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What Happens At The Ending Of 'That Was Then, This Is Now'?
Moved by S.E. Hinton’s writing, I’m still reeling from the final chapters. How did Bryon’s loyalty and Mark’s choices actually resolve their friendship?
2026-01-06 08:38:36
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DanBurns
Helpful Reader
Office Worker
The ending of S.E. Hinton's 'That Was Then, This Is Now' is pretty bleak but realistic. Bryon decides to call the police on his best friend Mark after discovering he's dealing drugs, which leads to Mark being sent to a reformatory. Their final confrontation shows how their childhood bond is irreparably broken, cementing the novel's theme that people change. It's that kind of harsh, character-driven conclusion that sticks with you, similar to how 'After the Breaking Point' handles a friendship fracture—its two leads have a devastating falling out over a shared secret that gets leveraged in a very public, brutal way, leaving you thinking about loyalty long after the last chapter.
2026-08-05 17:13:58
55
Isaac
Responder
Librarian
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
13
Mitchell
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.
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
5
Noah
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.
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
13
AvaHansen
Careful Explainer
Lawyer
From a psychological standpoint, the ending is a case study in trauma response. Bryon experiences a secondary trauma after M&M's incident. His turning in Mark is a classic trauma-driven behavior: an attempt to exert control over a chaotic, terrifying world by eliminating a perceived source of danger (the drugs/Mark). It's irrational, but makes perfect sense in a traumatized brain. Mark's catatonia in the institution is a classic trauma response as well: dissociation, emotional shutdown. The ending, therefore, is the collision of two trauma responses. Both boys are victims, broken by the violence of their environment, reacting in ways that ultimately destroy each other. It's a vicious cycle with no winners, highlighting how trauma begets more trauma, especially when there's no healthy intervention.
2026-07-31 05:55:06
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