Module 3 - Adventure, Sports & Mystery
"Read three of the following selections:"
Plot Summary
Eric and Sarah Byrnes have been best friends since forever. Brought together because they were both outcast for their appearance (he is obese, she is burned), they've formed a strong friendship on this basis. When Sarah is suddenly taken away to a psychiatric hospital because she is no longer talking or responding to anyone or anything, Eric loyally visits her daily. Eventually she begins to communicate through secret talks, symbols, and a notebook of writing, to share with Eric details about why she is behaving this way. The more Eric learns, the more angered he becomes and he is unable to sit by while she goes on like this. He discloses the secret to his most trusted teacher and coach, Ms. Lemry, and she is able to work with Sarah to start on a path towards escape.Critical Analysis
The cast of characters is fairly large in this novel, but the primary action centers around Eric's response to Sarah Byrnes' current stupor. The other members of the school and town community are essential in establishing the history of the characters' relationships and developing the conflicts. The action-filled part of the story took a while to really get going. Eric spent a good deal of time trying to crack Sarah Byrnes's hard exterior. But once the action starts, the story flies by. Beneath it's cover as a book about swimming and friendships, it was an angering look at the effects of child abuse on its victims and the community. The gradual reveal of the horrors Sarah Byrnes has been subjected to entices the reader to read more, even as it angers the reader further with each new detail. There is a rather storybook happy ending, as pointed out by the Kirkus and Booklist reviewers, but with such horrific experiences for the last 17 years, readers may feel that Sarah Byrnes deserves a happy ending.The discussions which occur within and surrounding Eric's classes and swim practice are also an essential part of the plot, as relationships with characters are developed and disclosed through these everyday interactions. The development of the community is essential as the plot progresses and Sarah Byrnes' condition is fully revealed and the solution sought out. Without the community reaction and support, Sarah Byrnes would still remain hidden in the shadows and be subjected to her abusive father.
Eric's disclosure of Sarah Byrnes' secrets to his trusted swim coach and teacher Ms. Lemry can provide a role model for teens faced with similar situations. Sarah Byrnes' concerns that Lemry will immediately involve CPS are also valid, as teachers are required to report suspected abuse to CPS and Lemry strikes out into vigilante territory herself by taking the situation into her own hands personally. Lemry provides an alternative possibility to the usual results of "telling a teacher." But Eric provides a positive example by choosing carefully who he tells and proceeding cautiously to approach the authorities.
The small to midsize town setting of the novel is essential for the development of the story, because the significant and lasting relationship history must exist for each of the characters. The friendship between Eric and Sarah Byrnes is an established feature even as the novel begins. The history with the school bully of years past is essential, as is his availability and predictability later in the narrative. If the setting were a city, the abuse experienced by the characters would not evoke the same response from the community. Children's Protective Services would have been involved early on because of the anonymity of a city. But within the smaller town, each is more responsible for those around them because the turnover of inhabitants is limited. The consistency of the class composition is also essential, as each of these characters has already established their relationship with the others in the school. A community must be in place to truly show the widespread effects of child abuse.
Bibliography
Crutcher, Chris. Staying fat for Sarah Byrnes. New York: HarperTempest, 2003. ISBN 9780060094898.Reviews
From Kirkus:Though Crutcher doesn't always play fair in developing his themes--all the conservative Christians here are humorless dupes or hypocrites, and one tries to commit suicide after it comes out that his girlfriend had an abortion--his language, characters, and situations are vivid and often hilarious. In the end, he deals out just deserts[sic] all around: Eric gets a stepfather he can respect; Virgil, a vicious mauling plus 20 years in stir; Sarah, a new and loving set of parents. Readers may find the storybook ending a welcome relief, though it does seem forced after the pain that precedes it. Pulse-pounding, on both visceral and intellectual levels--a wild, brutal ride.From Voice of Youth Advocates:
This is a book that punches you in the stomach and never gives you a moment to breathe. Crutcher has tread along similar lines before, using the motif of a swim team in Stotan! (1986); courage and recovery in Crazy Horse Electric Game (1987); and abuse in Chinese Handcuffs (1989). Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes is more tightly plotted than his earlier YA novels, yet it also allows a full, complete character development of the teen protagonists in related subplots. This is Crutcher's darkest and most riveting work to date, almost entirely unrelieved by any humor. Older YAs are likely to read this in one sitting, and then will be left thinking about it for weeks afterward. Perhaps it will jar some into considering that many teens, maybe their own classmates, are just like Sarah Byrnes, except that they carry their horrifying burns inside of them._Susan R. Farber.From Publishers Weekly:
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. ... Superb plotting, extraordinary characters and crackling narrative make this novel one to be devoured in a single unforgettable sitting.From Booklist:
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. ~--Janice Del Negro
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