Title: Staying Fat For Sarah Byrnes
Author: Chris Crutcher
Published: January 1, 1993
Blurb (taken from Goodreads): 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.
Disclaimer: This book has a trigger warning for abortion and abuse. If you suffer or are bothered by either of those things I don't recommend this book to you.
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Review: Holy crap, guys. I didn't expect this book to pack such a punch. Really, this book was fantastic. The writing was great. Chris Crutcher covers so much in this book, from hypocritical Catholics, to abortion, to abuse, to broken homes, etc. I went into this book thinking it was just about a girl named Sarah Byrnes who was in the hospital, and her friend Eric was trying to figure out why. Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes is not what I was expecting, but honestly, I was pleasantly surprised. I liked the main character, Eric, he reminded me of Bobby from The Misfits (by James Howe) a little bit. This book touches on topics that I wasn't expecting, and a couple times I had to reread certain parts because I couldn't believe it actually went there. The pacing in the book was pretty consistent and I didn't feel it was too fast or too slow. The last, maybe, four chapters had me on the edge of my seat though. It was so intense and I wasn't sure what was going to happen. The ending was such a perfect ending. I definitely intend to read more books by Chris Crutcher in the future, and if you're trying to decide your next read, read this. I doubt you'll be disappointed.
Buy this book from Amazon | Barnes & Noble
Author: Chris Crutcher
Published: January 1, 1993
Blurb (taken from Goodreads): 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.
Disclaimer: This book has a trigger warning for abortion and abuse. If you suffer or are bothered by either of those things I don't recommend this book to you.
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Review: Holy crap, guys. I didn't expect this book to pack such a punch. Really, this book was fantastic. The writing was great. Chris Crutcher covers so much in this book, from hypocritical Catholics, to abortion, to abuse, to broken homes, etc. I went into this book thinking it was just about a girl named Sarah Byrnes who was in the hospital, and her friend Eric was trying to figure out why. Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes is not what I was expecting, but honestly, I was pleasantly surprised. I liked the main character, Eric, he reminded me of Bobby from The Misfits (by James Howe) a little bit. This book touches on topics that I wasn't expecting, and a couple times I had to reread certain parts because I couldn't believe it actually went there. The pacing in the book was pretty consistent and I didn't feel it was too fast or too slow. The last, maybe, four chapters had me on the edge of my seat though. It was so intense and I wasn't sure what was going to happen. The ending was such a perfect ending. I definitely intend to read more books by Chris Crutcher in the future, and if you're trying to decide your next read, read this. I doubt you'll be disappointed.
Buy this book from Amazon | Barnes & Noble