Reviews with content warning for Police brutality - The Outsiders (the Play)

I first read this with my seventh-grade Language Arts class. It is one of the only books I was forced to read for school that I actually liked. An otherwise good book can get ruined for me by having to read it that way, so I think my enjoyment of it is a testament to how great it is.

This novel encompasses for me the potential of the YA genre. Reading it again now as a college student with much more reading experience under my belt, it seems to me that this was a necessary predecessor to some of my other favorite YA novels (The Perks of Being a Wallflower in particular comes to mind). Coming-of-age stories are so important for people of all ages -- themes of self-discovery, learning to navigate the world around you, finding a place to belong, value formation, learning to empathize with people different from yourself, and dealing with new and difficult experiences will always be relevant.

I recently saw a clip of YA author John Green addressing criticism that real teenagers are not as well-spoken as those in his books. His response was that reflecting their internal sense of self and emotional reality was more important than being strictly realistic. Young people do not see themselves the way adults might. Their hopes and worries are real and important to them, no matter how trivial other people (i.e. unempathetic, out-of-touch adults) might think their problems and accomplishments are. I find this sentiment applicable to a lot of great YA fiction, including this book, which has also been accused of being unrealistic and melodramatic.

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anastasiamakes's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I started this not really sure what I was getting into, but by the end can absolutely see what all the fuss is about - this is a really important book. It really makes you think: bringing gang culture to life and helping you see the stories behind those involved, how good people can get themselves wrapped up in a bad situation with no real way out.

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