Half His Age is a novel that left me with genuinely mixed emotions?! I think that tension is very much part of the reading experience and will be how a lot of people may feel..

There’s no avoiding the discomfort of the subject matter: a sexual relationship between a high school student, Waldo, and her much older teacher. The premise alone is unsettling, and McCurdy does not attempt to make it easy or palatable. That said, her talent as a writer is undeniable. Jennette has a sharp, precise voice, and her writing is thoughtful, controlled, and emotionally aware. Having loved her memoir (especially in audio, which she narrates herself) I was excited to hear her return as the audiobook narrator here!

However, this is also where my experience became complicated. While McCurdy’s narration is compelling, hearing her voice tell a fictional story involving such an outlandish age gap, sometimes pulled me out of the novel. Knowing this story is not autobiographical made it harder, at times, to separate the author from the material, especially given how intimately she understands trauma, power imbalance, and emotional manipulation.

I also struggled with the believability of Waldo’s voice as a character. At 17, she is written with a level of introspection that often felt more aligned with an adult perspective. There were moments where the thought process felt unmistakably like McCurdy’s own lens, rather than that of a teenager still forming her own. I had to sometimes suspend disbelief.

Ultimately, this is a challenging, uncomfortable novel that asks readers to sit with unease rather than resolve it. I admire Jennette’s ambition, even as I am conflicted! This won’t be for every reader, but for those willing to engage with difficult material through a literary lens, it offers a lot to unpack!!

It’s not a long novel, I finished it in a day. I don’t know why I felt compelled to write an essay on my thoughts 😂 again, complicated feelings. Thanks for taking the time to read this!