That Was Then, This Is Now

This book is based off the life of a 16 year old boy in the late 1970s. He lives in a poor part of town that is known as "The Hood". He lives with his mom and best friend. This is the story of their friendship and how it has changed as Bryan, the main character, matures and gains a sense of right and wrong, and Mark, his best friend, matures, but doesn't seem to really understand the whole concept of right and wrong.

This book is written from Bryan's point of view. Bryan's best friend Mark is like a brother to him. They have lived together for almost as long as they can remember. There is Cathy, Bryan's girlfriend, who is there for him through almost everything. There is M&M, Cathy's little brother, who is innocent until a bad trip on acid messes up his brain, leaving him anxious, unable to perform simple tasks, and wary of everyone. There is Curtis, a boy who Bryan is briefly jealous of.

The main theme of this book is friendship, but there are underlying themes of social issues such as socio-economic differences, drugs, love and relationships, abuse, and coming of age in "The Hood".

My favorite part of this book is when Bryan, "the player", realizes that he truly loves Cathy. My least favorite part of the book was the difficult moment when Bryan calls the police on a close friend of his.

I think S.E. Hinton painted a sad, truthful picture of what it was like to live in a poor part of town in the 1970s. She painted a painfully accurate picture of a boys life in "The Hood". I don't like that the story ends unresolved. You don't get to know what happens to Bryan, or if he ever starts to feel/care again.

I believe that the author would like us to understand that there is always a sacrifice when you make the right decision, and that once you've made the right decision, you might regret it or think it's the wrong one. You might never figure it out.

My overall impression of this book is that it is a well written, truthful book. I definitely recommend this book to ages 14 and up. Due to drug use, violence, and sexual references, I do not recommend it to a younger age group. This book is a must read!!! 4 stars out of 10.

#YoungAdultFiction #Violence #Friendship