An outstanding read for any age...

books:


	• Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes Chris Crutcher HarperTeen, 2003 - 304 pages average customer review:based on 125 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

Wow

When I reached the end of "Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes", I nearly started crying. The ending touched me more than all the friendship moments in the book combined. And that's saying something, considering the fact that I liked this book very much.

"Staying Fat" is very much a friendship story. It's also a story about relationships, high school in general, and problems people have. It has in it many different social problems that people would rather not face head on. I especially liked the class discussions involving religion, abortion, and various other topics. It made the book a lot more interesting and real.

The thing is, the storyline isn't that amazing. It's good, but not great. What makes this story good is that the character's are great. They're very real and wonderfully drawn out. I connected to each character and felt what they felt, making this story more emotional and real. The story alone was sad, but wouldn't have meant much without these characters.

"Staying Fat" is really a very good book, but at times the plot doesn't move anywhere. If the book ran a little smoother and faster, it would be a 5-star book - no questions asked. I recommend this to teenagers interested in social issues. It's a very good book that should be read.

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An outstanding read for any age...

Just out of curiosity, I picked up this book from my 15 year old's pile of summer reads. I didn't put the book down until I finished. The only time I put it aside was to wipe the tears from my eyes or move to a quieter location. At 43 years old, I have to say that this was one of the most moving books I've read (younger audience genre) - it is a book that will inspire any age. This story is about friendship, loyalty, life, God, free speech, free thinking, and most of all, compassion. The subject matter is sometimes difficult - as a mother of 3, it was hard to read about the abuse. Sarah's father, as someone mentioned in another review, is one of the scariest characters in fiction - there are parts of the book which will keep you at the edge of your seat. This book has a life lesson for any age!

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Moving story!

I just finished the book Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes by Chris Crutcher. The story revolves around Eric Calhoune and his long-standing friendship with Sarah Byrnes. Both are social outcasts, Eric being extremely overweight and Sarah Byrnes being horribly scarred from a childhood burn incident. They grow up together fighting the school bullies and a society that doesn't accept them. As Eric begins to lose weight from joining the swim team and gaining a normal life, Sarah's life becomes more complicated, until she winds up in a psychiatric unit, not speaking. Eric must get to the bottom of her troubles and secrets before she is silenced for good.

There were things about this book I loved and things I hated. I loved the overall story of Eric and Sarah Byrnes, their friendship. Lots of stories focus on the well-adjusted, "popular", "pretty" people. This story looks at life from the perspective of those that are shunned, those that don't fit in. Sarah Byrnes is so strong and full of life. I love the way Eric sees her in the story. He doesn't pity her, he sees her as his equal and respects her. The reader definitely feels the love these characters have for each other. I also loved the mystery and suspense. It really keeps you on the edge of your seat.

I didn't love how Christians are potrayed in this book. They all seem to be one-sided, over-critical, mean, and shallow. Being a Christian myself, I really bristled at those parts in the book. It seemed as though Chrisitanity was being attacked. As if the other characters in the book were better for not being Christians. But that is just my opinion.

Overall, the story was good, if a bit over-dramatic. Go into it expecting a lot of language. If you can overlook those parts, the story really rings true.

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Staying Fat for Sarah Bynes

I read Staying Fat for Sarah Bynes by Chris Crutcher.I would definitly rate this book 5 stars. It was truely a great read and has a lot of life long lessons that can be learned.

This book is about two friends, Eric Calhoune and Sarah Bynes, who have been close since middle school. Sarah Byne's face is burned from an incident when she was three and Eric is overwieght.Despite their differences, they stayed friends through most of thier high school years. Trouble hits though, when Eric makes the high school swim team and starts loosing his difference that contributes to what makes Sarah and his friendship special. Then another problem strikes when Sarah's memory of the incident that happened when she was three catches up with her. She suddenly stops talking and is sent to a rehab center. Eric then realizes that the incident made a dramatic effect on Sarah and he wants to know what really happened. When he starts to find out the truth, he faces danger from her over-protective father and is put in life threatening situations.

This book shows how a real friend finds out the truth and faces the consquences to save another friend they truely care about. It has a lot of things anyone can relate to and has a way of showing the value of a true friendship.

I recommend this book truely to anyone just because it is a wonderful book. It has parts that have you flipping the page faster than you are reading it, there are parts that have you sobbing, and there are parts that just make you stop and think about all the people you know that would do the same thing for you as Eric does for Sarah. Also, this book doesn't go towards a certain gender, so it id a good book for both boys and girls.

One thing to point out though,is that the reader should be at least 12-13 years of age or older before reading this book. Although it is a great book, its covers many adult situations and subjects (birth, abortion, being at gun/knife point,smoking,etc.). Also, this book includes some foul language that isn't exactly good for young readers.

Staying Fat for Sarah Bynes is an amazing story and is definitly worth reading. I believe it is one of the the best books Chris Chrutcher has ever written.

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dang captivating

OK, more than enough has been said about this book already, so I'm just gonna share my feeelings.
At first, you need to get used to the chracters, as someone previously said. After that, you're very close to the characters and it all just swoops you away to a world full of tears. well it was that world for me. i was weeping so blooody bitterly at some moments of this novel. It's got so much depth. I know you don't wanna miss this novel for the death of you. man, if all books could do what this book did to me. i'm so thankful at Mr. Crutcher for his ability and strength. eh, god bless this book.

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reviews: page 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10

Sarah Byrnes and Eric have been friends for years. When they were children, his fat and her terrible scars made them both outcasts. Later, although swimming slimmed Eric, she stayed his closest friend.

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 currents pull them both under.

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