The book starts with Ponyboy, a strangely named 14 year-old, who had his parents die a couple years ago. Now, he is raised by Darry, his eldest brother, and along with Sodapop, his youngest brother. These kids belong to a gang/hood known as the “greasers” due to the long, greasy hair they have, and their absence of money. On the other hand, there is the Socials or better known as “Socs” who are rich, and spoiled to the neck in luxury, and know no boundaries.

It all started as Ponyboy sneaking into the drive-in movie lot. He meets up with Johnny and another there to watch, and they spot two young pretty gals sitting alone, without a car. Pony and Johnny soon befriend them, and put aside their social differences and explain to one another the view point and problems of their side.

Though, it turns out the two ladies came in with their boyfriends, who happened to be Socs which had planned on getting drunk and naughty, and dumped them, having being fed up with the behavior of them. These boyfriends were not too happy to find their ex-girlfriends hanging around with some poor rag-covered greaser, and one of them got stabbed with a six-inch switchblade after making a move against them…

The Outsiders, a book by S.E. Hinton, is a Realistic Fiction book set in what I believe is the 1950's. I never liked realistic fiction. I never really read any of it, because I assumed it was boring day to day life embedded in paper. The Outsiders showed me wrong. The plot was dealing with actual things happening now in the “underfunded” schools, which I have been to, before the one I am in now.