Rebel Girl: My Life As A Punk Feminist
by: Kathleen Hanna
Due 5-14-24
Harper Collins
4.5 stars

#NetGalley #Rebelgirl
Kathleen Hanna has an energy that is impossible to ignore. She is a striking and intense woman, one of the most influential in the Riot Grrrl and punk rock movement. I've been a fan for years, following her music in several unforgettable punk bands.

The many short chapters are revealing and relateable, told straight and honestly, with a true intensity. Hanna's experiences growing up in Maryland ( the same area I lived in for a few years), working as a stripper, being abused by boys and her father, and forming bands are so cool to read. Her writing, of songs and 'zines really helped her to feel centered in a world that was increasingly hard to get through. You can feel the emotions. You can feel her angst. You can feel her passion for helping others understand what is happeneing to them, when they go through some of the things she did. Incredibly honest and deeply moving.

I went through all the feels reading this. It made me look inside myself a little deeper. It's exactly what I want from a memoir and a little bit more. Its one thing to have these experiences, and live through them. It takes so much more to be able to share them, to help others understand and heal. Hanna has done that, with this exceptional memoir.
Read this. Now.
Thanks to Net Galley for sending this ARC for review.

Kathleen Hanna has gifted us with an amazing memoir that really lays out her struggles and triumphs of her life. As the official poster girl of the 1990s Riot Grrrl movement, Hanna has been lifted to idol status, while at the same time has been torn down for being not enough - not enough of a feminist, punk, musician, woman. She is extremely candid about her trials and mistakes and really shines a light on the absolute hypocrisy of the men in the punk scene. Hanna does her best to take responsibility for her actions, but reminds us while she has many admirable qualities, she is just a woman trying her best to make music and change.

To the surprise of no one: this was fantastic. Anyone from a die hard fan to someone unfamiliar with her work will relate to and/or learn something from this. She’s the coolest person in the world and we’re so lucky to have her and now her memoir!

If you're not a fan of Kathleen Hanna before reading this, you will be after. I have loved both Le Tigre and Bikini Kill since I was a teenager but I had no idea the depth and scale of Hanna's body of work. Reading her personal journey through feminism and art in grunge/punk scenes of the '90's gave me a newfound respect and appreciation for her work and for her as a whole person. Drawn to music and activism through her own trauma, she was committed to creating art for women who and safe spaces for those women to experience the art and create their own. She doesn't shy away from her mistakes, letting us know exactly when and how she fucked up and, more importantly, how she learned to do better. She also pulls no punches when it comes to calling others out who were contributing to rampant misogyny and violence within her circles, while still empathizing and making an effort to understand the source for their behavior. It should come at no surprise to anyone who has experienced the raw power and honesty of Bikini Kill that her trauma from childhood as well as adulthood are laid bare in these pages. As usual, Kathleen Hanna makes no apologies for who she is or what she believes. I finished this book weeks ago and I still find myself thinking about it and feeling inspired by her seemingly insatiable impulse to create. When faced with hardship or pain, she did not wait for permission, she turned the pain into art.
For anyone looking for insight into the songwriting process or a slice of music history (yes, even some dirt on other musicians), or an inspiring story of a feminist icon and role model, you won't find a better read than this one.

I'm a long-time fan of Kathleen Hanna, so I certainly went into this book with some bias. It's probably not completely accurate to say that I "enjoyed" this, because so much of it was tough to read. Hanna has lived through a lot of trauma, basically from early childhood until pretty recently in her life, and she doesn't shy away from telling those parts of her story. One of the things that I found really compelling about this memoir is how Hanna both acknowledges the role that she played as one of the founders of the riot grrrl movement, which was so important to many people (myself included), and as someone who never intended to be its leader or savior or queen. I was really interested in seeing how Hanna's own views changed over time, and how her experiences shaped her politics. She's not afraid to talk about anything, really, from her serious trauma experiences to her own bratty behavior to her health struggles. I saw and enjoyed The Punk Singer when it came out, but this definitely goes deeper in a lot of ways. Also, I was surprised by how sweet her love story with her now husband Adam Horovitz was. That definitely came out in the movie, particularly as he cared for her while she dealt with serious symptoms of Lyme disease, but because this was a first-person memoir, she could really get into the details. Content warning for many forms of trauma, including: sexual abuse, sexual harassment, sexual assault, substance use/abuse, suicide, serious illness, miscarriage, racism, and more. Not for the faint of heart, but I'm glad I read it.

