How far would you go for something you know is wrong? Would you give up your cell phone? Or your iPod? Maybe you would give up your computer. But the truth is that many of us wouldn’t even do this. But Bryon gave up a friendship, one in his eyes that was supposed to last a lifetime. That was Then, This Is Now by S.E. Hinton does a great job of showing this concept to her readers.

Bryon and Mark have been like brothers, for as long as they can remember they have always had each other. When their lives get turned upside down, and they are struggling to pay bills and such they need to become responsible. So Bryon tries to find a job to bring in more money, but with his reputation, he isn’t having much luck. Bryon who was once this carefree teen is now forced to grow up even if that means growing apart. “I was changing he (Mark) wasn’t.” A quote from Bryon p. 81.But Mark has his own ways and ideas of trying to bring in money. His way is very dangerous if he gets caught he it will change his life forever. “Mark was only sixteen; he had always been able to talk his way out of anything. But this time he didn’t even try.” A thought from Bryon p.148.

This is great book to read because of the realistic situations that occur throughout the book. Bryon and Mark struggle with loss and responsibility. The only thing that used to matter to Bryon and Mark was their social status and getting into fights. But when drugs find their way into M&M, an important figure in the boy’s life, It makes Bryon look back and notice that he needs to change.

S.E. Hinton develops the characters well in this book. She has portrays each character equally so you grow attached to them as you continue reading. She really brings the character to life; she writes them as everyday humans facing the same troubles and challenges we do today. Some of the characters deal with stereotypes; from the outside the characters seem to be handling the negative remarks well. But S.E. Hinton shows that some things aren’t always what they seem to be.
“How can you tell him and Cathy apart?” Mr. Carlson said dryly. “I can’t anymore.”

“Now, Jim...” Mrs. Carlson Began nervously. “We agreed not to say any
more about M&M’s hair.” This is a conversation between M&M’s parents talking about M&M’s long shoulder-length hair, p.44.


This is a great book for many reasons, I recommend this book because it is easy to relate to because of the real life situations that the characters find themselves in, also there are many themes in this book, some are very obvious and others you might have to think about. These are only some of the reasons why I chose to write about this book, I really think that you should read That Was Then, This Is Now By S.E. Hinton, it truly is a great read.