"There's a lot of sex in Jennette McCurdy's debut novel, Half His Age - more than you might otherwise expect. The former Nickelodeon star and I'm Glad My Mom Died author strives for discomfort as her protagonist, Waldo, a 17-year-old student in Alaska, has sex again and again and again with her 40-year-old English teacher, Mr. Korgy. Half His Age isn't endorsing their relationship; anyone even a little bit familiar with McCurdy's writing knows that she's compelled by female rage"
"Waste is a tenet of Half His Age. Waldo can't locate a sense of self-worth amid the squalor and rubble that is her life. Her mother is a negligent sex and love addict who can't prioritize her daughter over a date. Waldo spends her evenings alone at home, clicking around on the Sephora website. She works at Victoria's Secret, but all that money goes toward more online shopping - all of which fuels her need to make herself more desirable."
Waldo, a 17-year-old student in Alaska, repeatedly has sex with her 40-year-old English teacher, Mr. Korgy, seeking availability and validation. A pattern of neglect and low self-worth shapes Waldo's life: a negligent mother addicted to sex and love, evenings spent shopping online, and work at Victoria's Secret funneling money back into cosmetic consumption. Waldo cycles through disposable relationships and self-destructive behaviors. The sexual relationship centers less on attraction and more on access to someone unavailable, while the narrative leans on shock and repetition to underscore Waldo's degraded self-image.
Read at Vulture
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