Oh, she's still alive and literate? My apologies for the ridiculous length of time it took for me to finish a book. It took even longer to sit down and write this- this school year has turned out a little more intense than I expected.
The Outsiders follows Ponyboy and his gang, greasers in the 1960s, as they deal with the socs who despise them, and navigate the consequences of one unfortunate accident. This is a YA classic, and one that would get on well with Holden Caulfield.
Ponyboy is the heart of the book. A lovable protagonist, he contradicts everything a greaser is meant to be. He loves books and films, hates violence, and has strong ties with his friends and family. He makes us question how we view people and whether we judge too quickly- the clothes that he wears are the only thing making him a "bad kid".
I have seen people criticising the simplicity of the message the book holds ("we all see the same sunset") but it really is that simple. There's no reason to make your reader work when the message you want to convey is that surface-level and universal.
I found The Outsiders compelling and enjoyable- I read it over two days having given up on a book I'd been struggling over for almost a month. It is empathetic and takes the reader on a fast-paced adventure worthy of the best YA fiction.
I wish I could say more, but unfortunately, I'm running out of free time. It is becoming a recurring theme in my life, and one I would rather like to be written out.
YOU ARE READING
Book Reviews
NonfiksiCarried over from my Tumblr, this is a personal project tracking what I read through time, largely because of my awful memory. These aren't long reviews, but the books are varied, and the opinions are honest, so I hope you enjoy.
