Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes

Good from Beginning to End!

This book, I thought was awesome! I mean even though there were a lot of controversial things like abortion, child abuse, religion/semi-religion it still tied into the characters and Sarah Byrnes. It seemed while other students were wrapped up in their problems it was still relating to Sarah Byrnes' problems except it was just being kept inside. Once her best-friend Eric told her about his love-interest and her abortion Sarah didn't feel so alone. She realized that she wasn't the only one hurting so bad but there were others hurting too but just in a different way. This was a heart-wrenching story of a kid that stands up for a friend when an adult can't. I loved every page of it and recommend it to anyone and everyone!

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Wonderful book

I thought this book would be quick and just okay. But i really enjoyed it. The writing was hilarious and the plot had me finish the book in one day.

1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

It was overall a amazing well thought out book

I an 16 years old and had to read this book for school normally school books are horrible but i was surprized that this book was good. It is tragic what the kids have to go through. It made me a little emotional... i would not recomend this book to boys ... but it was a well written book and very creative!!

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

An Eye Opening Book of Reality

Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes is a story about an incredibly strong friendship between Eric Calhoun and Sarah Byrnes. They have been best friend for the longest time. Sarah has a scar down her face that she has to live with every day, which she received from a pot of boiling water. Throughout the book he uncovers many stories about Sarah Byrnes and what really happened to her. Through the long remarkable journey they do many things for each other that show the real meaning of friendship.
Sarah is sent to the hospital because she has stopped communicating and they cannot find out what is wrong with her. While she is there Eric comes to visit her and everything just slowly pours out, but Sarah's secrets aren't the only person's secrets that come out of hiding. All the characters have some problem they are facing and some don't know how to face them with issues such as suicide, abortion, and finding a loved one. In the end it all turns out to be the best thing that has ever happened to some of them.
I believe that this book really shined through on showing the emotional side of some teenager's lives. Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes showed me that I kind of take my family for granted and how I don't really understand what it is like to experience the life that some kids have. Details given by Crutcher on her father and what he did to her are similar to other people's parents and the harm they provide for their kids. I really enjoyed how this book was written and the lesson I was taught from it.
In conclusion this book was an amazing eye opener that has a great impact on many peoples lives. In the beginning it was very slow, but as we slowly found out about the characters and what was going on the excitement of what would happen next greatly approached on us. Everything in this book held us on a new attention level. The word choice, the descriptions, the setting, the characters, all made this book so well rounded.
This book is a must read for people 13 and up! It greatly deserves a five star rating, although some or the topics and diction are very vivid. With everything that happened it was one of the best books I've ever.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Welll then

This book was an ok read and i would recamend it for someone who likes to read things about peoples lives and so on.
But yeah it was ok

1 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

One of the best teenage stories I've ever read

Staying Fat for Sarah Brynes is the story of a girls quest for freedom from her abusive father and her horrible past. Luckily, she has Eric to help her along with her escape. This is a truely incredible book that tugs on the strings of your heart. I couldn't put it down. Crutcher does an amazing job at keeping you on th edge of your seat. I've never been a big fan of teen related stories, but I absolutely loved this one.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Looks good

Its looks amazing but can someone explain the whole situation with the father. Did he abuse her and how di she get those scars? Someone lease write baxk and tell me because im really confused.........

