The Outsiders is S. E. Hinton’s iconic coming of age story. Published in 1967, this young adult novel’s themes of friendship, humanity, class rivalry, and trying to succeed in the face of tough odds are still relevant today.

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I read The Outsiders as part of the 2025 Thoughtful Reading Challenge. Because January is the month of firsts, the monthly challenge was to read a book published in the year of your first birthday. Rosemary’s Baby was a firm “no” for me, but The Outsiders was an enthusiastic “yes”. I’ve never read it and haven’t even seen the movie, but I’ve been curious about it.

A quick summary of The Outsiders:

The story is told by Pony Boy, a young teenage “Greaser” who lives on the wrong side of the tracks with his older brothers Darry and Soda Pop (I love the names in this novel!). Pony Boy seems like an average kid who enjoys reading, runs track, and gets decent grades. His brothers – both high school dropouts with working class jobs – want a better fate for Pony Boy.

But the reader soon finds out that Pony isn’t just an average kid – he’s been dealt a tough hand and the odds are against him. His parents are dead, he’s of a social class that’s looked down upon at school, and he’s part of what is essentially a gang. He and his fellow Greasers are very tight, especially when they rumble against the Socs, a group of boys from wealthier families.

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Tension between the two gangs heats up when Pony Boy and some of his friends start interacting with a couple of Socs girls. The Socs think the Greasers have crossed the line and things get violent. Someone is killed and Pony Boy goes on the run with his good friend, Johnny.

The boys are heralded as heroes for their role in an incident while they’re away, but their time on the road ultimately leads to more tragedy.

In his grief, Pony Boy learns more about some of the Socs and comes to realize that they, too, have troubles. This knowledge makes him recognize that members of both groups are multi-faceted, not all bad and not all good. Greasers could be heroes and hoodlums, and Socs could be violent and vulnerable. At the end of the day, they were all just young humans trying to find their way.

Pony Boy’s enlightenment was one of the things I liked best about The Outsiders. It’s a powerful message to young readers and perhaps one of the reasons the novel has endured the test of time. “We’re all human so cut people some slack” is a theme that should never go out of style.

I also appreciated the theme of close friendships. In the absence of strong families and social acceptance, these kids at least knew that they could count on each other. They became family to each other, maybe even with a stronger bond than most siblings.

The theme of struggling to define yourself and create a decent path through life should also resonate with readers, especially teenage ones.

Interesting facts about The Outsiders:

• S. E. Hinton began writing the novel when she was just fifteen, and it was published when she was eighteen (Wow!).
• The author used her initials so that male readers wouldn’t bypass the book.
• The book was considered controversial when it was published. Because of its portrayal of gang violence and underage drinking and smoking, some schools banned it. Since then, many schools have made it part of their curriculum.
• The Outsiders movie was released in 1983 and directed by Francis Ford Coppola. The cast is packed with emerging stars that include Matt Dillon, Tom Cruise, Diane Lane, Patrick Swayze, and Rob Lowe.
• In 2023, the novel was adapted for the Broadway stage and – 57 years after the book was published – won a Tony Award for best musical. The Outsiders has staying power!

I’ll be watching the movie version this week. It will be fun to see all the fresh, young faces of the cast members.

I’ve slowly been compiling a list books that would be good for family book clubs (young adult and older), and I added The Outsiders to this list. What books do you recommend for family book clubs?

And did you take January’s challenge? Don’t be shy! Tell us about your book.

**Reminder – February’s challenge is to read a book with “ice”, “cold”, or “snow” in the title.