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Rebel Grrrls: The Real Story of Women and Punk
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
Review of advance copy
"You're not too young, or too old, or too queer, or too weird, or too Black, or too girly, or too small, or too big, or too shy to grab a slice of punk for yourself. That's what it was always meant to be. I think it is one of the greatest genres of music ever made and for that reason, I want everyone to be able to participate in it, to craft it, to challenge it, to reinvent it, to break it down and build it back up again. But I want people to be safe and treated with dignity when they do it."
This book is very well researched and it has a lot of input from the fans in the punk scene rather than the musicians. It details the personal (positive and negative) experiences of female and non-binary punk fans (of varying ages) involved in the scene and what punk means to them. They discuss what it was like attending punk shows or being in bands themselves as a woman in a very male dominated subculture and if they have felt safe and respected in the punk community.
Punk is historically upheld as being a progressive and radically inclusive political movement. The subculture of punk serves as a place of sanctuary for those who feel outcast by society. However, punks progressive ideals and its lived reality are contradictory as punk became very corporate when pop punk and emo came about and the lack of representation of women and minorities playing at music festivals is significant because of deep rooted misogyny and racism in larger society, although it is improving.
This book spans the history of the punk subgenres, from punk in New York in the 1970s to punk in Britain from 1977, American hardcore punk in the 1980s, the riot grrrl movement in the 1990s, ska punk, emo and mainstream punk (pop) in the early 2000s and the resurgence of radical punk in the 2010s.
The punk movement is far from being a utopia, it's raw and messy, but we can at least keep pushing for change.
Punk can be empowering and liberating for women because it rejects traditional femininty and conformity and it offers an alternative way of being.
This book is very well researched and it has a lot of input from the fans in the punk scene rather than the musicians. It details the personal (positive and negative) experiences of female and non-binary punk fans (of varying ages) involved in the scene and what punk means to them. They discuss what it was like attending punk shows or being in bands themselves as a woman in a very male dominated subculture and if they have felt safe and respected in the punk community.
Punk is historically upheld as being a progressive and radically inclusive political movement. The subculture of punk serves as a place of sanctuary for those who feel outcast by society. However, punks progressive ideals and its lived reality are contradictory as punk became very corporate when pop punk and emo came about and the lack of representation of women and minorities playing at music festivals is significant because of deep rooted misogyny and racism in larger society, although it is improving.
This book spans the history of the punk subgenres, from punk in New York in the 1970s to punk in Britain from 1977, American hardcore punk in the 1980s, the riot grrrl movement in the 1990s, ska punk, emo and mainstream punk (pop) in the early 2000s and the resurgence of radical punk in the 2010s.
The punk movement is far from being a utopia, it's raw and messy, but we can at least keep pushing for change.
Punk can be empowering and liberating for women because it rejects traditional femininty and conformity and it offers an alternative way of being.
July 3, 2026
A really thorough, well researched book. This had just the right balance of personal experiences from contributors, with wider explanations of the politics and culture around each era. A nice personable writing voice too - this is clearly a passion of the author.
My main area of interest/knowledge was the riot grrrl era, and I got plenty of listening recommendations. But moreso, the book helped me to see how this time was based on the efforts of earlier women, and to understand its impacts on the scene since then.
My main area of interest/knowledge was the riot grrrl era, and I got plenty of listening recommendations. But moreso, the book helped me to see how this time was based on the efforts of earlier women, and to understand its impacts on the scene since then.
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July 3, 2026Thank you, Molly Tie! I loved this fresh, unromanticized, and comprehensive history of women in punk and their fans. It's less about the bands but instead the fans, and how it reflected back to the culture that helped and inspired girls and women survive decade after decade of societal shi*storms. I'm thrilled having this book on my shelf. A++
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews