Today, we are diving into one of the most talked-about fiction debuts of the year: Half His Age by Jennette McCurdy. I say “we,” but in reality, it’s just me trying to figure out if I loved this book or hated it. It’s been a couple of days since I turned the last page, and I genuinely can’t stop thinking about it.

In this review, I’m going to cover a few things: First, why this book is getting so much buzz. Then, I’ll give you a spoiler-free overview to help you decide if it’s for you, along with an alternative book recommendation if you want to skip this one. Finally, we’ll get into the spoilers, and I’ll share why I think Jennette McCurdy should seriously consider writing horror.

Let’s get into it. Watch this video review of Half His Age if you want to meet me and my dog!

The Buzz: Is It the Book or the Name?

Why is everyone talking about Half His Age? Jennette McCurdy already proved she could write with her devastatingly honest memoir, I’m Glad My Mom Died. But a celebrity memoir can be a bestseller simply because people are curious about the person’s life. This time, it’s different. This is her first work of fiction, and the fact that it’s so well-written has genuinely surprised and excited people, especially Millennials and Gen Z who grew up watching her.

However, I have to ask the question: If Jennette McCurdy’s name wasn’t on this book, would it still be this popular? I honestly don’t really think so. Is this the first book to explore the dynamics of a “reverse Lolita”? No, it’s not. A part of me wonders about the fairness of it all—can any celebrity write fiction and have it be an instant hit just because of their name? I do get the excitement for her fans, though. McCurdy is showing that she can channel her former child actor rage into art, and people are here for it.

I’ve been on a bit of a kick lately, reading books by celebrities (lol). I read the M. Night Shyamalan/Nicholas Sparks collab, I’m about to read the Keanu Reeves sci-fi novel. It’s a little spot of fascination for me. But with Half His Age, I just can’t open social media without seeing people falling over themselves with praise for a book that is so deeply disturbing.

Spoiler-Free Review: Should You Read Half His Age?

So, what was my mood while reading this? I read it over the weekend, and I was distressed, a little grossed out, disturbed, and just generally uncomfortable.

The “uncomfortable” part comes from how real it feels. McCurdy captures that intense, all-consuming, boy-crazy obsession you might remember from being a teenage girl. It’s the kind of crush that drives you to make bad decisions. It was hard to read because you can see the train wreck coming and you just wish you could reach into the pages and help the main character, but you can’t.

Our protagonist is Waldo, and she is crushing hard on her English teacher, Mr. Korgy. (Isn’t that the worst name? Mr. Korgy!). He’s not described as some hot, sexy guy. What draws Waldo to him is that he tries to be vulnerable with his students. He talks about being a failure, about wanting to be a writer. To Waldo, this honesty is like a lightning rod, and it ignites her obsession.

We watch the train wreck happen. He invites her over for dinner with his wife. He actually tries to put the brakes on the relationship at first, but he is such a weak character that he eventually gives in. That’s the most disappointing part.

You can see how immature Waldo is through her kid logic. She thinks every problem can be solved by buying the right clothes or makeup. She believes in dumb advertising, buying vitamins that take a year to kick in and taking quadruple doses to speed up the process. She uses this flawed logic to try and “attain” him. Meanwhile, Mr. Corgi is just enjoying the attention, which is so gross. He’s constantly trying to mold her and impart knowledge, propping himself up because his wife thinks he’s a loser (which, honestly, he kind of is).

As for the ending, I can’t give it away without spoilers!

An Alternative Recommendation

If you decide this book isn’t for you, or if you finish it and want to read something similar but more conclusive, I highly recommend Being Lolita by Alisson Wood.

I thought about this memoir constantly while reading Half His Age. It’s a true story about a girl who was seduced by her high school English teacher, who used the book Lolita to justify their relationship.

I felt better reading this memoir because Alisson Wood is now an English professor and an author. Seeing everything she went through and knowing that she healed and is in a better place as an adult was powerful. In Half His Age, we only get to see Waldo right after high school, so it’s impossible to know the long-term impact. Being Lolita is heartbreaking but profound, and it gave me the perspective I was craving.

SPOILER ALERT: Let’s Talk About the Ending

Okay, if you haven’t read the book and don’t want it spoiled, turn back now!

So, the relationship starts, and Waldo is just living for Mr. Korgy. She’s making herself available for five minutes alone with him, spending hours getting ready, and trying not to get annoyed when his wife calls. It’s driving her crazy.

There’s a pivotal scene where they are hooking up at his house and his wife walks in, forcing Waldo to hide in the closet. After that, she decides she can’t do it anymore and tries to break up with him. This is when the power dynamic flips. Suddenly, he’s the one begging, saying he’ll put her first. He can feel her slipping away as she gets ready to graduate and start wising up.

I do wish she had ended it sooner. It takes until the last few pages for her to finally walk away. Mr. Korgy leaves his wife and moves into a motel with Waldo, and she starts to feel grossed out by him. She’s trying to convince herself she still wants the man she worked so hard to get.

He buys tickets to Hawaii, hoping a big romantic gesture will save them. They’re at the airport, and that’s when she finally, ultimately, walks away.

But the book isn’t just about that relationship. Something that made me really sad was her home life. Waldo grew up in a trailer park with a mom who was a stripper turned grocery store clerk, but it’s not the growing up “poor” that is sad. It’s that her mom has always chosen men over her daughter. Throughout the book, her mom doesn’t notice Waldo is in a terrible relationship because she’s too focused on her own jerky boyfriends. There’s a moment where her mom promises to change, but by the end, she takes a terrible boyfriend back.

The book ends with Waldo driving off alone to go on a vacation by herself. She got a management role at Victoria’s Secret, and she thinks, “Just me, I guess.” It feels hopeful, but also profoundly sad. I just hope things go well for her, even if she is a fictional character.

Why Jennette McCurdy Should Write Horror

Okay, this is the part I was most excited to talk about. There are some incredibly dark parts of this book that dip into a vein of pure female rage. I kept thinking, “I wish she would just go AWOL and kill this guy.” But she doesn’t, because it’s not a thriller or a horror novel. But it felt like one.

I want to read you a little portion of a scene that really showcases this. I think it shows just how dark and disturbing McCurdy’s writing can get:

“I want the small smack of pain, the flick of the blood drops, the smell of metal. It’s disgusting, but it’s what I want. I don’t want poems, quivering hands, longing looks, picnic blankets in gerbera daisies, and dimly lit dinners. I want so much more, something truer, uglier. I want to go to a shared place, shameless and foul enough that we can’t turn back, that we’re somehow united in it, that my mark on him is indelible.”

When I read that scene, I honestly felt like it was darker and scarier than some of the horror books I read. She has this darkness and anger in her. I know her memoir has some incredibly dark themes, and I think she could channel that into a feminist rage horror novel–something in the vein of Monika Kim. I can imagine her writing about a child actor who just snaps. I would read that in a heartbeat. I’m so excited to see what she comes out with next, but I really, really hope it’s horror.

Let me know what you think in the comments! Would you read a horror novel by Jennette McCurdy?

Thanks so much for reading! Full video review on my BookTube for more!

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