Look. As a woman in her 40's, it's a good guess that I would either love Kathleen Hanna or I wouldn't have any idea who she is. So, despite growing up, during Bikini Kill's heyday, in the smallest of small towns, Kathleen Hanna has been a woman to look towards. Her outspoken voice and cool as hell style were hallmarks of my teens. I wanted to be Kathleen. I wanted to have a band where I screamed that the girls should be in front. I wanted to be a leader in female punk rock.

Rebel Girl is a perfect memoir for my demographic. Covering her youth, her bands, her feeling on the Riot Grrrl label and movement as well as her relationship with Ad-Rock, this is a raw look at an interesting life. There's trauma and there's healing. There's the rebel girl.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this book. Thank you Kathleen Hanna for everything.

That girl thinks she's the queen of the neighborhood
I got news for you, she is!
They say she's a slut, but I know
She is my best friend, yeah

Thanks netgalley and ecco for letting me review this ARC!

Its so weird to review a memior- theyre so personal, and this one in particular goes through so much trauma and personal growth. Kathleen Hanna recounts her abusive childhood and finding her voice in theater, falling in love with rock and roll and finding freedom through art at evergreen and falling into Bikini Kill and the feminist punk revolution they started. It is FUCKING AMAZING to see all the amazing things one hella driven person can do with their time and their passion (if theyre running away from their pain., but i digress) without the internet or a working car or any damn money. I also really appreciated the ways in which Hanna discussed how she learned and grew from her early feminism/riot grrl to make her feminism more intersectional and grew in her musical skills, and finally in healing from her trauma. Overall, Really enjoyed this memior

Bikini Kill was such an important band to me as a teen girl, and I've been a big fan of Kathleen Hanna and her side projects ever since. Her memoir was highly highly anticipated by me and I'm so grateful for the opportunity to have read an ARC (thanks, Netgalley!).

When you're such a big fan of a person, band, movement, etc, it can feel like reading a book about them is just more of the same info spat back out at you. But this was not that. I feel like I learned so much about Kathleen Hanna's upbringing and experiences and how they shaped every aspect of her adulthood. I really appreciated the introspective nature of this memoir, and how she can recognize and acknowledge her shortcomings, as well as her massive (massive!!!) accomplishments.

I almost knocked a star off for her slight against the Spice Girls, but decided against being a petty brat :) This is a work of art, and an important, honest read.

I loved this book every bit as much as I expected I would.

It’s no secret that I am a Kathleen Hanna fan. I have read plenty of articles and interviews about her, on top of watching the documentary. I almost expected that this would be a lot of repetitive stuff for me, but man, I was wrong.

It’s sooo amazing to me how honest and open Kathleen was the myriad of experiences in her life–a lot of them quite painful. Her voice really came through for me in the writing, as did her humor (even while talking about difficult topics). A lot of times celebrity memoirs don’t leave me feeling like I am reading about a “real” person if that makes sense? That’s not the case here–this book made me feel like Kathleen could be any one of my friends, just a down to earth gal who happens to be in one of my fave bands.

She reveals a lot of information about her childhood and teenage experiences that really helped to inform and shape the feminist she grew up to be. Some of them were really difficult to read, but I think it's so important to hear these stories--especially for folks who have gone through similar things.

I was obviously very interested in the part of the book where she talked about the Riot Grrrl stuff (the rise and the fall, lol), and the difficulty she faced in the punk scene. A lot has changed since the 90s in the scene, but…a lot hasn’t, and I saw a lot of my own thoughts and feelings in Kathleen’s narrative and experience. Also, I think most women will be able to relate to a lot of her stories about sexism and misogyny (not just in the scene, but in the world, boo).

It was also clear to me that she has done a lot of healing and reflecting on her experiences, and I appreciated that she does not shy away from talking about her own flaws and problematic behaviors. She doesn't try to come off as perfect or guilt-free and she owns the things she knows she did wrong with grace. I also felt like she presented all stories with nuance, understanding, and empathy for the others involved.

