Reviews

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

verydazedragon's review against another edition

dark tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

OK, the outsiders made me sad. This book made me mad. I could not believe that Byron called the police on Mark. It totally shocked me. I actually don’t really know how to feel about the book. I can’t say that I came to care for the characters in the same way that I did about the outsiders, but Hinton has a talent for shocking you and causing you to consider angles that you’ve never thought of before. This book was no different. In terms of shock factor, I would say that the outsiders in this book are pretty much equal. The first book was more immersive, but this one felt a little more close to what I understand, what I’m used to, this time period.

grammapollyreads's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

princessofhearts's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

terrym10's review against another edition

5.0

I liked this better than The Outsiders! I was born the year this book came out, and am a female, but I identified with the story so much. It brought back how everything was & how I felt about it when I was a teenager. I also like that Ponyboy Curtis from The Outsiders has an appearance. It’s really hard to believe that a young woman wrote with such insight. This truly is a pretty great book.

danixwrites's review against another edition

5.0

This was a book I had to read in high school and I ended up loving the book. I highly recommend!

madiganinwonderland's review against another edition

2.0

this review could be summed up pretty basically, I am glad to be done with this book! However, I have some opinions I'd like to share so I'll continue.
I didn't go into this book with that high of hopes, mostly to get it off my TBR and to possibly help me out of a reading slump. And for the most part, I guess it worked. This book is definitely a pretty quick read. But you can certainly feel the lack of depth in characters and plot. I didn't grow attached to any of the characters even our main character Bryon we don't really get to see where his internal battles he won came from very much.
for a book that has such a basic plot, so simple and hardly much to go on, you really don't even get much time to connect with the characters.

Spoiler

For example, Bryon is a complete ass. I couldn't stand him for most of this book. such a sexist player. But then the synopsis indicates some incident with his lifelong buddy, and it doesn't even start until about 15 pages from the end. And the ending tries to turn what happened at the end to a positive, but makes the main character sounds like he's on his way to a breakdown.

I had hoped I would like this book to some degree. I've loved the Outsiders by s.e. Hinton. it's one of my favorites. But I guess authors don't make book all the same anyway.
I had a lot of problems with this book. I didn't enjoy it. And the main character really upset me occasionally. But I just want to be done with this book. I'm glad to be done, and I'm ready to move on. Hooray!

jasminewoods02's review against another edition

5.0

I remember reading this book after [b:The Outsiders|231804|The Outsiders|S.E. Hinton|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1442129426l/231804._SY75_.jpg|1426690] and it was another hit. Even though I only remember very few details about the plot, I know this book deserves to be rated a 5 star. S.E. Hinton blew our minds with The Outsiders and she sure will blow your minds with this one! I recommend reading it right after reading The Outsiders! I also heard there are movie versions of The Outsiders and this book so be sure to watch them after reading BOTH books!

alexandriadesruisseau's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

bryleel's review against another edition

emotional reflective relaxing

5.0

shaaryt's review against another edition

5.0

THIS WAS AN AMAZING BOOK. Throughout the whole novel, the author makes you think and realize not only the things that happen in the novel, but how it relates to the real world. THE ENDING HOLY COW! The ending made me cry like Niagara Falls! I got soo mad, so hurt at the ending. I felt the pain, I felt that I could relate to is as well. I never got over it, its still on my mind. Even a couple of days I finished the novel, it still felt so fresh. BEST BOOK, AMAZING WRITER! MUST READ IF YOU DIDNT! I RECOMMEND IT TO EVERYONE THAT LIVES ON EARTH