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embarry 's review for:
Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes
by Chris Crutcher
Witty and gritty. Such a great read. I think this novel is wonderful for high school students in particular. I think what I like most is that the characters are believable. Eric or “Moby” is especially endearing as an underdog character who befriends the outcast Sarah Byrnes. Their relationship is unique and wonderful. They lean on each other for support and that bond is unbreakable. I feel like their relationship is realistic in that they argue and fight and disagree but always stick together despite the difficulties. Now the major difficulty isn’t between the two friends but from external sources. Throughout the novel the kids deal with other students and adults who are sometimes good or obnoxious and adults who antagonize them in the worst of ways. There are also adults who keep them afloat in the crazy world they live in. Sarah especially deals with a lot of pain and fear. It’s Moby and other caring people who help Sarah overcome the obstacles that plague her life.
I love the character development in the novel. Sarah and Moby are not the only ones who are realistic and interesting characters throughout the novel. Most characters are multidimensional and change over the course of the story. I love to see how Moby’s relationships change with his school enemy, Mark, and his mother’s boyfriend and former bully, Dale. These smaller relationship dramas make the novel all the more interesting and keep the reader engaged.
This novel would be perfect for high school students as it deals with high school drama between friends and foes as well as the intricate and difficult relationships between adults/teachers and students. It also hits on controversial topics like abortion and abuse and suicide and discusses the differences between right and wrong. However, Crutcher doesn’t overwhelm the reader with these heavy topics surprisingly. He has enough humor and lightness in the novel to keep us readers going though the hard stuff. Students can relate to the humorous dialogue between Sarah and Moby and Ellerby. I love that Crutcher can write with wit but still touches on the most complicated issues that arise in life.
To teach this novel, teachers should be aware that the subjects presented can be difficult to talk about in class. Still, students have maturity to understand that these topics are indeed difficult and can probably handle them. Character analysis would also be important to discuss for this novel. Some characters are stagnant and others change dramatically. Some are good, and some are bad. Some are in between. It would be interesting to see how students feel about each character in the novel.
Overall, it was an easy read in that the language wasn’t difficult and the novel was short, but the subject material was hard sometimes. It makes you feel for the characters and long for justice on behalf of those who have been wronged. Most of the characters are loveable, and in the end, there is such a sense of community, it makes you feel optimistic about the difficult times ahead. This is why it would be a fantastic read for high school students who are struggling through difficult times as they are growing into who they are. In fact, it’s a great read period.
I love the character development in the novel. Sarah and Moby are not the only ones who are realistic and interesting characters throughout the novel. Most characters are multidimensional and change over the course of the story. I love to see how Moby’s relationships change with his school enemy, Mark, and his mother’s boyfriend and former bully, Dale. These smaller relationship dramas make the novel all the more interesting and keep the reader engaged.
This novel would be perfect for high school students as it deals with high school drama between friends and foes as well as the intricate and difficult relationships between adults/teachers and students. It also hits on controversial topics like abortion and abuse and suicide and discusses the differences between right and wrong. However, Crutcher doesn’t overwhelm the reader with these heavy topics surprisingly. He has enough humor and lightness in the novel to keep us readers going though the hard stuff. Students can relate to the humorous dialogue between Sarah and Moby and Ellerby. I love that Crutcher can write with wit but still touches on the most complicated issues that arise in life.
To teach this novel, teachers should be aware that the subjects presented can be difficult to talk about in class. Still, students have maturity to understand that these topics are indeed difficult and can probably handle them. Character analysis would also be important to discuss for this novel. Some characters are stagnant and others change dramatically. Some are good, and some are bad. Some are in between. It would be interesting to see how students feel about each character in the novel.
Overall, it was an easy read in that the language wasn’t difficult and the novel was short, but the subject material was hard sometimes. It makes you feel for the characters and long for justice on behalf of those who have been wronged. Most of the characters are loveable, and in the end, there is such a sense of community, it makes you feel optimistic about the difficult times ahead. This is why it would be a fantastic read for high school students who are struggling through difficult times as they are growing into who they are. In fact, it’s a great read period.