595 books
—
2,203 voters
Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read.
Start by marking “September Girls” as Want to Read:
September Girls
by
When Sam's dad whisks him and his brother off to a remote beach town for the summer, he's all for it-- at first. Sam soon realizes, though, that this place is anything but ordinary. Time seems to slow down around here, and everywhere he looks, there are beautiful blond girls. Girls who seem inexplicably drawn to him.
Then Sam meets DeeDee, one of the Girls, and she's diffe ...more
Then Sam meets DeeDee, one of the Girls, and she's diffe ...more
Get A Copy
Hardcover, 352 pages
Published
May 21st 2013
by HarperTeen
Friend Reviews
To see what your friends thought of this book,
please sign up.
Reader Q&A
To ask other readers questions about
September Girls,
please sign up.
Popular Answered Questions
Community Reviews
Showing 1-30

Start your review of September Girls

Oct 28, 2012
Steph Sinclair
rated it
did not like it
Recommends it for:
Absolutely no one. Not even your goldfish.
Recommended to Steph by:
Myself because apparently I lack self-control
EDIT: Okay, here's the thing, I feel the need to clarify a few things. This review is in no way, shape or form alluding to the fact that the author is sexist. Are there characters in the novel that are depicted as sexist? Yes. Do I think the author is sexist and that he was trying to write a sexist book? No. Did the book come off as sexist to me? Yes.
This is just an interpretation of the novel and has nothing to do with the author's intention. Just so we're clear.
--------------
Actual rating: NO ...more
This is just an interpretation of the novel and has nothing to do with the author's intention. Just so we're clear.
--------------
Actual rating: NO ...more

Jan 23, 2013
B
rated it
did not like it
Recommends it for:
Recommend? LOL. You're funny, Goodreads. You're funny.

September Girls has inspired me...
...to create a 'no-stars-for-you' shelf, that is. With unbelievably awful writing, a main character who is as big of a dick as the one he feels the need to constantly remind us he has, and a plot with less aim than me that one time I decided to play a round of Call of Duty, September Girls is undoubtedly one of the worst books I have ever read in my life, and the fact that it is now a published novel is nothing short of a puzzle to me.
But hey, don't take my wo ...more


Cast your pitchforks aside, I'm going to try and explain. Explain why this book which is lauded by critics but generally hated by goodreads (and many of my friends on the site), criticised as being misogynistic and disgusting and appalling and many other colourfully negative words... was a completely different experience for me. I'm sick of hearing the word but, in the end, it all comes down to interpretation. And I think this book more than most I've read depends on that interpretation. I'm ...more

Nov 25, 2012
Debby
rated it
did not like it
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
ABSOLUTELY NO ONE. JUST RUN GUYS.
Recommended to Debby by:
Myself, because I'm stupid.
NO STARS

No. No no no no no. No no. No. This book is one of the worst I have ever read. Hell, it may well be the worst. Save yourself the inevitable frustration and disappointment of reading this book. Please. Do yourself a favor. Let me tell you why. Cue my longest review ever.
After only 15%, my gut told me to throw my e-reader across the room and give up. But I am not one to easily DNF books, and I really felt I should review this one. So I kept on going. But this isn't going to be pretty guys. ...more

No. No no no no no. No no. No. This book is one of the worst I have ever read. Hell, it may well be the worst. Save yourself the inevitable frustration and disappointment of reading this book. Please. Do yourself a favor. Let me tell you why. Cue my longest review ever.
After only 15%, my gut told me to throw my e-reader across the room and give up. But I am not one to easily DNF books, and I really felt I should review this one. So I kept on going. But this isn't going to be pretty guys. ...more

See more reviews at YA Midnight Reads
This review and book has inappropriate language for young readers. I am in no way intending to discriminate the author.
0.01 star DNF at 34%
Thank you HarperTeen for sending me this copy. No compensation was given or taken to alter this review.
'"Dude," he said. "This summer we're gonna get you laid, bro. It'll do you some good."
"I don't see what we has to do with it," I said. "Isn't getting laid like something you generally do on your own.?"
Let's take ...more
This review and book has inappropriate language for young readers. I am in no way intending to discriminate the author.
0.01 star DNF at 34%
Thank you HarperTeen for sending me this copy. No compensation was given or taken to alter this review.
'"Dude," he said. "This summer we're gonna get you laid, bro. It'll do you some good."
"I don't see what we has to do with it," I said. "Isn't getting laid like something you generally do on your own.?"
Let's take ...more

