Half His Age by Jennette McCurdy Book Review

Title: Half His Age
Author: Jennette McCurdy
Publisher: Ballantine Books (Penguin Random House)
Genre: Literary Fiction / Psychological Fiction
Year of Publication: 2026
Date of Publication: January 20, 2026
Pages: 288
ISBN-13: 978-0593723739
Audiobook Narrator: Jennette McCurdy

Our Rating of This Book

Summary of Half His Age by Jennette McCurdy

Half His Age follows Waldo, a 17-year-old high school senior living in Anchorage, Alaska. Her life is shaped by loneliness, consumerism, and a fractured family. When Waldo begins taking creative writing classes, she becomes entangled with her married teacher, Mr. Korgy, and the story unfolds through her point of view. Rather than focusing on the taboo itself, the book takes a look at Waldo’s experience and the factors that drew her into the relationship in the first place.

Main Plot & Characters

Waldo: She is a seventeen year old girl who is trying to find meaning, connection, and validation in her life.
Mr. Korgy: He is Waldo’s married creative writing teacher. Mr. Korgy is a father to a boy named Gregory and his character highlights the power imbalance that shapes he and Waldo’s “relationship”.
Waldo’s Mother: She is a presence whose neglect and behavior influences Waldo’s emotional landscape and decisions.
Gwen: She is Mr. Korgy’s wife.
Gregory: He is Mr. Korgy’s son.
Tony: One of Waldo’s mother’s on again and off again boyfriend.

Half His Age by Jennette McCurdy_Book Back

Writing Style

There is just something about the way McCurdy writes that not only keeps your attention but feels like you are having a conversation with a friend who is telling you about a bad experience that they have gone through or a story they witnessed. Just like McCurdy’s voice in I’m Glad My Mom Died, she tells this story using humor, sarcasm but mostly in an unapologetic and unflinching way.

The story is told from Waldo’s perspective (a lot of focus is on her internal conflicts and thoughts) and as a reader you can’t help but empathize with her loneliness. McCurdy does not really focus on what happens between Mr. Korgy and Waldo per se, but more on the issues that in many ways pushed Waldo into that situation and on Waldo’s desires and teenage viewpoint.

Final Thoughts on Half His Age

Half His Age marks Jennette McCurdy’s debut novel and follows her bestselling memoir I’m Glad My Mom Died. Naturally, when a book touches a topic this sensitive, it tends to spark conversation and controversy due to its subject matter. It’s a story that focuses on how bad decisions can affect more than one generation, on power dynamics, desire, sex, class, and in many ways adolescence.

Some other books that have explored this topic include, Fox by Joyce Carol Oates and My Dark Vanessa by Kate Elizabeth Russell.

Book Rating

Characters ★★★★☆ (4/5)

Plot ★★★★☆ (4/5)

Writing ★★★★☆ (4/5)

Book Cover ★★★★⯪ (4.5/5)

Audiobook (Narration only) ★★★★☆ (4/5)

Overall ★★★★☆ (4/5)

Authors

Ufuoma Akpotaire

Ufuoma Akpotaire is a passionate book, movie and music reviewer with a love for travel and culture. She combines her enthusiasm for storytelling with her experience exploring new places and stories. Through her reviews, she celebrates creativity and inspires readers to appreciate the connections between books, movies, music, travel, and global cultures.
Nathaniel Adebayo

Nathaniel is a Media Content Specialist at Verayea, where he specializes in curating content and gathering data for the company’s extensive book library. He is also dedicated to writing insightful reviews, offering thoughtful perspectives on a range of media. His work ensures that Verayea’s library is comprehensive, well-organized, and informative, providing valuable resources for its audience.