Carrie Brownstein Book Review: 'Hunger Makes Me a Modern Girl'

This post may contain affiliate links. Learn more here.

BOOK SUMMARY & STATS

SUMMARY

The Carrie Brownstein book Hunger Makes Me a Modern Girl is a sharp, emotionally raw memoir that traces her journey from a restless suburban kid to an indie rock icon. Best known as a founding member of the band Sleater-Kinney, Brownstein brings readers into the heart of the 1990s Pacific Northwest punk scene while also pulling back the curtain on the personal struggles that fueled her creative drive. The book explores her complicated family life, her deep connection to music as both refuge and rebellion and the intense dynamics of being in a band built on passion and politics. Told with wit and vulnerability, it’s a coming-of-age story, an insider’s look at a radical music movement, and a portrait of a woman forging her own identity in the often male-dominated world of rock.

STATS

Title	Hunger Makes Me a Modern Girl
Author	Carrie Brownstein
Book Club(s)	Our Shared Shelf #7 in July 2016
Publication Date/Year	2015
Page Count	244
Genre(s)	Memoir, Non Fiction, Music, Feminism, Biography
Setting	N/A
Goodreads Rating	3.83
Audience	Adult
Series	No
Translator	N/A
Awards	0; multiple nominations

BOOK RATING & REVIEW

RATING

BCR Rating	3.5
Availability	4
Format	5
Length	5
Diversity	5
Bechdel Test	Pass
Page Turner	No

REVIEW

I read Hunger Makes Me a Modern Girl on my Kindle and found myself torn between giving it three or four stars. Ultimately, I landed on a 3.5. I genuinely enjoyed the book, especially as someone who appreciates memoirs that offer a glimpse into the creative process and the music world from a personal perspective.

Carrie Brownstein’s writing is intelligent, self-aware, and often dryly funny. The parts about the formation and evolution of Sleater-Kinney were fascinating, especially if you’re familiar with the ’90s indie rock scene. While refamiliarizing myself with the book, I came across a highlighted quote: “… 85 percent of behavioral problems stem from lack of exercise.” Carrie was talking about dogs, but honestly? It applies just as well to cats, people, and most living creatures. But I digress.

This memoir makes for a solid, thought-provoking read—especially for anyone interested in music, feminism, or the search for identity through art.

BOOK CLUB RESOURCES

BCR RECOMMENDATION

If your group enjoys memoirs with a strong voice and plenty of cultural context to unpack this Carrie Brownstein book is a great pick. Her writing is thoughtful, wry, and emotionally restrained in ways that spark conversation, especially around themes of music, feminism, identity, and creative expression. Whether or not your members are familiar with Sleater-Kinney or Portlandia, there’s plenty to explore here about carving out a space for yourself, both artistically and personally.

At just under 250 pages, it’s a shorter read and widely available in various formats including Kindle, paperback, and audiobook (which she narrates herself). Fans of Carrie’s work will appreciate the behind-the-scenes stories, while others will be drawn into the raw look at how a young woman from the suburbs found her voice through punk rock. This book is a solid choice with lots of angles for discussion.

BOOK DISCUSSION

If your book club is reading Hunger Makes Me a Modern Girl, unfortunately, we haven’t come across many resources to guide discussion. We recommend the BCR General Book Discussion Guide. See what thoughtful conversations develop and what themes arise organically. This book has lots to make for an interesting discussion.