The Outsiders

From Goodreads

The Outsiders
S.E. Hinton

The story in The Outsiders is good; the plot develops nicely and the story makes a lot of internal sense. What sort of drove me nuts is probably what makes it such a classic for teen readers. It reads like a teen writing for other teens to read, which is what it is. Strange things like kid's names (Sodapop & Ponyboy) only make sense in a teenage mind. There is a bleakness in this book that still betrays the innocence of the characters. I read somebody else's review and they stated that the book was too nihilistic for their taste. But the nihilism that is present is coming from a false bravado and can't fully culminate in people that young. Sure, the sixteen years on the streets may have been tough and led to a tough character, but sixteen years isn't long enough to achieve a mature nihilism, no matter how rough the sixteen years is. And then, the ending, without spoiling it, can only possibly make sense in a world controlled by teenagers. Honestly, I enjoyed the book and don't want to pick at it. I think this would have been a little bit better to me had I read it when I was Ponyboy's age or even Darry's age. Now in my mid thirties, I can appreciate the book, but I don't relate as well to the angst the protagonist feels. His determination leads to a quick fix and the book ends. There is much too much hope in this book to be labeled nihilistic. It is that hope that would resonate well with her audience that makes this a laudable classic. But, it is that hope that pigeonholes it into a young adult literature bookshelf designation.