This Is Now, That Was Then

This book was a good book,a really good book!Although it was short,it was very exciting!At the begining it was awesome that mark hotwired the car,and at the end brian followed what mark did.It was sad when charlie died,risking his life for two guys(mark and brian).However Cathy broke up with brian,Charlie died,and Markended up in jail.

This book has the same affect on me as it did when i first read it in 7th grade. I graduate in may to teach High school level English, and this book is tops on my list to teach. Mark and Bryon's problems are still something that today's adolescent can relate to. Every time I read the ending, I struggle along with Bryon about what he did.

That Was Then This is Now was a story about two teens Mark, and Bryon who live togeather with Bryons mother. Mark and Bryon are good friends who always hang out, pick fights, and husle pool. Then one night after leaving Charlies (a friend of theres who owns the bar that they husle pool in) they are attacked by a couple of texans who they husle earlier in the night. Right before they are about to get beat up Charlie comes to there reasuce, but in his attemt he was shot and killed.
This is the turning point in the book, from this point on Bryon and Mark begin to grow apart. Then a unfortune chain of event cause the brother like friendship to come to a end...

I would recommend this book to anyone that would like non-action, non-creative, and non-adventurous. This book is mostly for people that like average books about friends. The summary of this book is two best friends that grew up together and were like brothers. They begin to get older, and grow farther and farther apart. To find out the rest of this Novel you need to read it.
About The Author: The author of this book is S.E Hinton. She is an author of many good books example: TAMING THE STAR RUNNER,THE OUTSIDER,RUMBLE FISH, and TEX. Hinton has been writing books since the age of 16. To find more information on Mrs. Hinton please read one of her books.

This book is about two friends, Bryon and Mark. Bryon is the smart one. Mark is a trouble maker. Both are sixteen years old. The reason I liked reading about them is because it seems like a real life problem. Bryon likes to go out with girls and Mark just likes to get in trouble. I could read this book over and over again.

I read this book during my spring break in at most three sittings. I never wanted to stop reading it was very indulging. You think this turns out to be a happy book like all the other books you may have read but this one throws you for a spin. I would buy this book and read it just for the ending at least. Everythin that happens is so riveting and real that you can't stop reading until its over. You'll love mark and hate mark and love him, byron and his relationship is surreal if youve never had a best friend or in his case, a real one. The drug abuse and violence is vivetly written that it makes you feel like youre there and you want to puke, cry, and cringe, laugh, smile, and cry. The ending will startle you, you wont believe it happened.

I think this book is great cause there is a lot of gore.An example when charlie got shot in the head.Another example is when bryan got jumped.Another is when they helled mark and bryan against the wall.

My favorite character is m&m cause he stays out of drama.He also has a cool name.He never knows what he is going to do next.

`What I would change about the book is how m&m gets into drama instead of staying out of it.I would recommend this to who ever likes gore books.

I picked this book up in the library the other day, remembering how much I liked "The Outsiders," but I was sure that it couldn't be as good. It was! In fact, in some ways I enjoy it more because I haven't seen the movie so my imagination is freer. The plot is also much more thought-provoking that that of most Young Adult Books. I would recommend it for any teenager and for adults who are willing to read with an open mind and remember what it was like to be young. These are not all golden days, it's not all sunshine.

Have you ever had a best friend that was in alot of trouble? How far would you go to try and help him out? That was Then and This is Now by S.E. Hinton tells just that.
The book starts off with two best friends being best friends. They remember back to thier childhood. They remember all that went wrong and what happened. It is about two friends who are almost inseparable it seems. Over time they start to seperate from eachother and eventually not even like each other. I like this book because it is very down to earth and real.
I think that this was a very good book and it defiantly worth taking the time to read.

This book i read when i was in the 8th grade, I had reserves about reading it because i hated The Outsiders... but IMO this book was way better. I cried so hard while reading this book, it is making me tear up now thinking about it (wow i am such a pansy. lol)but this book you have to give it a chance, and you will love it too.

