I just reread this book and like it all over again. Sarah Byrnes stops speaking and is placed in a psychiatric ward. Eric "Moby" her best friend since middle school visits her daily to try to get to the root of what has happened. Sarah has burn scars all over her hands and face that she got during a household incident when she was young. When the truth comes out that her dad is the reason for her injuries, things start to escalate. Eric has tried to prove his loyalty to Sarah a number of ways. First he tried to stay fat for her even after he started swimming with the team and losing weight. He also has always refused any outing where Sarah was not welcome. The book traces the relationship of the two from the beginning of their friendship. There are also several interesting subplots and characters. There is Mrs. Lemry, the strong progressive teacher and swim coach, who serves as a mentor to Eric. The subplot with Mark Britton and his religious beliefs and suicide attempt. The Ellerby's, the power hungry assistant principal, and the CAT class.
For all that is going on in the book and the tidy endings despite all the messiness in the storyline, there is a lot of meat in this book to think about. ( )

I was intrigued by the concept of this book when it was presented to me: fat boy and deformed girl have been friends since childhood, united by their outsider status. What happens to the friendship when fat boy slims down and starts to get popular?

But that wasn't what this book was about at all. The formerly fat boy never really considers abandoning his friend, so instead the conflict revolves around a fairly ludicrous and melodramatic storyline involving horrific child abuse, catatonia, cross-country pursuit, and a knife-wielding villain lurking in dark shadows. I guess I can see why kids would be grabbed by that kind of drama, but it all seemed a little silly and far-fetched to me, frequently depending on HUGE coincidences.

Another thing that bothered me is the degree to which adults ultimately solved all the problems in the book. It's supposed to be a coming of age novel, about teenagers making their first forays into adulthood, but it seemed like in the end, all the characters were infantilizined by the adults swooping in to the rescue.

And finally, I was disturbed by the way that every Christian in the book (except the sainted Episcopalians) was portrayed as an amoral hypocrite. Laying it on a bit thick, perhaps? ( )

I found the book hard to get into at first, but after you make it past the first fifty or so pages it's hard to put down. The characters are believable and realistic, and the story flows beautifully.

It's well written and worth a read. ( )

Classic fat boy who befriends a girl with terrible burn scars on her face and hands. He is a good friend, even when he has lost his extra pounds through swimming. Good tale, worth reading again.

Chris Crutcher draws you in the second you open this book! The characters in this book are believable and deep. Crutcher touches on some very deep issues in an approachable way, as we watch Moby and Sarah deal with issues of abuse, acceptance, and suicide. I couldn't put the book down! I honestly can't find a weakness in this book. ( )