Forbidden Reads: Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes

Welcome to my new feature called Forbidden Reads! Join me in celebrating your freedom to read. My goal for this soon-to be- regular monthly feature is to highlight challenged and/or banned books from each literary audience: children, YA, and adult. Not only will I be doing a review of the book, I will also include information as to where and why the book was challenged/banned. Today I'll be reviewing Chris Crutcher's controversial, hard hitting YA novel, Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes, which was published in 1993.

Description: Sarah Byrnes and Eric have been friends for years. When they were children, his fat and her terrible scars made them both outcasts. Later, although swimming slimmed Eric, she stayed his closest friend. Now Sarah Byrnes -- the smartest, toughest person Eric has ever known -- sits silent in a hospital. Eric must uncover the terrible secret she's hiding, before its dark currents pull them both under.

Review: Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes is a heart-wrenching story of loyalty, friendship, and courage. A social outcast in junior high due to his excessive weight, narrator Eric Calhoune found a kindred spirit in Sarah Byrnes, whose face and hands were hideously disfigured in a childhood accident. Now a slim senior thanks to competitive swimming, Eric remains fiercely devoted to Sarah by standing up for her. Unlike Eric who uses physical exercise who fight his bullies, Sarah uses her sharp tongue and whit.
  For Sarah to remain silent and committed to a mental ward, is alarming to Eric. Eric is compelled to take action to help her, but quickly finds that he is in over his head. He risks their friendship by breaking his vow of secrecy and enlisting others' aid--help that comes from such unlikely quarters as a former bully, Eric's swim coach and, most surprisingly, his mother's seemingly wimpy boyfriend. Crutcher emphasizes throughout his story that none of the characters are what they appear to be on the surface.
    I really enjoyed Eric's voice. Self deprecating and humorous, Eric's voice is memorable. We applaud him for taking on a huge task of helping his friend and standing up for what he believed in. Sarah was a tough character to connect to at first. Her abrasive nature is a defense mechanism she uses to prevent anyone to see her weakness. Her emotional strength is admirable.
  Like many of Crutcher books, there are lots of other serious topics addressed from religion to abortion in Eric's philosophy elective. While the discussions are interesting, they do came across a bit heavy handed especially with very conservative characters. Though I appreciated Crutcher allowing teens to talk about important subject matter, I did feel that it slowed down an otherwise tightly paced novel. I would definitely recommend this book to readers who enjoy gritty realistic fiction with a hopeful ending.

Rating: 3.5 stars

Why it was challenged: In 2011 the Belleville (WI) School Board decided to keep a book that's required reading for high school freshmen in the curriculum despite a parent's complaint that the book was "pornography" and its language was "pervasively vulgar." Published in 1993, the novel has been read by ninth-grade students at Belleville Hish School for eight years. Source: Marshall University

Words of Caution: After reading Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes, I can see why some people would want to challenge it. Topics such as emotional and physical abuse, abortion, suicide, and religion are hard topics to discuss. It's important to remember that Crutcher offers a discussion on these topics, a chance for the characters to exchange their opinions and not attacking on another nor preaching his own ideas. I really don't see how different these topics are from a class doing a debate/speech unit.
  As for the "pornography" comment, there is a small scene of Eric flipping to HBO late night and seeing, briefly describing what's going on in an Adult program, but he doesn't indulge in it. He is trying to test and make his mother's boyfriend uncomfortable. There is not much strong language in the book. In fact if you had to rate it like a movie, I think it very much lies on the PG scale. Due to the mature topics discussed in the book, I would recommend this book for Grades 9 and up.

If you like this book try: It's Kind of a Funny Story by Ned Vizzini, Rules of the Road by Joan Bauer, Fat Kid Rules the World by K.L. Going

What She Left Behind

    Suspenseful and chilling are the two words that best describes Tracey Bilen's debut novel, What She Left Behind. Readers looking for a character driven thriller may be disappointed, but those seeking for a page-turning plot What She Left Behind will fit your needs.

Description (from Goodreads): “Don’t even think of leaving… I will find you,” he whispered. “Guaranteed.”

Sara and her mom have a plan to finally escape Sara’s abusive father. But when her mom doesn’t show up as expected, Sara’s terrified. Her father says that she’s on a business trip, but Sara knows he’s lying. Her mom is missing—and her dad had something to do with it.
  With each day that passes, Sara’s more on edge. Her friends know that something’s wrong, but she won’t endanger anyone else with her secret. And with her dad growing increasingly violent, Sara must figure out what happened to her mom before it’s too late…for them both

Review: When we begin What She Left Behind, Sara and her mother are plotting to leave their town in a desperate attempt to escape from Sara's abusive father. They both agree to pack their bags with only their necessities and meet at the local Dairy Dream as planned, but her mother never shows up. Although her father claims she's on a business trip, Sara fears that something is terribly wrong. With her own growing anxiety and fears coupled with witnessing her father's increasingly erratic behavior, Sara puts on an exterior that says everything is okay until she can assemble enough clues to find her mother.
 Sara does a decent job in trying to be normal. She allows herself to get a bit sidetracked by getting involved in a budding romance with the high school football star. I was fine with the hint of romance in the book as it wasn't unnecessarily thrown in, but served a purpose. Sara's mother's disappearance follows her like a shadow so the light romance enables her to have just a few moments of lightness in her dark, dreary life. Despite the momentary smiles we witness during these moments of reprieve, we continuously feel Sara's isolation and confinement, which are clearly expressed in her free-writing assignments and internal dialogue.
  I often times wondered why Sara doesn't seek out help from the domestic abuse, but then I chillingly remembered that Sara's abusive father is a well known and liked retired cop in her small rural town, which means there is hardly anyone would either believe her or much worse, report back to her father. With the clock counting down, however, Sara has no choice in letting some people help her.
  Though I thought Sara was pretty likable, her father is repulsive but there is a very small part of me that felt sorry for him. We don't get too much information about her father, but we do know that he was traumatized by an incident on the job. He has also clearly suffers from mental illness which may have been sparked by the sudden death of Matt, Sara's brother. Sara's father has become delusional and acts as if Matt is still alive.  With a suspenseful plot and short chapters, Bilen effectively thrills the reader until the very last page and would be a good choice for high school reluctant readers. The ending reveals a chilling picture of domestic violence.

