The Outsiders (Paperback) by S. E. Hinton

About the Book

Includes bonus material, a new foreword by the author, and a discussion guide.

Book Synopsis

50 years of an iconic classic! This international bestseller and inspiration for a beloved movie is a heroic story of friendship and belonging.

No one ever said life was easy. But Ponyboy is pretty sure that he's got things figured out. He knows that he can count on his brothers, Darry and Sodapop. And he knows that he can count on his friends--true friends who would do anything for him, like Johnny and Two-Bit. But not on much else besides trouble with the Socs, a vicious gang of rich kids whose idea of a good time is beating up on "greasers" like Ponyboy. At least he knows what to expect--until the night someone takes things too far.

The Outsiders is a dramatic and enduring work of fiction that laid the groundwork for the YA genre. S. E. Hinton's classic story of a boy who finds himself on the outskirts of regular society remains as powerful today as it was the day it was first published.

The Outsiders transformed young-adult fiction from a genre mostly about prom queens, football players and high school crushes to one that portrayed a darker, truer world. --The New York Times

Taut with tension, filled with drama. --The Chicago Tribune

[A] classic coming-of-age book. --Philadelphia Daily News

A New York Herald Tribune Best Teenage Book
A Chicago Tribune Book World Spring Book Festival Honor Book
An ALA Best Book for Young Adults
Winner of the Massachusetts Children's Book Award

Review Quotes

Praise for The Outsiders

The Outsiders transformed young-adult fiction from a genre mostly about prom queens, football players and high school crushes to one that portrayed a darker, truer world. --The New York Times

Taut with tension, filled with drama. --The Chicago Tribune

[A] classic coming-of-age book. --Philadelphia Daily News

What it's like to live lonely and unwanted and cornered by circumstance...There is rawness and violence here, but honest hope, too. --National Observer

This remarkable novel gives a moving, credible view of the outsiders from the inside...we meet powerful characters in a book with a powerful message. --The Horn Book

A New York Herald Tribune Best Teenage Book
A Chicago Tribune Book World Spring Book Festival Honor Book
An ALA Best Book for Young Adults
Winner of the Massachusetts Children's Book Award

About The Author

S. E. Hinton is the author of a number of bestselling and beloved books for young adults, including THAT WAS THEN, THIS IS NOW; RUMBLE FISH, TEX, and of course, THE OUTSIDERS, which was written when she was just 16 years old. She has also written several picture books, a collection of short stories, and a novel for adults. She lives in Tulsa, Oklahoma--the setting of THE OUTSIDERS--with her husband. When she is not writing, she enjoys riding horses.