Synopses & Reviews
When Sarah Byrnes was three years old, her condition became synonymous with her surname. Her face and hands were badly burned in a mysterious accident, and her father refused to allow reconstructive surgery. She developed a suit of cold, stainless steel armor to defend herself against the taunts of a world insensitive to her pain. You enter into Sarah Byrnes's world on her terms, or you don't enter.
Enter Eric Calhoune--Moby to his friends. Eric passed through his early years on a steady diet of Oreos and Twinkies and root beer floats, and he sports the girth to prove it. Because of their "terminal uglies," he and Sarah Byrnes have become true masters in the art of underhanded revenge directed at anyone who dares to offend their sensibilities.
When Eric turns out for the high school swimming team, he begins to shed layers of extra poundage. Fearing the loss of the one friendship he treasures, he gorges to "stay fat for Sarah Byrnes," who discovers his motive and threatens to beat him more senseless than she thinks he already is. Then the truth of Sarah Byrnes's horrific past finally catches up with her.
Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes is a darkly funny, suspenseful novel about friendship, fear, and making the best of a bad situation. Once again Chris Crutcher slaps us in the face with compelling questions that demand dignified answers.
Review
"[A] transcendent story of love, loyalty and courage...Superb plotting, extraordinary characters and crackling narrative...unforgettable." Publishers Weekly (* Starred Review *)
Review
"Pulse-pounding, on both visceral and intellectual levels--a wild, brutal ride." Kirkus Review (Pointered Review)
Review
"A masterpiece." School Library Journal (*Starred Review*)
Synopsis
Sarah Byrnes and Eric Calhoune have been friends since junior high, when his weight and her terrible scars made them both outcasts. Eric slimmed in high school, and Sarah Byrnes has always been too smart and tough to let being an outsider hurt her. Now Sarah Byrnes sits silent in a hospital. Can Eric uncover her terrible secret before it puts them both in danger?
About the Author
Chris Crutcher has written eight critically acclaimed novels, an autobiography, and one collection of short stories. He has won three lifetime achievement awards for the body of his work: the Margaret A. Edwards Award for Outstanding Literature for Young Adults, the ALAN Award for a Significant Contribution to Adolescent Literature, and the NCTE National Intellectual Freedom Award. He has been a child and family therapist with the Spokane Community Mental Health Center and is currently chairperson for the Spokane Child Protection Team. Chris Crutcher lives in Spokane, Washington.