The Outsiders is a coming-of-age novel by S.E. Hilton and is a story about how a boy and his two older brothers survive in the world after the death of their parents. The main character, Ponyboy (his real name is Michael Curtis), is a 14-year-old who is in a gang with his brothers and friends. They view themselves as outsiders to the real world and take care of one another like family. The book covers the journey they go through as they struggle to get by. This book is all about family and self-identity versus group-identity, evident as to how the boys look out for each other and they act differently from other boys their age. This book contains a lot of gang violence and can be sad at times. However, I love this book and it shows how valuable family can be.