Scan barcode
erinlynn1989's review against another edition
2.0
I received a free copy of Perfectly Good White Boy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Meet Sean. He's just finished his junior year of high school and is ready for summer vacation and all that comes with it; parties, beer, bonfires, and girls. One night when he's at a party, he meets up with Hallie, a girl who was a year ahead of Sean in high school. The two of them head off to Hallie's tent in the woods and begin a summer romance.
Fast forward to the end of the summer. Sean and Hallie have finally had sex, and on the night before she leaves, she breaks up with him. He is pretty shocked by the breakup, as any kid in his or her first relationship would be.
Review:
The writing style is simple and easy to follow. It is a good book for a laid back read.
I would say recommend this for an older teen audience because of some of the more mature scenes in the book. If I were a parent, I would not let my thirteen or fourteen year old read this book, therefore, I would recommend this for teens fifteen and older.
Meet Sean. He's just finished his junior year of high school and is ready for summer vacation and all that comes with it; parties, beer, bonfires, and girls. One night when he's at a party, he meets up with Hallie, a girl who was a year ahead of Sean in high school. The two of them head off to Hallie's tent in the woods and begin a summer romance.
Fast forward to the end of the summer. Sean and Hallie have finally had sex, and on the night before she leaves, she breaks up with him. He is pretty shocked by the breakup, as any kid in his or her first relationship would be.
Review:
The writing style is simple and easy to follow. It is a good book for a laid back read.
I would say recommend this for an older teen audience because of some of the more mature scenes in the book. If I were a parent, I would not let my thirteen or fourteen year old read this book, therefore, I would recommend this for teens fifteen and older.
stenaros's review against another edition
3.0
Two things I like about this amble through Sean Norwhalt's senior year: he's a guy who for-sure isn't going to college; it's a depiction of a friendship between a boy and a girl that might have gone full-on romance if the stars had shifted the slightest bit.
I appreciate that Mesrobian's characters often live in families on the lower end of the economic spectrum. Their problems seem very true-to-life. This is true with Sean who is managing living in a crappy rental since they lost their home, also his father's absence due to drug rehab, and the planning of his older brother's wedding, which is a continual background happening through the year we spend with him.
There's not a lot of plot arc going on. Maybe the biggest thrust has to do with Sean's decision to join the Marines. But mostly you spend a year wandering through life with Sean. He's an enjoyable fellow though, so I didn't mind just hanging out.
I appreciate that Mesrobian's characters often live in families on the lower end of the economic spectrum. Their problems seem very true-to-life. This is true with Sean who is managing living in a crappy rental since they lost their home, also his father's absence due to drug rehab, and the planning of his older brother's wedding, which is a continual background happening through the year we spend with him.
There's not a lot of plot arc going on. Maybe the biggest thrust has to do with Sean's decision to join the Marines. But mostly you spend a year wandering through life with Sean. He's an enjoyable fellow though, so I didn't mind just hanging out.
heykellyjensen's review against another edition
I love Mesrobian's writing so much, and Sean's voice in this story is so rich and real and funny. But I felt disappointed in the story -- there wasn't one. This was a fantastic character sketch, but Sean didn't really have an arc and there wasn't much a story arc, either.
It's not bad in the least. Teen boys will especially eat this up because it's so true to their voices and this gets into an 18-year-old guy's head. But I was left wanting a little more BECAUSE I loved Sean's voice and character so much.
Longer review to come.
Spoiler
The dog dying was the most significant plot point, even with an abortion in there, and I felt manipulated by it, like it was there to give some story to Sean's world.It's not bad in the least. Teen boys will especially eat this up because it's so true to their voices and this gets into an 18-year-old guy's head. But I was left wanting a little more BECAUSE I loved Sean's voice and character so much.
Longer review to come.
claudiastaggs's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
j_yoon's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
samsterrr's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars. Because Mesrobian is da bomb and I love her.
I really, really loved Mesrobian's debut, "Sex and Violence," and was anticipating her sophomore novel quite a bit. Honestly, I have to say that while this book certainly has its merits, I had S&V and its brilliance in my mind the entire time. I just don't think it will stick with me quite like her debut. So, while I did end up enjoying this book, I will still wait for the next novel as amazing as her first.
We follow Sean through his last year of high school-- all the ups and downs with his family (his dad is a self-destructive alcoholic), his love life (his girlfriend, Hallie, broke up with him before she left for college but is now back and calling on Sean for sex), and his impending future.
Probably the aspect of this novel that stuck with me the most is Sean's transition into the Marines. "Full Metal Jacket" is referenced quite a bit here, but we never go into that sort of high-stakes crazy drama. This is all about a kid with a kind of crappy life who makes a decision because he thinks that is what he wants. He doesn't know for sure (what teen ever does?), and that is what really sticks with you throughout this whole novel. At the age of 17 or 18, kids have to make a lot of decisions about a lot of things, and they make these decisions based on what they know, or what they don't know. It is fascinating for me, who totally saw a lot of boys that I recognized in Sean, to read this book and try to understand them.
Mesrobian is great at depicting sex in a realistic and responsible way. The kids here screw- a lot- and sometimes for reasons that seem horrible, but they are realistic. The girls take their sexuality in their own hands, and are safe. They take birth control. The boys wear condoms. It is so refreshing to read a teen novel that treats sex this way. Not lightly, but as a normal, human action. That has consequences. (Shoutout to talking about how you shouldn't rely on the pill if you are on antibiotics!)
Sean was a likeable enough narrator. Mesrobian is great at writing teen males. I totally believe her, even though she is a woman. Keep it up there.
