Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes by Chris Crutcher

“Boy, ain’t it a trip where heroes come from” (Crutcher, 2003, p. 280).

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes is a wild ride. A work of realistic fiction, this book is one unexpected twist after another. Eric Calhoune, also known as Moby or Mobe, is a self-proclaimed “fat kid”. Eric struggled with obesity his entire life, was constantly mocked because of it, and accordingly, felt outcasted by his peers. Although he chooses to be in the background to avoid ridicule, he finds solace in a friend with similar issues. His best friend, Sarah Byrnes, was the victim of a tragic accident involving boiling water when she was only three-years-old. As a result, her face and hands are severely scarred and disfigured. Uniting in their faults, Eric and Sarah form a strong bond.

However, as they continue onto high school, Eric discovers his passion for swimming. His newfound workout jumpstarts his metabolism, and he begins to lose weight. With his new weight loss, he gains a new friend from the swim team, Ellerby. In an attempt to keep his friendship with Sarah, he tries his best to stay fat for Sarah Byrnes by overeating until he is physically sick. Soon, Sarah Byrnes seemingly suffers a mental breakdown, refuses to speak, and is placed in a mental health hospital. As Eric visits Sarah, he discovers twisted secrets about Sarah’s life, his class members, and his mother’s boyfriend. Without revealing too many details, Eric comes to the conclusion that Sarah is the victim of mental and physical abuse from her father, and will do anything to help her. With help from his trusted teacher, Ms. Lermy, they save Sarah Byrnes from her father, and ultimately, from herself.

Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes jumps from one controversial topic to another. The book focuses on religion, abortion, suicide, and abuse. Because of this, it is best suited for older young adults, such as high school juniors and seniors. Realistically, the book would require parental consent due to the graphic nature and challenging topics, but would make a great choice for a reading assignment. Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes is multifaceted. It will provide teachers with subjects for debate, the opportunity to analyze character traits, and even the psychology behind the character’s decisions. This book would be beneficial in many classes, such as debate, sociology, psychology, or simply a language arts class. Students will benefit from the realization that actions have direct consequences, and those actions may spiral into a domino effect, jeopardizing the lives of others.

Although the book provides many learning opportunities, a major strength of this book is how it challenges the norm. Whether the topic is mental health or religion, it provides two opposing views for each concept, allowing the reader to stand back and analyze situations from both sides. In this sense, young adults are not influenced on specific points of view, but are allowed to form their own beliefs on different subjects. If anything can be taken away from this book, it is the definition of love and friendship. Eric demonstrates the true meaning of love and loyalty, as he does everything in his power to protect his friend. In a society that emphasizes romance, it seems almost necessary to portray true platonic love.

I found this book absolutely captivating. I would hate to ruin the plot twists and surprises, but Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes has everything a young adult book should have and more. It is funny, daring, exciting, charming, suspenseful, and enlightening. While I could not relate to Eric or Sarah, there were plenty of other characters to relate to. Jody Mueller is a reflection of who I was in high school – following the crowd, doing whatever I was told by my friends, and finally, learning to break free. Throughout the reading, I desperately wished I had a friend like Eric Calhoune and a teacher like Ms. Lermy. Without a doubt, this is one of the best young adult novels I have ever read.

If readers are hungry for more adventures with misfits, Chris Crutcher writes another tale about a swim team desperate to get their letterman jackets in Whale Talk. However, there is hidden action and an underlying message in Whale Talk, just as in Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes that will keep readers anxiously flipping pages.

Chris Crutcher is well-known for pushing the limit. In this quick one-minute interview, Crutcher is asked about his views on censorship and how his books are affected.

Crutcher, C. (2003). Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes. New York City, United States of America: HarperCollins.

Crutcher, C. (2009). Whale Talk. New York City, United States of America: Greenwillow Books.