Another great book by Hinton, you really feel with the characters. The classic theme of the greaser gang days, fights and drugs, and 2 boys who love eachother as brothers drift apart as they lead down different paths. Another sad story but if you enjoyed rumblefish you should enjoy this one.

The story plot has already been talked about, so I'll skip that.

What I liked about 'That Was Then, This Is Now' is not its plot but its powerful emotional impact on readers.

The ending was heart-twisting. I felt like crying and cursing and slamming the book against the wall on reading the last sentence of the novel. It was just very very sad.

Despite, or rather, because of the pain this novel inflicted on me, it's one of the best books I've ever read, emotion-wise. It leaves you with things to think about, unlike some books that are no longer wonderful after the mystery in the plot has been revealed.

I recommend this book to people who read to feel.

Although I did not like the plot of this book so much, I thought that the messages behind it was the key to it's success. It focuses a lot about friendship and the comparison of "rich" kids and "poor" kids. A little violent at times, but overall, I recommend this book if you're looking to search for a deeper meaning.

Justin McAbee 1/11/01 3b Shaffer I think that this book was not very good. The ending was very predictable and I knew what was going to happen through the whole thing. I also did not like the way Bryon told on his best friend who is also like a brother. If someone finds out that one of his brothers or sisters is selling drugs they should first confront the person about it not just sell them out. I don't think that this would really happen in real life. I just think that the story could have been more realistic in some of the situations. For example, one thing that is not realistic is that Kathy and Bryon break up. This also would not happen because a guy wouldn't do that in real life. The way Kathy and him were would not change so quickly. I don't think that the book expressed realistic decisions that would be made by the characters. Another thing I did not like was the way that Bryon's mom reacted to all the conflicts and trouble that her sons got into. I know for a fact that a mother would not act that way, she would not just turn her head when her children were getting into constant trouble including fights, witnesses to a murder, and smoking. all in all, I did not enjoy this book and I don't recommend it to anyone unless they like unrealistic conclusions.

This book was almost as awesome as The Outsiders! I loved M&M and everyone else. I am so glad my good friend Stephanie reccomended it to me and I knew it had to be good because she doesn't like reading. I am on edge to get my hands on Rumblefish and Tex. I love S.E. Hinton! She is an awesome writer. Well, I hope this review helps someone. Enjoy

I like the book "That Was Then, This Is Now" because it was a good book.Some of the things that I like about it was the fighting, like when the Shepard gang kept beating up M+M. One of the things that I disliked about the book is when Charlie got shot in the eye. I would recommend this book to anyone.

During my 8th grade year, my english class read The Outsiders well after that I saw the movie it's good. A year later 2001 I decided to get the audiobook That Was Then, This Is Now it was a good book I couldn't stop listening to it, this was a interesting so if you liked, The Outsiders read this.

This book is about two friends who experience a lot of things. They question their friendship all through the book. I really like this book becouse it keepps you on the edge oof your seat. You feel all these emotions about the the characters. The main chatacters are Mark and Byron. There are only a few thins wrong with this book. S.E.Hinton can not come up with new names such as the place they hang out at. They hang out at the Dingo. In The Outsiders that is were they hang out. One of the characters in this book is Tim and Curly Shepard.Tim Shepard is a character in The Outsiders. All and all this was a good book. I highly recommend this book to anyone who likes adventure novels.

This was truly one of the best books I have ever read. It was very deep, and it really made me think about whether the choices both Mark and Bryon made were right, and also whether the choices I make are right. What happened to M&M really turned me off to acid. Definately a winner!!!

Another great book by Hinton, you really feel with the characters. The classic theme of the greaser gang days, fights and drugs, and 2 boys who love eachother as brothers drift apart as they lead down different paths. Another sad story but if you enjoyed rumblefish you should enjoy this one.

The story plot has already been talked about, so I'll skip that.

What I liked about 'That Was Then, This Is Now' is not its plot but its powerful emotional impact on readers.

The ending was heart-twisting. I felt like crying and cursing and slamming the book against the wall on reading the last sentence of the novel. It was just very very sad.

