“Don’t think for a second I won’t do it, boy. Now just tell me where my daughter is and let this be over”, threatens Sarah Brynes’s dad. He is about to kill Eric Calhoune because Sarah Brynes is not talking, and Eric has to figure out why. As Sarah Brynes still isn’t talking, Mr. Brynes feels that Eric knows, and will do anything to find out. In the realistic fiction book, Staying Fat for Sarah Brynes by Chris Crutcher, Eric will have to fight for his life.

I thought this book was a very great book. The description of every scene is so detailed that it felt like that you were standing right next to the characters. Also every character has his or her own unique personality. Sarah Brynes doesn’t care what people think and stands up for what she believes in. While Eric Calhoune is a shy but mindful person, he also protects Sarah Brynes with all his power. Eric is Sarah Brynes’s best friend because in grade school they were both outcasts. He was fat and Sarah Brynes had these ugly scars on her face. But when they got to middle school, he joined the swim team and started to lose weight. Sarah Brynes has always had the thought that Eric would leave her. Instead of Eric leaving, he would keep eating to stay an outcast with Sarah Brynes. That’s how much friendship meant to Eric. These two characters created conflicts, stronger friendship, and brought out the truth.

Chris Crutcher is a great author. He has written many other books such as Whale Talk and Deadline. What confused me while reading this book was the beginning. Crutcher wrote flashbacks about what Sarah Brynes and Eric would do during grade school, but never wrote flashbacks them towards the middle or end. I always got confused if Chris Crutcher was talking about the present or the past. Altogether the book was wonderful and very descriptive.

I recommend this book to someone who wants suspense, adventure, and the true meaning of friendship. This book is a four star book out of five.