Book #143: Half His Age by Jennette McCurdy
Jennette McCurdy
Released: January 20th, 2026
My 9th book for 2026 was Jennette McCurdy’s "Half His Age".
Interesting choice here. I read Jennette’s previous book “I’m Glad My Mom Died”, and figured this would be a follow-up piece. Judging by the title, it would have been something about the producers she was forced to endure for years.
Instead, the book is her first fictional novel about a girl named Waldo who falls in love with her Creative Writing teacher Mr. Korgy.
Waldo is a 17-year-old who lives a substandard trashy life with her mom. They constantly struggled to get by. Waldo has a shopping addiction and a very apathetic way of life. When she meets her new Creative Writing teacher, both are taken aback. Mr. Korgy is impressed with her writing, and she falls madly in love with him. The only problem, she’s underage, and he’s a 40-year-old man who is married with children. After dinner with his family, she grows more smitten. As the story goes on, she looks for ways to be together with him. This includes an intimate scene in his classroom during a school dance, and a drunken meeting at her house. They eventually form a deep relationship that involves Mr. Korgy altering his life to be with her. As they continue on, Waldo learns more adult lessons about the evolution of relationships, and how they differ from what one expects at a younger age. She eventually walks away realizing she doesn't want anything from anyone, and just aspires to be free.
This one is dirty...I've read some smutty books before, but this one has some pretty intimate and erotically motivated scenes. The content is a bit extremely as we're essentially reading about a man who throws his life away to be with a 17-18 year old woman. McCurdy is quite graphic in how she describes the settings and the actions of these scenes.
The idea of the novel is to feel uneasy and uncomfortable. I never really care for that sort of vibe, but I understand it. This book tends to match people who want to read about complicated relationships or live the youthful fantasy of shacking up with the teacher you had romantic feels for. It's similar to Van Halen's "Hot For Teacher" or the movie "That's My Boy" where a young man flirts or even hooks up with his older female teacher. While the themes are disturbing to some, at least they are played out tastefully. While I admit, no person should leave their marriage (let alone one with children) to pursue someone much younger, the feelings and emotions one goes through to commit these actions is on full display.
When I first heard this book was coming out, I had hoped it was a sequel to "I'm Glad My Mom Died". Instead, it's a spicy fictional piece. I'm not sure how I feel about it. I enjoyed her writing style, and similar to her first book, I read it relatively fast. McCurdy's writing is quite easy to take in, and quite enjoyable. On the flip side, not expecting the story I got, and some of the subject matter makes it difficult for me to full appreciate it the way I did her first book. I'm eager to see if she continues writing, and see what a third book would be about and entail.
Here is what I learned.
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- For A.K.
- Waldonis a 17-year old girl.
- It’s bad form to groan when a guy’s going down on you.
- Randy Julep performs cunnilingus.
- Waldo met Randy at the 4th of July party.
- Waldo settles for pleasure when she wants connection.
- Waldo and her mom go to Dollar Zone weekly.
- Randy is reading “The Subtle Art of Not Giving A Fuck”.
- Randy has posters of Scarface, Goodfellas, and Pulp Fiction.
- “Do you ever feel like your body and mind are saying two different things?”
- Waldo and Randy breakup after having sex.
- Her mom’s favorite soap is Lemon Verbena from Bath and Body Works.
- You can get 5 for $27.
- Waldo’s mom spends nights at Tony’s.
- SHEIN is the only place you can get a pair of pants for $12.
- Principal Sanders runs East High in Anchorage, AK.
- Mr. Ted Korgy is 40-years old and teaches Creative Writing.
- Mr. Korgy wanted to be a writer.
- Waldo has developed a crush on Mr. Korgy.
- Waldo works at Victoria’s Secret.
- “Most of the stores at the mall have shuttered over the past few years—Dick's Sporting Goods, Barnes & Noble, Claire's— because no one plays outside, reads, or lets a sixteen-year-old pierce their kid's ears anymore. So many stores are gone that the mall has started to feel postapocalyptic anytime other than Black Friday and the day after Christmas. Empty store after empty store—carpet ripped up, gates yanked down, 75% off EVERYTHING MUST GO signs hanging crooked in the windows. The last remaining survivors are the ones that cater to selling women sell-esteem in a jar (Lush), a bottle (Bath & Body Works), a powder (Sephora), a handbag (Michael Kors), or a bra (Victoria's Secret). We also have a food court.”
- Waldo has bad grades.
- She lives in a 900-sq-ft apartment with her single mom.
- Despite wearing their shirt, Waldo doesn’t know any Nirvana songs.
- Waldo has a shopping addiction.
- Frannie is Waldo’s best friend.
- Frannie drives a vanilla-colored MINI Cooper her parents bought her for her 16th birthday.
- Waldo drives a beat-up 2001 Toyota Camry that cost $800.
