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megatsunami's review against another edition
4.0
3.5 stars. I really enjoyed this book and it made me reflect a lot on my own adolescence (just a tiny bit too late to be part of the Riot Grrl movement) as well as on youth and social movements in general. The author did really exhaustive research through interviews, video footage, zines, letters, and mainstream media coverage. She does a great job connecting the Riot Grrl movement with what was happening on the larger political and social scenes, which really puts the story in context. She also describes her personal investment in the topic (her own participation in the scene), which I appreciated. And I liked her emphasis (throughout the book) on what the movement was really supposed to be about: empowering women and girls to resist the limited options offered to them. Reading this re-connected me with some parts of my feminism that I haven't paid as much attention to lately. Thanks!
My main problem with the book was that I dislike the narrative voice she used (a kind of omniscient narrator) when it comes to describing people's inner experiences. It's a journalistic pet peeve of mine. It seems to me that the individual voices get lost in this style of narrative, since we're never sure how much was directly said by the person and how much is the author's interpretation. I really would have preferred more lengthy direct quotations, even if they included a lot of "um"s and "you know"s. At times the author went over the top in trying to give amazing descriptions of people's internal experience, where it would have been more powerful spoken directly in the person's voice. Example: "A layer of Molly's self-hatred burned off, and its charred remains drifted out the car window." (p. 181). Did Molly actually say that? Cause if she did, you should just quote her.
Occasionally the book got too bogged down in the day-to-day lives and petty in-fighting that happened. It's a fine line to walk, for sure - a lot of the details are important from a writing perspective to give us the flavor of the story, and important from a political/historical perspective to help us understand the movement. Still, sometimes there was just a little too much information about what the weather was like or who ate whose tofu without permission.
As a side note, what's up with the several random snarky digs at L7? They were a totally awesome and feminist band!
My main problem with the book was that I dislike the narrative voice she used (a kind of omniscient narrator) when it comes to describing people's inner experiences. It's a journalistic pet peeve of mine. It seems to me that the individual voices get lost in this style of narrative, since we're never sure how much was directly said by the person and how much is the author's interpretation. I really would have preferred more lengthy direct quotations, even if they included a lot of "um"s and "you know"s. At times the author went over the top in trying to give amazing descriptions of people's internal experience, where it would have been more powerful spoken directly in the person's voice. Example: "A layer of Molly's self-hatred burned off, and its charred remains drifted out the car window." (p. 181). Did Molly actually say that? Cause if she did, you should just quote her.
Occasionally the book got too bogged down in the day-to-day lives and petty in-fighting that happened. It's a fine line to walk, for sure - a lot of the details are important from a writing perspective to give us the flavor of the story, and important from a political/historical perspective to help us understand the movement. Still, sometimes there was just a little too much information about what the weather was like or who ate whose tofu without permission.
As a side note, what's up with the several random snarky digs at L7? They were a totally awesome and feminist band!
amarie101's review against another edition
5.0
This is a good introductory book to use if you are teaching Intro to Women's Studies or a class focusing on the Third Wave of Feminism. Overall, this book was very detailed and thankfully didn't put the emphasis that the Riot Grrl movement was created/maintained by one person. The author makes SURE that we realize and understand that it took a combination of women's efforts that made Riot Grrl what it was. The history of Bikini Kill, Bratmobile, the writings on skin, the popularity of the zines, and the uncertainity of being a girl in the early 1990s make this book hit home.
What the author really emphsized what after Riot Grrl and the bands picked up followers and the movement began to spread, the media dogs came biting down. The misconceptions, stereotypes, and labels that some on the nations leading magazines put on the Riot Grrl cause so much friction that I believe it eventually causes the premature death (along with other things) of Riot Grrl.
Like many of the other reviewers, Riot Grrl was before my time. But the things they experienced are things that many other teens in the 90's experienced (myself included). It's truely sad that Riot Grrl, punk, feminism, women's lib ,etc. are mislabled by the media and earlier generations of adults who just don't understand what the media does to a teenage girl. Movements like Riot Grrl (and movements after it) could have been revolutionary if only society would have let it.
What the author really emphsized what after Riot Grrl and the bands picked up followers and the movement began to spread, the media dogs came biting down. The misconceptions, stereotypes, and labels that some on the nations leading magazines put on the Riot Grrl cause so much friction that I believe it eventually causes the premature death (along with other things) of Riot Grrl.
Like many of the other reviewers, Riot Grrl was before my time. But the things they experienced are things that many other teens in the 90's experienced (myself included). It's truely sad that Riot Grrl, punk, feminism, women's lib ,etc. are mislabled by the media and earlier generations of adults who just don't understand what the media does to a teenage girl. Movements like Riot Grrl (and movements after it) could have been revolutionary if only society would have let it.
heykstan's review against another edition
5.0
When I was in high school, riot grrrl very literally changed my life. I was very angry and sad and every fucking day was a struggle. And then one day a super badass girl told me to go buy 3 albums: Bikini Kill "the cd version of the first 2 records", Babes in Toyland "Nemesisters" and Sleater-Kinney "Dig Me Out". I was blown away by all 3 albums for different reasons, but Bikini Kill taught me that it was ok to be pissed, it was ok to think the dudes in my class were shitheads, it was ok to be mad about the standards that teenage girls are forced to live with. That and a pretty serious Ani Difranco obsession cemented my feminist identity. I no longer hated being a girl, I hated society for painting girls into a shitty little corner. I hated the things that I was supposed to do/say/wear as a "good girl". It sort of formed my rage into a direction, and it helped me to become educated and seek out other women who felt the same way.
So I loved this book. I loved learning about the beginnings of the movement that I was too young to be apart of, but 10 year later effected me so deeply. It sucks that it went awry in so many ways, and as a journalist, it sucked to see that the media had such a big part in its destruction. I wish I had had this book when I was 16. It explained, so much more coherently than I could have at that time, why it's so shitty and hard to be a teenage girl.
If you're into this book, you should watch The Punk Singer. I've watched it twice in the last couple months. It rules.
So I loved this book. I loved learning about the beginnings of the movement that I was too young to be apart of, but 10 year later effected me so deeply. It sucks that it went awry in so many ways, and as a journalist, it sucked to see that the media had such a big part in its destruction. I wish I had had this book when I was 16. It explained, so much more coherently than I could have at that time, why it's so shitty and hard to be a teenage girl.
If you're into this book, you should watch The Punk Singer. I've watched it twice in the last couple months. It rules.
jodyanthony's review against another edition
5.0
Fantastic history of Riot Grrrl. Sad how many of the issues are still so amazingly prevalent. Read this if you can.
amisk23's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
informative
inspiring
fast-paced
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny
Moderate: Murder and Rape
Minor: Incest
maddyisnotilliterate's review against another edition
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
3.75
There were parts that dragged a bit for me, but i appreciate the dedication of how much information and back-and-forth experiences went into this book
filesm's review against another edition
4.0
Ok, this book took me a while to read. Music biographies that center on an entire movement can be a struggle to get through. That being said, Girls to the Front was a great introduction to the Riot Grrrl movement. Showing not only the strong empowering themes of the movement but also the exclusivity of a punk movement with a lack of diversity, this book felt in no way biased. Overall informative and entertaining, this book is probably comparable to "Please Kill Me", in terms of its breakdown of the movement.
gillyking's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
5.0
squeenbean's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
5.0