The Outsiders, written by S.E. Hinton, will shatter your heart in a beat. You won’t want to put this book down because of its action-packed events. The author describes every event with vivid detail and information. Hinton also describes characters and main events that stimulate your senses.







The setting and plot of The Outsiders takes place during the fifties. There are two rival groups during this era. The author shows greasers are rivals against snobby Socs, who think they’re the best because they have pockets full of money. On the other hand, greasers are incredibly poor and can’t afford much, unlike the Socs. The Socs frequently get drunk and try to jump greasers. Greasers, however, are tough and try to defend themselves against the Socs.







Some of the main characters in the story include: Ponyboy, the green-eyed dreamer; Johnny, the brave soldier going into battle; and Dallas, the juvenile delinquent that has been to the “cooler” many times. Also Darry, Ponyboy’s older brother, is a well-built, tough guy. He has ice-cold blue eyes and has two jobs to support himself, Pony, and Sodapop.









One event that sucks the readers in is when Johnny and Ponyboy are trapped in a fire. Pony looked at Johnny and saw Johnny with kids on his back, grinning devilishly. Another event that happens in The Outsiders is the rumble amongst the greasers and Socs. During the rumble, greasers were getting purple bruises and crimson cuts while fighting the stuck-up Socs.








Some unfortunate events that happen during The Outsiders are when two heroes die gallantly. Before these heroes die, another death happens. Bob, the Soc, died by a switchblade that was stuck into him by Johnny while defending Ponyboy from drowning. There are many deaths and tear-jerking moments in this book, so be sure to have a full tissue box nearby!








The plot of this book is deep and you will begin to feel the emotions that are meant to be felt while you read The Outsiders. The Outsiders will grasp you and not let you go until you have read every detail in this book. The themes of this thrilling story are gallantry and braveness. The theme, gallantry, can be shown by Johnny because he was gallant throughout the fire. During the furious fire Johnny is like a frontline soldier going into a fearsome battle even though he knew it would not turn out good.


I whole-heartedly recommend The Outsiders to teenagers that enjoy thrillers that make you feel like you’re in the book with the characters. Even if you aren’t a teenager, but you like action-packed books, I recommend this phenomenal book to you too! The Outsiders will melt your heart like it has melted mine.