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    Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes
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    Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes
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    Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes
    Ebook245 pages3 hours

    Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes

    By Chris Crutcher

    4/5

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    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this ebook

    Called a “masterpiece” in a starred review from School Library Journal, award-winning author Chris Crutcher’s acclaimed Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes is an enduring classic.

    This bestselling novel is about love, loyalty, and friendship in the face of adversity. “Superb plotting, extraordinary characters, and cracking narrative make this novel unforgettable.”—Publishers Weekly  

    Sarah Byrnes and Eric Calhoune have been friends for years. When they were children, his weight and her scars made them both outcasts. Now Sarah Byrnes—the smartest, toughest person Eric has ever known—sits silent in a hospital. Eric must uncover the terrible secret she’s hiding before its dark current pulls them both under. Will appeal to fans of Marieke Nijkamp, Andrew Smith, and John Corey Whaley.

    “Once again, Chris Crutcher plunges his readers into life's tough issues within a compelling story filled with human compassion . . . with his characteristic intelligence, humor, and empathy."—ALAN Review

    An American Library Association Best Book for Young Adults

     

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHarperCollins
    Release dateSep 22, 2009
    ISBN9780061968501
    Unavailable
    Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes
    Author

    Chris Crutcher

    Chris Crutcher has written nine critically acclaimed novels, an autobiography, and two collections of short stories. Drawing on his experience as a family therapist and child protection specialist, Crutcher writes honestly about real issues facing teenagers today: making it through school, competing in sports, handling rejection and failure, and dealing with parents. He has won three lifetime achievement awards for the body of his work: the Margaret A. Edwards Award, the ALAN Award, and the NCTE National Intellectual Freedom Award. Chris Crutcher lives in Spokane, Washington.

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    Reviews for Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes

    4/5

    422 ratings39 reviews

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    • 5/5
      Another great Chris Cutcher novel that touches on child abuse, obesity, abandonment and abortion. It's amazing how he can get all these subjects into one novel without it being too overwhelming
    • 4/5
      Excellent job by Crutcher as always. I am continually impressed with his ability to weave in current issues with a captivating storyline teens latch onto. I highlighted this ebook extensively and looking back, many are comments on issues I wish I had known when I was 18 like the characters. I applaud Crutcher for both knowing and understanding his audience and having the courage to write about difficult issues that require attention.
    • 4/5
      Really liked this book.
    • 5/5
      It was a great book, of course it was, but incredibly sad. So if you don't like sad books, this isn't for you!
    • 5/5
      I love it so much each when I read f
    • 5/5
      I could not put this book down! In a disposable society as we live in, it was a huge treat to read about kids who stick around and help each other. Sure, they may tease along the way, but in the end, they are there for each other. This book has everything you need in a good book - someone to love (Eric, Aka Mobe) and someone to hate (Mr. Byrnes). A teacher to love (Lemry) and a teacher/assistant principal to hate (Mautz).

      Sarah is more complicated. She was badly burned when she was young. As a result, she is a very angry person with survival instincts in social situations. Although she and Eric are friends, she really doesn't trust anyone.

      Mark Brittain is complicated as well. He comes from a very strict religious home, so you don't know how much of how he thinks and acts is of his own doing compared to what has been shoved down his throat at home.

