Book review: Half His Age by Jennette McCurdy (4th Estate, £16.99)

Wow. I ordered HALF HIS AGE by American writer Jennette McCurdy, having seen it on Instagram, and I couldn’t put it down. This is a debut novel that grabs you from page 1 and doesn’t let you go. I loved - and wholly bought into - the narratorial voice of 17-year-old Waldo, high school student, part-time Victoria’s Secret salesgirl, who lives in Alaska and is searching for attention or simply to be seen. As a reader, I was catapulted straight into her head, with Waldo’s relentless, pin sharp descriptions of her frantic online shopping, fantasies about her Creative Writing teacher Mr Korgy (married, with a son), the potions and make-up she buys, and the insecurities she hides. From the second Waldo decides to pursue middle-aged Mr Korgy, the book proceeds with shattering momentum, and there’s an appalling sense of an impending car-crash as their highly inappropriate ‘relationship’ develops. McCurdy pays unflinching and relentless attention to every emotional and physical detail, and we can’t help but feel the poignancy of Waldo’s turbulent emotions - even as she’s making appalling choices. The writing is witty, sharp, and bittersweet. I particularly loved the parallels between Waldo and her needy mother, who is caught up in her own battles with pleasing men, and apparently incapable of mothering Waldo at all. This is more than a coming-of-age novel: yes, it’s about a teenager growing to adulthood, but it’s also about adult power, desire, and the struggle to forge self-worth. McCurdy has already established herself as a New York Times bestselling author - her 2022 memoir I’M GLAD MY MOM DIED has sold over 3 million copies worldwide - and I can’t wait to read more of her fiction.

HALF HIS AGE by Jennette McCurdy (4th Estate, £16.99)