Love this book. Gershon is an excellent writer and the tales she tells are funny and illuminating. A quick read with a lot to offer either from a show business perspective , a growing up in the San Fernando valley perspective or a maturing perspective. Highly recommended.

loved these stories from gina about acting and finding her journey to becoming an actor. loved that she did both showgirls and bound in the same year and loved that she wrote about her family.

It was a really quick read for me, and I enjoyed her stories of growing up in the Valley and insights to some of her movies (Showgirls and Bound). In addition to living in the Valley, she also lived in NYC and LA, and shared some stories from those places as well.

I am always interested in reading about what inspired somebody to start doing something, and for Gina, it started at Beverly High School in Beverly Hills, CA where she met fellow classmates who shared her interests in acting. She did write about her family, her siblings, but nothing on her own relationships. She had some cool stories about sparring with Bob Dylan in a boxing ring, hearing Purple Rain for the first time with Prince, hanging with Lenny Kravitz in high school.

From reading it, I learned that she has always stood up for herself and if something didn't feel or sound right, she left (there are few instances where she mentions this). I don't think I have ever seen her name as doing something stupid, and I say thanks and keep on doing what you do.

Gina Gershon is an amazingly talented actress and singer, but she absolutely shines as a writer. Part memoir, part guide to finding yourself and who you are, AlphaPussy is a refreshing collection of stories about finding your passion, trusting your gut, and becoming an AlphaPussy told through memories and recollections. Once I picked it up I could absolutely not put it down. If you read her first book, are a fan of her acting, or just think she’s an interesting person you won’t be disappointed when you pick up this book.

This was a very quick, short read, but the book was not short on entertaining stories.

Gina Gershon has lived a big life, and she has a lot to share. It serves more as a stream of consciousness essay than an autobiography, and I found that I actually liked this less formal format. This woman has done it all and she's not afraid to tell it like it is.

I hope she shares more of her stories because this was a fun read.

I feel that this was an excellent read for me, I read it in one evening and liked all of Gina Gershon’s stories. From her childhood growing up, to her career and choices in life that make her unique and an AlphaPussy herself. A very cool book that shares a lot of insight into her life.

If you can overlook the endless vulgarity (I have no excuses, as I was forewarned by the title) and a seeming obsession with one's own naughty bits, then prepare yourself for a wild, entertaining ride. Like the author, I, too, grew up in California in the 70s and 80s. Even though she is slightly older than I am, so much of what she described really resonated with me, and brought back so many fun memories. The puka shells, the Dittos, the pinball arcades, the playing all day out in the streets and building forts--it was all there and much more. There were times that I felt transported back to those carefree days, as if I was there, experiencing it all again (only this time with the author). Her young adult years in New York, as well, were so much fun to read about. Gershon has a devil-may-care attitude when it comes to risk-taking, and so some of her adventures had me thinking, "How is she going to manage to get herself out of this particular predicament?" But she somehow always does! The last third of the book details more of her experiences with acting, singing, dancing, and performing. This part was not as compelling for me, but I can see that those interested in the entertainment world would definitely benefit from the advice and life examples that she provides on how to better navigate that landscape. This memoir was an overall upbeat and fast-paced read, because even though Gershon is a bit of a Diva, she is at least able to back it all up. The proof, as they say, is in the pudding. **This ARC was provided by NetGalley, but all opinions are my own.

4/5 Stars

I have to admit, the title intrigued me—and the book definitely lives up to it! This was an unflinching look into the private world of Gina Gershon. Some of the stories felt like they were included more for shock value than substance, but isn’t that what you want when reading about someone’s life? You want the kind of stories that leave you thinking, “What the hell did I just read?” and she has quite a few like that.

I would have enjoyed reading more about her time in Hollywood, but overall, this was an interesting read about an actress I didn’t really know much about.

My thanks to NetGalley and Akashic Books for an advance copy of this memoir by an actress who has created a singular career that is as true to herself as possible, following her own mind, and her own feelings, and more importantly defending herself in ways that were hard, sometimes isolating, and yet made her life that much richer.

