It is not often that I come across a book that rubs me the wrong way to the extent that
September Girls did. An utter disappointment,
September Girls convinced me that it was an experiment by the publisher. Many times I wanted to fling my tablet to the wall, but then I remembered that it was a gift. I wish I could articulate my dreadful experience, but I cannot really.
Debby's review at Snuggly Oranges really emcompasses exactly how I felt, while citing quotes for emphasis.
A coming-of-age story,
September Girls is told in Sam's perspective. He is on the cusp of adulthood, and when his father carries him and his brother, Jeff to the beach for vacation, he is actually enthused about it. Considering that his mom walked out on them recently, this is the perfect time for mending their relationships without her. This certainly is a beautiful premise for a summer bildungsroman, but
September Girls will dupe many readers searching for that warm, romantic read. Saturated with misogyny and misconceptions,
September Girls is extremely unpleasant.
There is poor plot and character development in
September Girls. It is practically an account of a strange obsession with strange Girls who seem to have a strange compulsion to Sam's strange self. These Girls I am referring to are practically a species of blondes who inhabit the beach. They have weird accents, throw the wildest parties, and have mediocre jobs. At first, I thought the mystery surrounding them was tantalizing. Whatever paranormal element they embodied was practically functionless in this novel. These Girls do nothing extraordinary, but fancy Sam and Jeff.
What is really developed though is Sam's libido. Frequently masturbating and feeling 'tingly' sensations in his dick, Sam is at the peak of his puberty. Literally, that is the only sort of 'excitement' in this book.A slight look from DeeDee's 'hungry' eyes is enough to get him going. Then how can readers dismiss that all virginal males are unable to control themselves around the opposite sex?
The plot is excessively dull considering the rich backdrop it had. Life at the beach is mundane and repetitive.The only person doing something interesting is Sam's dad, who frequents the shores with his metal detector looking for treasure obsessively. Most of the time, Sam is alone and reflecting on life and sex. It is obvious that Madison attempted to make Sam a "deep" character, juxtaposed by Jeff, his sex-crazed brother. There is no sort of balance in Sam's narrative because of this. One day he is getting sexually stimulated by golden irises and the other day he has no idea what the point of partying is. This is the same guy who attended a Halloween party and had a drunk make-out session with a girl who was wearing a "deliberately slutty
Alice in Wonderland costume".
The vulgarity of this
young adult novel, does not stop there. As alluded to in the aforementioned quote,
September Girls is undoubtedly misogynistic. The instances where women are reduced to beasts who only live by sexual instinct are numerous. Even the abandonment of Sam's mom is illy portrayed. Apparently, she left her family after discovering "the feminine mystique". I am not sure how feminism has ever divided a family, nonetheless to encourage a women to forsake her children. There is also profuse slutshaming and objectification present. In fact, every two pages or the female sex and her corresponding organs are degraded. There are many instances were expletive and even beastly descriptions are used to denote women. The superfluous presence of 'hos' is frustrating, and this is only piqued when I recall what audience
September Girls is being marketed for. Oh, and if you are blond and are reading this, please note that your hair color makes you more likely to be deemed a "ho". I am not a sensitive reader, but
September Girls portrayed views that I could not just swallow. You do not have to be a zealous feminist to observe the powerful misogyny in
September Girls. It certainly degrades women.
What makes it so awful is that the book had no sort of intentions or redeeming qualities, so all that remains is a compilation of offensive and degrading stereotypes.
September Girls did not even redeem itself in its writing. I do understand the novel is told from a teenager, so slangs and improper grammar in the dialogue did not bother me. I even tolerated the obscenities on every page. There are few instances of eloquence, and when they are present, they are ultimately marred by the vile content of Sam's stream of consciousness and other dialogue. The writing worsened whenever the point of view changed to the Girls. In these short expositions, the Girls provide an incoherent narrative, that pushes too hard to be mystical and haunting. It was as though my brain was being pried.
In a pistachio shell,
September Girls is a nonsensical book. The misogyny cannot be surpassed. The stereotypes are abundant. The characterization is nonexistent The writing is rudimentary. The plot is mundane. I would not recommend this book to anyone, especially those young adults on the lower side of the age spectrum.
