the book and the musical but I am still willing to give it a chance since Hinton approved of it (Don't read, spoiler: allegedly they cut out Steve Randle and Dally jumps in front of a train instead of getting shot by the police).
First of all, what is incredibly impressive is that S. E. Hinton wrote this when she was a junior in high school. So please, don't expect writing the quality of Great Gatsby. But it didn't bother me. The story was just so incredibly profound and meaningful. Plus, not to spoil it, but it makes sense when you get a revelation at the end about the narration. Just trust the process. Trust me.
First of all, I felt so much love and empathy for the characters. Like Jane Austen is quaking in her boots right now in terms of good character crafting (in my humble opinion). I almost felt the pain that the characters went through. Like I feel like they are my brothers at this point and I want to give all of them a hug. Can we just talk about Soda and Sandy for a second? If you don't want potential spoilers just skip this paragraph. Can someone please explain if Sandy is supposed to be pregnant? Because I feel like that was pretty implied at the end and I tried googling it but the sources I looked at seemed to be conflicted. It feels like an unscratched itch and now I feel really bad for Soda.
I found myself relating to Ponyboy a lot. The way he looked at sunsets and got lost in books. The dreamer in him with the imagination. I really felt that. Like I feel like I could be friends with him. I truly do think everyone can find a piece of themselves in this book. Even if you're not a Greaser from tough circumstances like the main characters. It's more about the emotions and feelings and hopes and dreams that come with living life.
The topics/themes that are covered in this book just are so profound for someone who wrote this in eleventh grade. There are issues of class, family, grief, and all kinds of things. I think I'm going to need to read this book a bunch more times. I feel like I'm in a daze (I just finished it like five minutes ago).
Before you read this book, you should know, there is going to be death. If you don't like guns and knives and blood maybe don't read it. But man oh man it is so good. It's the story itself that just makes it so good. I'm just in awe and I don't know how to express that. At this point I'm just rambling.
The book feels so very human. At its core that is what it is and that is what I think truly makes a good book. A book that is purely human. I am reminded of that quote by Ernest Hemingway in Midnight in Paris (maybe he said it in realy life I'm not sure) but it goes like this: "It was a good book because it was an honest book". And The Outsiders truly embodies that quote. That I think is my review summed up. If you are looking for a book that is true to the human experience this is a good one. You'll cry, you'll feel for the characters, and you might just find yourself quoting a Robert Frost poem for the rest of your life. Also, bonus, the movie version (AFTER YOU READ THE BOOK) has an all star cast. Matt Dillon, Ralph Macchio, C. Thomas Howell, Patrick Swayze, Rob Lowe, Tom Cruise, and Emilio Estevez.
I don't think there's anything else I can say. Currently sitting in bed writing this with the finale for the musical on repeat at a loss for anymore words. So please read this book. It's worth it. It really is.
Graphic: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Violence, Blood, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Alcohol
Moderate: Death of parent
Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Vomit, and Car accident
kiwichill's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Bullying, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Suicide, Terminal illness, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Body shaming, Child abuse, Cursing, Car accident, and Toxic friendship
cadybooks's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Addiction, Child abuse, Child death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Gun violence, Racial slurs, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Grief, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Cultural appropriation, Alcohol, and Classism
Moderate: Sexism, Medical content, Medical trauma, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail
lawbooks600's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Score: Seven points out of ten.
I wanted to read this for a while after adding it to my list but I put it off for a while; a few months later I finally picked it up and read it. When I finished it I thought it was one of the few books that were less than 200 pages yet it could still tell a great story which I appreciated and I'll remember this one for a while. It starts with the main character Ponyboy (whose last name I don't know) living presumably somewhere in America with other characters part of a group called the greasers whose enemy are the Socs (I don't why those two gangs hate each other but oh well. It might be an incident in the past that the novel never mentioned. Or something else entirely.) Everything looks fine initially until an altercation happens forcing Ponyboy to flee somewhere else, and soon enough they find a church where they stay for a few pages of the narrative. Did I mention they smoke a lot? I've never seen a book where teenagers smoke until now (and they still read books, I know some teenagers still read books but most of them don't unless it's required reading.) A few pages later the church burns down nearly killing some characters and I soon discover Ponyboy recovering but nothing much happened save for a heartrending conversation (don't get me wrong, that is a flaw in the book but it didn't ruin my enjoyment in any way) which ends the book on a low note.
Graphic: Bullying, Death, Car accident, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury
Full trigger warnings: Murder and attempted murder, bullying, fire, building collapse, near-death experiences, death of parents in a car crash in the pastitsjadenbaby's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Violence, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Police brutality, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, and Alcohol
Minor: Bullying, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Car accident, and Murder
good_names_dont_exist's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Death, Gun violence, and Violence
Moderate: Child abuse, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Car accident and Death of parent