Yesterday I finished reading the book “The Outsiders” by S. E. Hinton. I really enjoyed reading the book, both a good story full of suspense and a captivating tale of friendship over and inside economic borders. Ponyboy is part of a gang of greasers that stick up for each other against the Socs, rich kids who seem to delight in hurting the greasers, or “hoods.” They bully the greasers, even cut them and almost kill them, frightening them almost to death like with Johnny Cade. However, when Pony goes to a movie and meets two Socs who don’t appear to hate the greasers, he realizes that Socs and greasers aren’t so different, they’re just two sides of the same coin. “Things are rough all over,” Cherry, one of the Socs, says to Pony. While the Socs are rich, that doesn’t mean that the lives they lead are perfect. After the movie, though, the girls’ drunk boyfriends find Pony and Johnny, nearly killing Pony. In self-defense, Johnny, who was almost killed by the Socs and refused to let himself be hurt again, killed Pony’s attacker. Their only choice is to flee and attempt to survive without being found by the police. Meanwhile, though, the Socs and greasers have their own private war. I would rate it 9.7/10 and recommend it to anyone looking to read an accurate portrayal of teenager life.
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