Rating: 3.5 stars

Words of Caution: The book contains strong violence and some language. Recommended for Grades 9 and up.  

If you like this book try: Blood Wounds by Susan Beth Pfeffer, Freaks Like Us by Susan Vaught

Breathing Underwater

  Alex Flinn's critically acclaim book, Breathing Underwater is one of my go to books for teens looking for a serious, well written, contemporary novel. Many books written about abusive teen relationships are written from the perspective of the victim, who is almost always a female. Breathing Underwater is the first book written not only by a male point of view but also of the abuser. Check back tomorrow with my interview with Ms. Flinn about her book and the recent controversy of it being challenged in Richland School in Washington.   


Description (from Goodreads): Nick is one of the chosen few at his high school: intelligent, popular, and wealthy. People think his life is pretty easy. Except for one thing. Nick has never told anyone about his father's violent temper.
  When Nick meets Caitlin, he thinks she is the answer to all his problems. Caitlin is everything Nick has ever wanted- beautiful, talented, and in love with him. But then everything changes, and Nick must face the fact that he has gotten more from his father than green eyes and money.

Review: Breathing Underwater is an absorbing read, allowing the reader to get a chance to learn about the abuse from the abuser's perspective. Flinn does a remarkable job in bringing the important and hot issue of abusive teen relationships with authenticity and rawness without ever resorting to cliches or the dreaded after-school specials that we were made to see in school.
  When the book opens, we are witnessing Nick's trial. We quickly learn that Nick was arrested because he physically assaulted his girlfriend, Caitlin, who now seeks a restraining order against him. The judge requires him to join an anger management class and to keep a journal recording his thoughts. Through a diary format, we learn how things between Caitlin and Nick transpired and go on a journey of self discovery and a chance at redemption.
  Nick is everything a guy could want. He is rich, handsome, athletic, and smart. While he superficially has everything he could desire, what he longs for and is in desperate need of is love. Much to everyone's ignorance, Nick is subjected to his father's physical and verbal abuse. Believing he can handle himself, Nick doesn't seek help and tries to avoid his father's triggers though he doesn't always succeed. Nick has always felt left out and carries a hole in chest. He craves attention and a driving desire to feel secure and loved by hanging out with his friends and their families. When he comes across the beautiful, sweet Caitlin, he believes that his hole could be filled by just being with her.
  The power of Breathing Underwater isn't in the plot, but the slow horrifying realization that Nick has become like his father without ever thinking about it. His father's physical and verbal abuse has shaped Nick's ideas of how to behave in a relationship: he bullies, tortures, and finally hits Caitlin. At first he truly believes that he has done nothing wrong by putting Caitlin 'in her place'; however, things slowly change as he recognizes his anger and abuse when he writes all of his thoughts down. There are loud pauses throughout his journal entries, which comes across as Nick trying at first to rationalize his actions but then admitting he was wrong to behave like he did. His anger permeates his writing and body language.
  Though we are aware of Nick's background and feel bad for him, his behavior toward Caitlin are never justified or forgiven. Like life, things aren't wrapped up nicely in a bow where everyone suddenly changes and is forgiven for the mistakes they made. The situations and dialogue ring frighteningly true, detailing the familiar cycle of abuse. I was really happy to see Nick's friends pick up on the red flags regarding his treatment of Caitlin and coming to her help. The sessions at the anger management classes that Nick attends are eye opening and with a twist I never saw coming.
 Breathing  Underwater isn't about placing blame, but rather admitting that you have a problem and you are willing to seek help. I would highly recommend reading this book because abusive teen relationship is a real problem and the more we learn about the issue, the better we can find a solution.

Rating: 4 stars

Why is was Challenged: On January 25th, 2012, Richland, Washington school district challenged Breathing Underwater and two other books due to "profanity," "dark themes," and "sexual content."  Source: Alex Flinn's blog. 
 In March 13, 2012, Breathing Underwater was reviewed approved for 12th grade. Source: Richland School Board Minutes.

Words of Caution: I generally have a hard time understanding the issues surrounding challenges of realistic fiction. Yes, there is a dark theme of dating violence in the book, but unfortunately it's a reality. I really don't know how you can address the issue of dating violence without showing any of it, which this book does very tastefully. We get enough to understand what is happening and it is used for a purpose. There is some language, an allusion to sex (to be honest, it's like a fade out scene, you get more on today's TV shows, and violence in the book which would make it PG-13 if it were a movie. Recommended for Grades 8 and up.

If you like this book try: Things Change by Patrick Jones, Bitter End by Jennifer Brown, But I Love Him by Amanda Grace, Albatross by Josie Bloss