ALL THE STARS!
September Girls by Bennett Madison: NOT A SEXIST BOOK. Original review posted on The Book Smugglers
September Girls flew completely under my radar – not much of a mermaid fan here – until the reviews started rolling. And that was when I became REALLY interested in the book because the reactions to the book are so divisive. I first heard the negative: from fellow bloggers at Cuddlebuggery who thought the book was terribly sexist and anti-feminist and then lots of others Goodreaders f ...more
September Girls by Bennett Madison: NOT A SEXIST BOOK. Original review posted on The Book Smugglers
September Girls flew completely under my radar – not much of a mermaid fan here – until the reviews started rolling. And that was when I became REALLY interested in the book because the reactions to the book are so divisive. I first heard the negative: from fellow bloggers at Cuddlebuggery who thought the book was terribly sexist and anti-feminist and then lots of others Goodreaders f ...more

Nose Graze — Young Adult book reviews
1.5 stars
In a summary, September Girls is:
Awkwardly inappropriate to the point where it's almost funny.
Completely spark-less.
Loaded with internal "contemplating the universe" kinds of thoughts.
Boring.
Unresolved.
Attempting to be "mysterious" but the "mystery" drags on for the whole book in such a way that nothing actually happens because we're waiting for the mystery to unfold.
Supposedly a "romance" s ...more
1.5 stars
In a summary, September Girls is:
Awkwardly inappropriate to the point where it's almost funny.
Completely spark-less.
Loaded with internal "contemplating the universe" kinds of thoughts.
Boring.
Unresolved.
Attempting to be "mysterious" but the "mystery" drags on for the whole book in such a way that nothing actually happens because we're waiting for the mystery to unfold.
Supposedly a "romance" s ...more

Apr 23, 2013
Nasty Lady MJ
rated it
did not like it
Recommends it for:
People Who are Above Genre Fiction
Recommended to Nasty Lady MJ by:
No One I just had to see if it was as heinous as everyone says it is (it is)
To see full review click here.
I've mentioned it before, but I hated high school. For many reasons. Probably my worst memory in high school involved being sexually harassed by a group of dipshits who only thought with their dick and didn't know the meaning of fuck off. This book reminds me of those guys. However, instead of real life where my father can call the school and mentioned the word lawsuit to get the a-holes to back off. You can't get a book to back off. And that my friends, is unfortun ...more
I've mentioned it before, but I hated high school. For many reasons. Probably my worst memory in high school involved being sexually harassed by a group of dipshits who only thought with their dick and didn't know the meaning of fuck off. This book reminds me of those guys. However, instead of real life where my father can call the school and mentioned the word lawsuit to get the a-holes to back off. You can't get a book to back off. And that my friends, is unfortun ...more

"It's hard to explain," I said. She hadn't asked for an explanation, but I figured I owed her one anyway. "Say there's this thing you want, this thing that seems more important than everything, this thing you've been waiting for because it will make you into something else. And then you don't want to change. Because you'll miss the person you were before."
As I have been able to notice on Goodreads, September Girls has attracted harsh criticism among a significant number of readers wh ...more

Dec 08, 2012
usagi ☆ミ
rated it
did not like it
Shelves:
edelweiss,
teenage-shennanigans,
dnf,
2013,
for-review,
reviewed,
merfolk,
what-is-this-i-dont-even,
ebook
0.5/5 stars.
Originally, this was going to be a NO STARS FOR YOU BOOK. Seriously. It had me that angry, and baffled that Kirkus (among others) gave it a starred review. It was really a "I can't even, what is this?" moment. And then I looked a little deeper, and saw a little bit of redemptive qualities to this story. But only half a star's worth. Seriously. While I will admit Madison can write, I cannot in any kind of good conscience recommend "September Girls" - which is really a shame since I ha ...more
Originally, this was going to be a NO STARS FOR YOU BOOK. Seriously. It had me that angry, and baffled that Kirkus (among others) gave it a starred review. It was really a "I can't even, what is this?" moment. And then I looked a little deeper, and saw a little bit of redemptive qualities to this story. But only half a star's worth. Seriously. While I will admit Madison can write, I cannot in any kind of good conscience recommend "September Girls" - which is really a shame since I ha ...more

