Published by 404 Ink, this collection of essays illustrates the issues which are affecting women in the modern day West. The essays are expansive - covering everything from women's reproductive health to witchcraft. It testifies to the plurality of experience, with stories from women with completely different identities, with perspectives from women of colour and those from LGBTQ+ communities.

The stories that these women tell are enlightening and stand out examples are Jen McGregor's highly personal account of how her contraceptive has physically harmed her. This sense of believing you are protecting your body while in fact inadvertently damaging it is poignant through her letter writing style, scattered through her account of what happened. It is also a sharp reminder of how research into women's health and how we deal with this is appallingly poor.

There are a number of pieces which explore musical communities, particularly the punk rock scene, perhaps offering a slightly disproportionate perspective towards this - although since the book and writers are Scottish, this may be something that is more prevalent there. However, it is interesting to explore this scene as a microcosm for wider society.

The perspectives of women of colour are particularly interesting from exploring the importance of names to that of online spaces where people of colour can find representation and expand their communities. These essays were enlightening in highlighting the experiences of British women of colour, so often overlooked in conversations around race where American stories are the primary focus.


The book is short and each writer's style is refreshingly different. However, all converge around one central theme - 'nastiness'. What does it mean to be nasty? In what ways are women labelled as nasty? All of these writers are dealing with the issue of being too outspoken, committing practices others don't like, being in places others don't want them - ultimately all 'nasty' acts. The defining achievement of this is that it reminds us just how far we still have left to go in the fight for equality and is a must read for anyone who doesn't quite feel they understand the issues of modern feminism.
 
I received this book as an advanced reader copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review; all opinions are my own.

Sorry this book just wasn't for me, I tried so hard with this one but had to DNF purley because I don;t think I get on well with essay's and that style of writing, however I do think this is an important book and I know a lot of people would love this.....in this it is me not you!!

This is a collection of essays written by women from different backgrounds, ethnicity's, sexual orientations, educations, etc. about being a woman in the 21st century when intolerance, misogyny and political turmoil seem to be on the rise. The name refers to the now infamous quote from Trump, referring to Hillary Clinton, which has become a badge of honour for some women in the states. I really enjoyed reading this, the different perspectives on a variety of topics kept it fresh and interesting and I kept wanting to read on to the next essay, regardless of how tired I was at the time! I am a proud feminist and felt this was a great read for me but equally for young, budding feminists I think this would be a great book to educate yourself with!

Overall I'm not a fan of anthologies. The brevity generally causes me to not feel as invested or interested. When that short story is non-fiction it is probably even more difficult to maintain my interest. There were a few shorts in this anthology that were compelling, but overall they were forgettable to me. Many of the inclusions were poorly written and/or didn't add much to the overall conversation.

Nasty Women is a collection of essays and personal accounts from a diverse group of 22 women speaking about their experiences in the 21st century. Sparked by Trump's presidency, this collection is hard hitting, harrowing and so very important. It comes from a feminism-centered viewpoint, but will have none of your white-washed cis feminism.
Nasty Women gives voice to those that are often unheard, though more often, ignored. It holds every single person accountable for the actions and inactions that led to Donald Trump leading the free world. There is an essay for everyone to find themselves in and even putting that aside, I believe it is something everyone should read no matter your gender, race, religion, social or political standing.

I was going to rate each essay but I've learned that when it comes to collections like this, its best to not do that. Each essay and account is a piece of it's authors heart, how can you put a star rating on that? They were all written beautifully and I can't fault a single one of them, just that some of them I related to more than others, and those I didn't see myself in as much were no less important than those I did because they still taught me something profoundly important.

