Michael+N

Michael Noonan That was Then. This is Now by: S.E. HINTON

Bryon and Mark are two best friends living together like brothers. Mark came to live with Bryon and his mother after Mark's parents died tragically in a drunken gun fight. Bryon is busy trying to decide what he wants to do with the rest of his life while Mark is living life day by day without planning for his future. Bryon meets an injured man, named Mike Chambers. Mike was injured when he was doing a favor for an Afro - American woman. He drove the lady home and was badly beaten by her brothers. The other person he met was Cathy. Bryon goes to school with Cathy. She was working at the hospital snack shop and Byron happens to run into her there. Bryon and Charlie are good friends. Charlie is a bartender a a local bar near Byron's home. Charlie lets Bryon come to the bar whenever he wants. He goes to shoot pool and drink soda and sometimes Charlie allows Bryon to have a beer. Sometimes, Charlie even permits Bryon to use and drive his car. Bryon goes on a date with Cathy to the dance. At the dance, Angelia Shepard, Bryon's ex - girlfriend hires a hit man to maul a boy called Pony Boy Curtis. Instead, Mark tries to settle the dispute and is struck by a beer bottle over the head. Mark is then rushed to the hospital. Bryon begins to notice that he is changing both mentally and physically while Mark isn't changing in the same ways. Mark continues to live by the day to day thrills in his life. After a visit at the bar, Bryon and Mark are cornered in an alley by nasty red- neck Texans. Charlie home outside with a shot gun to help the boys, but he is shot in the eye by one of the Texans and is killed. Bryon and Mark are saddened and weakened mentally by the tragic loss of their friend. Cathy is not fond of Mark. She thinks he is immature, and childish. He acts without thinking of the consequences. Mark thinks Cathy is judgmental and picky. He doesn't like when she finds fault in everyone especially him. Mark cuts Angel's hair. Mark cut her hair as a joke. He thought it would be funny and she wouldn't care because she was drunk. Bryon discovers something is off with Mark. He can't figure out what is happening and is suspicious of his behavior and his day to day routines. Bryon is accused of cutting Angel's hair. He gets attacked by Curly Shepard and his gang. Bryon begins to develop hatred and anger for Mark, because he takes the fall for cutting Angel's hair when Mark was the guilty one the whole time. Cathy's brothers, M&M has taken the LSD drug and his mind is not functioning right. He keeps talking about ravenous spiders eating him alive. When Bryon sees M&M acting in this manner, he feels awful for him and he feels sad for Cathy. Bryon doesn't like to see M&M suffering and struggling. Byron finally discovers why Mark has been acting so strange, He finds out that Mark has been dealing drugs to hippies in the neighborhood. After realizing the truth, Bryon doesn't hesitate and he decides to call the police. Bryon feels as though his life has always been serious and he had to take each step of his life cautiously and with care. This attitude carries over into his relationship with his friends, because he becomes over- worried about Cathy, Mark and M&M In the end of the book, Bryon visits Mark at the reformatory school. After his discussions with Mark at the school, Bryon develops a strong sense of hatred for Mark. Mark had become a person Bryon could no longer recognize. I throughly enjoyed this book! I would recommend it to those who have not read it yet. This book teaches the reader that life is about change and maturity. It also teaches the reader that being a loyal friend can be a conflict when loyalty goes against doing the right thing.
 * 1) Who are Bryon and Mark?**
 * 2) Who are the two young people Bryon meets at the hospital?**
 * 3) What kind of relationship does Bryon have with Charlie?**
 * 4) What happens at the dance?**
 * 5) What does Bryon begin to discover in his private conversations with Mark?**
 * 6) What happened to Charlie? How do Bryon and Mark feel about it?**
 * 7) What do Mark and Cathy think of each other?**
 * 8) What does Mark do to Angel? Why?**
 * 9) In chapter seven, what does Bryon begin to discover about his good friend Mark?**
 * 10) What happens to Bryon at Terry Jones' House? How does his attitude change?**
 * 11) In chapter nine what happens to M&M? Why does this move Bryon?**
 * 12) What shocking discovery does Bryon make in Mark;s bedroom ( chapter 10)? What does he do?**
 * 13) How does Bryon's relationship with his friends and his attitude toward completely change?**
 * 14) How does Bryon feel at the end of the book?**
 * 15) What do you think about this book and what life message does it teach?**