Half His Age
By Jennette McCurdy
Review By Claudia
Oh, Jennette McCurdy! Yes, we know your autobiography totally rocked and was an international sensation, but did you have to open your debut novel with a bleak, dry description of your seventeen-year-old protagonist Waldo receiving cunnilingus? Yes, I guess you did. Readers might feel, at first, like they’re tucking into another trashy, tragic and salacious teenage romp that can’t figure out what it wants to say beyond, “Yes, this author has had some sex!” However, I think there’s more to this grimy story, and the sex (some of which would be considered illegal) is a red herring. The bigger question is, why do people develop compulsive consumerist behaviour in pursuit of social acceptance?
McCurdy loves a list. This novel features breathtaking breakdowns of Waldo preparing herself for dates. She scrubs, shaves and rubs herself with all manner of branded products to achieve a vision of sexy perfection. Each time her heart is broken by a boyfriend or her wayward mother, she fills her online shopping carts and blows her money on clothes she knows will disappoint once they arrive. The image is scary, familiar, and, if the reporting on fast fashion is right, common. McCurdy does a great job of describing the terrifying world that a young person in the 2020s inhabits. Waldo is targeted by capitalism, manipulated by adults with unfulfilled fantasies, and burdened with unfair expectations of maturity. I never lost sight of my sympathy for Waldo.
I think this book does a great job of illuminating the heady impulsiveness of the later teenage years, when you want to believe there is a great future ahead but you feel so unsure of what is good for you, and whether other adults have your best interests at heart. A morbid strand of black humour runs through the text, and readers of McCurdy’s autobiography will recognise her habit of plainly reporting bleak incidents. Details pulled from her life are noticeable; Waldo’s best friend is Mormon, some of the sex scenes sound familiar. It takes a while for the penny to drop that Waldo’s infatuation with Mr Korgy might not mean that he can treat her with respect and compassion.
For fans of I’m Glad My Mom Died and My Year of Rest and Relaxation.