The last year or so has felt like an assault on women. Not that the previous years weren't, but more than ever stories of misogyny and political what-the-fuckery have been front and centre in the news, which has made it feel particularly pertinent. Nasty Women is an anthology speaking in response to the election of Trump, and sharing the real experiences of women from a wide variety of backgrounds. Touching on a wide variety of topics, from racial divides, immigrant experiences, sexual assault, Brexit, pregnancy and sexism in the punk scene, these women don't hold back when telling you the truth of their lives and of their politics. If you like your feminism no holds barred, then I think you'll like this collection. At times I found the writing a little clunky, which made it hard to lose myself in the stories, and I would have liked a bit more cohesion around the 'Nasty Women' theme (as there were times where I felt it was thrown in for the sake of being included) but I am always here for women telling their stories. If you're looking for a primer on feminism in the 2010s, this would be a good place to start.

(I received a free copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.)

With intolerance and inequality increasingly normalised by the day, it's more important than ever for women to share their experiences. We must hold the truth to account in the midst of sensationalism and international political turmoil. Nasty Women is a collection of essays, interviews and accounts on what it is to be a woman in the 21st century.
People, politics, pressure, punk - from working class experience to racial divides in Trump’s America, being a child of immigrants, to sexual assault, Brexit, pregnancy, contraception, identity, family, finding a voice online, role models and more, Laura Jane Grace of Against Me!, Zeba Talkhani, Chitra Ramaswamy are just a few of the incredible women who share their experience here.
Keep telling your stories, and tell them loud.

Wow! What a book. What a collection of essays by strong, incredible women on their trials and tribulations living in modern society - as women.

From politics to racism, to misogyny and role models, this book covers a wide spectrum of stories of women who have identified their places in today's world and offered their voices to help others find themselves.

There really isn't a lot to say about this book except: GO GET IT!


Paul
ARH

This is a very inclusive collection of essays that reflect various aspects that affect women in the 21st century.

Nasty Women is a revelatory book. Filled with essays that ring true, even when I have not experienced the same scenarios as the authors. The fact that Nasty Women received such impressive crowdfunding only goes to show that the world is looking for more books like this. I am recommending Nasty Women to every man, woman and non-binary individual who comes into our shop. Everyone should read it.

Not my personal cup of tea, so I'm not going to review publicly.

I have been looking forward to reading Nasty Women, a collection of essays put together by 404 Ink, since I first heard about the Kickstarter campaign from Margaret Atwood’s Twitter feed earlier this year.

Most of the authors you may not have heard of, but together they represent what it is to be a woman today, and the compilation is strong on being intersectional. When I spotted Nasty Women on Netgalley last month, I jumped at the opportunity to review it.

The stories encompass a wide variety of speakers: women of color, queer women, Muslim women, female immigrants, and female survivors of sexual assault, just to name a few. The group of authors are diverse and each story is unique.

The collection of stories are all raw and personal, deeply emotional, and powerful. It is women writing about their everyday experiences in today’s world. Many of the essays left me feeling enraged, angry…nasty. Angry at the amount of crap women that women continue to face. The increasing normalization – again – of misogyny and intolerance. The continuance of inequality.

The first essay, Independence Day by Katie Muriel, is one of my favorites. I believe many of us can identify with the guilt that Katie speaks to following the 2016 election. Jen McGregor’s essay was another one I could relate to, as I have also struggled with some horrible side effects from birth control, which I have taken regularly since my teen years in an attempt to help relieve my endometriosis symptoms.

But the essays I appreciated the most as a reader were by authors who come from a different life experience from my own. Such as Sim Bajwa’s essay on the immigrant experience, or Joelle Owusu’s essay, The Dark Girl’s Enlightenment.

This inspirational anthology is a must read for anyone who is looking to understand why intersectionality is vital to the advancement of women’s equality. As Owusu succintly states, “without all women being included in the wide and varied spectrum, the fight for equality is useless.”

If you'd titled your book "Nasty Women" a year ago, you'd have been putting together an entirely different kind of book. Since last year, though, if you give your book that title, there's a good chance I'm going to pick it up. And I'm going to know exactly what I'm going to get.

