What would you think it would feel like to lose a friend who was trying to save people? Would it change your life or not? Ponyboy, the main character in The Outsiders by S .E, Hinton is good friends with a boy named Johnny. They are like brothers because Johnny's parents are alcoholics; therefore, he hangs with Ponyboy and Ponyboy's two brothers, Darry and Soda, almost every day. They are all in a gang called the Greasers. They are called Greasers because they use a significant amount of hair grease to make themselves look tough. They live on the eastside, which is the lower class level of the town.


One day, Ponyboy and Johnny get into a vulnerable situation and are jumped by three Socials (also known as the Socs) in a blue Mustang. The head Social, Bob, did the initial attempt to literally drown Ponyboy in the park fountain. Johnny reacts to this situation quickly to protect his friend by giving them a taste of their own medicine and severely punishing Bob. Ponyboy and Johnny immediately run from the scene and go to see Dally, who is a friend of Johnny's, and tell him what they have done.


Dally, who is one of the main gang members for the Greasers, advises them to skip town and hide out in a run-down country church until the “dust settles.” Unfortunately, Ponyboy neglected to tell his two brothers where they were going, and they were very worried something serious happened to them.


The Socs are from the westside of town, where the rich and upper class people live. These kids have all the luxuries such as brand new cars, and seem to get anything they want. They get extreme enjoyment from roughing up the Greasers at any opportunity that arises.


This is a really good book, and I didn't want to stop reading it. It is a “must” read book because it keeps the reader interested and wondering what will happen next. There are many vices that the boys face daily such as fights/rumbles, drinking, and smoking while they struggle to survive in the deep ghetto. S.E. Hinton is an interesting author, and she was only sixteen -years -old when she wrote this book.