Audacity is a word that has taken on a negative connotation in our language. A world for boldness, for living ones life according their own rules, and accepting the consequences, not matter how fair or unfair they might be. That is something that is frowned on in Modern America. We have gone from embracing the ideas of individual freedom, to being a society that is similar to the famous Chinese saying, the nail that sticks out will be hammered into place. Or Twittered into submission, social media-ed into acceptance. This is hard for an individual, even harder if that individual is a woman or a minority. And if one is involved in the entertainment industry, this is even worse. A woman has to be young, desirable, non-ethnic, non-challenging, willing to listen to those who know better, usually men. And that's where audacity stands out. The audacity of an individual like Gina Gershon. An actress of stage and screen, a singer, a musician, a puncher of Bob Dylan (by accident), Gershon has led a life, had a career that has gone many places, done many things, many of the frowned on by agents, the populous, and others in Hollywood. But never her family, and never ever herself. AlphaPussy, is a memoir, guide to life, and a key to having a career that might not be flashy and influencer-ish, but one that is true, honest, filled with some mistakes, but all embraced by the person doing, them. A person living life.

Gina Gershon was the third child of a family living in the San Fernando Valley of California, before the Valley was The Valley, and the Valley got weird. Gershon grew up in a supportive family in ways, though her siblings sounded like tiny terrors. Gershon had a freedom that is rare today, going to school by herself, allowing to experience things, some good, some bad, some scary. All of these moments helped create the person that Gershon is now. From learning to drive at 14, drug use, sneaking into the movies, learning to play pinball, and dance. And of course acting. When the Valley got too much, the family moved to Beverly Hills, where Gershon was able to learn more of the arts that she loved. Hear she trained, met other famous people, and got a taste for entertaining that has never left. Being creative was important, both on stage, learning to play instruments, and being true to who she is. Culminating in a role that was to change everything, an experience, worthy of a book itself, the movie Showgirls.

The book is much more than Showgirls, a movie people love to hate. I really enjoyed this book right from the beginning. There is an honesty, a truth to Gershon's writing, that lacks the polish of ghostwriter, or one trying to make a cool story, for cool people to enjoy. There is just too much honesty, too much emotion. Gershon looks at her past, growing up, problems with her Mom, therapy, drugs, family, and starting off in entertainment. There are a lot of funny stories, but more importantly stories about being true to oneself, and listening to that inner voice. Things might have gotten bad in a few occasions, but that inner voice kept her safe. And made her write. There is a lot her, stories of celebs, friends, even the paranormal. Gershon has a great writing style, sharing with the reader rather than telling, and making one want to know more. Not about the big things, but the little things.

A fascinating and fun memoir, painful sometimes, hilarious in others. Ghosts, Chippendales, Tom Cruise, Roger Corman movies, and much more. A book for fan's of the author's work, of course. However this might be a good book for that young woman who has doubts about herself, a fear of listening to that inner voice. Gina Gershon would be the perfect muse for that person. I hope there are more volumes to come in these memoirs. Maybe even a novel or two.

📖 BOOK: AlphaPussy: How I Survived the Valley and Learned to Love My Boobs by Gina Gershon
🎧 FORMAT: Kindle ARC (Courtesy of NetGalley and Akashic Books Ltd.)
📚 GENRE: Memoir
📅 RELEASE DATE: March 3, 2026
🏢 PUBLISHER: Akashic Books Ltd.
📖 LENGTH: 288 pages
⭐ RATING: ⭐⭐⭐☆☆ (3 out of 5 stars)

🧳 SYNOPSIS:
“From a wayward California girl growing up in the heart of the porn-born San Fernando Valley, Gina Gershon found herself on a journey that has been anything but traditional. Along the way, she had to learn how to spot the toxic types―in both her personal life and her career―and figure out how to dodge, outsmart, or hustle her way through. From the Valley to the slums of Beverly Hills to New York City, she was confronted with shady characters and sketchy situations, all the while fighting to protect her autonomy as a woman and as an actress with a decidedly unconventional path.

