Right from the beginning, I knew I was in for some education here - Katherine Denkinson pulls no punches introducing this book and its subject matter. Even her own brief bio at the beginning hints at her history working within the mental health sector and begins with naming strong buzz words that many of us have come to associate with Involuntary Celibate (Incel) culture. Immediately, as a reader I feel like I have been placed in competent and caring hands while exploring what is a confronting subject for many.

From the origin of the phrase "involuntary celibate" to the introduction of key thinkers and originators, the proliferation of online Incel spaces and the influence of traditional media, social media and infamous violent crimes, Denkinson leads us by the hand through the painful realities of the Incel echo chambers and the voices and powers that amplify the hateful rhetoric they believe in. The author takes us on a harrowing journey through violent crime, deep seated self loathing, projection and demonization, but also takes the time to reflect upon the misconceptions and false correlations that the media and our society in general have begun to attribute to these so-called "incels."

Personally, the evidence presented regarding TTRPG’s, card games, My Little Pony and other "nerdy" hobbies left me feeling a sense of relief - an opportunity to own my own weirdnesses within these stereotyped circles of ostracized hobbyists. I was delighted to learn that, like most things in life, these groups are ripe with nuance, and must be imagined complexly, rather than with the black and white thinking that only fuels the feelings of abandonment and othering.

With absolute relief, and after having sat with this uncomfortable feeling throughout this well referenced exploration of the familiar forms of misogyny, the violent thoughts and actions of some of the people presented herein, Denkinson leaves us with hope. Projects, studies, research, ongoing and planned to further understand the loneliness and sense of othering that seems to often lead to these feelings in many men, young and old.

There's hope, and there's people out there working tirelessly on it, and there's things we can be doing also.

Thank you to Katherine Denkinson, Aurora Metro Books and River Light Press for providing this book for
review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Katherine Denkinson’s Incel: The Weaponization of Misogyny is an unflinching, deeply necessary look at one of the most disturbing subcultures to emerge from the digital age. With a background in mental health and social media research, Denkinson brings both empathy and rigour to a topic too often reduced to caricature.

What I appreciated most was her refusal to sensationalize. Rather than framing “incels” as monsters, she examines how loneliness, alienation, and online radicalization intertwine—without ever excusing the resulting harm. The book moves deftly between case studies, historical context, and media analysis, unpacking how gender-based resentment metastasizes into violence, and how our collective misunderstanding of it often makes the problem worse.

Denkinson is at her best when dissecting the interplay between digital communities and real-world consequences—tracing the evolution from isolated forums to violent movements. Her discussion of prevention, rather than punishment, stands out as a hopeful and pragmatic alternative to the current moral panic.

While some sections occasionally felt dense with research detail, it’s a powerful, meticulously reasoned work that deserves to be widely read. Incel isn’t comfortable reading, nor should it be—but it’s vital for anyone seeking to understand how misogyny, alienation, and the internet collide in the 21st century.

Thank you to Aurora Metro Books, River Light Press, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this advance copy.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!

Sometimes it occurs to me how utterly exhausting living in our modern world must be, particularly for younger people navigating the traps and difficulties of relationships, social lives, and everything in between.

This book manages to form an incredibly powerful thesis from all the research and connections drawn. I found that I was nodding along with the findings presented, whether from personal experience or observed behaviours online.

Speaking of online, I think this is possibly the strongest part of this book and what is presented. There’s a tilt towards being chronically online these days, and it means that we’re building perceptions and relationships that lack the genuine understanding of the past. This book tackles this facet masterfully, balancing the perks of the internet with the pitfalls.

I do wish that in parts it went slightly further, but I also appreciate it would have made for an even longer book when it was already quite lengthy!

The book also looks towards future facing solutions, which, realistically, a dialogue is required for. I do wish it went a little further with possibilities for management, but I understand we’re stuck with a moral quandary and it’s so hard to approach what is essentially extremism, particularly in younger people.

With the divide between so many groups and the way that we approach things in the modern era, more books like this are so necessary, and I applaud the focus on a topic that others are less willing to broach.

Thank you for the ARC!

⭐️⭐️⭐️
I found this very interesting and informative. As someone raising a young boy, I really wanted to learn how incel culture came to be and what attracts young men to this lifestyle. I appreciate the framing by the author to not directly label these boys and men as monsters per se but show how violent and dangerous they can be to society while not making excuses for their behavior. I will definitely be recommending this, especially to those raising boys, to help us understand the full perspective of incels and how to prevent their harmful messaging from spreading.

I found this book illuminating and pretty approachable, with a compelling thesis. Denkinson tackles the issue seriously, and uses a tone that is appropriate for the severity of the issue. Too often writing about angry young men leans into disparaging language to “dunk” on them for their misogyny (which is an impulse I do sympathise with), but it ends up feeling irreverent and inappropriate.



The book did challenge me because of the lengths it goes to, to clearly delineate incel ideology and distinguish incels from various other toxic elements of the manosphere (MGTOW, Tate fans, sex doll owners etc). At times, I thought - do these small differences in rationale and ideology really make a difference, when the impact is misogyny? Denkinson skilfully contends that yes, these differences do matter. If our efforts to contend with and combat online radicalisation are to be effective, we need to move beyond sensationalist headlines and snap reactions, and understand nuanced issues properly.



I thought this book was great, and would offer particularly useful insight for people working with adolescents.



Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

Incel: The Weaponization of Misogyny, by Katherine Denkinson, is a look at the world of the incel, which means also differentiating them from other groups as well as highlighting the nuance within the group.

This is a very accessible book, research is presented but not in a particularly dry manner. This isn't academic so much as it is a non-sensationalized attempt to closely define what makes an incel so that we, as a society, can work toward relieving some of the stressors that can lead a young man to choose this path. Yeah, choose seems odd when the very term uses the word involuntary, but that is largely self-naming and isn't really as accurate as one might think.

When I say this isn't a sensationalistic account I don't mean to imply the ugliness and the hatred are sugar-coated, just that they are presented with an end other than luring a reader who simply wants more hate-filled stories rather than a look at these people as human beings.

Denkinson does a nice job of expressing some compassion and understanding for the individuals without letting the system(s) that have caused the movement to grow off the hook. Ultimately, since a system and culture can be created, it can also be modified and made new. One of the first steps is making sure that we aren't discussing disparate groups under a name that fits just a subset of the total. If that were all that was accomplished here it would have been a wonderful start. But in addition to differentiating the various groups that have as many dissimilarities as similarities we are given case studies that are analyzed and finally some ideas for making not only the world safer from incels but help them feel better about themselves and the world around them. The world isn't perfect and neither are they, but we can't forget that neither are we. Results will be better if we try to understand the why even if we aren't able to relate to it very well.

Recommended for anyone with an interest in movements that have grown during the past several decades as the world becomes more polarized around every conceivable difference between us. I think those who might either be working with individuals or working on policies will gain a lot of insight.

Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley.

Katherine Denkinson gave me more than I expected in this book. I was not expecting to learn that much. We all hear the terms manosphere, incel, waifus and put these terms all together. I feel like now I can actually differentiate between them. Learning where they all came from and how they evolved was fascinating, and I'm so impressed at the amount of research the author did. I also liked to learn about how to counter those movements and protect our youth. Of course, big trigger warning tough, it was a slow read for me as it's reporting on violent, hate on women subjects, but worth it!