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

This book was weighed as 5 stars

Try imagining having only 1 adult that is a pure psychopath with a dash of insaneness and a cup of crazies. This crazy-insane psychopath is named Virgil Byrnes. Virgil Byrnes has a daughter named Sarah. Sarah is not a normal kid compared to everyone else you would see. Her face is all disfigured from a tragic accident from when she was younger and that makes her an outcaste as well as Eric, one of Sarah¿s friends. Eric is not a skinny boy and has been offered to join sports because of his weight. Both of them have been ridiculed and harassed because of how they look and what they do. One day Eric sees Sarah powerless in a hospital. Eric tries with all his might to find the cause of her not speaking. While he is trying to find the cause, he instead finds out what happened in her childhood and he also learns more about himself. Throughout the book he meets new people with Sarah in the back of his head. Eric learns why people act the way they do. When he knows why Sarah is in the hospital he is shocked of what happened, not being able to swallow the truth. This is a tear dropping book that makes you relate things that are going on in your life. I did not want to put the book down but when I did I was wondering what will happen next. Chris Crutcher did an amazing job at describing the places and events that were going on in the book. While I was reading the detailed book, it felt like I was actually in the story, feeling the tension and emotions throughout the characters. After reading this book, I give the book a five star rating because of its thorough descriptions. I was satisfied with the book and I would love to read it again.

Wonderful, a book any teenager can read and enjoy!

Teenage life is a mess. Nothing goes the way you want it and school makes it seem like you have another life to live during the day. But Eric Calhoune has found an escape from both, swimming. Though swimming has now taken away his time with his friend, Sarah Byrnes, he cares deeply for her and it. When she goes to the hospital, not talking and acknowledging anyone, he makes the time for both. After his swim practice he visits her, tells her about his day, swim, and the person he likes, a girl in his class. Eric talks to her until he finds out the real reason for her being in the hospital. He alone plots a way to save her until he lets it slip and angers her. She later agrees with him after she exposes her own secret. All through the book you see a glimpse into a teen¿s world, sex, religion, family, and lies, the things that parents are never involved in for fear of judgement. But when Eric finds himself in trouble with Sarah and her father, he involves his swim couch for help. Read the adventure no one ever cares to hear as you follow two social outcast through an unheard of account. Your emotions will follow Eric as you feel joyous and at the break of tears. Your heart will cry for more as you wait for the calm after the storm for these character's lives to go back into place. You just have to read it to find that calm and theirs. Chris Crutcher is a truly amazing author with this novel, you will want to read it over and over again, you will never become tired of it. I truly advise you to read it and enjoy it to its fullest.

Amazing book!!

Staying Fat For Sarah Byrnes is about an odd friendship between two kids in high school with different but equal problems. Sarah Byrnes is horribly burnt and the main character Eric Calhoune is just overweight, but is constantly picked on. Sarah begins to shut out the world and Eric is left to pick up the pieces to figure out why, and to find out the secret she's been keeping all the years of their friendship. Eric begins to slowly understand Sarah's secret and tries to do something about it. Taking an unexpected twist in events the novel turns into something more than friendship. It takes a glimpse into the debate of abortion, religion and family issues. Creating an environment any teenager can relate to. The book is very serious at times but also contains a lot of comic relief. Both flow into each other well and will either leave you laughing or dying to keep reading. This book is very realistic when it comes to high school. The author includes a swimming team, which Eric is part of, and the bully everyone is afraid of. The author also gives a strong message. Will friendship be everlasting through thick and thin or will it crumble beneath the weight of the pressures of society. Overall i absolutely loved this book and would highly recommend it for anyone looking for a different kind of novel. A great break from the routine. So will the friendship of Sarah and Eric prevail or will it be lost? Well you'll just have to read the book and find out.

Powerful and emotional story of a great friendship

This book follows the story of Eric Calhoune and Sarah Byrnes. These two share a powerful friendship that is shared due to their scars that make them abnormal in a world full of seemingly normal people.
Eric has always regarded Sarah Byrnes as being the toughest person he knows, saying that nothing can get to her. But after Sarah Byrnes ends up in the hospital after what seems like a mental meltdown, he learns that he couldn¿t be more wrong. Sarah Byrnes may be the toughest person Eric knows, but it is only because she has to, and the many horrific things that she has had to deal with in the past have affected her in deep ways. So now Eric has to learn about the closeted secrets Sarah Byrnes has worked so hard to keep in the dark, and he runs into obstacles getting a taste of what it must have been like for Sarah all these years.
The novel is extremely well written and easily catches the reader¿s attention and never losses the grasp on it. The story continuously shows that everything has two sides to thing, even if the second side is something completely unbearable.
Chris Crutcher¿s writing in this book gives many lessons such as; the true meaning of friendship and that sometimes the easiest way to deal with things is by accepting them.
Throughout the story many controversial topics are brought up and discussed, for example; abortion, religion and suicide. Crutcher however, wrote these topics in a way that did not belittle them or show an obvious preference towards one.
In the end, Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes was an excellent read that will be a book that I personally will remember forever, since it leaves such powerful messages on those who read it. It is fairly short and easy to read, but it is a book that will be enjoyed for years and I recommend all to read it.

