A bold, insightful exploration of modern feminism. Kim Hong Nguyen challenges stereotypes and empowers readers with a fresh perspective.

'Mean Girl Feminism: How White Feminists Gaslight, Gatekeep, and Girlboss' by Kim Hong Nguyen is a powerful, eye-opening exploration of the intersection of feminism and race that everyone needs to read.

Nguyen masterfully dissects how the mainstream feminist movement often excludes and undermines marginalized voices, offering sharp critiques that challenge the status quo. The title itself is a clever nod to the insidious ways that privilege operates within feminist spaces, and Nguyen doesn’t hold back in revealing how white feminists can inadvertently (or sometimes purposefully) perpetuate harmful narratives.

This book is more than just a critique; it’s a rallying cry for an inclusive, intersectional feminism that truly uplifts all women. Nguyen's writing is both accessible and profound, weaving personal anecdotes with insightful analysis that resonates deeply.

The candid discussions around gaslighting and gatekeeping in feminist spaces are particularly striking, making it impossible to ignore the urgent need for change. It's a reminder that feminism should be about solidarity, not exclusion, and Nguyen provides a roadmap for how we can move forward together.

TL;DR: A must-read for anyone interested in feminism that challenges norms and advocates for inclusivity. Nguyen’s sharp wit and fierce honesty make this an unforgettable read.

Thank you to the author for shedding light on these crucial issues!

Mean Girl Feminism, the book that made me realize how important it is for women to be treated with respect. It's not my favorite book, but it opened my mind and helped me understand different perspectives. Thank you to the author for this book and to NetGalley for the opportunity.

this was an interesting read. i was focusing on feminism for my dissertation so when i saw this available as an e-arc, i thought it was a perfect choice for me. using pop culture to reference points and illustrate white feminism was particularly clever. even if you’re new to the feminist movement, i still think this is a great book to pick up!

This was a great review of the ways in which self proclaimed “feminists” can work against their own cause. I found the inclusion of pop culture tropes to be engaging but in some ways limiting to just a millennial audience who would understand the references.

An excellent study on intersectional feminism that smashes colonialism and gives the reader a lot to think about. Recommend for all women and afab folk. Important and timely.

Very interesting topic in my opinion. The phenomenon discussed in the book is one I had noticed and seen some conversations about it on social media. Although some interesting examples were examined, there wasn’t really any information that I found to be helpful or groundbreaking to me.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book.

I feel like netgalley maybe wasn't the best place to list this as an advanced copy, it's very much an academic text that should really be peer reviewed in advance of publication rather than opened to the general public. It is very wordy and not particularly accessible for a general audience.

Mean Girl Feminism offered an intriguing perspective on the performativity of white feminism. The book highlights the pitfalls of white feminism, such as the gaslighting and gatekeeping behavior, I found that it lacked a truly intersectional viewpoint. Nguyen's analysis primarily focuses on white feminist performativity, which, while valuable, could have been enriched by incorporating a broader range of perspectives.

I'm DNFing this book at 50%, not because it was bad, but because I didn't feel like I was getting as much out of it as I was expecting to.

I've been dedicating this year to consuming a lot of feminist nonfiction so I felt like this one would be right up my alley, however, the way this book was written left me wanting more. It felt like the author was throwing out a bunch of pop culture references to make their examples, but sometimes it would be overdone or overexplained. It also felt that this book would make a point, and then get sidetracked.

I can see this book working for some people, but unfortunately not for me.

After attempting to read this several times, I ended up DNF'ing towards the beginning of the 2nd chapter. I am disappointed, as the title, cover image, and description portray a book that I would thoroughly enjoy.

This reads as unnecessarily academic in language and entirely thesis-like in structure. It was evident I was reading someone's academic paper--removing some of the "in this chapter, I showed how X..." would be an easy start to making this text more accessible. The narrative parts of the book were certainly more enjoyable (although some of the examples, including the Taylor Swift/Kim Kardashian phone call, are robbed of their full context) and were perhaps the only times I felt I was truly comprehending the text. Jargon and academic terms are superfluously used without explanation (this is very alienating to your average reader, who are not already experts on the subject matter) and certain words particularly "neo-liberal," are used so frequently, they lose all meaning. I imagine this was an excellent graduate research project and paper for the right audience--I'm just not sure who this unedited version is for outside of that setting.

