Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes
Crutcher, Chris. 1993. Staying fat for Sarah Byrnes. New York: Greenwillow Books. ISBN: 0688115527.

This book is the story of Eric Calhoune (aka Moby).  Once an overweight kid, he has slimmed down thanks to swimming.  The story flashes back and forth between Eric�s experiences in middle school and the present time, where he is a senior in high school.  His best friend, Sarah, has been institutionalized because she has become catatonic.  It�s up to Eric to figure out what�s happened to her and how to help.

�This is a book that punches you in the stomach and never gives you a moment to breathe� (
Voice of Youth Advocates). This story�s plot is extremely fast paced.  One minute Eric is facing the vice principal over some juvenile prank and the next minute he�s being chased by a child abuser.  The main conflict is definitely self vs person, but there are several instances of it.  The main conflict would be Eric and Sarah versus Sarah�s dad.  A smaller conflict would be Eric and Ellerby versus Mark.  There are several climaxes.  One is when Mr. Byrnes tries to kill Eric and Eric is running from him.  I jumped in my seta when Mr. Byrnes showed up in the backseat of Eric�s car (Crutcher 176).  Another climax is when we find out Carver has been arrested for breaking and entering and assault on Mr. Byrnes (Crutcher 207).  The conflict with Mr. Byrnes is resolved when he is put in jail thanks to Carver. A climax concerning the conflict with Mark would be when Jody stands up and says she had an abortion and it was Mark�s baby (Crutcher 153).  This conflict builds even more when we find out that Mark has attempted suicide (Crutcher 155).  This is resolved when Mark comes to talk to Eric at the hospital and admits he was wrong. (Crutcher 186).

The most important part of this story are the characters.  Despite the abundance of action and the fast pace, the characters are very well developed.  Eric is loyal to a fault when it comes to Sarah, but can be too hard on people like Mark and Carver.  Sarah is extremely tough on the outside, but refuses to accept the help that she needs from others.  The minor characters are important and well developed too.  Eric�s relationship with his mother is inspiring.  She�s open and honest with him and he knows he can trust her.  The same is true with his sswim coach, Lemsky.  We see big changes in the characters as the plot progresses.  Some of the changes are the result of character growth and others are simply characters showing sides that were always there, but hidden.  For instance, we see Dale as a young adult who is not the same mean dumb kid that he was.  We see Carver�s military side that is in complete contrast to his new life as an accountant.  We see Sarah�s weaker side when she cries because shes� scared Eric will leave her and she wants to kill herself (Crutcher 130).

The setting is not very important.  It could be any suburban area or city in anytime past the 1970s or so.  The main theme of this story is definitely the importance of friendship and trust.  Eric refuses to give up on Sarah.  When she finally tells him the truth about her father and her past, he trusts Lemsky and Dale enough to seek their help.  This theme is conveyed through the character�s actions and isn�t shoved down the readers� throats. 

The story is told from Eric�s point of view.  He tells the story in flashback and present time.  In present time he is a senior in high school.  In the flashbacks he is in middle school.  The tone and mood varies.  Some parts are humorous, such as the banter between Eric and his mother or the newspaper that Eric and Sarah create.  Some parts are serious like Sarah�s journal she writes to Eric.  Some parts are highly suspenseful like when Mr. Byrnes pops up in Eric�s backseat.  Dialogue plays a very important role in the style of this story.  The banter between Eric and his mother is minimal, but is important because it shows a lot about their relationship.  The same is true with the conversations between Eric and Ellerby. 

This is an excellent story that has a lot of action but also very detailed believable characters.  �The exciting story has it all: intense examination of values, normal teen concerns with friendship and personal growth, sports, dates and, above all, interesting and likable characters who make readers laugh through all kinds of pain, suspense, and even danger� (
School Library Journal).


School Library Journal. 2002.
School Library Journal. In Books in Print [database online]. Available from
     http://www.booksinprint.com/bip. Accessed 19 October 2004.

Voice of Youth Advocates. 1993.
Voice of Youth Advocates. In Books in Print [database online]. Available
     from http://www.booksinprint.com/bip. Accessed 19 October 2004.

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