A few months ago, I read Deadline by Chris Crutcher, which I liked, but didn't love. I had similar feelings toward Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes, although I made it through this book a little more quickly.
Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes is told through the eyes of Eric Calhoun, better known as Moby. Moby got his nickname as a child due to being overweight. Since he was an outcast, he became friends with the title character, Sarah Byrnes (known always by first and last name), also an outcast due to being disfigured in a childhood accident. Moby appreciates Sarah's quick wit and seeming acceptance of her condition.
When Moby and Sarah enter high school, Moby is recruited by his English teacher to join the school swim team. This leads him not only to lose a significant amount of weight, but also to make new friends and grow apart from Sarah. (The title comes from when Moby tries to gorge himself to maintain the weight he had while burning off calories in swimming, an action that Sarah Byrnes quashes.)
This leads to the events at the end of senior year. Sarah Byrnes suddenly stops speaking, and is committed to a psychiatric facility. As her closest friend, Moby tries to connect to her and unlock her secret, leading him to the dark truth. While Moby tries to help Sarah Byrnes, he also has to deal with her evil father, leading to some suspenseful confrontations at the end.
One of the things I enjoyed about the novel was the multiple story arc. Aside from the Sarah Byrnes story, there was the issue of Moby trying to find a girlfriend, and going up against a rival from his swim team, a self-righteous boy named Mark who constantly tries to demonstrate moral superiority. The story moves quickly, but there is a lot of emotion. It's not a happy story, but that's part of what makes it satisfying.
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