Staying fat for sarah byrnes
My laughter and my empathy clambered on top of each other throughout the story, particularly as Eric surrounds himself with, as his swim coach often says, a cast of characters straight out of The Far Side. He swam so long and so hard the fat started to melt right off his chubby body. What they observed was extremely yellow pee.
I love this book.
It is a book that covers all the bases and speaks to strength of the human spirit, the heroics of the human heart. Between trenchant classroom confrontations over abortion and other religious controversies, exhausting swim team workouts, and a sudden relationship with a classmate, Eric loyally finds time to visit Sarah.
Mark Brittain: A fellow team member and classmate, and a devout Christian, Mark is somewhat of a foil for Eric and Ellerby. Mark attempts suicide after being unable to reconcile his beliefs with his actions.
Not much of an attempt, really. Sarah admits that she never fully trusted Eric, but learns to do so by giving him a very personal letter. Although their perceived weaknesses made them unnatural allies, it was their hearts that made them genuine friends.
If you haven't read a Crutcher book, and especially if you haven't read this one, I highly recommend doing so immediately.