Despite, or rather, because of the pain this novel inflicted on me, it's one of the best books I've ever read, emotion-wise. It leaves you with things to think about, unlike some books that are no longer wonderful after the mystery in the plot has been revealed.

I recommend this book to people who read to feel.

Although I did not like the plot of this book so much, I thought that the messages behind it was the key to it's success. It focuses a lot about friendship and the comparison of "rich" kids and "poor" kids. A little violent at times, but overall, I recommend this book if you're looking to search for a deeper meaning.

Justin McAbee 1/11/01 3b Shaffer I think that this book was not very good. The ending was very predictable and I knew what was going to happen through the whole thing. I also did not like the way Bryon told on his best friend who is also like a brother. If someone finds out that one of his brothers or sisters is selling drugs they should first confront the person about it not just sell them out. I don't think that this would really happen in real life. I just think that the story could have been more realistic in some of the situations. For example, one thing that is not realistic is that Kathy and Bryon break up. This also would not happen because a guy wouldn't do that in real life. The way Kathy and him were would not change so quickly. I don't think that the book expressed realistic decisions that would be made by the characters. Another thing I did not like was the way that Bryon's mom reacted to all the conflicts and trouble that her sons got into. I know for a fact that a mother would not act that way, she would not just turn her head when her children were getting into constant trouble including fights, witnesses to a murder, and smoking. all in all, I did not enjoy this book and I don't recommend it to anyone unless they like unrealistic conclusions.

This book was almost as awesome as The Outsiders! I loved M&M and everyone else. I am so glad my good friend Stephanie reccomended it to me and I knew it had to be good because she doesn't like reading. I am on edge to get my hands on Rumblefish and Tex. I love S.E. Hinton! She is an awesome writer. Well, I hope this review helps someone. Enjoy

I like the book "That Was Then, This Is Now" because it was a good book.Some of the things that I like about it was the fighting, like when the Shepard gang kept beating up M+M. One of the things that I disliked about the book is when Charlie got shot in the eye. I would recommend this book to anyone.

During my 8th grade year, my english class read The Outsiders well after that I saw the movie it's good. A year later 2001 I decided to get the audiobook That Was Then, This Is Now it was a good book I couldn't stop listening to it, this was a interesting so if you liked, The Outsiders read this.

Does growing up have to mean growing apart?
I am a 14-year-old girl that recently read a slow non-exciting book called "That Was Then This Is Now". In my opinion I definetly recommend this book to 14-17 year old boys. The reason is because it is about a young, smart and honest 17-year-old boy called Bryon. He has an adopted brother called Mark. Mark is the kind of guy that goes to a bar and drinks, gambles and uses the money to buy cigarettes. Bryon, is always looking after him, they are really close friends. That's why the main topic of the book is friendship
Bryon and Mark are really tough guys and they defend people by beating up some bullies. But they never do it without a reason. Like once a friend of there's called m&m was coming out of the bowling alley and some big nasty boys came around and started to hit him and try to get his money but Mark and Bryon went and beat the heck out of the guys and m&m was ok.
The next day they went to see their mom at the hospital because she was old and sick. When they got there they saw this guy laying on one of the hospital beds. He was all bruised and bloody, so Mark and Bryon went to ask what was wrong so he said that some black bullies had beaten him up. Bryon and mark felt so bad for him.
After some time a girl walled into both their lives. They both liked her and wanted her would this girl ruin the relationship between Mark and Bryon?
But then Bryon finds out some thing so shocking about Mark, which he never thought he would do. So Bryon faces a terrible decision about this big discovery. This kind of decision will change both their lives forever.

This book is about two friends who experience a lot of things. They question their friendship all through the book. I really like this book becouse it keepps you on the edge oof your seat. You feel all these emotions about the the characters. The main chatacters are Mark and Byron. There are only a few thins wrong with this book. S.E.Hinton can not come up with new names such as the place they hang out at. They hang out at the Dingo. In The Outsiders that is were they hang out. One of the characters in this book is Tim and Curly Shepard.Tim Shepard is a character in The Outsiders. All and all this was a good book. I highly recommend this book to anyone who likes adventure novels.

