Crutcher, Chris. Staying Fat For Sarah Byrnes. New York: Harper Collins, 1993. Print.
Annotation:
Eric Calhoune or Moby( as most kids at school call him) and Sarah Brynes are best friends. Both of them are picked on in high school for their differences; Sarah has hideous scars on her face from a supposed childhood 'accident' and Eric is grossly fat.Crispy Pork Rinds is the name of the paper they write together; "Sarah Byrnes is crispy, I'm a porker, and rinds are the part that's left-that no one pays attention to" is how Eric explains the meaning of the title. As Eric joins the swim team and begins to lose weight, he is determined to hold on to the one thing that means the most to him-their friendship.
Justification for Nomination:
Staying Fat for Sarah Brynes by Chris Crutcher is a book which almost every teenager will be able to relate to in one way or the other. It is filled with so many adolescent themes;searching for identity, peer pressure, gaining emotional independence and understanding family relationships are just a few. Reading the brief blurb summary on the book's back cover does not prepare the reader for the enormity of teen issues found inside this novel. Most of the action takes place at high school and at Sacred Heart Hospital where Sarah is in the psychiatric unit. Her father's abusive behaviour has forced Sarah into silence and Eric desperately wants to help her escape this terribly defeating situation.
Throughout the book, there are a variety of supporting characters who have well developed roles. Dale Thorton is the neighborhood bully who was never able to pass eighth grade, Steve Ellerby is Eric's loyal friend who drives him around town,and Mark Brittian, a conservative christian is one of Eric's rivals on the swim team. Sarah Brynes, however, has been Eric's closet friend since grade school and he is determined to keep it that way. This is the reason he wants to stay fat, hence, the book's title-Staying Fat for Sarah Brynes-becoming thin could change his image and jeopardize their friendship!
Crutcher also provides a sampling of very supportive adults in these teens lives. Mrs. Lemry, the fair and compassionate high school teacher and swim coach, Carver, the Vietnam vet and boyfriend of Eric's mother and Mr. Ellerby, Steve's father and Episcopal minister are part of the adult cast of characters who bolster the narrative. Crutcher delivers moral messages through the adults actions which helps structure the dynamic plot. He also touches on larger issues of abortion and religion by incorporating them into Mrs. Lemry's senior Contemporary American Thought Class(CAT) discussion groups.
I recommend this YA book to teens and adults because it shows that self discovery is a process not a destination. Importantly, teens can make a difference in their own lives, as well as others, by having the courage to reach out to others in need. On more than one occasion, Crutcher writes the phrase,"Boy, ain't it a trip where heroes come from" to point out an admirable act of courage delivered by one of the characters.
Staying Fat for Sarah Brynes is a story of friendship, accountability and courage.Chris Crutcher never lets us forget what being a teenager really means!
Genre Category: Realistic/ Problem/ Edgy/ Coming of Age
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