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3.87 AVERAGE
3.87 AVERAGE
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Wow! Another realistic novel that snuck it's way into my favorites. This was a phenomenal book. I loved how openly it treated real and difficult topics. I loved the many aspects of character development that were explored, in each of the characters. It is such a unique book. There's an exciting story with a lot at stake, and there's a hopeful ending. I love those more than I realized, I guess. I would definitely read this one again.
Wow! Another realistic novel that snuck it's way into my favorites. This was a phenomenal book. I loved how openly it treated real and difficult topics. I loved the many aspects of character development that were explored, in each of the characters. It is such a unique book. There's an exciting story with a lot at stake, and there's a hopeful ending. I love those more than I realized, I guess. I would definitely read this one again.
No one can ever accuse Chris Crutcher of not being ambitious. In the pages of Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes, Crutcher tackles child abuse, adolescent self-image, abortion, religious and educational hypocrisy, Vietnam, the separation of church and state, and the nature of shame. In lesser hands this could be heavy going for teenage readers, but Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes glides by on the marriage of Crutcher's accessible and engaging style with a genuinely suspenseful storyline.
Eric and Sarah have been friends for years, joined by their shared outsider status: Eric (or Moby, as virtually everyone calls him) is fat, and Sarah sports horrible scars on her face from a childhood accident. Their paths diverge, however, when Eric takes up swimming in high school and begins to lose weight. But one day Sarah shuts down in class and winds up in a psychiatric hospital, and Eric embarks on a journey to discover exactly what happened to her when she was a child.
The book is an engaging, fast-paced read for adults, and for teens it would certainly be suspenseful, provocative, and challenging. Crutcher writes with a wry sense of humor, and while his dialogue is occasionally stilted and hokey (a common problem, I think, with many YA writers), the characters are vivid and likable and the plot is airtight. It's a virtuoso performance, and, for my money, Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes is one of the best Young Adult titles of the last 25 years.
Eric and Sarah have been friends for years, joined by their shared outsider status: Eric (or Moby, as virtually everyone calls him) is fat, and Sarah sports horrible scars on her face from a childhood accident. Their paths diverge, however, when Eric takes up swimming in high school and begins to lose weight. But one day Sarah shuts down in class and winds up in a psychiatric hospital, and Eric embarks on a journey to discover exactly what happened to her when she was a child.
The book is an engaging, fast-paced read for adults, and for teens it would certainly be suspenseful, provocative, and challenging. Crutcher writes with a wry sense of humor, and while his dialogue is occasionally stilted and hokey (a common problem, I think, with many YA writers), the characters are vivid and likable and the plot is airtight. It's a virtuoso performance, and, for my money, Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes is one of the best Young Adult titles of the last 25 years.
I read this book in high school and had no interest in it. The writing was a tad choppy, and I did not fall in love with the characters. I barely had anything in common with either.
Looking back at this book, I feel that it was important to read in school. We went over subjects that some teens never experience that are laid out in the book. They were wonderful topics of conversation for a small group of kids taking Honors English. I would definitely suggest this book to anyone teaching a class where they wish to converse about modern, family issues. I will say, I would not read this book again, but there is a time and place for it.
Looking back at this book, I feel that it was important to read in school. We went over subjects that some teens never experience that are laid out in the book. They were wonderful topics of conversation for a small group of kids taking Honors English. I would definitely suggest this book to anyone teaching a class where they wish to converse about modern, family issues. I will say, I would not read this book again, but there is a time and place for it.
i read this book in school also and it was another different one. I liked how u kinda never knew what was gonna happen and i loved the suspense at the end!
2 stars.
it’s just really different with my expectations. :(
it’s just really different with my expectations. :(
I tore through this book in less than 2.5 hours last night. Wow!
dark
funny
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
the pick-me girl of controversial young adult literature.
note: ENGL 420/Young Adult Literature
note: ENGL 420/Young Adult Literature
I'm 30 pages in and in book-love. I know there will be crying.
dark
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse
Moderate: Abortion
Minor: Homophobia
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Violence, Religious bigotry
Moderate: Eating disorder, Abandonment
Minor: Abortion, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting