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What Happens At The Ending Of 'That Was Then, This Is Now'?

2026-01-06 08:38:36

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3 Answers

Isaac

Favorite read: After We Said Goodbye

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The ending of 'That Was Then, This Is Now' is a gut punch of moral complexity. Bryon’s decision to report Mark isn’t framed as heroic or villainous—it’s just painfully necessary. Their final confrontation in jail strips away any romanticized notions of loyalty; Mark’s refusal to understand Bryon’s perspective cements their separation. Hinton doesn’t offer closure, just the quiet devastation of two paths diverging. It’s a testament to her writing that such a bleak ending feels so true to life.

2026-01-07 14:23:55

Mitchell

Favorite read: The Past Is in the Past

Plot Detective

Office Worker

Man, that ending wrecked me. Bryon and Mark’s friendship had this wild, almost brotherly energy throughout the book, but the cracks start showing when Bryon falls for Cathy and starts questioning Mark’s amorality. The climax where Bryon calls the cops on Mark? Oof. It’s not just about the drugs; it’s about Bryon realizing Mark hasn’t grown up—he’s still stuck in their chaotic, rule-breaking past. The jail visit scene is ice-cold, with Mark saying, 'You’re not my friend,' and Bryon just... leaving. No dramatic reconciliation, no lesson learned—just two kids who used to be inseparable now worlds apart.

What I love (and hate) is how Hinton makes you debate Bryon’s choice. Was turning in Mark an act of tough love or betrayal? The book doesn’t judge, and that’s what sticks with you. It’s a coming-of-age story where 'growing up' means losing someone you love because you’re no longer the same people. I’ve reread it a few times, and that ending still stings—but in a way that feels honest, like life sometimes is.

2026-01-09 12:58:17

Noah

Favorite read: After That Day

Plot Detective

Translator

The ending of 'That Was Then, This Is Now' hits like a freight train—it’s one of those moments that lingers long after you close the book. Bryon, the protagonist, finally reaches his breaking point with Mark’s reckless behavior and involvement in drugs. After Mark sells drugs to Bryon’s younger brother’s friend, Bryon makes the agonizing decision to turn him in to the police. The betrayal is brutal, but it’s also a turning point for Bryon, who realizes how much he’s outgrown their childhood bond. The last scene where Bryon visits Mark in jail is heartbreaking; Mark coldly dismisses him, and Bryon walks away, knowing their friendship is irrevocably shattered.

What makes this ending so powerful is its realism. S.E. Hinton doesn’t sugarcoat the consequences of loyalty versus morality. Bryon’s growth comes at the cost of his oldest friendship, and the book leaves you wrestling with whether he did the right thing. I remember finishing it and just sitting there, staring at the wall, because it’s rare for a YA novel to confront such messy, adult emotions head-on. The ending doesn’t tie things up neatly—it’s raw, unresolved, and all the more memorable for it.

2026-01-12 05:27:44

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What Happens At The Ending Of 'That Was Then, This Is Now'?

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