This collection, largely written by women in the UK, covers the gamut of issues women have, from birth control to sexual orientation, from a woman's place in predominately male venues to race. Every one of these women is tired of having to fight but inspired to keep up the fight, to be a nasty woman. Given the number of authors not from the United States, I was more than a little surprised to see the current U. S. president come up again and again. But it's not just the political climate in the U. S. that has these women concerned; it's the political climate in their own countries, as well. These women understand that's it's taken a long time for women, particularly those of color or of the LGBTQ community, just to get where we'd gotten. Now many feel that we will fall back.

As with all collections, some of the writing are stronger than others and some of the writing really stands out. I particularly liked "Independence Day," about a woman who was forced to face the bigotry of a family member after the 2016 election in the U.S.; "Lament: Living With The Consequences of Contraception," which mixes a letter to "D" with a story about the author's ordeal with Depo-Provera injections; "The Nastiness of Survival," the author's story of being a rape survivor; and "These Shadows, These Ghosts," in which the author talks about the generations of nasty women in her family and the ways that stereotypes and expectations damaged them.

I read this collection straight through but I wish I had read it an essay at a time and let myself have time to really consider each essay before moving on to the next. It can get to be a little much read straight through. But as a collection, it's well worth reading. Particularly if you proudly call yourself a nasty woman.

Nasty Women is a collection of essays from varying women with different perspectives of life in the 21st century. The majority of these accounts and essays were written by women in Europe and the United States, while in the midst of the results of both Brexit and the U.S. presidential election of 2016. These are reflections on race, sexual orientation, feminism and more personal experiences of this wide array of women. I consider this collection to be an important look at the many different and valid experiences of women across the world. We have to voice our experiences and not allow others to give their own interpretation of our experiences. I related to some of these essays more than others but I think there was a lot to gain by reading these accounts of women so different from myself. I would definitely recommend this collection.

This is a brilliant collection of essays by a wide range of women! It's really easy to read all in one go or to dip in an out. Would recommend to all to get a better understanding of what it's like to be a woman now and then and see how little has changed!

Wow, what a collection. Every time I finished reading an essay I didn't think I could be touched more by, I read another and am blown away all over again.

These amazing women, all I can say is that it amazes me that some of them can still rise above and function, and that all of them are willing to tell us their story. Here its not about quality of writing, but about understanding what is real- what women all over the world are going through, the issues we still have to fight and stand up for, but above all, the ways in which we as women can support one another and comfort each other when needed.

Thank you for putting this collection together. It was both a comfort and an eye-opener.

This book is so, so, SO important! There is so much hard hitting stuff in here, but ultimately, it's about women supporting women and women standing up for themselves, no matter the background.
There's such a wide range of backgrounds here, and it's so important to hear all the stories that people have to tell.
My only grievance is that sometimes the editing/writing bothered me, but overall it was such an important read and I've been thinking about it ever since!

This is an amazing collection of essays, that made me understand more about feminism, racism and diversity. It is an essential reading for anyone either just getting into feminism or just wanting to read more informative, warm, diverse and personal essays on being a woman in the 21st century.
Some of the essays made me realize what it is to be different and woman in the 21st century and how difficult it is for people to understand you.
It is a wonderful collection that I recommend to everyone.

I love, love, love!!!! this book! I am so glad I was able to read this copy of it through NetGalley because this really opened up my eyes. I already knew many of the things that were mentioned in this book, but having it all laid out in much more detail really got me thinking. The narration is extremely relatable, allowing almost anyone to get sucked in and reading it from start to finish in one sitting if they wanted to.

Loved this book. So often we hear from feminists who are white middle class women who we may or may not relate to. This collection of essays provides up exposure from women of diverse backgrounds and perspectives with a wide variety of experiences and opinions.

This title was at the top of my to-read list and it did not disappoint. It's a book filled with strong, nasty women's opinions on a wide range of topics from gender to religion to accessibility to size shaming. This book was a great way for someone to read what needs to be said in short, easily digestible snippets. Though someone of the essays were better quality than others, this is a great book that will be easily re-read.