This novel of the 1960s is a story about teenagers written by a teenager. Ponyboy Curtis, a 14-year-old boy, struggles with right and wrong in a society within which he feels he is an outsider. He and his brothers, lower-class greasers, fight the Socs, the rich kids, for 14 days. Social issues gaining notice in the '60s -- teen pregnancy, underage drinking, and violence -- still find relevance among S. E. Hinton's readers today.