      The book is given its title because Eric and Sarah have always been friends because he was fat and she was scarred. When he started working out a lot with the swim team, he ate a ton so that he would stay fat, thinking that was a necessary part of staying friends with Sarah.
    • 4/5
      Excellent job by Crutcher as always. I am continually impressed with his ability to weave in current issues with a captivating storyline teens latch onto. I highlighted this ebook extensively and looking back, many are comments on issues I wish I had known when I was 18 like the characters. I applaud Crutcher for both knowing and understanding his audience and having the courage to write about difficult issues that require attention.
    • 4/5
      Eric's only friend in middle school was Sarah Byrnes, a girl with an acerbic sense of humor and severe burns on her face and hands. She and Eric, the fattest boy in school, made up a sort of club of rejects, banding together to use their wits against their tormentors. Now, in high school, Eric has discovered swimming and has made at least one other friend, but Sarah Byrnes is still one of the most important people in his life. And she's in a mental hospital, in a catatonic state. Eric visits her regularly, wondering all the time: what happened to make her check out like this? Is there any way he can help her find her way back?I thought I had read this as a teenager, but if I did, a whole lot of it went right over my head! I suspect that I remember seeing the title on the library shelves, but that I never checked it out. I have such mixed feelings about this title. First off, parts of it are extremely dated. I can't really hold that against the book; in its time, I'm sure they added a lot. It's just that teens now are going to struggle with that aspect and miss out on a lot of the humor. Other parts, including some of the class discussions from Eric's Critical American Thought class, are starkly relevant. Certain plot elements are extremely predictable, like the Inspirational Teacher vs. Uptight Administration storyline, and the way Jody's story plays out (I'm being intentionally vague to avoid spoilers) -- again, they might have seemed fresher in 1993. All of the adult antagonists are pretty one-dimensional, though a kid bully gets some more nuance. All in all, I can see this book being taught in a YA literature course, as it's a strong example of a 1990s realistic teen novel, but I'm not sure I'd hand it to teens today, at least not without some additional context.
    • 4/5
      This book touched on a lot of different topics from bullying, religion, social acceptance, social issues, child abuse, etc. It also showed that no matter what a person looks like on the outside, the inside is where the scars and beauty are hidden.
    • 4/5
      Really good book about friendship, love, courage.
    • 4/5
      I first read Chris Crutcher's The 'Sledding Hill'. I was disappointed with that one so was a little hesitant about reading another of his books but this was what I thought I was going to be getting in 'The Sledding Hill'. Eric Calhoune is a kid who hasn't fit in because of his weight. He befriends a girl who also doesn't fit in, Sarah Byrne's who has been burned over her face and arms. One day Sarah quits talking and Eric wonders why and if he didn't notice something because he's lost some weight and gotten involved with swimming.

      This isn't an easy read and topics that are discussed are ones we wish our kids didn't ever have to hear much less understand or live through. Is this rather one sided in particular areas, perhaps; but does that make it even better to use as a discussion tool, absolutely! If I take away nothing else from Crutcher's books it will be that reminder that we as adults need to both hear and listen to our children/students and they need to be able to have someone to trust - to keep it real.
    • 5/5
      My older son read this in his eight grade English class this fall. It raised controversy from some parents who were concerned about some of the themes raised in this book (abortion, suicide, and religion to name a few). I tend to prefer that my son be discussing these themes in the classroom than with an unsupervised group of friends, especially given my respect for his English teacher. But I also wanted to read the book so that I could have conversations with my son about these issues as well. Despite my reasons for reading this book, I was barely passed the first chapter when I became completely enthralled in the story. The story is told from the perspective of Eric Calhoune (aka Moby). Eric was overweight when we was younger. He was also a bit of an outcast, and that is how he became friends with Sarah Byrnes, a girl whose face was terribly burned when she was three. Her father, a cruel man, didn't allow any reconstructive surgery, saying that growing up disfigured would make her tough. Sarah and Eric coped with the challenges of middle school together, and when Eric joined the swim team in high school, he ate even more so that he could stay fat for Sarah Byrnes. But as the story begins, Sarah Byrnes has been admitted to the hospital and is refusing to talk. With the help of his friend Ellerby, his swim coach Mrs. Lemry, and an old nemesis Dale, Eric has to figure out how to help Sarah Byrnes deal with a situation that seems unsolvable. Crutcher captures the voices and trials of high school in voices that are authentic and complex. The issues that Eric, Sarah Byrnes, and others face are difficult ones, and Crutcher doesn't shy from the conflicting viewpoints that are raised in these debates. The story moves quickly, and for the final third, I could barely put it down. I wasn't surprised to learn in the author's sketch at the end of the book that Crutcher has worked as a family therapist and a child protection specialist. He clearly has firsthand knowledge of the struggles that he writes about.
    • 2/5
      Eric and Sarah Byrnes fit. The fat boy and the scarred, ugly girl. But life moves on and when Eric joins the swim team, he can't help but get skinnier. But it's okay, he's still there for her. Heck, he even stayed fat for her for an entire year. So now when Sarah Byrnes is sitting mute in the hospital, he needs more than just bulk to figure out what is wrong.