This was truly one of the best books I have ever read. It was very deep, and it really made me think about whether the choices both Mark and Bryon made were right, and also whether the choices I make are right. What happened to M&M really turned me off to acid. Definately a winner!!!

This book was in the least bit good. It was long and uneventful. Its was too easy to read. If you ever read The Outsiders which is the book that comes before That Was Then, This Is Now you might notice the plot is bad or it does not become clear until well beyond the half way point. The whole book is about gang fighting, nosense talking and smoking. You wiil find your self being bored through out the whole book. And when you do get to the plot, its still dumb.

I recomend this book to any one because it has a great story line about the evrage everyday teenagers who live in the city.

I also found this to be a easy read. it is only 157 pages long so it is not that bad length wise.

the bottom line- easy book to read, has a great exiting story line, great book for teenagers.

For my reading class I read That was THAT WAS THEN THIS IS NOW written by S.E. Hinton. There are many characters in this book, but the two main in this are Bryon and Mark. Bryon and Mark are like brothers, but things start to change when Bryon starts seeing Cathy. Cathy totally changes Bryon into a different person as Mark changes his life as well. Bryon starts seeing a future ahead of him. As for Mark, he just takes life like it's no big deal. The two are growing apart but holding on until Bryon makes a shocking discovery about Mark. Bryon faces a hard decision that will change their lives.
I'd give this book 5 stars. I recommend this book to whoever read THE OUTSIDERS. If you liked THE OUTSIDERS, you would like this book too!

After reading the Outsiders by S. E. Hinton and absolutely loved it, I began to look into other books written by her. I happened to fall onto this book. It is really an amazing story it was hard for me to put it down, because every time I did all I wanted to do was to find out what was going to happen next. The only thing about this story is the ending it's really depressing, at lest in my opinion. I mean it hit me really hard; I was depressed for a couple days after completing it. Nonetheless it is a story worth reading.

What I like about the book it talks about the good things and bad things two best friends with threw. I like the part when Mark and Bryon and Mark were thimking of the goodd days That was then this is now is almost like the Outsiders because they stay with thie friends thrwe thick and thin.

This was a good book. Even if you haven't read the Outsiders first, it still makes sense. It tells about how they characters in the book deal with certain situations, and you can see your self in the characters place. This book is well written and expresses many emotions.

The book "That was Then This is Now," is one of the best book you could ever read in your life. I cryed in the middle of the book and of course i cryed so much in the ending i love all of S.E. Hintons books, Rumble Fish was also one of the best books you could read and of course i cryed even more on that book as well as Outsiders and Tex. Those are the best books you could read!! THat was then this is now has a supriseing ending in my p.o.v. so is Rumble Fish, i was so used the happly ever after books, that when i read this book S.E.Hintons books i was so sad for days, but its like saying its better to have loved then not loved. (understand my analogy??) Well everyone run out oh opps i mean order online, Rumble Fish,That Was Then This Is Now, Tex,Tamming the Star Runner, or the Outsiders.

This was one of the best books that I have read. It was so realistic, and it left me on the edge of my seat. I just wanted to keep right on reading until I finished. If you read The Outsiders and loved it or at least liked it; then you'll definitely wanna read this!

Wow! That was a really good book. I really like how it gives you all of the details, it made you feel like you were right in the story. I would highly recommend this book to anyone. This book teaches many valuble lessons. So overall I thought this was a great book!

i was told to pick out a book to read a book for my english class, and i chose this one. overall i will have to say it was a damn good book.the book deals with issues that can relate to all teenagers and kind of makes you think about the choices you make that affect everyday life. the story explores topics of friendships and drugs amongst highschool kids that can be applied to daily living. it makes you think of friends who have been through similar situations and even your own flaws. i think this is a good book for anyone to read. it is easy to read and hard to put down.i can now say i plan on reading other books by se hinton and shall contiue speaking good about the book

this is one of the best books i have ever read in ym life. As a teen i can relate to this book and the things said in it. I would highly recomend this book to every teen. Because parents and adults just have no idea what we go through everyday and just how things change instantly

