lauren_b_writes 's review for:

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

4.0

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I read this book when I was 14 and gave it only 3 stars. I didn't like how upset it made me, and that it ended on such a hopeless note. Giving it an extra star this time because the emotional impact holds up, I understand the point of the soul-crushing ending now that I'm older, and Mark is one of the most complex and interesting characters I've ever read about. The only real criticism I have is that the theme is a little too obvious and sort of thrown in your face, but I do love that Hinton writes such deep and complex characters using such simple language. If you loved The Outsiders, you NEED to read this book. (Aside from this being a very thought-provoking read, seeing Ponyboy a couple years later is just SO much fun.)