Bite Back: Feminism, Media, Politics, and Our Power to Change It All

by Hannah Ferguson

The Founder of Cheek Media Co. delivers the conversations we've been missing on everything from diet culture to the future of the #MeToo movement. Articulating sharp, progressive perspectives on the social and political issues that matter, Bite Back offers constructive talking points to provoke and inspire meaningful change.

Cheek Media Co. was founded by three women in 2020 with the singular purpose of delivering entertaining, accessible and progressive ideas in a media landscape dominated by the conservative right. In just over two years, Cheek has become the go-to social platform for Australians seeking expansive, feminist opinions on current events.

Bite Back examines how to have hard conversations with loved ones, the realities of reforming a criminal justice system that isn't fit for purpose and analyses the role of popular culture icons in upholding beauty standards and a toxic culture of dieting. This is a book of opinions and ideas with bite, it's news that talks back.

Genres: Nonfiction, Feminism, Audiobook, Politics, Australia, Self Help, Womens

288 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 26, 2023

Reviews

[Hannah Ferguson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I hear the author is very cool, extremely fun at parties.

[chloe · Rating 5 out of 5]

this is an empowering and thought-provoking read that tackles the importance of standing up for your beliefs and using your privilege to advocate for marginalised groups. i love how hannah gives practical advice on having meaningful and respectful conversations about politics, especially with family members who might not share your views. this is a must-read for anyone wanting to navigate tough topics with courage and empathy. LOVED it!

[Charles McNamara · Rating 5 out of 5]

cant wait to vote hannah for pm

[Jayne M · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 ⭐

I'm acutely aware l'm the only one not raving about Hannah Ferguson's first book, so l want to start by saying l think Hannah is great and l admire what she is doing with Cheek (which l support through Patreon).

Because of this, it pains me to say that, apart from the chapter on the failures of the legal system, l found Bite Back really unfocused, more like a stream of consciousness that mostly doesn't dig into the issues covered or provide stats or examples to back up statements and opinions.

It would have benefited from a much more robust edit to organise Hannah's thoughts, sharpen her points and drive them home.

While I might not have loved her first book, I still think Hannah is destined for great things.

[Sarah Pisani · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5/5 ⭐️

I really struggled through this book, but I’ve come to realise that I’m not the target audience. I’m the exhausted feminist who has been working in “feminist spaces” for two decades who tells white cis men who can’t be bothered googling that it’s not my job to educate them. The very person called out in the final chapter. Hannah seemingly touches on this towards the end, saying this is the book she wishes she’d had when she was younger. If I was 22 and reading this book, or if I’d never worked in social policy, I’d probably be giving it five stars. And so this book is a good thing, in and of itself.

With the exception of the chapter on the legal system, which I thought was brilliant and laid out in a really accessible way for newcomers, I found the chapters very stream of consciousness in approach, and I wish there was more tangible connection or even theory underpinning the thoughts on the page.

I also have a bone to pick with the editing and publishing team - why do you hate paragraphs?! You made this book almost completely inaccessible to me as a neurodivergent reader (an avid one at that). Consider this next time you think it’s ok to publish a book without a single paragraph break across two open pages.

I love what Hannah is doing with Cheek (I’m a proud Patreon supporter), and I’m excited to see what she does over the next five, ten, twenty years. And despite it not resonating with me, I would absolutely recommend this book to others.

[Nora Nora · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5
I have mixed feelings about this one.
On one hand it resonated with me (98%), on the other hand I feel it was a bit tangential, it touched on a lot of topics but didn’t get into any depth.

[Emma · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars.

I really wanted to like this one but it just didn’t click with me - I didn’t like the tone, the editing wasn’t great and it didn’t feel like there was a lot of structure to the book. It was also a lot of info I already knew, so perhaps not the target audience.

[Courtney · Rating 4 out of 5]

I finished this last night as the results from the referendum rolled in and just... raged at how the population of this country refuses to self reflect.

[Pip Snort · Rating 2 out of 5]

Bite is an excellent title for this book, as it does. Unapologetically. Ferguson bites at all the things and the people she disagrees with, and there are many. It is completely aimed at those she agrees with, although even they do not get away without wounds.

