If Only by Geri Halliwell
Published in September 2002

Summary: In 1998 Geri Halliwell left the biggest girl band the world has ever seen. No one understood her decision and at the time Geri could not articulate it. Now, in this very personal autobiography Geri sheds some light of what her life was like before, during, and after she left the group. She discusses her reasons behind leaving the group and her battles and successes after the Spice Girls.

Overall Review: When the Spice Girls emerged and took over the world each girl was easy to identify by their different persona. Scary was the loud and obnoxious. Baby was sweet and innocent. Sporty was, well, sporty. Posh was prim and sensual. Then, there was Ginger. She was crazy, sexy, and over the top. She dressed in flashy clothes, six inch boots, and had memorizing bright red hair. This is who everyone knew the girls as. However, unlike the others, Ginger was nothing more than an alias used by a young woman still searching for her identity.

What I personally loved about this particular autobiography is how much Halliwell went into her life. I tend to see that many autobiographies will only skim over particular subjects, however, Halliwell reveals it all. She answers the questions that were burning in the minds of fans all over the world and shares her deep, dark secrets with love, loss, and mental health. We also see Geri’s relationship with various celebrity figures (aside from her fellow band mates).

Pros: Geri really wrote an extremely raw and exposing biography that I think anyone could appreciate. She doesn’t hold back on any issues in her life and wrote what she felt. Frankly, I don’t think you could ask for a better look into the life of someone.

Cons: I really cannot find any true fault with Halliwell’s story. The only thing that I had frustrations with at times was how some items seemed to be dragged out… kind of like she was trying to build suspense, but had me sitting there going “Just spill it already!” Depending on who you are and how you read, this may not be a con.

Recommend? Anyone who was a fan of the Spice Girls and took the departure of Ginger very hard should really read this. It opens a lot of light on the reasons, which were never fully covered at the time. I also recommend this to anyone who generally enjoys reading biographies. Halliwell’s life was/is definitely not dull and you learn where her persona of Ginger Spice came from.

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