Truly Moving...

This riveting novel is both humorous and insightful. It tells the story of a girl named Sarah Byrnes that has had to live a life with a disfigured appearance caused by the scars that cover her face and arms. One day when she is unexpectedly admitted to a hospital, the secrets of Sarah Byrnes¿ past begin to unfold for her best friend Eric Calhoune and the rest of her peers.
The meaning of friendship and trust runs deep throughout this novel and is one of the biggest aspects that I took away from this novel. The complete trust that Sarah Byrnes has in Eric to confine in him is a huge risk for her; therefore it is very moving and admirable. In reading this novel I found that those of us that appear the weakest and most vulnerable can turn out to be the strongest. This comes into play in Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes because Sarah Byrnes has fought through hardships in life that most people don¿t have to deal with. Doing so has made her a stronger person and inevitably, a fighter.
Apart from Sarah Byrnes, I most admire Eric Calhoune for his determination, trustworthiness, and self discipline. He was there for Sarah Byrnes¿ and helped keep her sane when she felt that all hope was lost. He essentially stayed fat for her, sacrificing his own pride to keep her as a friend and let her know that he would not give up on her, when she was giving up on herself. I feel that these are all the qualities of what a true friend should be.
Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes is a truly toughing a suspenseful novel. With each turn of the page, the reader learns something know not only about the novel, but about life itself.

Relization and a Friend

My friend who happened to be a librarian reccomended this book to me. I say it is five stars because that it what it deserves. The emotion it truley spreads amongst these pages is imense. Now my frind has moved an I don't see her anymore. This book will always remind meof her and if you get chace o read this book, you should recommend to somebody. Maybe they will feel the same about this book.

A wonder full book

I think every teen should read this book this book inspires me.

Gokd

Really good

Staying Fat For Sarah Byrnes

Eric Calhoune, known to some as Mobe, tells the story of his childhood friendship with Sarah Byrnes, who together fight against the popular kids, jocks, and bullies with their underground newspaper called Crispy Pork Rinds. The newspaper helps the two vent towards their unfriendly peers. But when Eric starts to lose weight, it gets hard for him to "stay fat" for Sarah Byrnes when she needs him more than ever. Eric's new found identity as attractive and intelligent teen points him against his rival Mark Brittain. With a new girlfriend, complications in Contemporary American thought class, and increased competition in swimming, the friendship gap between Eric and Sarah is growing enormously.

I care!

I think this book was very good it appeals to everyone in the teen area and above the teen age. This book is a great book it was very helpful for people in tough situations and how to deal with tough problem and situation on how to get out of them. You will be at the edge of your seat reading this book and you won't want to stop reading it. This book will shock you when you finish the book. I was surprised at the ending of the story.

A Real Eye- Opener!

Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes is a novel that will strum your heartstrings. It tells the story of two high school students who go through many trials and dilemmas throughout their senior year. Eric Calhoun, an excessively overweight boy and a disfigured girl, Sarah Byrnes, have been best friends since middle school and were even involved in an underground school newspaper scandal together; however, Sarah Byrnes was burned at age three in a shadowy accident after which her mom left her. Sarah Byrnes has built up a bulwark against taunts and bullying as she's grown older. So, it is no surprise that when Eric joins the swim team and starts to slim down Sarah Byrnes doesn't seem affected by it, on the outside. Eric still tries to stay fat for her but, she makes him stop bulking up and as a result, he become more attractive and jock-like. Eric and Sarah Byrnes drift apart a little bit after a while. The only problem is, as Eric becomes more and more popular, Sarah's dark and foreboding past is creeping closer and closer to her, putting herself and everyone she loves in danger. Sarah needs to find her mom and set things straight. Will she make it back in time to protect those she loves or, will they fall victim to the looming disaster that has been following her since age three? I think this book deserves four stars out of five. It hooked the reader and made them want to finish reading but, at the same time, it was kind of slow and not as interesting in the beginning or during the flashbacks. Overall, though, this was a very good book because of the action and suspense that kept the reader on the very edge of their seat waiting for more. All in all I think the story of Eric and Sarah Byrnes will really warm your heart and keep you tottering on the edge of your seat waiting for more, "Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes," is a novel I would highly recommend for just a read on a rainy day or, if you want to curl up with a fantastic book. I would highly recommend this book for people who enjoy realistic fiction stories. The age groups I would suggest would be, ages fourteen to adults because of certain adolescent content.

You must read this book!

Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes is riveting story that goes into the thoughts of eighteen year old Eric Calhoune when conflict intrudes his life. Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes was a twisted story on a girl who only wanted to feel loved. Eric had no idea who his friend Sarah Byrnes was, all day she received mockery and ridicule from people at school, she exists in a world that no one should ever have to, but sadly this happens every day in our world. With Eric's fatness and Sarah scares they feel that they are not alone even though they are outcasts. Suddenly, his life takes a sudden turn for the worse and before he realized it Sarah Byrnes is in the hospital and he is having conflict with himself and almost everybody around him. Sarah and Eric try to survive high school by staying under everybody else. Sarah looks and talks like she is fearless, but really she is not tough she is just trying to cover herself up so no one expects anything. Dale Thornton the school bully knows that she is hiding something because every time he mentions her scars she gets offended. Every day Eric and Ellerby beat Mark Britain a swim practice making him explode with anger every time he gets beat. Eric and Ellerby like beating him because they know he's not a perfect child as most people think. Eric visits Sarah almost every day even though she does not talk back him trys to jog back her memory by bringing memories from middle school back, like their undercover newspaper "Crispy Pork Rinds". Suddenly she starts talking because she felt she had to after Eric said he told Mrs. Limery Sarah's life. Suddenly the truth comes out and the scars Sarah Byrnes has did not come from a pot of boiling spaghetti, something worse had happened and Eric uncovers the hard truth. This book really makes you question how you live your life. If you are going to cover up you scars and mistakes or let people know about them and stop living a double life. This book also addresses many of your beliefs as you get deeper into the book. Suddenly you will find yourself reflecting about your life and your values. This book really makes you think about how you have been living your life. Do you live it fearless out in the pouring rain or beneath an umbrella in the rain? In the end Eric and Sarah face bigger and more freighting challenges yet they keep going trying to unravel the truth. Their friendship grows stronger and stronger they soon find themselves in scary and dangerous situations that they might not be able to get out of. I gave this book five stars because it kept you hanging and wanting more. As you get deeper into the book you really cannot put it down. There are surprises around every corner and you would never believe them. Eric and Sarah keep your eyes glued to the pages and keep you from putting the book down. The book got quicker and quicker and them you will find yourself disappointed in that the book is over. This was fantastic tier are not even words I can use to describe it!

Recommended- MUST READ!!!

Eric is an eighteen year old guy, who strives to help his friend, Sarah. They have been best friends forever and both have flaws; Sarah has burn marks on her face and Eric is fat. They've been through thick and thin; everything possible you could think of. Until Sarah is located in a psych ward, where she says nothing and no one knows exactly why she is there either. Eric is going crazy not knowing why his best friend is there, until something materializes that will change their friendship forever. Will the two be reunited as best friends or enemies? Why one of them is in a psych ward and the other isn't?