My thanks to both NetGalley and the publisher Ecco for an advance copy of this new memoir of an amazing singer, songwriter, and force of nature, and a history of a time in music where the songs seemed to encapsulate a moment and rage, that honestly should be even louder today.

I worked in a record store during the 90's and was lucky enough, which was considered rare at the time to have a fairly balanced group of people as co-workers. Some places were just men's club, sort of like comic book stores were if females came in looking for music, they just got looks of confusion. We had zines, magazines, used and new books, and other tchotchkes, but we also had buyers who liked music, listened to employees equally, and carried a really good selection of music. That's where I started hearing some of the bands that were female led, female empowered, and really really female good. I'm not sure which Bikini Kill song I heard first, but I remember a couple of customers talking about an outdoor show they had seen the band at, and how good it was. Later I became a fan of Le Tigre, and couldn't get over it was the same singer, Kathleen Hanna. Rebel Girl is Hanna's memoir about her life, music, and experiences, and a look at the scene she was an important part of, how it changed, and how it changed Hanna.

Kathleen Hanna was born in a family that even when setting down roots in a place, never seemed to stop moving. Hanna's father was far more than a difficult man. Hanna's father was a drunk, who once faked a suicide to get love from his family, never supported his daughters in there achievements, and had definite boundary issues with both daughters. Hanna's sister was also abusive, and with problems of her own, marrying early it seems to escape. Hanna's mother was supportive of her daughter, volunteered to help domestic violence victims and taught Hanna helping others is the best thing that one can do. Hanna's escape was the arts. Starting with show tunes in Annie, music was a release, which expanded in college with the formation of a band, an interest in photography, and zines. Soon Hanna was forming Bikini Kill, and became a founder or founding member of the riot grrrl movement. And than things got weird.

A remarkable book both for its honesty and the way that Hanna talks about it, not as words on a page, but a conversation between Hanna and the reader. There is a lot of sadness here, I won't go into them, but it can seem like a lot. However as this book is being written today, Hanna has survived it all. Even a long bout with Lyme's disease, showcasing the fact that even in medicine woman have to put up with being ignored, or downplayed. Hanna discusses her life, love and marriage with Adam Horovitz of the Beastie Boys, her many friends, and a few enemies. There is such a positive feeling that comes off the pages, even when the book is bleak, one can't help but feel the strength that Hanna has, the persistence to go on. Even when it seems everything is against her.