Where to begin? There's a weight to certain books that reminds a reader why he or she reads. It's not always there, but when it is it makes your fingers burn, your heart heavy...it tires your eyes. That's where this book has left me, heated, exhausted, yet needing more...another dive back to the listless days of surf and sand. Madison has a distinct way of weaving poetry and metaphor that lends magic to his prose; that's what I enjoy most about his writing. There's always an eerie, fascinating u
...more

Sexist? Feminist? Blah, who cares? September Girls has inspired some extreme opinions for a book that that is the literary equivalent of a sigh.
I definitely don’t consider it sexist as so many reviewers have. The characters use coarse and objective words to describe women, but it shows how this type of language and thought is indoctrinated in men and women alike. The whole book uses a sexist mermaid legend to critique patriarchy. So if the claims of sexism are deterring you from reading it, do ...more
I definitely don’t consider it sexist as so many reviewers have. The characters use coarse and objective words to describe women, but it shows how this type of language and thought is indoctrinated in men and women alike. The whole book uses a sexist mermaid legend to critique patriarchy. So if the claims of sexism are deterring you from reading it, do ...more

I'm so done.
I'm done.
I'm doneeeeee.
THIS BOOK IS NOT OKAY.
I could point out several things like how stupid the whole plot and logic is, but the breaking point for me was when a character tried to rape the MC.
And it's portrayed as hot and okay.
NO.
This adult climbs into this minor boy's bed naked and tries to force him into sex and it's okay????
NO.
For all the people that for some reason aren't disturbed by this, let's play a little game of switch the genders!!
Twenty-one-year-old man cli ...more
I'm done.
I'm doneeeeee.
THIS BOOK IS NOT OKAY.
I could point out several things like how stupid the whole plot and logic is, but the breaking point for me was when a character tried to rape the MC.
And it's portrayed as hot and okay.
NO.
This adult climbs into this minor boy's bed naked and tries to force him into sex and it's okay????
NO.
For all the people that for some reason aren't disturbed by this, let's play a little game of switch the genders!!
Twenty-one-year-old man cli ...more

Edit 21/5/13: GUYS! QUICK! THE BOOK COMES OUT TODAY, GO BUY IT!!
I'm worried it may sell out because of all the glowing reviews.
I am pleasantly surprised.
No, actually.
I went into this book thinking I wouldn’t be able to make it past the first chapter. I thought for sure that within fifteen minutes I would have put it back on my bookshelf to sit there forever but that was not the case. There actually wasn’t anything wrong with it for the first few chapters…except that it was immensely boring but I ...more
I'm worried it may sell out because of all the glowing reviews.
I am pleasantly surprised.
No, actually.
I went into this book thinking I wouldn’t be able to make it past the first chapter. I thought for sure that within fifteen minutes I would have put it back on my bookshelf to sit there forever but that was not the case. There actually wasn’t anything wrong with it for the first few chapters…except that it was immensely boring but I ...more

I gave this book the old college try, I really did. I stuck it out for more than half, and it never grabbed my interest. Tragic, right? Because that cover is beautiful. I wanted this book to be the same way, and sadly, I did not enjoy it at all. It felt slow and strange and just...odd.
Not only that, but Sam's voice didn't feel genuine, to the point that for me, his character didn't feel real. Also, the "love" story between he and DeeDee seemed to come out of nowhere and have no basis at all for ...more
Not only that, but Sam's voice didn't feel genuine, to the point that for me, his character didn't feel real. Also, the "love" story between he and DeeDee seemed to come out of nowhere and have no basis at all for ...more

When you come back to a shitty read

IT'S BEEN 84 YEARS
My goal for this year was to read 250 books, but somehow I've only read four books in three months. Forgive me for I have sinned. I've been lazy, I admit. But in my defense, I'm enjoying these months before college. (Kpop music has nothing to do with this.)
Now, this book.

I feel like when the teacher explains a math class and asks if you understand everything perfectly and you just nod even though you know you're screwed.
If you asked me right ...more

IT'S BEEN 84 YEARS
My goal for this year was to read 250 books, but somehow I've only read four books in three months. Forgive me for I have sinned. I've been lazy, I admit. But in my defense, I'm enjoying these months before college. (Kpop music has nothing to do with this.)
Now, this book.