      This book is essentially commentary on society for teens. It covers everything from abortion to abuse, from separation of state and church to suicide. It talks about bullying and going too far. It brushes on the idea that teachers can still go above and beyond for their students despite the unhelpful structure of schools.

      And as apathetic as this may sound, I really don't care. I already know my views on these subjects, so the exploration of the ideas were more rehashes of old arguments that I've seen before. I believe that this book is probably written for teens who may not have the chance to discuss such volatile subjects with other people in fear of being judged or whatever.

      This is a very teen book. And I'm starting to realize that I don't really enjoy serious teen books anymore, mostly because there is a distinct taste of teen-soul-searching. I don't empathize with the main characters, any of them, - and I think that's a big part of what makes this book appealing.

      Nevertheless, despite the demographics, I can still very strongly say this is a good book. It has strong characters that are well developed, who go through different emotions and situations. There is a plot with decent direction. There's action and there's a quasi-villain. It's a good book. Just not for me.

      2.5 stars rounded down.
      Recommended for those who like John Green and other teen books that are emotional and thinking books and all that.
    • 5/5
      A teen classic that I somehow had never read. Eric is the only hope of getting his friend Sarah Byrnes out of a catatonic state--one that he believes is self-induced. He thinks that getting her to wake up will solve all of their problems, but that's only the start of the trouble. Frank discussions in Eric's Contemporary American Thought class are the main reason that this book appears on lists of frequently-banned books. Highly recommended.
    • 5/5
      The main character, Eric Calhoune, also known as Moby, is overweight and is best friends with a girl named Sarah Byrnes who has severe burns on her hands and face. Because these two characters have always been perceived as outcasts based on appearance, they became best friends with that notion in mind. When Eric joins the swim team he begins to lose weight, but forces himself to eat an abundance of food to stay fat for Sarah. Mysteriously, and out of nowhere, Sarah stops talking and finds herself sitting in a psych ward of a hospital. Eric refuses to give up on Sarah, and takes it upon himself to find out anything and everything to help her.
    • 3/5
      This was an odd book. My biggest issue was that I could not relate to any of these characters because they're all either wrapped up in the tragedy or completely unsympathetic to it. There isn't really a happy middle ground which is where I'd be. Sarah Byrnes was a really unsympathetic character, too. I realize she's been traumatized, but wow. I liked her better when she refused to speak. The end felt really over-dramatic as well. I guess this book entertained, but I probably would not recommend it.
    • 2/5
      Due to copy and paste, formatting has been lost.I guess I don't really care for the way that Crutcher writes. This is the second book I've read by him, and neither of the books I've read by him have really spoken to me. I just don't really like them at all. They're alright, but they always seem to just drag for me, and I really dislike that in a book. I want some action! You know what I mean?I'd say that Eric himself was a good character, but he had some flaws. For one, he was forever trying to get Mark's beef, and generally driving everyone in the vicinity insane. Not that Mark wasn't a total ass, but he made up for it, just a little, in the end. Now Eric though, he drove me insane the entire time. I could not get him to shut up. Really. It was that bad. His character's voice is literally in my head now. He won't shut up. But I guess some people look for that in a character. Not me. Never.I really would have liked to have read some of the story through Dale Thorton's point of view, because it seemed like he could have been an amazing character. He was just so.....interesting. And that's what I look for in a character. One's that'll keep me interested. He did. I wish that this book had been as fast in the beginning as it was in the end, because I think that would've improved the book somewhat. Not that we'd ever get over Eric's voice in my head! But it might have helped a bit. Also, for being called 'Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes', Sarah Byrnes was not in the book near as much as I thought she would be. All in all, I'd say I was entertained, but not really fulfilled.
    • 4/5
      At the opening of this novel, Sarah Byrnes is in a mental hospital and suddenly mute, and her best friend, Eric "Moby" Compton is trying to figure out why his best friend all of a sudden refuses to talk. While this book is not really about staying fat, but more about the things that draw friend together, what brings about trust, and what secrets should stay secrets, it is nonetheless an excellent read. There is a subplot about abortion and religion, which is a bit 1990s but probably still appealing to kids today. Overall a good read.
