The Outsiders
by S. E. Hinton
Summary
Fourteen year old Ponyboy Curtis narrates the running conflict between his working class Greaser friends and the wealthier Socs across his town, a rivalry that turns deadly and forces Ponyboy to reckon with loyalty, class resentment, and the loss of people he loves. Hinton wrote the novel while still a teenager herself, giving the book an unusually authentic adolescent voice that older writers addressing similar material often lacked. The novel helped establish young adult fiction as a distinct and serious literary category.
Historical Context & Significance
No young adult literature award yet existed to recognize the novel, since that category of prize would not be formalized for decades. Hinton published the book under androgynous initials at her publisher's suggestion so that young male readers would not be put off by a female author's name.