Perfectly Good White Boy by Carrie Mesrobian
Contemporary/Mature YA
E book
October 1, 2014
Carol Rhoda Lab

Reviewed by Tori

Sean Norwhalt can read between the lines. “You never know where we’ll end up. There’s so much possibility in life, you know?” Hallie said.

He knows she just dumped him. He was a perfectly good summer boyfriend, but now she’s off to college, and he’s still got another year to go. Her pep talk about futures and “possibilities” isn’t exactly comforting. Sean’s pretty sure he’s seen his future and its “possibilities” and they all look disposable.

Like the crappy rental his family moved into when his dad left.

Like all the unwanted filthy old clothes he stuffs into the rag baler at his thrift store job.

Like everything good he’s ever known.

The only hopeful possibilities in Sean’s life are the Marine Corps, where no one expected he’d go, and Neecie Albertson, whom he never expected to care about. (Goodreads)

Perfectly Good White Boy is one of those stories that will be taken one of two ways. Readers will either rave about the simplistic yet complex hero whose journey to adulthood harkens back to their own memories of coming of age or readers will end the book puzzled by the lack of action, structure, and motive. I personally fell in the middle. I liked the book in that it was an easy read and Mesrobian does a wonderful job of voicing an average normal seventeen year old boy. But I was also mystified by the story’s objective.

There is a frank honesty to the story that is somewhat appealing in this day and age when the adage that the more drama, angst, and plot lines added to YA, the better it will be. Mesrobian doesn’t imbibe our protagonist with the morals of a saint. He isn’t fighting against insurmountable odds, only to triumph by the skin of his teeth at the end. He isn’t hiding some deep dark secret. He isn’t tragically in love with the quintessential princess whom he can never have. This kid is astonishingly normal with normal friends, feelings, and family members which in YA is a miracle in itself.

Seth Norwalt is just entering his senior year of high school when his older girlfriend dumps him on her way to college. Not necessary upset, he was expecting it in a way, though he is put out she dumps him right after they have sex. He feels used. His job at a thrift store, along with his grades, doesn’t inspire him to go to college. An absent addict father and somewhat self involved mother leaves Seth pretty much on his own; dealing with the problems life is throwing at him.

His life is revealed in a series of entries, rather like reading someone’s diary. Random bits of emotions and self examinations are relayed to the reader with humor and sarcasm. Seth is a guy through and through and his insights on certain subjects-sex in particular-are a compelling combination of wit and sorrow. Sexuality, drugs, friendship, and identity are all issues Mesrobian addresses through Seth’s somewhat dispassionate voice.

Using Seth’s monologue to tell the story grants the reader the illusion of intimacy with the speaker. Unfortunately that intimacy never fully develops. The story doesn’t achieve what it seems to be grasping for-an emotional connection between the reader and the speaker. We are being told a story, not experiencing the story. Various plot lines flit around but never gain momentum. Seth doesn’t actually deal with any of his issues. A series of plot devices are introduced that excuse Seth from the confrontations, offering him an easy way out each time

The ending was expected though I was left curiously deflated. I wanted more of Seth and his life. I wanted more interaction from him…more connection. I wanted to see the moment, any moment, when some of it begins to make sense to him and myself. Perhaps that is the beauty of this story. There is no epiphany or shining light of of sudden inspiration. Seth is a kid, doing what he feels is best, and the story ends as the next chapter of his life begins.

While I wasn’t enamored with Seth and the methods in which Mesrobian choose to tell his story, Perfectly Good White Boy is journey built on the growing pains and the uncertainty of life, and if nothing else, Mesrobian unequivocally nails that.

RATING: C

Prior Carrie Mesrobian Reviews

Recent Reviews:
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