Half His Age

Half His Age (2025) is a novel by Jennette McCurdy. The novel traces 17-year-old Waldo’s affair with her high school creative writing teacher, Mr. Teddy Korgy. Waldo spends most of her time either watching television and eating junk food or working shifts for minimum wage at Victoria’s Secret. Lonely, bored, and frustrated, she becomes involved with Korgy in hopes of feeling better about herself. Over time, however, her and Korgy’s intensifying relationship compels her to ask hard questions about who she has been and who she wants to be from now on. Written from Waldo’s first-person point of view, the novel explores The Inherent Harm in Adult-Child Relationships, Consumerism as an Emotional Placeholder, and The Impact of Loneliness and Longing on Coming of Age.

Jennette McCurdy is best known as a former American actress, particularly for her childhood appearance as Sam Puckett in the Nickelodeon television series iCarly. Since leaving her acting career, McCurdy has pursued a career in screenwriting and television production, as well as in writing. Her 2022 memoir I’m Glad My Mom Died was a New York Times bestseller.

This guide uses the 2025 Ballantine Books hardback edition.

Content Warning: The source text and this guide include depictions of sexual content, cursing, and depictions of child sexual abuse, child abuse, substance use, sexism, emotional abuse, sexual violence, disordered eating, illness, and death.

Plot Summary

17-year-old Waldo lives in Anchorage, Alaska, with her single mother. When she isn’t attending East High, she is working shifts at Victoria’s Secret in the mall. After school or work, Waldo comes home to an empty apartment most days. Her mother is usually out with her most recent boyfriend, Tony. She is, however, in the habit of leaving Waldo sticky notes on the fridge explaining her whereabouts and directing her to whatever frozen dinner or junk food might be in the house. Waldo most often takes her food to her bedroom and spends the evening sitting in bed, eating and watching YouTube videos or reality television until she falls asleep. If her thoughts are keeping her up, she starts scrolling on social media or filling various online shopping carts with makeup and clothing she doesn’t need. The pastime makes her feel better in the moment, but she immediately regrets her purchases after completing the order.

Then one day, Waldo attends creative writing class and meets her new teacher, Mr. Teddy Korgy. Korgy is in his forties but is attractive to Waldo. Waldo has had a series of unsatisfying sexual relationships with her high school classmates, and wonders what it’d be like to be with someone like Korgy. He isn’t conventionally attractive and is obviously aging, but Waldo is so intrigued that she promises herself they’ll be together.

Not long later, Waldo submits a poem for Korgy’s class, which impresses him. He asks Waldo to stay after class and compliments her work. A flattered Waldo hopes she’s caught Korgy’s attention. However, she is furious when her friend Frannie suggests that the only reason he likes her work is that she writes about how hard her life with her single mother is. Waldo is terrified that Korgy pities her, confronting him in the school library. He insists otherwise, claiming he, in fact, respects her.

A few days later, Waldo is at work when Korgy shows up, allegedly at the mall looking for a gift for his son. He invites Waldo to dinner at his home. He told his wife, Gwen, what a promising student she is, and Gwen insisted on having her over.

Waldo works hard to look good for her dinner with Korgy and his family. She splurges on a slew of new beauty products and clothes, spending hours waxing and prepping. At Korgy’s house, she immediately understands that Gwen comes from money. Gwen is also beautiful and elegant, making Waldo feel childish. Over dinner, she tells Gwen bald facts about her life that render Gwen speechless. Waldo delights in her discomfort.

The next day, Waldo emails Korgy, thanking him for dinner and sharing her phone number. The two start texting. On Thanksgiving Day, Korgy calls Waldo, and they have an intimate conversation. Shortly thereafter, Korgy takes Waldo up on her offer to go for a walk. They continue their earlier conversation about their pasts and futures. Then Waldo slips on the ice. Korgy catches her, and Waldo kisses him. A shocked Korgy insists that what she did was wrong and that he has no feelings for Waldo.

Waldo is devastated for days and can’t make sense of Korgy’s response. Finally, they meet up at a coffee shop, and Korgy reveals his true feelings. He likes Waldo but insists they can’t be together because she is 17 and he is married with a child. Nevertheless, Waldo says she wants to have a no-strings-attached affair if he is interested.

Korgy ultimately takes Waldo up on her offer, and they start having sex in secret. Their relationship intensifies over the winter break. Whenever they are together, Waldo feels as if she is finally alive. When they are apart, Waldo anxiously clings to her phone, desperate for some message from Korgy. She appreciates every communication with him but always hates it when he has to disappear to tend to his wife and child.

The relationship continues this way for months. Finally, Korgy breaks up with Waldo after returning from a vacation with Gwen. Waldo is devastated and resorts to binge eating and binge-watching television. She eventually recovers once she starts dating her classmate, Nolan. Nolan is good and kind, but Waldo feels nothing for him. She feels guilty for using him, but agrees to attend the prom with him. During the dance, she spots Korgy, who is there as a chaperone. They rendezvous in the bathroom and have sex.

Waldo and Korgy resume their relationship. Waldo soon realizes that although Korgy has now professed his love to her, he isn’t going to change his behavior. After weeks of his constant distraction and disregard for her feelings, Waldo ends the relationship. A devastated Korgy texts and calls her incessantly, finally promising to leave his wife for her. Waldo perks up and agrees to meet him at an expensive hotel the next day. When he arrives, Korgy is wrecked by emotion, crying over his and Gwen’s messy breakup.

Waldo continues seeing Korgy for several more months, during which time she partially lives with Korgy at his motel room. The more comfortable they get, the more stuck Waldo feels. She is no longer interested in sex and tries to stifle her feelings whenever she can. After Korgy blows up at her one night for wasting her potential working retail, he tries to make amends by buying them tickets to Hawaii.

At the airport, Waldo finds herself retreating to the bathroom during boarding and ultimately misses the flight. She leaves the airport and drives to a town down the coast by herself. Finally, she feels free and happy.