I feel like when the teacher explains a math class and asks if you understand everything perfectly and you just nod even though you know you're screwed.
If you asked me right ...more

I think it's easy to miss the point of this book and call it sexist. If you dive under the surface, you might see the author working with a culture of sexism and reaching some thoughtful points about sex, love, beauty, and gender. Do I wish the ideal beautiful person weren't white, blonde etc? Sure. But the way I see it, this book is truly magic realism--NOT paranormal. It allows us to work within the world-building of the author's imagination and think about ideas that go beyond plot and into t
...more

It's almost worth reading this book just for the part when the quasi-mermaid brings the MC to see a collection of trinkets and says "Look at this stuff. Isn't it neat?" Oh how l laughed...
...more

Mar 25, 2013
Jessi (Novel Heartbeat)
rated it
did not like it
Recommends it for:
NOBODY
Shelves:
dnf
[image error]
Thanks to HarperTeen for providing a copy for review!
ACTUAL RATING: 0/5, DNF
Honestly, I didn’t even plan on reading this book. Just from the synopsis I wasn’t sure I’d even like it. But I got an ARC in one of my Harper packages, so I figured, why the hell not? Sigh. Now I know why.
I would never call anyone’s hard work crap, because I know writing a book is hard and time-consuming and probably devours a little piece of your soul; but it’s been a very long time since I’ve read ...more
Thanks to HarperTeen for providing a copy for review!
ACTUAL RATING: 0/5, DNF
Honestly, I didn’t even plan on reading this book. Just from the synopsis I wasn’t sure I’d even like it. But I got an ARC in one of my Harper packages, so I figured, why the hell not? Sigh. Now I know why.
I would never call anyone’s hard work crap, because I know writing a book is hard and time-consuming and probably devours a little piece of your soul; but it’s been a very long time since I’ve read ...more

I did not find this offensive as many others did. Some of that misogynistic stuff was on purpose. It was Sam's journey from people pushing what it means to be a man on him to figuring out what it really means to be a man for himself. He's bombarded with ideas of treating women like crap, and he avoids it. He loves Dee Dee and he doesn't succumb to the advances made upon him, when he could have done it easily. When it was what he was being pressured to do.
Full review: http://www.stackedbooks.org ...more
Full review: http://www.stackedbooks.org ...more

Jan 23, 2013
Julianna Helms
marked it as never-ever-says-big-brother
OMG THIS IS THE BEST COVER I'VE EVER SEEN.
Edited 26 April 2013
Yeah no. The reviews have made me realize just how much of a flopping crappiness this book is. Another case of the cover being beautiful and the book a rambunctious decree of death on humanity. (*cough* Mara Dyer) But yeah. Noooo. Not reading this. I wish I could have the original cover art to hang on my wall, though, without the title and author. ...more
Edited 26 April 2013
Yeah no. The reviews have made me realize just how much of a flopping crappiness this book is. Another case of the cover being beautiful and the book a rambunctious decree of death on humanity. (*cough* Mara Dyer) But yeah. Noooo. Not reading this. I wish I could have the original cover art to hang on my wall, though, without the title and author. ...more

Such a bizarre read! I had a few problems with it... it was slow paced, I don't feel like all my questions were answered... but I still read it really quickly because I was pulled into the feeling of being in an alternate universe. My main feeling coming out of this is simply "It was weird!"
I'll be reviewing this in a video very soon! ...more
I'll be reviewing this in a video very soon! ...more

Originally posted at Gypsy Reviews
I received an eARC from HarperTeen via Edelweiss. Thank you!
Congratulations September Girls, you have gotten my first 1 star rating ever. I don’t give these out to any old book, I give these even more rarely than I give 5 star reviews. Just fantastic with your portrayal in women as hos, lots of descriptions about women mainly pertaining to their chest area and including lots of naked women because naked women are everywhere! With a dash of horny boys and charact ...more
I received an eARC from HarperTeen via Edelweiss. Thank you!
Congratulations September Girls, you have gotten my first 1 star rating ever. I don’t give these out to any old book, I give these even more rarely than I give 5 star reviews. Just fantastic with your portrayal in women as hos, lots of descriptions about women mainly pertaining to their chest area and including lots of naked women because naked women are everywhere! With a dash of horny boys and charact ...more

The first thing that attracted me to September Girls was the cover. Despite the fact that coupled with the synopsis it strongly hinted at a mermaid story, which I have pretty mixed feelings about, it also sounded kinda mysterious too, which was an added drawcard.
The very first thing that struck me about the book was the language. Not necessarily the swearing (I've got the mouth of a sailor so I can't really be that judgmental , but the mismatch between the dialogue and the story itself. The lang ...more
The very first thing that struck me about the book was the language. Not necessarily the swearing (I've got the mouth of a sailor so I can't really be that judgmental , but the mismatch between the dialogue and the story itself. The lang ...more