Like I said before, overall some great aspects to this book, I just don't think it stands up as a worthy successor to her first outing.
RA notes: lots of sex and lots of things related to sex, language, drinking, smoking pot, fighting, etc. Divorce, addiction in parents. Strong female character with disability! Woot. Responsible/open about sexuality. Marines, high school graduation.
I really, really loved Mesrobian's debut, "Sex and Violence," and was anticipating her sophomore novel quite a bit. Honestly, I have to say that while this book certainly has its merits, I had S&V and its brilliance in my mind the entire time. I just don't think it will stick with me quite like her debut. So, while I did end up enjoying this book, I will still wait for the next novel as amazing as her first.
We follow Sean through his last year of high school-- all the ups and downs with his family (his dad is a self-destructive alcoholic), his love life (his girlfriend, Hallie, broke up with him before she left for college but is now back and calling on Sean for sex), and his impending future.
Probably the aspect of this novel that stuck with me the most is Sean's transition into the Marines. "Full Metal Jacket" is referenced quite a bit here, but we never go into that sort of high-stakes crazy drama. This is all about a kid with a kind of crappy life who makes a decision because he thinks that is what he wants. He doesn't know for sure (what teen ever does?), and that is what really sticks with you throughout this whole novel. At the age of 17 or 18, kids have to make a lot of decisions about a lot of things, and they make these decisions based on what they know, or what they don't know. It is fascinating for me, who totally saw a lot of boys that I recognized in Sean, to read this book and try to understand them.
Mesrobian is great at depicting sex in a realistic and responsible way. The kids here screw- a lot- and sometimes for reasons that seem horrible, but they are realistic. The girls take their sexuality in their own hands, and are safe. They take birth control. The boys wear condoms. It is so refreshing to read a teen novel that treats sex this way. Not lightly, but as a normal, human action. That has consequences. (Shoutout to talking about how you shouldn't rely on the pill if you are on antibiotics!)
Sean was a likeable enough narrator. Mesrobian is great at writing teen males. I totally believe her, even though she is a woman. Keep it up there.
Like I said before, overall some great aspects to this book, I just don't think it stands up as a worthy successor to her first outing.
RA notes: lots of sex and lots of things related to sex, language, drinking, smoking pot, fighting, etc. Divorce, addiction in parents. Strong female character with disability! Woot. Responsible/open about sexuality. Marines, high school graduation.
fangirljeanne's review
4.0
Realism in YA and Carrie Mesrobain's Perfectly Good White Boy
Disclaimer: I am friends with Carrie and I was a pre-reader for part of Perfectly Good White Boy while she was writing it. She gave me a copy of the books as a gift. I am not being compensated in anyway for this honest review.
Trigger Warnings: The book contains mentions of abortion, and has two scenes with graphic depictions of animal death. The r-word (ableist slur for people with intellectual disabilities and/or Down syndrome) is used twice in dialogue.
One of the things I love about realistic fiction is that it gives us an unfiltered view of life. Often that life is one that we have rarely seen portrayed authentically in fiction. In my opinion, realism in fiction is important, especially in a genre targeting young readers. That is not say that escapism is bad or of a lesser quality, but that both are needed to give readers the full spectrum view of life, the universe and everything.
Read the full review at Bibliodaze.
Disclaimer: I am friends with Carrie and I was a pre-reader for part of Perfectly Good White Boy while she was writing it. She gave me a copy of the books as a gift. I am not being compensated in anyway for this honest review.
Trigger Warnings: The book contains mentions of abortion, and has two scenes with graphic depictions of animal death. The r-word (ableist slur for people with intellectual disabilities and/or Down syndrome) is used twice in dialogue.
One of the things I love about realistic fiction is that it gives us an unfiltered view of life. Often that life is one that we have rarely seen portrayed authentically in fiction. In my opinion, realism in fiction is important, especially in a genre targeting young readers. That is not say that escapism is bad or of a lesser quality, but that both are needed to give readers the full spectrum view of life, the universe and everything.
Read the full review at Bibliodaze.
sandiereads's review against another edition
4.0
Initial reaction: Excellent New Adult contemporary. I'd read anything Carrie Mesrobian writes. Her dialogue is spot-on, and she explores the mind of a "Perfectly Good White Boy" with humor and substance. She doesn't shy away from exploring teen sexuality, but she writes candid sex scenes that are still emotional, even when they're being described by an easily around senior who calls his member The Horn. But this book is not just about sex, it's about the uncertainty of life, love, the future, and friendship for a guy who isn't a rich New York City prepster headed to the Ivy League.
When we talk about diversity, we sometimes forget to include class in the conversation. I love that Sean has to work and is lower-middle class as opposed to upper-middle class or downright rich like so many YA protagonists.
When we talk about diversity, we sometimes forget to include class in the conversation. I love that Sean has to work and is lower-middle class as opposed to upper-middle class or downright rich like so many YA protagonists.
voya_k's review against another edition
2.0
TL;DR, tbh.
A pretty good book about a senior guy's inner life -- he works at a thrift store and joins the Marines at the end. Candid about sex and class. But dang, it is so long and very little happens. Might work for older teens who are really really into character-driven books and still reading YA, I guess.
A pretty good book about a senior guy's inner life -- he works at a thrift store and joins the Marines at the end. Candid about sex and class. But dang, it is so long and very little happens. Might work for older teens who are really really into character-driven books and still reading YA, I guess.
randyribay's review against another edition
4.0
Solid writing and a disturbingly accurate portrayal of teen life (the life of SOME teens, at least).