Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes

March 29, 1993
Such superlatives as ``riveting'' and ``powerful'' can only hint at the craftsmanship on display in this transcendent story of love, loyalty and courage. While probing such issues as friendship, free speech and moral values, Crutcher ( Chinese Handcuffs ; Stotan! ) tells a tale whose mordant humor, poignancy and suspense pack a breathtaking wallop. A social outcast in junior high due to his excessive weight, narrator Eric Calhoune found a kindred spirit in Sarah Byrnes, whose face and hands were hideously disfigured in a childhood accident. Now a senior and considerably slimmed down through competitive swimming (though still aptly called ``Moby''), Eric remains fiercely devoted to his friend, whose caustic tongue is her only protection from life's inequities. When Sarah abruptly stops talking and is committed to a mental ward, Eric is compelled to take action to help her, but quickly finds that he is in over his head. He risks their friendship by breaking his vow of secrecy and enlisting others' aid--help that comes from such unlikely quarters as a former bully, Eric's swim coach and, most surprisingly, his mother's seemingly wimpy boyfriend. A subplot centering on a self-righteous teammate drives home the point that nothing is as it appears on the surface, and leads to Eric being caught between his menacing vice-principal and the even more malevolent Mr. Byrnes--with spine-tingling results. Superb plotting, extraordinary characters and crackling narrative make this novel one to be devoured in a single unforgettable sitting. Ages 12-up.

March 1, 1998
Gr 8 Up-An obese boy and a disfigured girl suffer the emotional scars of years of mockery at the hands of their peers. They share a hard-boiled view of the world until events in their senior year hurl them in very different directions. A story about a friendship with staying power, written with pathos and pointed humor. (Mar. 1993)

March 15, 1993
Gr. 7-12. Overweight high school student Eric Calhoun, nicknamed Moby, is Sarah Byrnes' only friend. At the age of three, Sarah's face and hands were severely burned in a domestic "accident." Her father, Virgil, refused to let her have any reconstructive surgery, and Sarah has lived her life behind a mask of scars and fury. Now, Sarah is in the hospital, in what appears to be a catatonic state. Eric goes to see her every day, talking to her and trying to get a response. When she finally answers him, it is to tell him that she has been "aware" all along. Knowing her father is dangerously unbalanced, she plans to escape from him. Eric brings in Lemry, a sympathetic teacher, as an adult ally, and the teacher and Sarah search for Sarah's mother. Virgil threatens to kill Eric unless he reveals Sarah's location, and in a climactic chase scene, he stabs Eric, who is lucky to escape with his life. Crutcher ties up loose ends and subplots a little too rosily for real life, but his book is satisfying all the same. It's strong on relationships, long on plot, and has enough humor and suspense to make it an easy booktalk with appeal across gender lines. ((Reviewed Mar. 15, 1993))(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 1993, American Library Association.)