Rating: 9/10
New York Times bestselling author Jennette McCurdy returns with her novel, “Half His Age,” following the success of her raw, emotional and honest memoir, “I’m Glad My Mom Died.”
“Half His Age” is McCurdy’s dive into fictionalized storytelling, deriving experiences from her personal life to aid in writing the novel.
“The seed of the idea came from a personal experience of mine, but, ultimately, Waldo is her own character and this is its own story,” McCurdy said in an interview with ABC News. “I’m aware people are going to project me onto this character, onto this novel, but I do think that will be a misread.”
The book follows 17-year-old Waldo, an Alaskan high school senior who becomes obsessively infatuated with her 40-year-old creative writing teacher, Mr. Korgy. Set in Anchorage, Alaska, the story follows Waldo’s pursuit to acquire Mr. Korgy for herself while exploring themes of desire, consumerism, sex and the weird realities of age gap relationships.
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The writing is intuitive, immediately encapsulating readers in Waldo’s world and visions. The book is fully her perspective, where the audience learns how and why she feels a sudden attraction to Mr. Korgy.
Each chapter introduces new tensions or motives that prompt continued reading. The format is similar to “I’m Glad My Mom Died,” with short chapters about two to three pages long.
Without revealing major plot points, the book contains explicit sexual scenes and material that frames a teenager’s exploration of her own needs, wants and desires.
Each character is crucially important to understanding Waldo’s personality and portrayal as a lonely, ravenous girl.
Frannie, Waldo’s Mormon best friend, is childlike and cares for Waldo, although Waldo finds her more of a disturbance. Waldo’s mom prioritizes flings with multiple men over her own daughter. Noah, Waldo’s part-time high school boyfriend, aids in seeking romance and sex with someone her age.
The emotional gaps left by these relationships mirror the larger void at the center of Waldo’s life. The themes, especially that of consumerism, are highlighted very well in the novel. Waldo has an online shopping addiction for things she doesn’t necessarily want or need, yet doing nothing to alleviate her sense of emptiness.
The emotions the novel evokes are intriguing — Waldo’s tendency to stay numb while thinking the unthinkable can, at times, be uncomfortable, especially with the frustrations that come with approaching and seducing Mr. Korgy.
“It’s a really angry book … it was important to me to write with that level of anger and to not diffuse it and water it down,” McCurdy said in a promo video. “It leads to really charged writing, and I imagine it’s going to be uncomfortable for some people and stir up a lot of complicated feelings … that will lead to good conversations around rage.”
Intimate scenes, smut and the power imbalances between student and teacher may feel uneasy, but McCurdy doesn’t hold back and is highly detailed in demonstrating Waldo’s confusion with sexuality and power.
Most relationships in the book aren’t platonic. Coition appears every few pages to heal the protagonist’s pain or as a depiction of her emotional numbness, not finding enjoyment from the raunchy act.
The book is a page-turner, especially at the parts where Waldo meets the Korgy family. Waldo feels guilty about potentially breaking the family apart, yet continues prioritizing her desire for Mr. Korgy.
Depicting these suspenseful moments, the cover does a great job of exemplifying the synopsis of the book. The close-up image of a girl seductively sucking her finger captures the tension and underlying uneasiness within the book.
Steering clear of spoilers, the ending is a complete plot twist, upending readers’ expectations. Proceeding through the final few chapters, the ending becomes slightly predictable but still shocking, exhibiting Waldo’s character development.
To aid in visualization of the book, McCurdy has written a screenplay for the novel and wants to direct it. A potential show or movie will immerse audiences into Waldo’s mind and picture the disturbing scenes from the story.
A comprehension of female rage, angst and manipulation, “Half His Age” is disgusting with lots of dark but truthful vulnerability. McCurdy’s books have been open to controversy because of the topics and titles.
Both “I’m Glad My Mom Died” and “Half His Age” use dark humor to emphasize and convey the key themes discussed, a common style of McCurdy’s writing.
Many users online have mixed reviews about the novel, one reader not liking certain aspects of the graphic story but enjoying the writing. Other readers have compared the similar plot of the book to Kate Elizabeth Russell’s “My Dark Vanessa,” another novel following a student-teacher relationship.
“Half His Age” is a provocative exploration of power dynamics, an unflinching teenager and the unsettling intersections of sexuality, self-discovery and inclinations. It’s a coming-of-age story, not made for everyone, offering a fictional lens on messy predilections and real-world scenarios while tackling the complexities of adolescence.
By pushing creative boundaries and limits, McCurdy effectively writes about uncomfortable yet necessary topics that invoke important conversations. Her transcending growth as a writer has been evident as she reclaims her power, one novel at a time.
