There's not much we know about Susan Hinton because of her more private nature, except that her love for reading started at an early age. This love united with a natural talent for writing combined to make one of the best selling young adult novels written.
The Outsiders was published in 1967 when Susan was only 17. This compelling novel was based on true experiences and people that she was surround with as a teen in Oklahoma. Her high school had 2 prominent gangs, the Greasers and the Socs in which she drew inspiration from. Her honest and raw storytelling is what has made The Outsiders a consistent hit among the changing times. Still today the book sells over 500,000 copies a year.
Under the advice of her publisher she published the book under her initials S.E. Hinton so that male consumers wouldn't be adverse to buying a female authored book. She has since gone on to write many other novels and is still living in Oklahoma at the age of 78 and who knows Hinton could have many more years of writing left in her.
S. E. Hinton was an impressive young adult with a gift for writing that we will ever be grateful for. Her words have molded many adolescence of our time. She broke down barriers and stereo types as a female author and has been an instrument in helping us understand the struggles and challenges of one of the most difficult stages in life.
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