I first read "The Outsiders" when I was fourteen. We had to read it for English class. I never really liked reading much, but I absolutely loved the book, and then I bought the movie and watched it at least sixty times.

I like the book, because it seems real. Every time I look over the book, I tend to lose myself in the pages. The book really shows how it is sometimes. Everybody just wants to fit in; I feel like an outsider all the time, and after reading this book, I realized that you don't have to be popular. You don't have to be anything. And friendship is one of the most important things in life.

This book also got me interested in writing. Before reading the book, I had written a few short stories, but I really wasn't into writing, but after reading the book I started writing more. I found out how young Hinton was when she wrote "The Outsiders," and that really inspired me to write more.