When it was first published in 1967, The Outsiders defied convention with its immediate, deeply sympathetic portrayal of Ponyboy and his struggle to find a place for himself in a difficult world. Thirty years later, it speaks to teenagers as powerfully as ever. Even though its almost 2010 the teens in this book speak to us. The times were hard back in those days and to a 14 year old Ponyboy its hard to live. Him, his two brothers (Soda, and darrel), his friend (Johnny Cade), and his brothers friends Dally, Two-Bit, and Steve have to see for themselfs that the greasers and the socs both have troubles of their own.