The book that I read was That Was Then, This Is Now. It's about a sixteen year old boy named Bryon. Bryon is having a hard time with the way things change so much. He and Mark, his brother, are going through hard times because they have been so close to each other. Now they are building a gap between themselves.
Bryon met a girl named Cathy. They have become really close. Mark is kind of jealous because Bryon spends more time with Cathy than with him, and they have been together all their lives.
Anyway, other than the very beginning, this is a good book.

I read That Was Then This Is Now for school. I had to do a book report and I picked this because I liked the Outsiders also by S.E. Hinton. Well, this was even better! The book is about two boys named Mark and Bryon, who have been friends their whole lives. But Mark gets involved in some business Bryon doesn't approve of, and Bryon is faced with a decision that could destroy the friendship. A really great book. I've read it over and over. Read this if you have a chance.

That Was Then,This Is Now by S.E. Hinton made me think really hard about many different things.At the same time, it gave me a lot of enjoyment. It talks about some of the same things that the more famous The Outsiders(also by S.E.Hinton)does, such as the hardships of dealing with street life and life as a teen. Other than that, That Was Then, This Is Now talks about different things than The Outsiders. The Outsiders talks about the differences between the rich and the poor. This book talks about the diffences between the past and the present.

Brian and Mark were tighter than brothers from day one. They hustled people together, fought side by side, and stood up for each other in times of need. Then Brian got a girlfriend named Cathy, and for the first time in his life, the word love actually meant something. Soon Brian spent days and nights with Cathy, and Mark would go off on his own, probably smoking with some friends. Brian and Mark still lived together in Brian's house, until one night changed it all.

I like the book in that you don't want to stop reading.I liked that it relates to todays society and especially the teens.I higly reccomend this book to people who don't like reading. S.E. Hinton has gotten me reading books like these now.Enjoy the the book.

This book is one of the few that made me want to read on & on. Me being 14 a book has to be interesting. There is a surprise in every chapter and some tragic events anyone can relate to. If you have read S.E. Hinton's books before I recommend this one.

this book is the best book i have ever read it is full of exsitement. ther is so much I can say about this book like how somany people get hert and a person dies but that is so sad when it happens. There is two boys and there names are bryon and mark they are best friends but they call eachother brothers they are in a gang but in the middel of the book they start thinking that they shouldent be in a gang anymore because when they were in a gang everybody got hert there best friend charlie mark and bryon gets hert and then they learn there leston...If i had to rate this book 1-100 it would be way more then this but if you dont like books that sware or have bad things in it you wont like this book very much but i like this book because it is like the real world so read this book and when you do it will change you for ever.

I'm now 39, and I read this book as well as The Outsiders as a teenager. I continue to read these books every few years, and find them to be just as relevant today as they were when they were written. I have introduced these books to my daughters, and they enjoy them as much as I did.
Although the times around us change, the basic relationships and struggles we all endure do not. I find that I still learn lessons from these books today, and I highly recommend them to anyone who remembers being a teenager, or who is experiencing it now.

This book reminded me of 'The Outsiders', probably because of the inclusion of Ponyboy and the Shepards. This, just like the Outsiders, made me cry at the end. Partly because it was so moving, and partly because I finishing really good books.

That was then is a mature, disciplined novel, which excites a response in the reader. The book just keeps you at the edge of your seat. It's a very nice book that talks about the lives of two boys called Bryon and Mark. They were like brothers but one day, Bryon finds a terrible thing or if you want "secret" about Mark. Bryon makes a decision that changes both Marks lives and his life also. It made me cry at the ending since it had such a sad ending, it made me cry. I recommend this book to everyone and anyone. It's a fantastic book that has all the twists and turns. Peace out.

