#20 in Contemporary fiction
New out January 20, 2026
Half His Age
- 288
- Pages
- about 5 h
- Reading time
- NYT bestseller · 2 weeks on the list, peaked at #5
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Our view
“Half His Age” is a dark first novel about Waldo, a seventeen-year-old student, and her relationship with one of her teachers. McCurdy treats it as a story of a young woman’s anger, desire and power, told in short chapters and a voice that some readers love. Some find the graphic scenes written to shock and the book repetitive, and some feel other novels have handled the subject better.
The view of the BookRank editors, written from readers’ ratings and comments. It does not affect the score or the book’s place in a ranking.
About the book
Half His Age is the second book and first novel by Jennette McCurdy. It was published by Ballantine Books on January 20, 2026. The novel follows Waldo, a 17-year-old high school student, as she becomes involved in a relationship with her teacher, Mr. Korgy. McCurdy has described the novel as an exploration of female rage, power, and desire, drawing from her own experiences.
Where the score comes from
The sources average 6.5 across 191 ratings — not yet many, so the reader vote carries 57% of the weight and the rest pulls toward the Contemporary fiction average of 7.7. That is how 7.0 comes out.
| Source | Average | Ratings | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hardcover | 6.5 | 191 | 100% |
Frequently asked
How long is Half His Age?
It has 288 pages — shorter than 80% of the ranked books in Contemporary fiction.
More new books
You will also find this book on the New books page, with the other titles of the last twelve months.
Similar new books
Other books of the last twelve months with similar themes and mood.
In this book
Themes this book shares with others — each leads to the best books on it.
If you liked this
Same shelf — Contemporary fiction — with scores between 7.4 and 7.9, closest to this book.