I appreciate her enthusiasm, but I think attacking with teeth bared is rarely persuasive. And I'm pretty sure she agrees.

[Imogen Henderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such an easy and digestible intro to feminism and I wish I could force everyone to read this

[Tanya · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Hannah and have a lot of respect and time for her. I listen to her podcast and follow her on social media. There's a lot to love about this book, but it's definitely pitched at a younger audience and some language may alienate older feminists who have been fighting this fight for years. The personal sections are the weakest for me, and I would love Hannah to speak with a wider range of people, including older women. The strongest are those which are based on research and from her work in the legal system. I also had to step away from this book at times and read other things because overall, it's a depressing story, but one many of all already know. Her conclusion is very strong where she talks about the dangers of white feminism, and gives a rally cry.

[MJ · Rating 5 out of 5]

They need to teach this in schools. I devoured this book, hung onto every single word. Hannah Ferguson for PM.

[Rachael McGettigan · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF

I made it about 100 pages into this book and struggled to get any further.

I found this book to be a stream on consciousness instead of a study about 'Biting Back' at the media and politics through a feminist lense. I wanted this book to be so much more, but it left me wanting.

[Abbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was really good. It talks about having difficult conversations and being willing to learn and be wrong and think critically and the importance of giving a damn.

It also talks about the media and Murdoch and the law which I didn’t know a lot about so was interesting to learn.

Chez put a quote in her last book review so I want to too…
“Conflict is not inherently bad. What if we approach debate with curiosity instead of reactivity? With the intention of challenging, not indicting those who sit across from us?”

[Em Cow · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this book, as someone who engages with Cheek Media regularly and listens to Big Small Talk weekly, I value Hannah Ferguson's voice and input on a range of topics.

Unfortunately, this fell short.

I found more enjoyment in the book when I considered it as more of a 'collection of essays' rather than a cohesive text. Even then, most of the chapters were jumpy, lacked statistics or evidence they would have benefited from, and felt like a bit of an attack, like readers are simultaneously not doing enough activism and also should be more understanding of those more conservative than themselves. The inclusion of page-filling calls to action also felt like padding, meaningless and also regularly ruined the flow of chapters.

On a nitpicky level, the book would also benefit from more editing. I wasn't expecting to come across typos, grammatical errors but there were a few missed. Structurally a change may help the novel too.

[Caitlin Hay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed this so much that I devoured in one sitting! Despite some reviews, I actually enjoyed that this felt like a stream of consciousness rather than essay like. A big fan of Hannah and all that she is doing in the media space!!

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed this book very much and the discussion it provoked. I would recommended it to literally everyone. The only thing holding me back from 5 stars was the flow, each chapter was important but long and sometimes felt lacking in structure.

[Isabella · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

not as strong as taboo, but still really thought provoking

[Kim Cook · Rating 2 out of 5]

I appreciate Hannah and everything that Cheek is about, however this book wasn’t it for me, I felt it was a little undercooked and agree with the earlier comment that there was a touch too much “bite” and sarcasm - Hannah’s on a journey like the rest of us so I can only imagine that if this is a debut, the best is yet to come. Can’t wait.

[Veronica · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is so good. I’ve hidden my boyfriends AirPods so he must read this on the train tomorrow (he will look v smart)

[Tyra Harvey · Rating 3 out of 5]

my first ever non-fictional non-bibliographical book that i read on my own accord. it took a lot longer to finish than other books as i found it very easy to get distracted by my phone or other activities i could partake in, or i just wasn’t in the mood to read something serious, political or informative. i think i just have a preference for reading to be a form of fictitious escapism (usually involving dragons or powers), and didn’t feel the urge to pick up the book whenever i had time to read.
this isn’t a criticism of the book itself, or the author, Hannah Ferguson, this is merely an observation i’ve made about myself. i’m torn to rate this book 3 or 4 stars because i think it was well-written, and broke down complex concepts in an ingestible manner — such as the explanation of Australia’s political system — but also, i found it very easy to put down.

