The OutsiderThe Outsider
Score Modern
What it's about
An eleven-year-old boy is found murdered in an Oklahoma town, and every piece of evidence points to Terry Maitland, the town's beloved Little League coach: fingerprints, DNA, witnesses. Detective Ralph Anderson arrests him in front of a crowd. But Terry has an airtight alibi, captured on video in another city at the same time. Both can't be true.
Why it's worth reading
It hit #1 on the New York Times list. It starts as a procedural and turns into King at his scariest, and it became an HBO series.
You'll love it if you liked
Good to know
The murder of a child is described in disturbing detail. Holly Gibney from the Bill Hodges books joins partway through.
By the numbers
- Readers44 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics0 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Bestseller76 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #23 of the 86 horror books we rank
- #601 of the 1,573 modern books we rank
- #1142 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
Dark, Gripping
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Quick answers
Is The Outsider worth reading?
Yes. It hit #1 on the New York Times list. It ranks #1,142 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 71.4 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is The Outsider about?
An eleven-year-old boy is found murdered in an Oklahoma town, and every piece of evidence points to Terry Maitland, the town's beloved Little League coach: fingerprints, DNA, witnesses. Detective Ralph Anderson arrests him in front of a crowd. But Terry has an airtight alibi, captured on video in another city at the same time. Both can't be true.
How long does it take to read The Outsider?
About 12 hours (496 pages), or about 3 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after The Outsider?
If you liked it, try Mr. Mercedes by Stephen King, It by Stephen King or The Institute by Stephen King.