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A review by xaqrii
Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes by Chris Crutcher
4.0
REQUIRED
Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes tells the story of the scarred Sarah and her formerly obese best friend Eric as Sarah ends up in the psych ward because of a mental shut-down. The book switches between the past and the present and the reader learns the abuse Sarah experienced at the hands of her father and Eric's struggle to help her even though she refuses it. At the same time, the school administration is targetting Eric and his best friend Steve because of the perceived bullying against the school's Christian elite, Mark, though even he is not quite what he seems. Ultimately, Sarah's father becomes involved forcing Sarah and the sympathetic Ms. Lemry to race to Reno in an attempt to find Sarah's mother to testify against her father. This book was really a wild ride. Near the end, I almost had to stop reading because I feared the worst. However, it was one of the more hopeful books I've read in a long time. The message behind all the intrigue is that we need to let other people into our lives. We can be strong but we don't have to do it alone. I would recommend this book for older teens because it is kind of intense but the catharsis at the end makes the read worth it.
Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes tells the story of the scarred Sarah and her formerly obese best friend Eric as Sarah ends up in the psych ward because of a mental shut-down. The book switches between the past and the present and the reader learns the abuse Sarah experienced at the hands of her father and Eric's struggle to help her even though she refuses it. At the same time, the school administration is targetting Eric and his best friend Steve because of the perceived bullying against the school's Christian elite, Mark, though even he is not quite what he seems. Ultimately, Sarah's father becomes involved forcing Sarah and the sympathetic Ms. Lemry to race to Reno in an attempt to find Sarah's mother to testify against her father. This book was really a wild ride. Near the end, I almost had to stop reading because I feared the worst. However, it was one of the more hopeful books I've read in a long time. The message behind all the intrigue is that we need to let other people into our lives. We can be strong but we don't have to do it alone. I would recommend this book for older teens because it is kind of intense but the catharsis at the end makes the read worth it.