Half His Age by Jennette McCurdy
Jennette McCurdy, a former childhood actress, exploded onto the literary scene in 2022 with her debut memoir, I’m Glad My Mom Died. I devoured this book that ended up shooting to bestselling status and marked McCurdy as an author to watch. It is currently my favorite memoir I’ve read. So earlier this year when McCurdy released her first step into fiction with her novel Half His Age I didn’t even need to read the summary to know I was going to read it. And read it, I have. And what a wild, memorable novel it turned out to be.
The plot of the novel smacks you in the face. Waldo is a 17 year old senior in high school who works part time at Victoria Secret to help pay the bills at home. She is raised by a single mother who works nights, is hardly home, and has a boyfriend addiction. They live in poverty, Waldo primarily eating junk food and frozen dinners. She also uses her part time income to feed her shopping addiction, turning to online shopping carts at any inconvenience or strike of boredom.
Waldo is also hiding a secret: she is obsessively consumed by her major crush on her creative writing teacher, Mr. Korgy. Mr. Korgy is married with a child, not to mention about 20 years older than Waldo, and her teacher. But Waldo is undeterred. If anything, she is a character that does not give up until she gets what she wants, single minded in her pursuit. Unfortunate to say, Waldo is successful; her and Mr. Korgy begin an affair. The writing of the affair is explicit, often revolting and off-putting, themes that carry to other parts of the novel as well. Waldo doesn’t hold any thoughts or actions back; if you don’t like novels that make you uncomfortable, this one probably isn’t for you.
Luckily I love a novel that makes me uncomfortable! Even though there were parts of the unfolding obsession and affair that made me cringe I thought McCurdy did such a good job writing a realistic teenage character. Waldo is hard to like at times, there were moments I wanted to grab her by the shoulders and shake her. But there were also times I wanted to give Waldo a hug and apologize to her for the uncontrollable circumstances she finds herself in: in poverty, raising both herself and her mother, dealing with struggling friendships and low self esteem, as well as the eternal wanting of a teenager. Waldo wants and wants and yearns and thinks she knows everything better than anyone and that just felt so real, such a relatable teenage girlhood experience. Then of course I wanted to hug Waldo because her teacher takes advantage of her, abusing his power and ultimately Waldo. She’s a lost teenager on a journey to not be lost anymore, navigating life and growing up all by herself, and I appreciate the way her story came together in the end.
I cannot stop thinking of this bold novel. It’s a coming-of-age story that deals with consumerism, generational trauma, power, female rage, classism, and ultimately the sometimes painful lengths someone will go to feel loved. I like that it isn’t a gentle novel; it’s rattling and disconcerting. McCurdy uses the voice of the novel to caution against the student/teacher relationship, but it feels well done and subliminal by the end of the story, as Waldo is an active participant in the relationship, blatantly seeking out Mr. Korgy. I would recommend this novel to readers that like some weird and uncomfortable with their novel, that don’t mind explicit language and intimate scenes, and that can appreciate a different spin on the coming-of-age genre. At this point I’d read McCurdy’s grocery shopping list if she published it. Jennette McCurdy, thank you for becoming a writer; I’ll take another novel anytime you are willing to write one.
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Review by Sarah Grace, Adult Programming Coordinator
