When I was in middle school, I was a bit difficult. My mom and my sister had a habit of recommending books for me to read, and I had the habit of automatically detesting every book they suggested. It wasn’t a smart move on my part, it deprived me of Pride & Prejudice and other classics for too long! One day my mom plucked The Outsiders by S.E Hinton off of the shelves at the public library and handed it to me to read. For some magical reason I complied without a single complaint. That night I read the first sentence and it was impossible for me to not continue reading until I finished. Now every time I reread The Outsiders it’s impossible for me not to read it in a single sitting. It’s also impossible for me to describe it when I’m asked what it’s about. I can’t tell you a generic Spark Notes synopsis because to me it’s a crime to condense a piece of art into a few brief sentences about its plot. But I can say that I fell in love with The Outsiders because it perfectly captures the sacrifice of growing up, the love and pain of friendship, and the realness of being a family. Its message is one that I take to heart; in a world filled with division and as we grow older, it’s important to ‘stay gold’. We must take the time to watch sunsets, and we must remember that we’re all watching the same sunset. So what are you waiting for, go pick up a copy of The Outsiders and start reading
By: Kathleen White