The reason I chose this book is because I read the first book, The Outsider's. It was good so I figured that the sequel would be good as well. I liked this book because it had plenty of action. I liked how the two friends stuck together through all their battles. They really didn't let any thing get between them. The only reason I didn't like this book is because it wasn't really like the first one. I kind of thought it would have been. I guess between the two I like the outsiders a little more because there was a little more action. But I think this is a grate book too.

This book is great. It is not afraid to take a stab at the real life of 16 year old's back then. the emotinal roller coaster then sends you spinning in your seat. A great book that kids around 10-16 should read. Just outstanding.

The book That Was Then, This is Now, is a really good book. I really like this book because Mark and Bryon remind me alot of my best friend and I. This book is the best book I've ever read. There's alot of conflicts in the story.

I loved the book! I would tell other people about the book. I loved the book because it talked about kids and the problems
that accured in todays world. I would recomend this to any person that would like to see what other kids go through in life.I hope you would read it some time.

This is one of the best books that i have read in a long time. I got to the end and i just starrted sobbing and shaking. I really like the style that SE Hintion writes in and I defiently think that That Was Then, This is Now, has way more feeling then the Outsiders, it is a more mature book. The book stung because of the way that Byron stopped caring, the way that he became so hard, and so cold. You get to the end and you wish that the book had ended better. Anyways, it was an excellent, deep, feeling, mature, insightful, meaniful, and tragic book, i defiently recomened it.

This book was the best book i have ever read in my life. When i first saw it it caught my i because of the great cover then when i read the back i knew it was going to be a damn good book. In this first it already got me interested because of the drive in. This is a 5 no doubt because of the none stop action and a drama. After i read it for the first time i read it 8 more times i just could not resist. People between anyone can read this but you should be age 13.

This book was okay, but there is too much stuff that would not happen nowadays. The people in this book get high, drunk, take drugs, sell drugs, gamble, hot-wire and drive cars, and have sex. Not very pleasant, but pretty gripping.

-Bibiomaniac15

The book, That Was Then...This Is Now, is a successful represenation of teenage life back in the 60s and 70s.
Basically, the novel reflects on a boy and his step-brother whom, together, live a perfectly normal life. But Bryon turns on Mark and Cathy, Bryon's girlfriend.
It is a perfect novel for ages 13-17.
***Applicable for in-school use.***
"That Was Then, This Is Now" is a novel I would surely reccommend to anyone of the age level from 13-17.

I think that S.E. Hinton�s book That was then, This is Now was an awful book. No one in there right mind would write about fighting, stealing, getting drunk, getting high, and getting killed and hope that kids would enjoy it. Yeah, it sounds really fun jumping people and running from the cops and using dirty language. HAH! No wonder this book is on all the banned book lists and the movie is rated �R.� I thought that this book was way too violent and had way too much drug abuse and swearing. It was incredibly sow-moving and it took forever to get to the climax. And what is with Bryon? In the last chapters he does something completely out of character. Dumps Cathy after saying how much he loves her and turns on Mark. Does this guy have mood swings or what? S.E. Hinton could have made the characters a little more real. I think she must have been tired of writing or something because she ended the book in about one paragraph. In all, I won�t be reading anymore SE Hinton unless I am forced too.

I liked reading the book, That Was Then This Is Now by S.E. Hinton.This story was about two teenagers named Bryon and Mark. Bryon wants to think of a future for himself. As for Mark,he lives like whatever happens,happens and is waiting for more thrills in life. They go to a pool hall everyday and play pool,but they have an outstanding tab for the coco-cola they drink. So the bar tender told them to get the money or they would get hurt. And another inciddent was when they were almost beaten up by a lot of Black people because Bryon broke this girl's heart and he wanted to get back at Bryon. This would be a good book for anyone(...).

S.E.Hinton deffinitley did it again, with That was THen This is Now! Its a great book! When i read the outsiders, i wanted to read all her books. And this is my favorite one. When its over, you want to follow the charictors, and find out what happens next, you have a certain passion for them. I read the book about a year ago, and still remember every second of it. Every time i look at the book my heart drops. Its a great story, and a for sure read!

