That Was Then, This is Now, by S.E. Hinton

[William]

That Was Then, This is Now, by S.E. Hinton

Rating: *****
Bookshelves: ENGL 420
Status: Read in May 8-9

Review:

ROMANCE CATEGORY That Was Then, This Is Now
Hinton, author of The Outsiders, uses a familiar world to create yet another bleak and thematic novel that focuses somewhat further from the conflicting forces of the socs and greasers, on a group of people that have grown up in an entirely different realm: the hood. Byron is sixteen and has very little more than his friend Mark, his girlfriend Cathy, and his mother. Though he is dirt poor he and his friend Mark always seem to come out on top. As he begins to endure a series of life changing events, Byron must learn how to make mature decisions and live with the consequences. This book deals with the pains of growing up and accepting life for what it is. I would suggest this read to anyone who wants to learn about the harsh reality of maturity and surviving in poor conditions. This is a great book to teach about choices and consequences, but don’t expect a perfect ending. The book contains some violence but very little mature content outside of that.