Female rage, power and desire.
These are the prevailing themes in bestselling author Jennette McCurdy’s debut novel, “Half His Age.”
McCurdy, an ex-Nickelodeon star, has rebranded her image and emerged as a powerful voice in contemporary female stories.
In 2022 she earned a spot on The New York Times bestseller list with the release of her first book, “I’m Glad My Mom Died,” a memoir about growing up forced to be a child star by an abusive and controlling mother. In that work, she revealed her struggles with eating disorders, predatory relationships and addiction.
In her new novel, McCurdy channels some of her personal struggles to tell the story of Waldo. In her first book, McCurdy revealed that she had been in a manipulative relationship with an older man when she was in her teens. She described this relationship as addictive, mirroring one of Waldo’s biggest struggles in “Half His Age.”
Waldo is a 17-year-old senior in high school who is infatuated with her married 40-year-old teacher, Mr. Korgy. She struggles with loneliness, maintaining relationships, a neglectful mother and growing up in a trailer park. She uses her desire for Mr. Korgy to cope with her trauma and as an escape.
Waldo’s character is the image of the modern teenage girl: obsessed, lonely, insecure and over-consuming. When faced with disappointment or rejection, Waldo resorts to online shopping, throwing her money towards clothes and makeup she regrets immediately after clicking “Confirm Purchase.”
To impress Mr. Korgy, she wants to dress more like a “woman.” She changes clothes until her floor is covered in piles and she feels like an imposter in her own clothing. She puts on makeup, then believes it is too much. She can’t be herself because her only desire is to be desirable to Mr. Korgy.
She cries when Mr. Korgy cancels their meetings to be with his wife instead. She feels rejected.
But she keeps coming back because Mr. Korgy uses her desire for him to manipulate her and their relationship.
“Half His Age” isn’t a typical age-gap romance novel. It’s an exploration of predatory relationships in modern society and the effects they have on the victims.
The novel heavily focuses on themes of abusive power dynamics, another trauma McCurdy has said she battled in her own relationship. Korgy uses his power as Waldo’s teacher to control her and their affair.
Throughout the novel, McCurdy deftly articulates Waldo’s feelings of being manipulated by Korgy and her feelings of being stuck as little more than an escape from his wife and monotonous life. Although Korgy seems to treat Waldo well and often spoils her, McCurdy’s meticulous writing exposes his deeper motive and predatory nature.
The novel is sad, disturbing and all too relatable for many readers. “Half His Age” serves as a message to young women today, saying, “You are not alone.”
