Reviews: Half His Age (19)

McCurdy's debut memoir was one of my favourite reads in 2022, and her debut fiction novel Half His age was one of my most anticipated reads this year. I love the concept of exploring the dynamics of Waldo's toxic and absentee mother daughter relationship and how that impacts her romantic relationships and how susceptible she is for grooming because of that. Waldo herself is an interesting take on the student/teacher relationship but I felt like it was never fully fleshed out in ways other books with similar themes were. McCurdy's writing is always a strong suit for her as it is completely propulsive and you feel like you simply cannot put it down

However, I continuously felt like I was missing an older perspective of Waldo with her grappling with the impact of being groomed as she matures into an adult and reaches the age she was when groomed. I would have loved an epilogue exploring that as I think it would have had more of an impact on me. I can see the potential in her writing and will continue to follow her writing journey.

Having personally seen what love addiction and obsession with men looks like, I found this book quite relatable. It was painful to read. I was just going oh no.. oh noooo.. in my mind. But finished it in 2 days. The ending turned out to be not what I expected, but I'm very content with how it turned out. The psychology of the main character was very interesting. Recommend. Oh and it also felt very honest. I now want to read her autobiography

Thank you so much to the publisher for sending me a copy of this book!

Half His Age is a raw and sharp debut about a high school senior and the relationship she embarks on with her creative writing teacher. Underneath that, Jennette McCurdy, using no small amount of talent, manages to layer an intricately woven story of power, desire, and most importantly feminine rage. It's unflinching in its prose and made me feel true revulsion at points.

This has been one of my most anticipated releases for a while now and it didn't disappoint. I read this in a single sitting and I really do recommend reading it that way, it's so fast paced. I felt so many conflicting emotions as I read this, it's just astounding. I've never read something so fresh and healing. McCurdy is such a natural writer, I couldn't have loved her writing more. This needs to be on everyone's reading list.

Half His Age is the definition of unputdownable. Sharp and unflinching, it has such an unyielding honesty to it that every element hits hard with serious impact. This book is propulsive, enthralling and fast paced - and more than a little bit deranged. McCurdy's voice and style is uniquely psychological, modern and witty. Though she greatly succeeds in landing emotionally charged moments, her skill truly shines through in those unhinged, out-of-body sequences that I'm certain will become one of her signature literary traits.

I sped through this in a day. It made me sick to my stomach. It made me viscerally angry and sad. I laughed out loud and cringed and groaned. It was foul and disgusting, and vehemently unafraid to be so. I despised Korgy. I hated how real it felt, how true it is. More than anything, I hurt for all the Waldos of the world.

I had no idea how McCurdy was going to follow her incredible and devastating memoir, I'm Glad My Mom Died with a piece of fiction of the same calibre - but she has proven that not only is she a writer, but she's a novellist. A really, really good one. This is certainly one to pre-order: a mighty start to 2026.

Thank you to Harper for the free proof copy to review.

This is very much an introspective novel, that deeply examines the darker side of girlhood, in a time where every thought, image, and emotion is tied to the digital world. It’s in the shorter side, which does mean that parts feel less developed, and I do think the book falls short of being a true commentary. However, it’s definitely raw and unapologetic at all times. McCurdy’s narrative of the young and vulnerable girl that feels older than her age, leading to a very unethical relationship is depressing. And it’s definitely meant to be. Waldo is an incredibly flawed girl, and has a complex relationship with love and affection. From her shopping binges and physical insecurities, to her lack of real friends, and her destructive relationships, are self-inflicted and compulsive. And yet, she’s literally only just beginning her life. It’s not the first book that deals with older male teachers that prey on younger female students, but this is heavily linked to the current economic and political environment, offering a new perspective on an unfortunately common issue. I think the most interesting relationship in this book is between Waldo and her mother, who remains just out of reach as a person. Their story is one of a cycle of emotional outbursts, and unfulfilled dreams. I do not want to talk about that man. I got angry every time he turned up (which was a lot). Thank you to the publisher for my arc. All thoughts are my own.

I wanted to know more after each chapter! Loved!

Having read and enjoyed her biography, I was so excited to see that she had written a novel and my excitement was definitely put in the right place. Vulgar, real, hilarious, and so brilliantly written are just some of the reasons Half His Age is not to be missed. Jennette McCurdy's own voice bleeds so heavily through the pages that it's impossible to think it has been written by anyone else. I'll recommend this book forever and I can't wait to see what she does next!

Im so sorry to say this because i absolutely loved Jennette McCurdy's memoir and i have been a fan of her for many years. I immediatly preorder a copy of Half His Age because i was really intrigued to see how she would use her beautiful writing style in fiction. However, I found this book to be poorly written, to the point I thought a child could have written it. There was a severe lack of character development and I felt the whole thing was rather rushed. There was a multitude of chapters that added nothing to the story in any way and then others that I felt didn't go into enough depth. A lot of chapters made me cringe to the point I had to stop reading. I pushed through the book in the hope it would get better. Alas, it did not. The ending was so underwhelming and I don't think it truly showed Waldo moving on or leaving the chapter in her past. There was no satisfaction in the ending- Mr Korgy got away with everything and she walked away?
I had tickets to An Evening With Jennette McCurdy, which i was so excited for. Until I read the book. And unfortunately, I hated this book so much I decided not to waste anymore time on it.

Half His Age made me feel deeply uncomfortable in the best way. Waldo’s voice is so raw and honest, and her obsession with her teacher feels less like romance and more like a desperate need to be seen and understood. I found myself cringing at her choices, but also recognising that intensity of being seventeen, when every feeling feels enormous and consuming.Jennette McCurdy writes with brutal honesty and dark humour, capturing loneliness and longing in a way that feels painfully real. It’s not an easy read, but it’s an incredibly compelling one. I couldn’t stop thinking about Waldo long after I finished.

Half His Age is a tumultuous and witty novel that is underlined with sadness and the desire to be desired in adolescence. Our 17 year old main character Waldo is enamoured with her creative writing teacher Mr Korgy and will stop at nothing to have him, she's certain he wants her too and there's no surprise when they strike up a relationship.I love how snappy and fast-paced this novel is, it's endlessly filled with witty one-liners and I would love to read more fiction by Jeanette Mccurdy, she has taken a storyline which is not unique and made it her own. I felt for Waldo and her desperation to fill the void in her life, it was addictive to read and I found myself flying through itWaldo is a relatable and flawed character who is so self-aware, this is such an immersive novel and I felt like I was making Waldo’s choices along with her. McCurdy has reinvented this trope and made it wholly her own, a worthy read! I loved how we see Mr Korgy through Waldo’s eyes, even though we’re on the outside and know their relationship shouldn’t happen, McCurdy expertly displays why Waldo is obsessed with him and the moments when she begins to be turned off by him are brilliantly written and so witty.

Good debut for Jennette McCurdy to break into the world of fiction with. I found certain parts of this book highly relatable (bar the relationship with my teacher, of course.)

Easy read considering the topic, would 100% recommend.

absolutely loved this book finished it in less than a week i was so invested. the plot is great and enticing and the way Jennette writes about how women feel towards relationships and sex and just life as a woman is so relatable and helped me open my eyes to a lot of things in my own life too. 100% recommend wish i could read it all over again for the first time