As 14 year old Ponyboy and the rest of his Greaser friends fight a never ending battle with the Socs, they meet one girl that might change everything.  Ponyboy just wants to be like his brothers, Sodapop and Darry, as well as hang with all the other Greasers, but they all just see him as the puppy that follows them around.  Finally Ponyboy and his good friend Johnny Cade have had enough of the fighting and decide to get away from everything, with the help of Dally, after the wrong they did.  As they get an unexpected visitor in their new hide-out, something happens that they never even imagined.

     There are many Greasers, which are the downgraded kids of the neighborhood that give up in school, except Ponyboy.  He is the Greaser that stays in school, makes good grades, and, along with the others, is very athletic.   The Socs are the preps, which seem to cause the trouble, but never get caught because they act so perfect.  However, one Soc, Cherry Valance, doesn’t agree with the fighting between the Socs and Greasers, and wants it all to stop.  As Ponyboy gets away from home one night after a diversion with his brothers, he and his friend Johnny have a little mix-up with some Socs.  They end doing something they both will regret, and get away.  In the end, will they become heroes and will the conversion between the Socs and Greasers end?

     The Outsiders by S. E. Hinton is a novel based back in the 1960s.  I would recommend this book to any teen, whether a boy or girl.  The book is full of suspense, drama, and tension, making you want to keep reading, never putting it down. 

     In my opinion, The Outsiders was relatable in a way because they are all classified into groups.   Today you might be called a nerd, jock, prep, or anything imaginable just like they did in The Outsiders.  The book was full of moments that gave me mixed emotions and I never wanted to put it down.