That Was Then, This Is Now

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Ever since Mark's parents died, he has been living with Bryon. The boys are more like brothers than mere friends. They've been inseparable--until recently. Something seems to be changing between them, and Bryon can't figure it out. Is it Cathy, Bryon's new girlfriend? Is Mark jealous? Bryon is also tired of the street fighting, but Mark seems unable to quit. And where is Mark getting all of that money? In That Was Then, This Is Now, one of her most admired novels, S. E. Hinton paints a richly textured portrait of two boys at a crossroads in their friendship. With careful, intimate strokes, Hinton reveals a boy struggling over whether to protect his best friend or whether to follow his own beliefs about right and wrong. The ending will surprise readers, challenging them to puzzle over Bryon's dilemma in their own hearts.


Book Description
Published four years after her phenomenally successful first novel, The Outsiders, That Was Then, This Is Now confirmed S. E. Hinton's place in the canon of young adult literature. Returning to the same working-class landscape, Hinton paints a deeply-felt portrait of best friends Bryon and Mark, as they grow up and grow apart. Puffin is proud to publish this award-winning classic for a new generation of readers. A mature, disciplined novel which excites a response in the readerhard to forget. --The New York Times Brutal, harsh, yet always credibleone of the best. --Publishers Weekly


Card catalog description
Sixteen-year-old Mark and Bryon have been like brothers since childhood, but now, as their involvement with girls, gangs, and drugs increases, their relationship seems to gradually disintegrate.


From the Publisher
"Byron, who tells the story...feels Mark is his brother. But when he sees the effect of drugs on a gentle, friendly, young boy and discovers that Mark is a pusher, he calls the police. He hates himself for the betrayal of his friend but he's been a tough kid on the fringe of delinquency and he's aware of what happens beyond the fringe."--Saturday Review. An ALA Notable Children's Book, An ALA Best of the Best Books for Young Adults.


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This unforgettable classic still packs a powerful message even after nearly thirty years in print. Bryon and Mark are two teenagers who have been as close as brothers nearly all their lives. Told from Bryon's point of view, readers are drawn into both boys' lives, lives that are slowly but surely beginning to head different directions. While Bryon remains levelheaded and realistic about his future, Mark becomes more and more self-destructive, disrupting the lives of those who care about him. Finally, Bryon reaches a point where he must make the biggest and most terrible decision of his life-a decision that will change both boys' futures forever. 1998 (orig.


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