The Outsiders is the kind of book that will shatter your heart more and more with every turn of the page. While reading this book your face will light up, your eyes will tear up and you might just cry. This story about seven teenage boys will melt your heart like a popsicle. S. E. Hinton was 16 when she wrote this book. The seven boys are based off of her friends. She got the idea from her friend being jumped. After that, she went home and started writing about it and that was the beginning of the book. S. E. Hinton’s book about friendship and brotherhood will send you on an emotional roller-coaster.

This 1960’s book is about a gang (or group) of friends. Their names are Johnny Cade, Dallas “Dally” Winston, Steve Randle, Keith “Two-Bit” Mathews, and the three brothers Ponyboy, Sodapop, and Darry Curtis. Johnny is a shy yet gallant 16 year old boy, Johnny has a hard life; his parents beat him violently and don’t really care about him at all. Dallas (Dally) Winston is from New York and got arrested when he was ten years old. He does everything he got drunk, jumped little kids, lied, cheated, rolled drunks, and rode in rodeos. Steve Randle is a mean tough guy with temper; he can beat you up or be your best friend. Although you don’t see him much when you do, he is explosive! Keith “Two-Bit” Mathews got his nick-name Two-Bit because he always has to put his two sense in. In the book it even states, “Even his teachers forget his real name is Keith,” (10). Ponyboy Curtis (yes that is his real name) is the narrator of The Outsiders. You can’t always believe what he says, though; he doesn’t always take things the right way. Darry is the oldest of the seven boys. He is also Ponyboy’s oldest brother. Darry is also the strongest; he can knock anyone unconscious with just one punch. Sodapop is Pony’s older brother. But he is younger than Darry. Soda is a fun loving, full of life guy. He works at a gas station, and dropped out of school to help pay bills.

The book The Outsiders wouldn’t have been a book if there weren’t any conflicts. One of the main conflicts is greasers vs. Scos. It displays the “war” between greasers and Socs. Another big conflict is Ponyboy vs. Darry. This conflict shows how much Darry cares for Ponyboy and Ponyboy doesn’t realize it and takes it as Darry being mean. Without these conflicts the book wouldn’t be very exiting from the results of these conflicts.
One of my favorite parts of this book is when the church that Ponyboy and Johnny are hiding out in catches on fire while they are gone and traps a few small children that were playing in the church inside of the burning red, blue, and orange flames. What happens is that Dally comes to visit Ponyboy and Johnny and takes them out to Dairy Queen. When they return the church is in flames and there are many panicking people standing out front of the burning church wondering where some of the children are. Then they realize that the must be inside of the church. Ponyboy notices and dives into the flames from a window. Johnny follows. As they are saving the children, Ponyboy turns and looks at Johnny and sees the gallantry and burning desire to save the children in his eyes. As they are trying to get out, a burning support beam falls and hits Johnny’s back, burning him badly.
These are some of the reasons that I love the book The Outsiders. The meanings and characters of the book really connect with you. You get to feel what they are going through and see their hatred for the Socs. And you notice how much they really change throughout the book, which is why I recommend the book The Outsiders.