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Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes
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Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes (1993) (edit title/settings)

by Chris Crutcher (Author) (edit contributors)

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Description edit see section history

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... read more

Summary edit see section history

This book was mainly about two people who were friends because they both had something physically in common, Eric who was fat and Sarah who had burn marks on her face and hands. When Eric starts to lose weight they both slowly grow apart until one day Sarah is in the hospital because she... read more (warning: may contain spoilers)

This book was mainly about two people who were friends because they both had something physically in common, Eric who was fat and Sarah who had burn marks on her face and hands. When Eric starts to lose weight they both slowly grow apart until one day Sarah is in the hospital because she stopped speaking. Eric had to help his friend and figure out what was going on with her.
In the beginning the book seemed kind of boring, but towards the end it got pretty interesting. It also had some intense scenes that would almost make you jump. I would recommend this book to young adults and those who can relate to topics like bullying, ridicule, abortion, abuse, and religion.

Characters/People edit see section history

  • Sarah Byrnes: A head-strong and stubborn girl who has gone through her life with burn scars covering her face and hands.
  • Mark Brittain: A hard-core Christian who viciously projects his beliefs onto others. He is on the swim team.
  • Mr. Mautz: Vice principal at the high school; Mr. Mautz seems to be out to get Eric.
  • Dale Thornton: A middle-school bully who constantly beats up kids for their lunch money. He may be strong, but he certainly is not the brightest crayon in the box.
  • Eric Calhoune: The main character of the book; he also goes by Moby. He is very overweight, and that this he constantly gets teased.
  • Steve Ellerby: One of Eric's close friends. Ellerby is loud and not afraid to project his ideas, but what he has to say can upset people. He is constantly at arms with Mark, and is also on the swim team. His dad is a preacher.
  • Jody Mueller: Mark Brittain's girlfriend, and a girl Eric has been crushing on for years.
  • Mrs. Lemry: Eric's favorite teacher. She teaches a class for seniors called Contemporary American Thought, or CAT for short. She is also the swim coach, and someone who Eric feels he look up to and confide in.
  • Carver: Eric's mom's current boyfriend.
  • Virgil Byrnes: Sarah Byrnes's dad.
  • Steve Ellerby: One of the best secondary characters ever written! I love this guy
  • Elaine Murphy: Add a description of this character.
  • Mr. Byrnes: Sarah;s dad
  • Laurel: A nurse at Sacred Heart hospital.
  • Mr. Patterson
  • Sally
Show all 16 characters
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Quotes edit see section history

  • ““He’s so damn righteous, such a dumb, plastic God Squadder. I with I could have religion their way. You know, no responsibilities in life but to cut down people who don’t think the way you do.””
  • “Don't you get it that words are the only way people like us can fight back?”
    Sarah Byrnes
  • Popular Highlights from Kindle Customers
  • I think most of us tell ourselves we don’t want what we think we can’t have just to make life bearable.
    Highlighted by 36 Kindle customers
  • I made it my life’s resolution to refuse any invitation that excluded Sarah Byrnes. Even though she rarely agreed to go anywhere with me, when I brought her name up, if one nose crinkled, I uninvited myself on the spot. That’s how I stay fat for her now.
    Highlighted by 22 Kindle customers
  • when a fool and a wise man argue it’s sometimes hard for those of us on the outside to tell the difference.
    Highlighted by 19 Kindle customers
  • What I hope we can learn is to be aware of how our beliefs color what we see.”
    Highlighted by 18 Kindle customers
  • the sooner you learn you’re your own life’s accountant, the sooner you’ll have tools to hammer out a decent life.
    Highlighted by 16 Kindle customers
  • The point is, if you go around making things look different than what they are—and what everyone knows they are—nobody’s going to want to get close to you because they know you don’t tell the truth. You just have to tell the truth in a way people recognize.”
    Highlighted by 14 Kindle customers
  • Now Sarah Byrnes is here. My best friend. I stayed fat a whole year for her.
    Highlighted by 14 Kindle customers
  • “Every time you let somebody take your stuff, or let them see you hurt, you get killed.”
    Highlighted by 14 Kindle customers
  • “My point is that God created a prototype for a reasonably sturdy carbon unit, gave us a perfectly usable place to live, some excellent advice, as in ‘words to live by’—most of which are misunderstood by the least of my brethren—and stood back to see what we’d do with it.”
    Highlighted by 14 Kindle customers
  • I think she’s finished, but then she puts her hand on my arm again and gives me a look into her life. I wish adults could know how important that is to us sometimes.
    Highlighted by 14 Kindle customers
Show all 12 quotes from this book

First Sentence edit see section history

My dad left when I still had a month to go in the darkroom, and historically when people have tried to figure me out (as in, "What went wrong?"), they usually conclude that Mom spoiled me; gave me everything I wanted because I had no pappy.

Glossary edit see section history

Series & Lists edit see section history

This is book 85 of 98 in ALA's Top 100 Banned/Challenged Books: 2000-2009. (authoritative list)

Preceded by So Far from the Bamboo Grove, and followed by Cut.

Authors & Contributors edit see section history

  1. Chris Crutcher (Author)

First Edition edit see section history

Original Language: English
Publisher: HarperTeen
Country: United States of America
Publication Date: 1993
ISBN: 0688115527
Page Count: 224

Classification edit see section history

More Books Like This edit see section history

   
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  • The Earth, My Butt, & Other Big Round Things
  • The Skin I'm In
  • Airhead
  • Perfect

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