That Was Then ,This is now was a classic S.E. Hinton book. It consisted of immature teenagers, gangs, brawls, and depressing scenarios of loss. This book was a type of sequel to the outstaning book of The Outsiders. It was about two brothers who live together in the 60's. Mark who is in his teens and Bryon who is in his teens too. Bryon who is growing away from his brother Mark. They go through challanging phases and intersting scenes.

This was a shocking tale of two brothers. There names were broyan and Mark. There not realy brothers but they have lived together science they were ten. They and there freind m&m are always doing the wrong things. They fight oiver a girl and it tears them apart. One ends up in jail and one realizes how stupid they were. This book is sad and suspensfull. If you like the outsiders or rumblefish you will love this book.

Living in the country, my family enjoys a slow paced, peaceful life. The kids are really into reading these days. My son had just finished this book, so I picked it myself. I know that the author focuses on writing for a teenage crowd but this was a very enjoyable book even for me. If you are a teacher or parent, buy this book for your kid(s). You won't regret it.

This is the best book I have read. This and THE OUTSIDERS are fabulos books. This book has things that would appeale to any reader. It is a life changeing book. It has suspense tragetys and thinds 13teen yearolds would love. It talks about gang, huslers, and drugs. Things at there age would be normal kids smoking drinking getting jobs and girls. This is one of the best books I've but it's intens.So if you want a lighter book pick THE OUTSIDERS.

That was then this is now was definateally the best book I have read yet this year! It was exciteing and sad all together. There are a lot of things in this book that make you want to read on and not put the book down and I love books like that. This book makes you see that there are things like gangs and hippies and black and white, real hate and love. the entire way of the book you will never know whats going to hapen next!!!!!

This book was a great read. It inspired me to just keep reading and reading. It is one of those books that are called a "have to turn the page", and "cant put 'em down" I would recomend this book to anyone and had my best friend read it just because. If you like great reads about reality and "what happens to bad kids" kind of gutsy stuff then you will like this book.

I really liked this book. This book made me want to read more and more. I usually dont like books but I enjoyed readying this won. It never got boring and was very excitting. I think the book just shows you how good you have it these days. And how lucky you are. The thing that I didnt like about the book is that it was to short. I think it should have been alot longer and gone itno more detail/

My opinion on this book is it is a great book for teenagers of any gender. It shows what some kids experience at that age. The book has every thing a book needs: conflict-Bryon must pick Mark or Cathy, Climax-when Bryon calls the cops on Mark for selling drugs to little kids. I believe the book could have been a little longer. Otherwise it was a great book. I loved it.

That was then, this is now has got to be one of the best books that I have read. It truley expresses what makes you look at life diffrently, and want to grow up and mature. There is a close look at friendships, and how they change as we grow older.

This embodies all that is wrong in literature these days.
Trite and boring, and in no way resembles childhood.
Make this book go away.
Have children expand their minds reading quality, instead of the "latest" acclaimed author.

I loved the outsiders so I decided to read this one too, and I loved it!! It gives you the realality of growing up around drugs and how they can affect your life. It also shows you how people can grow apart eventhough they have been together their entire life. This was a great book and I highly recomend it!!
Other recomendations- Outsiders

SE Hinton writes another excellent novel, but it was kind of fast in the end. I would have liked it better if she described more about what happens and how Mark and Bryon end up once he gets out of the prison.

Hinton gives great voice to young adult characters, very realistic. Both books that I have read by Hinton (The Outsiders and That was Then, This is Now) are fantastic. These books would also interest young men, even though it is sometimes difficult to select interesting books for male readers.

If you have ever read THE OUTSIDERS by Hinton you would love this book. It portrays the real life of teens living in society today. The charcaters in the book face tough decisions at every turn such as drinking, drugs, friends, and love. I think this is a great book for anyone.

As a 7th Grade Language Arts teacher in search of good book for my students, I hit a home run with this one. Wow! Powerful!