I'm going to attempt to write the review for September Girls in the style of September Girls.
Dude. Dude! I mean, for real, bro. You have like, no fuckin' idea, man. This total bro in this book. This bro! His ho mom like, goes on facebook and farms and shit. Who does that?! Bitches and hos. And then she like, runs off to women land, bro. So this dude and his bro and their dad, a total bro, scratch their balls and fart and go to the beach and shit. They meet these total skanks, and after a party o ...more
Dude. Dude! I mean, for real, bro. You have like, no fuckin' idea, man. This total bro in this book. This bro! His ho mom like, goes on facebook and farms and shit. Who does that?! Bitches and hos. And then she like, runs off to women land, bro. So this dude and his bro and their dad, a total bro, scratch their balls and fart and go to the beach and shit. They meet these total skanks, and after a party o ...more

This review and more on Sab The Book Eater
Don’t let the pretty cover fool you – this book is far from fluffy and sweet. September Girls has a lot of cussing and sex… or talk of sex. I can’t say there was a lot of sex because Sam, the main character, barely got some and he complained about it a lot. I’ve never read so many F bombs or such vivid descriptions of people making out in a YA book. I understand how a lot of readers can get turned off or even disgusted by this. It’s a young adult book, a ...more
Don’t let the pretty cover fool you – this book is far from fluffy and sweet. September Girls has a lot of cussing and sex… or talk of sex. I can’t say there was a lot of sex because Sam, the main character, barely got some and he complained about it a lot. I’ve never read so many F bombs or such vivid descriptions of people making out in a YA book. I understand how a lot of readers can get turned off or even disgusted by this. It’s a young adult book, a ...more

I have to admit that I came to this skeptical because of all the comments about it being sexist. Glory be to subjectivity! I love how everyone is all ready to argue their perspective on this story, which is great. These are so discussions we should be having as women.
That being said, I didn't find this story to be misogynistic at all. Quite the opposite. I found it not only to be not sexist, but a story about a boy discovering his male privilege and rising above it. Yes, he definitely starts out ...more
That being said, I didn't find this story to be misogynistic at all. Quite the opposite. I found it not only to be not sexist, but a story about a boy discovering his male privilege and rising above it. Yes, he definitely starts out ...more

Unfortunately I have to pass on this one. I was really into it and thought it was definitely more New Adult (still think so) than Young Adult, but I couldn't take all the talk about sex, masturbating, and the use of the word "F**KING". And I love when there are curse words in books and sex, but this to me was just over the top. I made it to chapter seven before quitting it.
The writing wasn't bad at all, and the characters are very believable, but I can't keep reading.
I am not rating this book ...more
The writing wasn't bad at all, and the characters are very believable, but I can't keep reading.
I am not rating this book ...more

Jan 16, 2020
Tani
marked it as the-nope-wagon
Not going to read this even though I was born in September.
topics | posts | views | last activity | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Is this book worth reading? | 8 | 69 | May 26, 2014 02:25PM | |
Mock Printz 2022: September Girls by Bennett Madison | 3 | 59 | Dec 12, 2013 07:47PM | |
Crazy for Young A...: September Girls by Bennett Madison → Start Date: September 30th, 2013 | 45 | 35 | Oct 06, 2013 07:37PM | |
Epic Reads Book Club: Thoughts on Jeff? | 9 | 47 | Oct 01, 2013 12:41PM | |
Epic Reads Book Club: How did the mermaids of September Girls differ from others you’ve seen? | 9 | 29 | Oct 01, 2013 12:13PM | |
Epic Reads Book Club: September Girls Controversy | 14 | 162 | Sep 24, 2013 02:08PM |
News & Interviews
In most romances, a romp in the hay comes after many chapters of meeting cute, silent pining, and steamy banter. Not so for books that...
31 likes · 6 comments
No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now »
“Being a man is bullshit; maybe trying to be a man had been the problem all along. At a certain point you just have to trust someone. Even if it’s only yourself.”
—
15 likes
“We have learned by now that our beauty does not count as a possession. The only thing we truly own is our legend.”
—
15 likes
More quotes…