Product Description

In some of S. E. Hinton’s strongest writing ever comes a profound and wry compilation of fourteen short stories. Terry and Mike are cousins whose families are almost seamlessly intertwined. Raised as close as brothers and living happy childhoods, neither one thinks of what can go wrong. But the unexpected deaths of both their fathers catapult their lives in two very different directions. Terry finds trouble with the law, while Mike lives his life racked with guilt and sadness. In her first book in four years, The Outsiders author S. E. Hinton gives readers a gritty view of how one incident, one tragedy, affects two boys very differently, and changes their lives forever.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #76986 in Books
• Published on: 2009-04-02
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 160 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9780142411957
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
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From Publishers Weekly
Author of the 1967 YA bestseller The Outsiders and its sequels, several children's books and the adult novel Hawkes Harbor (2004), Hinton offers a thin collection of 14 connected short-short stories that explore the divergent lives of two close cousins whose fathers are killed in car accident when the boys are adolescents. When the cousins are both 25, a drug deal goes wrong: Terry is imprisoned, while Mike gets away, living a fugitive life in Oklahoma as a bartender and bouncer. The tales move back and forth in time: "The Sweetest Sound" describes nine-year-old Mike's being awakened during the night when his father, a war vet, cries out in his sleep; while "Full Moon Birthday" finds the boys sharing Mike's first legal drink and a friendly older woman. Later stories delve into Mike's dead-end, often dangerous job at the bar, and his attempt at striking up a friendship with his pretty adult-ed instructor. Finally, Terry gets out of prison to a tense homecoming. Hinton is clearly aiming for terse, but what's here feels bare bones; interviews with the author take up more space than these plainspoken tales. (Apr.)
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From Booklist
This entry in the Oklahoma Stories and Storytellers series comprises two parts, the first a novella by Tulsa native Hinton, the second a collection of interviews with the reclusive author, who is best known for the seminal young-adult novel The Outsiders (1967). Although the appended discussions are the primary draw here, readers curious about a beloved writer's mature output won't want to skip the novella, aimed at an adult audience, where linked vignettes about male cousins form a smooth continuum with Hinton's gritty, guy-dominated YA novels. The interviews supply some insights about the intentions behind this work (including a convoluted explanation of the title), but the greatest attention is paid to Hinton's early oeuvre, including intriguing details about the adaptation of her novels into films ("Rob Lowe . . . called me 'Mom' half the time"). Hinton's fan base extends beyond regional and generational boundaries, warranting broader attention for this title than is suggested by the series' regional focus. Jennifer Mattson
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Review
“Some of Tim’s Stories is a compact set of vignettes . . . Hinton trims her prose close to the bone . . . and carves it into…sharp, concise observation[s] . . . [that are] admirably direct.” —The New York Times

“Tales that are immediate and gripping; they engage readers and push them to fill in the empty spaces, which are as thoughtfully crafted as the narratives. The plain-spoken language of this book makes it an excellent choice for struggling readers.” —School Library Journal

Customer Reviews

A Must-Have
S.E. Hinton has collected a powerful group of stories, all under one thousand words, revolving around cousins Mike and Terry, who are as close as brothers. When prison separates them, their lives take different turns, and they have to learn to live with what has changed them.

Her writing is taut and expressive in all of her fiction, but the tight confines of short story writing has really brought out some of Hinton's best work. The stories are filled with an emotional resonance that stays with the reader.

Longtime fans will appreciate the second half of the book, which contains interviews with Hinton regarding all of her fiction, as well as the movies they inspired.

This book is a must-have for fans of S.E. Hinton, and for those new to her writing this is a wonderful introduction to the types of characters and themes she excels in writing about.