SE Hinton does an admirable job building the character structure for Bryon and Mark. It was a little tedious at first but paid off later. The message antidrug message is strong, the struggle for individuality is apparent and although the ending is indeed depressing, it is necessary.

I highly recommend this book for Middle School readers but would advise a parental consent in advance.

I thought this book was great but a little gang fighting.As a result the book was great but in the end it was sad because mark is thrown in jail. In the beginning it was cool how Mark hotwired a car but people hated him because he gave M&M drugs. After all, it was a great book

Does growing up have to mean growing apart?
I am a 14-year-old girl that recently read a slow non-exciting book called "That Was Then This Is Now". In my opinion I definetly recommend this book to 14-17 year old boys. The reason is because it is about a young, smart and honest 17-year-old boy called Bryon. He has an adopted brother called Mark. Mark is the kind of guy that goes to a bar and drinks, gambles and uses the money to buy cigarettes. Bryon, is always looking after him, they are really close friends. That's why the main topic of the book is friendship
Bryon and Mark are really tough guys and they defend people by beating up some bullies. But they never do it without a reason. Like once a friend of there's called m&m was coming out of the bowling alley and some big nasty boys came around and started to hit him and try to get his money but Mark and Bryon went and beat the heck out of the guys and m&m was ok.
The next day they went to see their mom at the hospital because she was old and sick. When they got there they saw this guy laying on one of the hospital beds. He was all bruised and bloody, so Mark and Bryon went to ask what was wrong so he said that some black bullies had beaten him up. Bryon and mark felt so bad for him.
After some time a girl walled into both their lives. They both liked her and wanted her would this girl ruin the relationship between Mark and Bryon?
But then Bryon finds out some thing so shocking about Mark, which he never thought he would do. So Bryon faces a terrible decision about this big discovery. This kind of decision will change both their lives forever.

this book is the best book i have ever read it is full of exsitement. ther is so much I can say about this book like how somany people get hert and a person dies but that is so sad when it happens. There is two boys and there names are bryon and mark they are best friends but they call eachother brothers they are in a gang but in the middel of the book they start thinking that they shouldent be in a gang anymore because when they were in a gang everybody got hert there best friend charlie mark and bryon gets hert and then they learn there leston...If i had to rate this book 1-100 it would be way more then this but if you dont like books that sware or have bad things in it you wont like this book very much but i like this book because it is like the real world so read this book and when you do it will change you for ever.

it was a great book. good writing and stuff like that. but it was soooooo depressing. i hate how it ended. i'm not going to say what happens, but it is really sad and leaves you feeling empty and sick. it is very emotional.

Bought this for my daughter on one of her school projects. I haven't personally read this book, but have read other SE Hinton's books. She said that it was a good book and something that she would definitely re-read again.

“That Was Then This Is Now” Is a refreshing yet familiar coming of age story that does alot of what made “The Outsiders” a good book. From the start we see our two main characters; Bryon and Mark in a setting that we fell in love with in “The Outsiders”. Something else we can see from the start to the end is the character development in Byron. At first we see Byron as another greaser from the bad parts of tulsa but when he meets Cathy in the hospital you can see a subtle shift in his personality. Later in the book we see more dramatic shifts in his personality, a quote to represent this would be “for the first time in my life, i wasn’t annoyed with a girl for crying. Instead, I felt really bad.” The story continues to progress in a way similar to other coming of age stories but towards the end it gets really dark. Bryon’s problems start to get more serious and more mature, and he starts to realize the actions he takes now will have consequences. At first he fumbles with this idea he understands he has to be a bigger man and do what's right, such as when he finds out Mark is selling drugs. Byron has to make a decision that will send his best friend and brother to prison or let it go and he ultimately chooses to send his brother to prison, which is the last turning point for Bryon where he figures he has to be an adult rather than a child. All in all “That Was Then This Is Now” captures a time period perfectly and puts it in a perspective of a bunch of teenagers growing up in this doggy dog world where most things are unforgiving.