When you saw this, I bet you thought of the Katy Perry song. Well, you're wrong. This is a book written by S.E. Hinton, the same woman who wrote The Outsiders. I started this book Saturday morning, and finished it that night. I couldn't put it down. That Was Then, This Is Now is about two kids, Bryon and Mark, who have been bet friends forever. They tell everyone that they are brothers, which is not a total lie; they live together because Mark doesn't have parents. But, as time goes on, Bryon notices something weird happening to Mark. He is acting different and is pulling away. When Bryon starts becoming serious about his girlfriend, he notices that Mark is acting jealous and doesn't seem too crazy about Cathy (Bryon's girlfriend). Then Bryon comes home and, hoping to find a cigarette and knowing where to find one, looks under Mark's mattress. There he makes a big discovery that he thinks may have put Cathy's brother, M&M, in the hospital. Bryon has to make a big choice: stay loyal to his brother, or turn him in. This book has some of the characters from The Outsiders: Ponyboy Curtis, Tim Shephard, and Curly Shephard. While they are not main characters, they are important. To see how the whole story unfolds, read the book!
