Rating: 
Summary: A SOON TO BECOME A CLASSIC!
Review: I loved this book. I really did. I loved the central characters who were all lovable, realistic and refreshingly normal despite the many challenges they undertake. Sarah Byrnes, the title character had her face burned by her sadistic father during a drunken rage. Her mother fled and so the girl was left with the monstrous father. Sarah Byrnes confronts her disfigurement by insisting folks call her by her full name, "Sarah BYRNES." Her best friend is a boy who will go to bat for her and then some. He stays by her side and even helps her get admitted to a hospital so she can escape her father.Luckily for Sarah and her friends, they find hope in an angel of a teacher who goes to bat for them all. This teacher figures out Sarah is planning to flee her father and the town and figures out how to find her and foil her escape. The girl has plastic surgery to restore her looks and her young friends flock to her side yet again. This is a delightful book with very sympathetic characters. I also like the way the author deals with very serious, adult topics ranging from sexuality to political misconduct. He treats each subject seriously and intelligently and his books are always a thought provoking pleasure to read.
Rating:
Summary: Awesome
Review: I read this book because the school required it to be read. I didn't think it would be very good (one reason was the strange title). But it was completey different then i tought it would be. This is a AWESOME book and really thrilling.
Rating:
Summary: Surprisingly good!
Review: I was pleasantly surprised that a young adult novel dealing with difficult issues could be so well written. Students will discover the unique friendship of two outcasts in this novel. Although their lives have gone in different ways now that they are in high school, Eric vows to always remain fat for Sarah Byrnes. Crutcher does an amazing job with the character development of Eric and Sarah Byrnes. His descriptions really allow the reader to feel the conflict with the novel and learn more about the character. Young adult readers will be able to truly relate to many themes found throughout the novel. Award winning Chris Crutcher has definately done it again!
Rating:
Summary: Smart stuff for teens-what a relief
Review: This book spoke to me from the shelf, so I picked it up, not knowing what I'd find. I found an intelligent and witty novel that is gripping from the first chapter. Sarah Byrnes, a tough, intelligent girl, is forced through life with the burden of her scarred face and maniacal father. Eric "Moby" Calhoune, an overweight swimmer, is her best friend, who has to deal with the knowledge of her secrets. Behind the main plot are a controversial bunch of debaters-Ellerby, the liberal preacher's son who challenges all Bible thumpers in style, Ms. Lemry, the strong-opinioned teacher and coach who fosters heavy debate in her classes, Mark Brittain, the overzealous pressured persuer of conservative Christian values EVERYWHERE, and Jody Mueller, who is torn between enforced beliefs and her life's hard facts-who are looking for the balancing point in a world of clashing beliefs.The crafted debating of abortion and values rings true if you've ever witnessed the real thing. Somewhere amidst the fight between libral choice and conservative value and struggle of survival for the teens, a happy(yet realistic)ending emerges. A strong plotline and strong sense of humor make this book good, but Crutcher's strong characters are what make it great and worth reading. Eric, Sarah, Ellerby, Ms. Lemry, Mark, Mr. Ellerby, Mr. Mautz, Jody, and Dale are all complex and have a story or motive or simply an aura that makes the reader want to know more and more. A really, really strong recommendation for this one, folks. Oh, yes: Ellerby's celebrated Christian Cruiser, a pale blue with airbrushed clouds station wagon that blasts Mahalia Jackson at full volume and states, "The wages of sin are a buck fifty", deserves an extra commendation. Such creativity.
Rating: 
Summary: Perhaps too much fun for its subject matter.
