Again, Hinton writes from the male perspective. Not as good as Outsiders. It gears up to be an interesting story but ends too abruptly and leaves you hanging. Can't say it's my favorite of her works, BUT it is signed by the author and I got to meet her. ( )

I really love SE Hinton I think she is an amazing author. ( )

Being a big fan of S.E. Hinton's past novels (the Outsiders and That Was Then, This is Now, etc) I couldn't wait to get my hands on this one. I was not disappointed. Whilst it is different from her past works, it is indeed a wonderful book. Some of Tim's Stories is written as a series of short stories about the lives of close cousins Terry and Mike, but from Mike's viewpoint. The book starts off recounting two young boys busting to grow up so they can join their fathers on a yearly trip. It starts with hope, exuberance and boyhood expectation but life doesn't always go the way you with it will. There is an underlying sadness to these stories that builds as the tale is told. Whilst there is no feel-good ending, it is without doubt a book that will leaving you thinking long after you put it down. ( )

What a pleasure to again get to read a work from the author who began the Young Adult genre. S.E. Hinton is a master writer. Each of these stories was very insightful and by the end you felt as though you had a larger story overall. I loved the interview portion in back. I considered it an additional treat. S.E. Hinton's books are always timeless. In my opinion that is the mark of great writing. It can survive time and speak to generations of people and still be relevant. I'm giving this one 5 short kisses! ( )

This is a fantastic exploration of the writing process. Tim, named only in the title of the book, has many issues to deal with. He takes to writing in order to work through aspects of his life, choosing a character who is basically himself, to center the stories around.

Honestly, being able to pick up on these hints make the collection stronger for me, an aspiring writer, but the collection is strong enough without that. (Had it been entitled "Some of Mike's Stories," the exploration of a man, wracked with guilt and loss, would have been strong, too.)

I love that the stories are all connected to one another, pieces of a life left on a trail. Pick up one hint in a story, and it becomes a clearer sense of who both Tim and Mike are in a later story. (Knowing that Mike's father had nightmares, while it is guessable they are war-related, circles back in the story in which Mike is shot in a robbery, for example.)

The interviews are interesting, but as a lover of the story-telling process, I am more drawn to the stories than I am the interview questions and answers. ( )