I jumped in and decided to discover something completely new with #TSBCChallenge. It seemed fun and I needed a break from my TBR list.

The book given to me was The Outsiders by S.E.Hinton 

To be honest, if I had read the blurb of the book I won’t have really picked it up. Gangs, teenage boys and Oklahoma – really not my style. The book is narrated by 14 year old Ponyboy Curtis and revolves around his life as a Greaser. His voice stands out and draws everyone. It is a voice filled with hope, fear and dreams. It is the voice of a teenage trying to find himself. It is a voice that stays with you. It is probably the reason why I liked this book so much. Most coming-of-age books I have read tend to have a female protagonist and having an all-male cast was refreshing.

The book’s central theme is that everyone – rich or poor, Socs or Greasers, East Side or West Side have their own troubles. They all can see the same sunset. The theme is relevant in today’s world too and hence makes every reader relate to it.

Hinton was 16 when she penned down the book and it shows.The writing, the characters and the general plot seem to reflect it. Any reader picks on these but the beauty of the book is you end up liking the book. It is hard to pinpoint why and how Hinton weaves her magic.

I sort of expected a romance to be weaved in between but then when I think about it as I write the review, I am glad it didn’t happen. Keeping the narrators fresh and a bit jaded without romantic entanglements work great. Kinship and family ties take the limelight (as they should for a 14 year old narrator).

I would highly recommend this book to every YA reader. It definitely beats many of the books that are targeted at  young adults these days.

Thanks TSBC. I hope to be a part of this challenge again.