Half His Age

Bookseller recommendation

“Vulgar but effective. I loved the writing style and darkly humorous approach to an otherwise uncomfortable subject. ”

— Stephanie • Läs is More

Bookseller recommendation

“Deeply unsettling. Incredibly well written, and equally well narrated. McCurdy broaches a taboo subject in an almost disturbingly approachable way. ”

— Madison • Writer's Block Bookstore

Bookseller recommendation

“A beautifully written, stomach-churning look at what it can be to be young, lonely, and talented. ”

— Jes • Park Books

Bookseller recommendation

“ “Ain’t no little girl fast enough to catch a grown man.” This is a hard book to recommend so instead I'll give assurances. It is graphic, but it's in no way titillating. Waldo is messy and self-destructive, but the narrative is clear in where the blame lies. The relationship is never truly romanticized to the reader. It's a difficult read at times, but worthwhile. ”

— Chelsea • The Lakewood Bookstore

Bookseller recommendation

“The writing puts forth such a clear and crisp sense of longing! ”

— Madison D. • Reverie Books

Bookseller recommendation

“So compelling and excellently handled. I loved her memoir, and was so exited to read this. It totally delivered and I devoured it in one day. In this novel, you can expect a similar writing voice, witty, sharp, and self-aware, like her memoir. The topic is cringey, and that’s the point. Definitely worth the read! ”

— Eliza • The Chatham Bookstore

Bookseller recommendation

“Slimy and riveting. Told through the perspective of a high school student, McCurdy immerses readers in Waldo’s relationship with her high school English teacher. The style draws the reader in and keeps them invested. Not so much a train wreck that you can’t look away from than a merry-go-round that you can’t get to stop spinning. ”

— Elias • Outside of a Dog Books and Games

Bookseller recommendation

“Half His Age is an unsettling, gripping look at a high school student’s relationship with her teacher and the emotional fallout that follows. Jeannette McCurdy delivers a story that’s uncomfortable in all the right ways — a trainwreck you can’t look away from. Perfect for readers who enjoy intense, thought-provoking fiction. ”

— Nicole M. • Books At A Steal

Bookseller recommendation

“Wow…Waldo is far beyond her years. I read this so fast. I couldn’t stop, but I was nervous the whole time. Nothing I expected to happen did…and I wonder if the story is more normalized than the media portrays. Yikes…this one is going to haunt me. ”

— Missy • Pages & Parcels

Bookseller recommendation

““Being a teen girl means having a deep, disgusting, cavernous desire that can never be satisfied” - a hard-hitting line from a review online. I know it’s fun to romanticize girlhood, but it wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows, and Jennette McCurdy captures that perfectly. In its fullness and rawness. In Waldo, we have a girl who doesn’t know everything but is clever enough to be constantly burdened by this. On the surface, this is a novel about a high school girl’s sexual relationship with her teacher (gross!), but it’s also so much more than that. It’s an exploration of consumerism, class, and power. An all-consuming desire to fill what’s empty. What it means to be a teen girl now, a GenZ experience. Basically, YOU COULD NOT PAY ME TO BE A TEEN GIRL EVER AGAIN!”

— Ryann • The Buzzed Word

Bookseller recommendation

“So many authors have broached the subject of illicit teacher-student relationships/grooming that it feels like there is not much left to say about this topic. McCurdy has proven that this is not the case. With her distinctive voice and razor-sharp wit, she cuts to the core of why relationships like this continue to happen and how we continue to fail young women as a culture. Well worth a listen even for those who didn’t grow up watching her on TV. ”

— Anne • The Regulator Bookshop

Bookseller recommendation

“I enjoyed this fun, flirty, dark humor story! ”

— Heather • Fables and Fairy Tales