Review: It almost hurts to find yourself laughing so much on the way through such a book. When the book is dealing with the pain of a socially ostracized teenager that was deliberately burned as a tender 3-year-old by a brutal, controlling father, and abandoned by a cowardly mother, how can these amazing lines force you to laugh? But they do. This is a beautifully choreographed little book that hurtles along at top speed, lurching from highs to lows, with absolutely pitiless humor. It's only some breaths after finishing that the reader can consider and find it a bit too neat. Eric (a.k.a. Moby) Calhoune is the fattest kid in the school. Sarah Byrnes, face and hands hideously burn scarred, is the ugliest. But they are both among the brightest. Thrown together by their deformity, they bolster each other's determination in the face of social attacks. Eric's talent as a swimmer buys his ticket out of ostracism, and the workouts begin to burn him out of his fat. But he is determined never to leave his first and best friendship behind. This is a good story about loyalty, moral courage, and inner honesty. Although each character is well-drawn and believable, it is, however, perhaps a bit too pat, with too many absolute villains and heroes to be fully convincing. Still, a great read, darkly funny, and one to discuss with any young adult.
Rating:
Summary: A Great book!
Review: I loved this book. I came across it because it had swimming it it. Once I read it it was something totally different. It was a good story about he true meaning of friendship. It was one Chris crutchers best!
Rating:
Summary: Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes
Review: This book was an excellent book that dealt with the reality ofmany difficult situations that people face. The end seemed like alittle stretch of truth, but he brought forth a lot of issues that are gray in its final decision. For example, legality of abortions, domestic violence, parental situations, and how it affects an individual. He presents the characters very well, and you can feel like you know the character, even though he might not have gone into a lot of detail. You can see how a character progresses throughout the entire story. It was interesting to read.
Rating:
Summary: amazingly touching...
Review: Staying Fat is one of the most heartfelt books that I have ever read. The character of Sarah Byrnes is a headstrong and terrified girl growing up when a family is most important, and that is exactly what she is lacking, but what Sarah does not lack are loyal friends. Chris Crutcher attacks the issues of growing up, struggling, succeeding and sticking up for your beliefs all in one amazingly strong and significant story. He creates the hero of the book with Eric, who is a relatively normal boy who makes an impact on a life who knew there was no hope. Crutcher may be one of the few people on the planet who understands and can communicate the challenges of growing up to the rest of us.
Rating:
Summary: Chris Crutcher is a genius.
Review: This is without a doubt the best book ever read! People can talk about Harry Potter all they want but when it comes down to just a great realistic story about being in high school and having problems which need help from other people thi this book has it all. Im in 8th grade and we have to pick out a book to read from our library and i just picked this book off the shelves and i was very unexcited about reading it when i noticed that this book isn't that bad. Then i couldnt stop reading it.I took it home with me and just read it. Usually it takes me at least a month to finish a book this long but this book only took me a week because i couldnt stop reading. Now i dotn want to give away that much of the plot but this is about a troubled girl named sarah and her best and only friends eric. They have been best friends since they have been little about at age 3 because they both have terminal "uglies". Sarah has a scare on her face from early in her childhood and eric is fat. Sarah's mother left her ealy in her childhood so she only has a dad who is a mean insensitive man with non regards for the law.When eric starts to lose weight from swimming on the high school team ha starts to eat a lot more to stay fat for sarah. Eric is in between a lot of trouble this whole book with the assistant principal Mr. Mautz. I dont want to tell you the rest of the caracters because this reveiw is already long enough so i just want to add one more thing. Read this book! This book has taught me a lot of things i didn't know before i read this book. It will amke you laugh, cry, and happiness at the end. I think Chris Cruther is a genius and should be given a lot more credit then he has already been given for this book!
Rating:
Summary: This book is filled with genuine hope.
Review: Short of giving a total summary of the book I will sing it's praises. I picked up this book because I did not find one by a favorite author that I had not read. I started reading it and immediately I was in the story. This book is not only about 'staying fat for sarah byrnes', it is about justice, friendship beyond Eric's and Sarah's, relationships, religion, student/teacher relations, parent involvement, defending one's rights, standing up to the bullies, learning in school, enjoying school while learning, and being able to look at yourself in the mirror in the morning. It is a wonderful read. Really.
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