A very good book, one I think would appeal to people not only for the music, but for the person who lived it. Readers who enjoy the artist and music, will love it, but readers who enjoy biographers of people who just don't let anything stop them, who follow their dreams, even after some part of the dream dies, and reality keeps sticking its ugly head in, will enjoy this also.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC of this book. I have loved Kathleen Hanna since I was a teenager, and the documentary The Punk Singer is one of my favorites. This book added so much more context to all the history I already knew about Hanna, and I loved how forthright she was throughout the memoir. I thought it struck a nice balance of chronological history and self-reflection. A must-read for anyone with even a passing interest in Kathleen Hanna or the riot grrrl movement.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins for allowing me to preview Kathleen Hanna’s Rebel Girl. This book was amazing—I didn’t realize how much fun it would be, and Hanna’s ability to make some of the most fraught and emotionally challenging moments of her life kind of humorous made this book highly engaging. Furthermore, her work in music and art, and as a feminist activist bringing “girls to the front” also made this book an important read for anyone interested in art, music, culture, and politics. About 12 years ago, I had the opportunity to sit in on a discussion on Kathleen Hanna and Sara Marcus, author of Girls to the Front, at University of Pennsylvania’s Kelly House. At the time, I wasn’t that familiar with Bikini Kill or Le Tigre, but I kind of knew about them tangentially. I went with some friends who were more into Riot Girl and Zines. It was interesting to learn more about this movement, but Hanna’s book (and Sara Marcus’s book as well) provide some more insight. I’m not a major Bikini Kill fan, but I appreciate their music—it’s on my running playlists, since I really like the fast beats. After reading this book, I now want to listen to more of Kathleen Hanna’s work with Le Tigre and Julie Ruin.
This book was a blast to read, and I didn’t expect that. One of the themes that Hanna repeatedly revisits is how her reputation often precedes her—and sadly this is something that happens to a lot of women and girls. I assumed that this would be a serious and angry book by an angry feminist. I don’t have anything against that, but I was unprepared for how funny this book would be. Even cringeworthy moments Hanna shares about her early life, growing up, and her family are presented in a kind of humorous reflection. If anything, this book also helps to reassert misconceptions about feminism and how it is more about empowerment than putting down men. I hope that other men also read this book to gain a better understanding on feminism in music and the importance of feminism for society. There are some serious moments and some points that made me pause and just kind of be shocked about some of the things her father did. However, I appreciated her ability to look back on these moments and claim them as something that has ultimately made her stronger and provided her with ways of dealing with difficult people, especially difficult men. I also think it’s helpful for me, as a man and a father, to read about these challenging experiences to remind myself of how not to act and to be aware of the potential challenges and dangers that my daughter might experience. Beyond her family life, it’s important to identify how other social institutions like school, arts, and work can serve as barriers to authentic participation and contributions for many women. In much the same way as Crying in H Mart, Michelle Zauner’s amazing memoir about becoming an artist and musician, Hanna shares about the challenges of becoming a musician and developing as a female musician in predominantly male spaces. It was great to read about how she worked with other women to develop their own spaces and about the steps she took to make girls more comfortable and empowered at shows.
I also liked how there were kind of like different styles of writing for the different periods of her life. Hanna’s childhood is reflected with some humor, where she provides self-deprecating remarks about her musical choices, dress, and participation in activities. I also liked reading about “Good Times” her sister and their relationship. As she goes to college, her writing becomes more serious, but she also develops more detail and analysis of her experiences, highlighting the kinds of inequalities and barriers she experienced that motivated her to continue to advocate and push for greater opportunities and equality. I really enjoyed reading about her art and the process of developing her art. I wasn’t aware of this part of her background, but I can see her photography and art background in much of the Bikini Kill artwork. It was also fascinating to learn more about the Olympia and K Records scene, even if it is not a huge part of the book. Kurt Cobain looms large in the book, and I wasn’t aware of how close Kathleen Hanna and him were (I knew about the Teen Spirit influence from Tobi Vail). It was really interesting to see how Hanna participated and helped develop the Olympia scene, and also spread the scene for women around the country by touring, sharing and publishing zines, and sending out postcards and mailers. Reading about this kind of information sharing in the pre-internet days is fascinating and I can see how much work it was to develop these kinds of connections and empower other young women to start their own bands and zines. I found these parts to be some of the most powerful and engaging—I really enjoyed learning about how her work with Bikini Kill led to more participation for women in music. Another part of the book that was great to read was her love for Adam Horovitz, AKA Ad Rock from the Beastie Boys. I didn’t realize how long they were together, and just reading about the first time she noticed him was so sweet and endearing. There’s a great story about a Beastie Boys poster that I won’t spoil, but again, it highlights some of the humor in her writing. She also addresses some other serious points in her life with a kind of humor that is hard to imagine, but I also think it is what makes her so tough and able to manage these challenging situations.
I didn’t realize how much Kathleen Hanna’s bands related to many of the other groups and musical scenes I followed in college. Reading about her experiences developing the Zine scene and Bikini Kill was exciting, interesting, and took me back to other experiences of being around bands and artists in my late teens and early 20s. Not only was this book enjoyable to see about how an artist and activist developed her voice and helped create an important musical scene and social movement, but it was also a fun and engaging read with some awesome pictures for each chapter. I highly recommend this book, and I hope that her experience writing this memoir also allows Kathleen Hanna to write another book, whether it be focused on artistic development or advocating for equity and justice.

I want to shout in all caps about how much I loved this book. How much I loved Hanna's honesty, how much I love her account of doing the work, how much I love the credit and love and compassion she gives to her bandmates and friends (and former friends). This is a big-hearted memoir about anger and feminism and art and creating grrl power and music and visual art and words, and I read it and then listened to Bikini Kill and Le Tigre again with new information and loved them all even more. Go read it.

Easy 5 stars.

I was so excited for this release, that I bought tickets for Kathleen Hannah's in-person book tour the moment it was announced she'd be coming to Philly in May 2024.

