Book review by Corey
Half His Age
Half His Age follows Waldo, a seventeen-year-old high school student who becomes fixated on her creative writing teacher, Mr. Korgy. What starts as desire quickly turns into something much more uncomfortable, especially because he is an adult with a wife, a child, and a life that should make the boundary between them obvious.
The book is really about power, shame, class, desire, and the way young people can mistake attention for love or control for freedom. Waldo is messy, impulsive, and often hard to agree with, but that is what makes her feel real. The story does not try to clean up the situation or make anyone easy to judge, which makes the whole thing feel more unsettling.
The Goods
- Waldo is a very strong main character
- Sharp writing
- Uncomfortable power dynamics are handled well
- Good mix of humour and sadness
- Feels emotionally honest
The Bads
- The subject matter is uncomfortable
- Some characters can be hard to like
- The relationship may frustrate some readers
- A few sections feel intentionally awkward
- Not a light or easy read
My Recommendation
This is a strong choice for readers who like messy, character-driven contemporary fiction and books that are willing to sit inside uncomfortable situations without giving you an easy answer. Waldo’s voice is blunt, funny, angry, and vulnerable, and the story works because it never turns her into a simple victim or Mr. Korgy into a cartoon villain. If you enjoy books about power, desire, bad decisions, and the emotional confusion that comes with wanting something you probably should not want, Half His Age is a very compelling read.