12 Books Like The Outsiders

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S.E Hinton’s debut novel The Outsiders is a timeless classic that’s been the subject of much praise, criticism, and controversy since it was first published in 1967.

Told from the perspective of teenager Ponyboy Curtis, the novel focuses on the ongoing feud between two opposite gangs—the working-class “Greasers” and the upper-class “Socs.” From gang violence to family dysfunction, it’s a raw tale about the dark side of growing up.

Books Like The Outsiders

Many authors have tackled coming-of-age stories that are similar to that of The Outsiders. They feature run-ins with the law, less than ideal family situations, social and cultural pressure, loss, and poor decisions that lead to lifelong consequences. Below are just a few of these works.

1. The Pigman by Paul Zindel

What starts as a prank call to the elderly Mr. Pignati turns into a strange friendship for John and Lorraine. But though the two high schoolers experience parental love for the first time, everything ends in tragedy.

Consumed with guilt, the two make an oath to tell the truth about their friend, the Pigman.

2. The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

Fifteen-year-old Charlie starts high school right after the suicide of his only best friend and the accidental death of his favorite aunt. Understandably, he’s introverted and isolated.

He befriends two senior year students who help him open up and begin living in the moment. But before he can truly start living his life, there are things in his past he must first confront.

3. Rough Waters by S.L. Rottman

With their parents dead from an accident, brothers Scott and Gregg must leave their life in California and head all the way to the Colorado Rockies. There, an uncle they’ve never known, who runs a white-water rafting company, is prepared to take them in.

Scott decides to make the best of what they have. But Gregg, in his grief, begins to stray away from the only family he has left. As they settle in, the treacherous rapids of their new home teach them how to survive both on and off the waters.

4. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime by Mark Haddon

Fifteen-year-old Christopher is a brilliant mathematician, but he struggles with behavioral issues. He relates more to animals than humans, can’t stand being touched, and absolutely hates the color yellow.

One day, he discovers a dog speared through with a pair of garden shears. Things get worse when the dog’s owner reports it to the police who in turn arrest him for the murder. To prove his innocence, he decides to investigate the dog’s death—only to arrive at unexpected answers.

5. The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier

In an all-boys prep school, The Vigils secretly run the show. Teaming up with an over-ambitious vice-principal, they plan on doubling last year’s chocolate sales for an annual fundraising event.

However, their plan backfires when Jerry, a first-year student, refuses to comply with their orders. His refusal leads to the Vigils manipulating the entire student body against him, making Jerry think that maybe it’s better to leave the status quo alone.

6. Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell

Eleanor and Park are misfits. Eleanor is overweight, poor, and lives in an abusive household. And while Park is loved, he feels insecure and fears he’s a disappointment because he doesn’t love Taekwondo as much as his dad does.

Their unlikely friendship slowly turns into something more, even if Eleanor has a bad habit of turning Park down, believing herself unworthy. But soon she may need Park’s help in saving her from something more serious than her school bullies.

7. The Chosen by Chaim Potok

Teenagers Reuven Malter and Danny Saunders have lived near each other all their lives, yet they’ve never actually met—at least not until an unfortunate accident during a softball game.

Despite their differint backgrounds (Reuven is a Modern Orthodox Jew with a Zionist father; Danny is the brilliant heir to a Hasidic rebbe), the boys are drawn into an unlikely friendship. Together, they must navigate the intellectual and spiritual clashes between their faiths as news of the Holocaust loom in the background.

8. Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson

During the summer of her freshman year, Melinda Sordino breaks up an end-of-summer party by calling the cops. As a result, nobody will speak with her, much less listen to what she has to say.

Over time, she becomes increasingly isolated to the point that she stops talking altogether. Her art class becomes her only means of expression, and through it, a way to finally reveal the truth about what happened during the party.

9. The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger 

Sixteen-year-old Holden Caulfield has just been expelled from prep school. Angry and confused, he leaves for New York two days earlier than planned.

Unable to go home just yet, he explores the city, encountering nuns, prostitutes, an old girlfriend, and his sister. He passes through them all like a ghost, unable to establish a significant connection. Physically and mentally exhausted, he begins railing against the phoniness of the adult world.

10. Looking for Alaska by John Green

Miles Halter is seeking what the poet François Rabelais called the “Great Perhaps.” He transfers to a small boarding school in Alabama, where he becomes fast friends with a group of oddballs including Alaska Young.

But a budding friendship on its way to something more is cut short when Alaska unexpectedly dies. As Miles struggles to reconcile with the loss, he and his friends work to uncover the missing details behind Alaska’s death.

11. The Giver by Lois Lowry

The community is perfect. There is no conflict. No one asks questions and always obeys. Everyone is the Same—all except Jonas, that is.

As the next Receiver of Memory, he knows his community hides behind a fragile facade. Knowing everything there was before the Sameness, he struggles to understand the power of emotion and individuality, the concepts of good and evil, and whether one can exist without the other. But soon, he must make a choice that he may not be ready for.

12. Lord of the Flies by William Golding

In the midst of a wartime evacuation, a plane crashes on a remote island somewhere in the Pacific. The only survivors are schoolboys who must find a way to survive while awaiting rescue.

But, without any adult supervision, their attempts to govern themselves end in disaster. As the group slowly fractures, eerie sounds are heard throughout the night. Panic sets in and order completely crumbles, forcing the schoolboys to cross lines they’ve never thought they’d cross.

The Darker Side of Growing Up

It’s no secret that our formative years can be the most turbulent, given the mix of new emotions, body changes, responsibilities, and so much more.

Having characters that portray the kind of angst and alienation that most teenagers feel is beneficial to people currently undergoing such changes. Through these stories, young people can learn about the ups and downs and right and wrongs that they might encounter.

But mostly, it gives them a sense of companionship. It tells them that they’re not the only ones who’ve experienced such things. It’s a way for readers to look at their own problems, or those of the larger world, from a different perspective.

The books above accomplish all of these things, no matter how awkward or distasteful the subjects may be—because good literature does not shy away from discussing how people grow up in an endlessly complex and imperfect world.

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