Perfectly Good White Boy by Carrie Mesrobian

Sean’s the first one to say “ I love you” in the relationship with Hallie, and is incredibly hurt when they break up when she leaves for college. He’s not the stereotype of a tail-chasing dude – yes, he can be kind of pervy and obnoxious, but he also has strong romantic feelings. He wants to get out of his dead-end small town and make a life for himself outside of a world that presents very few opportunities.

However I think Mesrobian really depicts an authentic teenage boy’s voice – yes, there’s a lot of reference to boobs and sex and his penis, which he has named ‘The Horn’ (facepalm), but those aren’t the only things our narrator Sean cares about. Let me preface this by saying that I have not, nor will I ever be, a teenage boy. 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. Like all the unwanted filthy old clothes he stuffs into the rag baler at his thrift store job. Like the crappy rental his family moved into when his dad left. Sean’s pretty sure he’s seen his future and its “possibilities” and they all look disposable. Her pep talk about futures and “possibilities” isn’t exactly comforting. He was a perfectly good summer boyfriend, but now she’s off to college, and he’s still got another year to go.

There’s so much possibility in life, you know?” Hallie said. Sean Norwhalt can read between the lines.

Perfectly Good White Boy by Carrie Mesrobian