i really liked the informative aspects of Bite Back, such as Ferguson outlining legal language in the context of a sexual assault case, or comparison data surrounding First Nations people and their wildly high incarceration rate, despite only making up 3% of the population. as somebody who doesn’t really know where to look for relevant information in regards to particular topics of conversation, i found Bite Back a really good source. Ferguson cites numerous articles, books, and interviews that one could look further into in pursuit of expanding their knowledge, which i appreciated.

a valid criticism i did have for Bite Back, however, is the fucking huge quote pages that interrupted sentences. as Craig Middlebrooks says, “excuse me, who even are you?”
it was insanely distracting, tedious, and just overly annoying. i would have to go back to flip back and reread what i had just read, because some giant bloody blockbuster letters taking up the entirety of two pages got in the way mid-sentence. ridiculous.

anyways, 3.5 stars. would highly recommend, but i myself am more of a fantasy fictional devotee, and didn’t utterly obsess over the read. it was intelligent and intellectual, but i didn’t miss it when i wasn’t reading it.

[Jayde Tangey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Hannah Ferguson and have learnt so much from engaging with her podcast Big Small Talk and this was no different.

In the introduction Hannah says “this book is not a decree of feminist law or a masterclass in progressive thinking… I write with the intention of opening conversation, challenging our established assumptions and navigating our individual morality. If you agree with everything captured within these pages, that is a problem too. You are supposed to have questions, to challenge these views and use them to go down your own rabbit holes and follow new trains of thought.”

In a time when the world feels more divided than ever, Hannah’s message about asking questions and thinking for ourselves is so important. I love that she encourages readers to challenge what they read - even her own words - and to explore their own thoughts and values. It’s such a powerful reminder that we don’t need to have all the answers, but we should be open to learning and changing. I’ll definitely be using parts of this book with my students at school. It opens the door to some really important conversations.

[Ellie Gordon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I agree with every opinion and call to action voiced in the book so found it enjoyable and validating in that regard. Also very much relate to growing up in a small town with conservative parents/families/friends/community around and how this has shaped so much of why I do what I do. I am much the same demographic as the author so found it hard to be respect that when she wrote about making space for others and not being fatphobic, was countered with the sheer fact that she is literally publishing a book that someone else more marginalised could have done or advised/co-authored and talking about how thin she is over a 10-page span. I appreciate that the author acknowledged her privilege over and over again, almost belayed the point because of how obvious it was that maybe just maybe it was a bit hypocritical. It was uncomfortable. Also there were many points where I thought it was just a stream of thought/consciousness and could have really benefited from being shorter and more to the point.

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

She is crazy good at articulating complex ideas! Loses a star from me only because I feel I have read SO MANY books like this one and I don’t think it really taught me anything new BUT it did have me nodding along and agreeing and I especially enjoyed the deeply Australian context of it all (esp w reference to politics and media). Worth a read!!

[Evie Ward · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and identified strongly with much of its content. My only critique is that some chapters lacked structure and the author’s thoughts could have been a bit more organised. Regardless, I loved it and especially enjoyed the justice system chapter as it aligned with many of my own thoughts and opinions gained from working in the field.

[Hélène · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5
Hoewel ik niet veel over Australië en hun politieke systeem weet, werden veel dingen aangekaart die in België ook relevant zijn.
De auteur geeft veel van haar gedachten waardoor het soms wat verwarrend werd en niet altijd tot een punt kwam. Ze heeft wel goeie ideeën die aanzetten tot denken

[mostlycloudyrogue · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hard to rate this one, its like a stream of consciousness rather than any cohesive discussion on feminism, media, politics etc etc. It's probably a better book for someone who doesn't already think/know/support these ideals.

[Jonny M · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fantastic, challenging and incredibly honest read. Cannot recommend higher, lots of themes to reflect on (hence there isn't much to say).

[Danielle Julian · Rating 4 out of 5]

We need more books like this with an antipodean lense of feminism that are written in an accessible fashion and refreshingly honest candour. I only wish it was longer!

[India Mortimer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading this during the US election and following some very frustrating conversations with loser men had me seriously considering the 4B movement. Learnt more about Murdoch media than I did during my 3yr media degree. Hannah Ferguson for PM.