Kirkus Reviews

Pretend We’re Dead: The Rise, Fall, and Resurrection of Women in Rock in the ‘90s

“A refreshing and much-needed contribution to the male-dominated history of rock ’n’ roll.”

January, 2025

The Boston Globe

In ‘Pretend We’re Dead,’ the women of ’90s alt-rock bring their own stories to life

“But for every zoomed-in moment that fosters a sense of intimacy with these key figures, “Pretend We’re Dead” also steps back to reveal where backlash against women in alt-rock aligns with major political moments in the United States. The panic caused by the Sept. 11 terrorist attack on the Twin Towers, for instance, stirred up a call for women to return to “traditional” domestic roles. Meanwhile, musicians like Courtney Love and Alanis Morissette who rebelled against those norms “were then seen as the enemy,” Pearson said.”

January, 2025

Louder Than War

Review

“Her book goes a long way toward filling in this often-ignored part of music history while homing in on some of the cultural barriers that all too frequently keep women behind their male counterparts.”

February, 2025

All of It NYC with Alison Stewart

Interview

A new book from journalist Tanya Pearson, Pretend We're Dead: The Rise, Fall, and Resurrection of Women in Rock in the ’90s, explores the surge of female rock stars in the 90's and why their popularity waned into the 2000s. Pearson discusses her book alongside musician Tanya Donelly and we take your calls.

Write Hear

Book Review: 'Pretend We're Dead – The Rise, Fall, and Resurrection of Women in Rock in the '90s'

“What should be appreciated most from Pearson’s words is to not let a seminal and generational movement of women who spoke their minds through their music be left to wither on the vine. Or worse still, be codified by patriarchal principles on what should be considered proper by women in rock.”

January, 2025

PopMatters

Women in 1990s Rock Music Are Far from Dead

“Tanya Pearson’s Pretend We’re Dead is both hopeful and challenging, and proves that the spirit of 1990s women in rock music is still alive and fighting.”

January, 2025

Popular Music History

Why Marianne Faithfull Matters

“If, as Pearson writes, ‘memory is the Yoko Ono of scholarship’ (p. 2), it is important to note that the once harshly criticized Yoko Ono has many champions today. So, too, let memory studies and an autoethnographic approach to popular music history be celebrated as valuable and innovative ways to understanding why artists like Marianne Faithfull do matter.”

June, 2022