- "I am from a white trash trailer park. I am from a mom who's needy and absent at the same time. I am from a faceless father. I am from stubbed-out cigarettes and overdue apologies. I am from paper-thin pubescent promises. From a back room in a house party. From a little too much Hennessy. From minimum wage and minimum effort. From a regret and a mistake. From one tipsy, horny night."
- Mr. Korgy is married with children.
- Waldo masturbates to Mr. Korgy’s Instagram.
- Waldo’s friends in the trailer park are Kimberly, Robin, and Angelica.
- Soon all three move away.
- Waldo’s mom uses VO5 shampoo.
- Waldo masturbates with a bottle of tropical Tums for the grooves.
- October is Waldo’s favorite time of the year in Alaska because the days are an appropriate amount of day.
- Paul Bernstein invited Waldo to Jr. Prom.
- They hooked up in the back of his car.
- Tony broke up with Waldo’s Mom.
- Waldo’s mom always takes her to Seward after breakups.
- Mr. Korgy uses a 15-year old bag that is falling apart. His wife, Gwen, wants him to get rid of it.
- Her mom patched things up with Tony.
- “Some people choose to further their education. I choose perfume.”
- Mr. Korgy invites Waldo to dinner with his family.
- Gregg’s is their child.
- A graceful person eats five meatballs and 2 scoops of rice.
- Teddy made Chicken piccata for he and his wife’s third date, but burnt it to a crisp.
- Waldo’s mom bags groceries at Safeway because she aged out of stripping.
- Mrs. Korgy is 2 years older than her husband.
- They met in college.
- Waldo goes Mr. Korgy her number in a thank you note.
- “Pipe dreams fall by the wayside once you’ve got responsibilities.”
- Waldo’s mom once’s tried to cook chicken in a broke oven for Thanksgiving. They ended up eating peanut butter and banana sandwiches on a blanket fort.
- Mr. Korgy doesn’t do holidays with his wife.
- “Black Friday in any retail store is the best case study of consumer behavior, a terrifying peek into how much pain one human is willing to inflict on another human to save five bucks on a lotion with glitter in it.”
- Her mom only wears floral print because Tony likes it.
- Mr. Korgy is from Florida.
- Mr. Korgy is not close with his family.
- He had a younger sister.
- Waldo kisses Mr. Korgy and he rejects her advances.
- Waldo’s car breaks down.
- Tony is a truck driver.
- He smells like tobacco and dollar store shampoo.
- He doesn’t have much of a sweet tooth.
- Mr. Condren subs for Mr. Korgy.
- Mr. Korgy’s father passes away.
- Waldo grinds her teacher to orgasm.
- Sleep Dog is a coffee shop half an hour out of town.
- “Junk food, the true American hero.”
- Mr. Korgy plays poker with friends.
- Gwen comes from money.
- Waldo and a drunken Mr. Korgy hook up.
- Gwen’s spending Christmas even in Palmer with her parents.
- Mr. Korgy was adding to World of Warcraft after his sister died.
- The nearly get caught making love in the school’s cleaning closet.
- Mr. Korgy enjoys Whiskey and Manhattans.
- “I understood in that moment how shitty it was to be an adult. Or a poor one at least. Always underwater with life's nuisances. Solving problems you didn't make with money you don't have.”
- Waldo is the first to say “I love you”.
- Mr. Korgy’s in/laws pay most of their bills.
- Grannies tells Waldo that Mr. Korgy is an abuser.
- Waldo tells her school he has COVID to stay at home.
- Waldo goes out with Nola to Wild Scoops.
- Nolan once shit himself during a kindergarten performance of Peter Pan.
- Tristan prays for the grip before they eat, exciting Franny.
- Franny is Mormon.
- Waldo takes Nolan’s virginity.
- Waldo strings Nolan along.
- Mr. Korgy and Waldo hook up in the bathroom at the Winter Formal.
- Mr. Korgy believes Don Quixote is the greatest novel ever written.
- Mr. Korgy had a “A Clockwork Orange” poster.
- Mr. Korgy is a movie connoisseur.
- Waldo’s mom goes on a 60-day “no contact” vow.
- Mr. Korgy becomes alcoholic drinking scotch.
- Frannie is attending BYU.
- Tristan is doing a missions trip to Romania.
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Overall, it’s an interesting story. I felt weird reading about a young girl having an intimate relationship with a middle-aged man. You see the feeling and emotion build as the relationship progresses. We see that based on age, and point in life, there are different expectations for significant others. Outside the main plot line, the story and themes are good for a first novel. I liked the small chapters keeping the story in check. I preferred the more autobiographical “I’m Glad My Mom Died.” I know McCurdy can write well. I’m curious what her next novel will be about.
Recommended only for smut readers, teacher-based high school crushes, and the very open minded.
On to Book #144: Family Ties: Alex Gets The Business by Joe Claro.
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Need to catch up? See previous blog post: Harry Potter and the Cursed Child by J.K. Rowling
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Want to read more from just this author? See the other posts below:
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