"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