If Only: Amazon.co.uk: Geri Halliwell: Books

Amazon.co.uk Review

I look at myself sometimes and think, You spoilt brat. You don't realise how lucky you are. I'm just trying to be happy. Aren't we all?"

There are few things more rewarding than being able to prove your doubters wrong, and with her autobiography former Spice Girl Geri Halliwell obviously feels that she has silenced a few of those who believed she was simply a loud-mouthed young girl who struck it lucky.

Written in a first-person narrative, the result is a surprisingly engaging and enjoyable read as Geri recounts the events that shaped her formative years. The celebrity whirlwind that her life has become may seem like a heady dream for most of us, but her early days will ring a familiar tone with many. She didn't come from a rich family and would while away hours singing along to Madonna songs in the mirror. These early chapters reinforce the "little girl lost" image Geri seems so desperate for you to buy into throughout the book, but her relationship with her father, a man who encouraged her to chase her dreams, is genuinely touching.

Those expecting a bitching session will be disappointed--Geri pours praise on her former bandmates whenever possible, making some of their comments since her departure seem more than a little harsh but perhaps that is Geri just being clever. It's clear that she still feels a great affection for the girls, especially Mel B, who Geri bonded with right from the start. Those early days of Spice seemed a rollercoaster of laughs and highs, but as Girl Power reached an almost fever pitch, Geri felt constrained and almost trapped to the point where she knew she had to leave but didn't really know why.

Overall, this a fun and frothy "rages to riches" tale of her sheer determination, rather than any great talent, finding a platform to perform to the world like the little girl who used to dance to Madonna in her bedroom. --Jonathan Weir --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Description

Like many starstruck girls, Geri Halliwell grew up with one ambition. She wanted to be famous. She had the drive, the energy, the fierce determination to succeed. If only she could get that one lucky break - that one chance - she'd prove to all the doubters that she could make it, and make it big. But as Geri discovered, the road to fame can be a rocky one. Often broke and desperately lonely, her life became an endless round of failed auditions and dead-end jobs. Even her stint as a glamour model and her role as a game show host in Turkey, failed to gain her a foothold on the ladder to fame. Until one day, almost reluctantly, she answered an ad in The Stage. Someone was looking for candidates to form an all-girl band. The rest is history. As Ginger Spice, Geri's stage presence was formidable, her outfits legendary. The Spice Girls enjoyed a succession of number one hits, two successful albums and a box office hit movie. But Geri wanted her feet back on the ground. It was time to walk away, to find out who she was when she wasn't Ginger Spice. Amidst a blaze of media speculation Geri left the Spice Girls in May 1998. Now focusing on her solo career, and with a number one hit single and bestselling album already to her credit, Geri also works tirelessly for charities such as the UN's Breast Cancer Care campaign and Comic Relief. At its heart "If Only" is about fame and the rollercoaster journey one young girl took from obscurity to the world of her dreams. Believing fame would provide the answer to life's problems, she came to understand that the real solutions lie elsewhere.

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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

Inspirational and poignant 12 Jan 2001

By OllyOctopus

Format:Paperback

I have never been a big Geri Halliwell fan, but I have been completely won over by her honest, touching and very inspirational autobiography. I thoroughly enjoyed reading about her early years , and felt her desire for stardom was like looking in a reflection.

Her descriptions of her days as a glamour model conveyed how tough you need to be in that world, and I gained a lot of respevt for her reading about her standing up for her rights, and also her vulnerability when people doubted her or insulted her.

This book shows that persevation is the ultimate in success, and also making an impression.

I was fascinated by how much preparation went into The Spice Girls before they ever released a single. I was glad that this was not a soap box to be bitchy about the other band members, and I thoroughly understood Geri's reasons for leaving.

It was poignant to learn about Geri's relationship with her father which was a touching theme throughout the book. I also felt a lot of empathy for her bulimia and its triggers.

Overall, I feel a deep respect for Geri after reading her autobiography, and I shall definitely keep Cosmic Shopping Lists. I hope she continues to prove to be an inspiration in her writing as she has a real talent.

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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

great, you see geri in a different light-shes a hero! 31 Jan 2002

By A Customer

its a great book, before reading this i did 'like' geri, but after reading about her i 'loved' her. she is fantastic, a super star, anyone who says other wise obviously hasn't read this book as you can feel so close to her. Her emotions seem so clear, and she seems like such a normal down to earth person. Finding out about her struggle for fame made me realise, anyone can do it if they put their mind to it, she has encouraged me to put my mind into what i want because if someone believes in you the way geri was believed in then you should go for it. We get to know everything detail about geris personal life-which is why it makes us feel so connected to her.

What a read!! 4 Oct 2001

When I picked up this book I thought of a boring old story of how someone got famous. I was wrong. I read this book two times and realised it was the best book I have ever come across. It tells you about her time with bulimia, her fathers death and walking away from the spice girls. This book tells you she was just a normal girl in a normal family who happened to go along to an audition and end up in one of the worlds best known pop bands. Geri made me think that you should never stop trying.