    • 3/5
      This was my second Crutcher book and I was a little disappointed to notice a similar formula as Deadline: discussions in class address major cultural issues, main character is sports star, an adult teacher serves as confidant, secondary antagonist is a fellow student that either dies or commits suicide. Still, Deadline was such a great book because the main character was so intriguing. The formula worked because of the language and the relationships among the characters. I just couldn’t quite bond with this main character, Eric. His friendship with Sarah Byrnes was not believable enough for me and its setting lacked depth. I’m not going to let this book change my mind on Chris Crutcher, I think he is a great writer. I just hope this suspiciously similar formula is not his signature.
    • 4/5
      A great look at the unlikely friendship between two students with "terminal uglies": HS senior Eric Calhoune, so fat they call him 'Moby' and Sarah Byrnes with a scar-torn face, the victim of a fire. As the book opens, Sarah is in the local mental hospital as a sudden mute. Eric must figure out why his best friend has stopped talking... and why some secrets should remain silent.The book is a little dated: the abortion subtheme, and stereotypical characters (Sarah's psychotic Dad, the religious principal and conservative do-gooder student) seem heavy-handed to this reader. Still, no one captures high school sports, male bonding and guy dialogue like Crutcher.
    • 5/5
      Great book. Wonderful 'real' character and lots of controversial topics, this book makes you think about life and question your ideals.Eric Calhoune is fat. His best friend is Sarah Byrnes who has a burn scared face from 'accidents' when she was a young child. Eric as a high school senior is the narrator of this story. He reminisces about his past in middleschool, causing trouble with Sarah Byrnes, while trying to deal with his current problems.
    • 3/5
      I really wanted to like this book. The synopsis was so promising: Sarah Byrnes, whose face was disfigured in a fire at the age of three, befriends a boy who is an outcast because of his weight. As Moby, the boy, joins the swim team and gets in shape, the friendship is threatened. Except that's not actually what the book is about. Moby is the narrator, and the book is as much about his life on the swim team, his current events class, and his clash with a Christian Fundamentalist at his school. The friendship and conflict with Sarah developed before the main part of the narrative, and though her mental breakdown fuels the plot, Moby's life and experiences receive far more weight. I was frustrated that just when the book developed some real emotional resonance, it devolved into a gratuitous action scene that strained the story's teetering credibility past its breaking point. This might be easier to forgive if Sarah had been more involved in the crazy denouement, but we hear her story mostly through others' words. The book really should have been her story, and I constantly felt that she had been displaced by the narrator's far less interesting character.
    • 5/5
      I probably wouldn’t have picked this book up myself, since it's written by a guy (yes, I know this is sexist) and there is an awkward picture of dude in a speedo on the cover. However, this book, or rather the author, was recommended. So I read it. It ended up being a very good book. It's not super long - only 295 pages - so I was able to read it rather quickly. I guess that's a good thing, but a short book always means that you get to the end faster and spend less time with the characters than you would have liked. That was definitely true for this book. The main character, Eric, is an athlete (not something I can relate to, having left behind the dread and exhaustion of middle school sports and summer swim teams 2 years ago). Though he is still overweight, he is a really good long distance swimmer and kicks butt. His best friend, Sarah Byrnes, has a really badly scared face, and is as tough as anything. As in any good book, there is more to them than either of their appearances. Their friendship is really interesting - not in the gossipy/secrets way, but in the I-need-your-friendship and lean-on-me way. Other characters include Eric's swimming coach (my favorite character), the guy who bullied Sarah Byrnes and Eric in middle school, and Sarah Byrnes' father. Both Sarah Byrnes' scars and Eric's weight issues help me relate to their characters. Is there anyone who hasn't thought they looked fat or wished their face looked different? No, probably not. If someone's out there and reading this who hasn't, I envy you. Eric and Sarah Byrnes work through and despite of their physical appearances, gaining love and respect anyway; they are happy. I respect them.I can't stand stories with sad endings, and stories with emotional not-sad-or-happy endings make me cry. Hard. For hours. I like this book's ending. There is drama and scary moments, emotional realizations and great stuff, but everything turns out okay in the end, with my favorite characters better for it.I enjoyed this book and definately ecomend it.
