Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes





Crutcher, Chris. 1993. Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes. New York: HarperCollins. 0-688-11552-7.

Eric and Sarah Byrnes are best friends- drawn together by their own "flaws". Eric is overweight and Sarah has disfiguring scars by a childhood kitchen accident. Of course, they are bullied and made fun of; but they gain strength from one another by being "outcast". They star publishing an underground newspaper. Eric joins the swim team and slims down but still remains friends with Sarah- but is torn to stay "fat" in order not to lose her friendship. After writing an expose on bully, Dale Thornton, Eric ans Sarah ask him to "protect" them. Now, Sarah is in hospital, catatonic. She just sits there not saying a thing. Eric visits her often and is encouraged by the staff to talk to her about "the good ole days". No one knows why Sarah is like that- only Sarah. She slowly begins to speak- only to Eric. She tells him she is faking because her father is going to kill her. Eric's favorite class is Contemporary American Thought (CAT) taught by Ms.Lemry. In this class, students voice their views on abortion, religion and other hot topics. Eric confides in Ms. Lemry and his swim coach. Together, they help Sarah escape her father, look for her mother and find themselves in danger.

     The plot of Staying Fat can be believable in that some readers will identify with the characters, not necessarily being fat or being disfigured but being bullied. It may be redeeming by the outcasts turning the tables on the bully by writing the expose. Crutcher's sport stories, of course features sports, here-swimming practices and swim meats. Sarah's character of being the strong one of the two by standing up for Eric, another characteristic of Crutcher sports stories. Other characteristics of Crutcher's is a challenge- saving Sarah; a budding romance between Eric and Sarah may be  viewed and of course, Crutcher's sense of humor. One true theme of this book is friendship. Obviuosly, Eric and Sarah are friends. They befriend their bully and become friends. Eric befriends his "rival" Mak Brittain.
One weakness of this book is the "flashback". One can be reading along when the scene suddenly switches to a flashback. It was a bi confusing when reading this book. However, these "flashback"can also be a strength in the novel, one can "catch up".
     "Staying Fat..." won the 1994 American Library Association Best Book for Young Adults and School Library Journal's Best Book in 1993. Publisher's Weekly wrote: "Superb plotting, extraordinary characters and crackling narrative make this novel one to be devoured in a single unforgettable sitting." School Library Journal published: "A story about a friendship with staying power, written with pathos and pointed humor."
     Favorite passage is:
' "So you think Sarah Byrnes's dad did something to her, like to her face?"
 "I don't know." he says, "but when I want to know about swimming, I asks Lemry. If I want to know about my teeth, I ask my dentist." He glances over. "Always go to the expert. If I wanted to know about hard times, I could do worse than to ask Dale Thornton." '