AlphaPussy is a collection of true stories that explore themes of experience, survival, and the art of figuring it out as you go. They include strange encounters with celebrities and film directors such as Paul Verhoeven, Tom Cruise, Sharon Stone, Prince, Jennifer Tilly, Sylvester Stallone, David Mamet, Bob Fosse, and so many others. Often hilarious, usually cautionary, and almost always wrapped in absurdity, Gershon’s tales explore how she found herself through bad decisions, awkward moments, and cringe-worthy encounters that somehow gave rise to survival skills.

Gershon stresses that while it can be important to listen to others, it’s more important to listen to oneself. To trust your gut. In a world full of bullies, predators, and people trying to tell her who she was, or who she should be, it was crucial for Gershon to become an AlphaPussy: a woman who navigates through this perilous jungle of a world with personal agency and responsibility.”

💬 THE VIBE:
This memoir was candid, chaotic, gritty, and very self-aware.

I read like she was sitting across from me saying “Ok, let me tell you what really happened.” There’s humor, absurdity, depth, and ego-checking. It felt real, and raw, not polished trying to be inspirational.

💡 STANDOUT ELEMENTS:
• Her refusal to play the Hollywood game the way it was designed for women to play in it.
• The matter-of-fact way she talks about power, predators, and navigating auditions and meetings where they are evaluating you as an entity and not as a whole person.
• The whole idea of autonomy. She may not be what is considered
A-List” and I mean that kindly, but the subtext is clear. She didn’t buy or sleep her way there with self-betrayal.

One thing that I kept thinking about was that I suspect her career trajectory is exactly what happens when you don’t fall into the gross and predatory traps that Hollywood execs and power players set. And honestly, she seems at peace with that.

🧠 WHAT STUCK:
She seems genuinely content. She didn’t come off as defensive or bitter or trying to rewrite history to make herself look better…she owns her story.

There’s something powerful about a woman saying, “Yeah, I made some choices that may have been messy and guess what? I still like myself.” Loved that energy.

👎 WHAT DIDN’T WORK FOR ME:
To be honest, I wasn’t very familiar with Gershon’s full filmography going into this book. I knew who she was, but I’m not someone who has followed every project, or could name more than 2 of her films. So some of the industry stories didn’t hit me as hard as they would for a longtime fan.

🤔 IF YOU LIKE:
• Hollywood memoirs with a little bite.
• Real behind-the-scenes celebrity encounters.
• Stories about women navigating a male-dominated power structure without sugar coating it.

🙅 IF YOU DON’T LIKE:
• Name-dropping. But I mean, she’s a celebrity, it seems almost impossible not to.
• Storytelling that goes back and forth between time frames.

📝 FINAL VERDICT:
Three stars feels right. It was solid, interesting, but not transformative for me. It’s less about fame, and more about survival with your dignity intact. And honestly, in that industry, that may be the bigger flex.

Jennifer
www.NerdyNerdyBookBook.com

I thought this book was a nice change of pace and appreciated a book where everything was put on the table! As someone who wasn't familiar with Gina Gershon, I thought it was an interesting read and it was refreshing to read about the trials and tribulations of her life. It's always so fascinating to me to get a glimpse of a person, past what they allow on display when they are in the public eye. Definitely a read I appreciated and would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I've always been a big fan of Gina and I have followed her career, I don't know if it was her sultry voice, her attitude or her beautiful looks.

I started reading the ARC but I really felt like I wanted to co-read this with her audiobook so I waited till it was released and she may have the best voice for an audiobook I have ever listened to it is so smooth and she enunciates so well, the words roll right off her tongue.

Her stories were told raw, authentic and oh so entertaining. Starting from her time in the womb all the way to where she is now focusing on roles and projects that made her who she is.

I would recommend this to any woman wanting to feel inspired by a strong empowering woman.