Jennette McCurdy

Half His Age by Jennette McCurdy (released January 20, 2026) is the highly anticipated fiction debut from the author of the record-breaking memoir I’m Glad My Mom Died. It is a dark, provocative, and “mordantly funny” character study that explores the messy intersections of desire, neglect, and power.

The Plot

The story is set in Anchorage, Alaska, and follows Waldo, a sharp-edged, impulsive 17-year-old high school senior. Waldo lives with her single mother in a relationship defined by a “parentification” role reversal; Waldo pays the bills and manages the household while her mother impulsively chases dead-end relationships. To cope with her loneliness and a feeling of invisibility, Waldo numbs herself with extreme online shopping sprees and junk food.

The central conflict arises when Waldo becomes fixated on her 40-year-old creative writing teacher, Mr. Korgy. He isn’t the typical “dashing” older man; he’s described as having a “growing paunch,” thinning hair, and a mundane life involving a mortgage and a young child. Waldo, desperate to be seen and “special,” becomes the aggressor in the relationship, pursuing an affair that eventually begins at a school winter formal. The novel tracks the psychological fallout of this “taboo” connection as Waldo attempts to use her sexuality as a currency for love, only to find herself trapped in a cycle of self-delusion and desperation.

Key Appeal Notes

• The “Ick” Factor: McCurdy has stated that the discomfort readers feel is intentional. The book isn’t a “romance”; it’s a visceral examination of an inappropriate relationship through the eyes of a girl who thinks she is in control but is actually drowning in neglect.


• Signature Dark Humor: Fans of McCurdy’s memoir will recognize her wry, “unsparing” voice. She has a talent for finding the “mortifying detail” in human behavior, making the book both hard to read and impossible to put down.


• Themes of Consumerism: A unique aspect of the book is Waldo’s relationship with the internet and shopping. Her “Shein sprees” are presented as a literal addiction, reflecting a modern generation’s attempt to fill emotional voids with material goods.


• Mother-Daughter Dynamics: Like her memoir, the book explores how a dysfunctional maternal bond can leave a young woman vulnerable to predatory dynamics outside the home.

Why it’s Trending

• The “Sophomore” Test: After the massive success of her memoir, critics and fans were eager to see if McCurdy could translate her voice to fiction. Early reviews have been polarizing but largely positive, cementing her as a “fearless” new voice in literary fiction.
  
• Comparison to My Dark Vanessa: It is frequently compared to Kate Elizabeth Russell’s My Dark Vanessa and Nabokov’s Lolita, but with a specifically Gen Z/Alpha focus on the internet and class struggle.
  
• BookTok “Red Flags”: The book is a major topic for debate regarding the “imperfect victim” trope. Readers are fascinated by Waldo’s aggression and how it complicates our traditional understanding of power dynamics.