    • 3/5
      Here comes another great novel by Chris Crutcher who writes about the real issues in teens lives--from abuse, friendships, relationships, religion, and self-esteem. Although this book is not as powerful as Whale Talk, I think there is a lot to like about this book. Crutcher deals with hardships in a way that's relatable to people that aren't even facing that hardship. I find myself hanging on to his words and the characters' situations. There's always a moral and lesson to Crutcher's books and I admire that. This book looks into the fragility of human's psyche and the dilemma's people face from social, spiritual, or psychological situations. Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes dives into looking at the different perspectives of things and re-evaluating our lives and beliefs. I would have to say that the amount of issues in this book didn't quite seem connected--maybe I just didn't piece it altogether.
    • 5/5
      Trying to write a synopsis of this book is difficult, because of the many issues that are approached in this book. There are themes of friendship, mentors, crushes, family, class difference, bullies, religion, abuse, trust.... and that's just the start of it. As an adult reading this, I was easily drawn into the storyline, but unlike most other young adult books the action escalates to an almost unrealistic peak, but retains the usual happy ending.I particularly like the fact that adults to play a pivotal role in this book. Most Young Adult books keep the adults in the background, so as to allow the young characters more freedom. Crutcher puts the adults back into a central, if not annoying role in the lives of the kids. This makes the book applicable to both adults and teens I think, considering adults can take this as a lesson on communicating with kids.
    • 3/5
      This book is about two best friends names Sarah and Eric. Sarah is "ugly" bcause her face is burned due to a trajic incident. Eric is an overweight guy who feels if he stays overweight it'll keep Sarah happy. This book talks about their friendship and events that have happened in both their lives. This book was a pretty good book in my opinion.
    • 4/5
      Chris Crutcher's great writing makes this story of friendship between outcasts a real winner. It's unusual, in that the two friends are boy and girl, Eric Calhoune and Sarah Byrnes, and their relationship is not a romantic one, but one that evolved out of their need for friendship and protection middle school. When one of them is in crisis, the other comes to her aid, and as the reader discovers the reason behind the crisis, the suspense builds to a heart-pounding climax.
    • 4/5
      I'm on a Crutcher kick right now. I read [Deadline] last year and loved it so decided to get the rest of his stuff and see how it goes. I enjoy the heroes a lot and the high school drama. I hate the reality of sexual abuse and death, and all the evil stuff that happens to kids just trying to figure out life. I don't hate it as literature, I hate the very fact that it exists. Crutcher handles the topics very sensitively. I think the principals in each book are very similar. Mr. Mautz from this book is a clone to Mr. Caldwell in [Chinese Handcuffs], which I'm currently reading. But something that does bug me are the liberal politics interspersed in the books. I started to read [Whale Talk] and in all 4 of these books, I find that the bad guys are stereotypes ... conservative, sometimes Christian jocks. It's tiring. I could use a good story without any political soapboxing. It definitely detracts from the story.
    • 5/5
      Another great Chris Cutcher novel that touches on child abuse, obesity, abandonment and abortion. It's amazing how he can get all these subjects into one novel without it being too overwhelming
    • 5/5
      I just reread this book and like it all over again. Sarah Byrnes stops speaking and is placed in a psychiatric ward. Eric "Moby" her best friend since middle school visits her daily to try to get to the root of what has happened. Sarah has burn scars all over her hands and face that she got during a household incident when she was young. When the truth comes out that her dad is the reason for her injuries, things start to escalate. Eric has tried to prove his loyalty to Sarah a number of ways. First he tried to stay fat for her even after he started swimming with the team and losing weight. He also has always refused any outing where Sarah was not welcome. The book traces the relationship of the two from the beginning of their friendship. There are also several interesting subplots and characters. There is Mrs. Lemry, the strong progressive teacher and swim coach, who serves as a mentor to Eric. The subplot with Mark Britton and his religious beliefs and suicide attempt. The Ellerby's, the power hungry assistant principal, and the CAT class. For all that is going on in the book and the tidy endings despite all the messiness in the storyline, there is a lot of meat in this book to think about.