I found the author's archetypes of "mean girl feminists" to be interesting--I just wish I could understand what the text is truly saying.

Thank you for the eGalley copy that was provided by NetGalley and the University of Illinois Press. All opinions are my own.

I found this book put thoughts into words with explanations of how I’ve felt before as a woman that belongs to a minority group. Such detail and extraordinary research and explanation.

The cover of this book really grabbed me, but it felt very disconnected from the content of the book itself, which was more textbook/scholarly. Perhaps it'll help white women like me pick it up, as we definitely need the messages from this book, but I think that it could be presented better, and that a lot of the people that really NEED to read this book aren't going to stick with it or be receptive to it. Maybe that's a problem beyond this book, but I'm not sure that this book solves it. It's hard to know what the author's intent was with this approach.

Did not finish. I have 4 degrees and this was too dense for even me. Was not expecting a research based book.

Mean Girl Feminism presents a compelling analysis of modern feminist dynamics, focusing on the aggressive and exclusionary behaviors that sometimes emerge within feminist communities. The book illustrates how certain feminist discourses can mirror the very patriarchal structures they aim to dismantle.

However, its pronounced academic tone detracts from its readability, making it feel like wading through a dense research paper, although you could argue it tries to lighten it by essentially detailing teenager movie and tv series plots on and on (a.i., Mean Girls, Gossip Girl). This super elevated style can be intimidating or off-putting if you’re seeking a more approachable and conversational exploration of the topic. Despite its TikTok, AOC, and Taylor Swift name-dropping, from my point of view, the book remains largely inaccessible to broader audiences.

Thank you Netgalley and University of Illinois Press for the ARC in exchange of an honest review.

I was quite excited to receive this book. I am not proud to say this but few years back I didn't call myself a feminist because of many stigmas and misinformation propogated and sticked to the word. Then I stumbled across few books, we should all be feminists , bad feminists and fiction works like room of one's own, the awakening and I could relate to them.

Mean girl feminism is a serious book and topic but it didn't feel like reading a book. Rather it felt too plain, like reading a medical article without a stop. Even for me, I tried so hard to engage my brain and yet I failed. I will say I had to make myself finish this book even though the topic is important and much needed in today's world.

Kim Hong Nguyen covers lot many celebrities from Taylor Swift to JKR and I agree mostly with what she had to say but it would have been better if it was little bit reader friendly, if this book is made available to vast reader population out there.

It just felt little flat to me in all its seriousness and didn't leave an impact like we should all be feminists did.

Kim Hong Nguyen's "Mean Girl Feminism" is like that friend who calls you out on your sass- but in the best way possible. It's a hilarious and thought-provoking look at how feminism can sometimes get caught up in the high school cafeteria, with "girl power" turning into "mean girl" power.

The book dives into four types of these "mean girl feminists" - the ones who think sarcasm is activism, the power couples who forget about dismantling the patriarchy while climbing the ladder together, and even the "global mothers" who swoop in to "save" the world (with a side of white savior complex).

Nguyen exposes the ways these tropes can actually undermine true feminist goals. It's like when you try to fight fire with fire, but you just end up burning everyone's metaphorical eyebrows off.

But this book isn't here to just point fingers and roll its eyes. It also explores how we can move beyond the mean girl game and build a feminism that's truly intersectional and radical.

Imagine a world where anger isn't performative, but a fuel for liberation. "Mean Girl Feminism" will make you laugh, think, and maybe even ditch your "girlboss" mug for something a little more revolutionary.

The book has good premise and I honestly interested with the topic Kim Hong Nguyen's explained. It gave me another perspective about white feminism and why some of it can not be considered as intersectional feminism.

Mean Girl Feminism by Kim Hong Nguyen is packed with challenges to people who call themselves feminist in the 21st century. The damage that gaslight, gatekeep, girlboss does to community and advancement is apparent in all of the author's data, support and anecdotes. This is an important call out.