So yeah, I may have squealed a tiny bit when I was given an arc of Rebel Girl to review for my honest feedback. Fuuuuuck was it good. I was nervous it wouldn't live up to my high expectations that I had for it, but was everything that I hoped it would be. Raw, painfully honest, fun, entertaining, and I didn't feel like she hid or held anything back. And damn, did she dish. That shit with Courtney Love was bananas!

If you're going into this liking Kathleen Hannah, you're coming out of it loving and respecting her for where she is at today.

Thanks to NetGalley and Ecco publishers for an advanced copy so that I could give my honest feedback and review.

5 stars

This was easily one of my most anticipated books of 2024, and it did not disappoint at all. Fans of Hanna's, those interested in learning more about her contributions, and those whose births and environments did not align them with constant access to her should all be clamoring to get into this one.

I fit into the first group: a long-time, devoted fan of Hanna's. From documentary footage, articles, and a lot of exposure to her music, I had a general sense of what I was getting into here, and I still loved it (and learned a ton). It's easy to look at and listen to the strength and power that comes from Hanna's stage presence and her voice and to forget about a consistent fact of revolutionary women: that they are expected to give their whole selves - safety and humanity, too - to the masses all while leading change, caring for others (and never themselves), and running themselves into the ground like some sort of martyrs. Hanna expertly balances her actual experiences - many of which are horrific and difficult (though sadly not surprising) to read - with the exceptional path she took and outcomes she has realized.

Oh, and this book is FILLED with fantastic photography, which is an added bonus on top of a stellar narrative.

I can't say enough about this one, and while I almost never buy hard copies of books anymore (unless I'm teaching them and planning to utterly deface them for professional purposes), I'll be making a rare and warranted exception for this one. Like its focal point, it's an absolute gem.

Kathleen Hanna is a force of nature. It seems that she was destined for greatness through sheer force of will. There is a lot to unpack here, from her hardscrabble childhood to being a partner to one of the Beastie Boys.

While most people know Kathleen Hanna as a musician and lead singer for bands like Bikini Kill and Le Tigre, Hanna is also a feminist activist. She started this work based on her personal experiences. Through her powerful voice she has used her platform to help others and bring awareness to sexism and misogyny.

Kathleen is no martyr and talks about mistakes she has made and learned from in being an ally to WOC in the movement. She is humble and often gives credit to folks she never met for contributions through their own activism.

While I like the music of Kathleen Hanna and have enjoyed both Bikini Kill and Le Tigre, I was never a superfan. This book makes me want to listen and know even more about her.

I think women will find a lot to relate to here.

Trigger warnings: Sexual abuse, rape, physical abuse, suicide, mental health.

Thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins for the ARC!

I received this as an digital e-galley from NetGalley.

I loved this memoir! It is very easy to be in a honest when writing a memoir about others but I appreciated that KH was honest about her faults and admitted to maybe faulty memories or feelings in retrospect. That's the kind of memoir I respect and enjoy reading.

Also was cracking up at KH trying to figure out which Adam from the Beastie Boys she was corresponding at the end of a joint tour. Yauch was cordial and Horovitz was flirty but neither signed a last name (or inital) I would have been freaking out too!!!

I remember listening to Bikini Kill songs and other Riot Grrl music when I was a teenage girl rightfully upset with the world. Hearing Kathleen Hanna's personal account of her life and how she got from one place to another was both interesting and therapeutic. I had never delved into her personal life before and was surprised by a lot of the stories that she detailed in this book. There was a lot for me to relate to, some of which had me remembering things I had not thought about in years. Highly recommend this title for anyone curious about Kathleen Hanna's personal journey.

Kathleen Hanna does not hold back in this raw & revealing memoir. She is almost as well-known for her feminism as her music, but it was fascinating to hear how she struggled, learned, and grew along the way. Highly recommend to everyone, especially the punk rock feminists out there!

I knew the bare bones of Kathleen Hanna's life story, having been a Bikini Kill fan since the 90s. She goes super deep here, particularly about her abusive father and messy childhood and how she found comfort and purpose in the early 90s Olympia punk scene. She never wanted to be the face of riot grrl but seems to have come to terms with her role now, and she does take responsibility for some of the mistakes she made as the appointed leader of the movement. It made me super nostalgic for a simpler time in music and culture, where working class kids had a shot at becoming household names.