The sporty one My life as a Spice Girl

Chisholm debuts with a behind-the-scenes look at one of the most successful female musical groups in history--the Spice Girls. Upon graduating from a performing arts college in 1993, Chisholm envisioned a career in London's theater scene, but after nailing an open audition for an all-female pop act, she became one of the Spice Girls. According to Chisholm, each member of the group worked hard, but the collaboration didn't come without conflict. Melanie Brown (Scary Spice) and Geri Halliwell (Ginger Spice) often clashed, creating "an intense atmosphere at times," and the band's manager added to the tension by making the women feel "bullied, bossed about undermined." Chisholm is frank about the mental, emotional, and physical tolls of fame--including her experiences with anorexia, binge eating disorder, anxiety, and depression--but she also celebrates the good times she had with her bandmates and recognizes how their personal struggles affected the band's stability: "Maybe with a bit more maturity, emotional support, and sleep we could've worked things out, but it wasn't meant to be." Spice Girls fans will eagerly devour this, but even those who are unfamiliar with the group will appreciate Chisholm's compassion and introspection. Agent: Max Edwards, Aevitas Creative. (Sept.)

A member of the Spice Girls chronicles her rise to fame and struggles to love herself. "The reason I decided to write this book," explains Melanie C, better known as Mel C or Sporty Spice, "was because I hoped that hearing my story might help someone." After her parents' divorce, she grew up in Liverpool public housing with her mother, who frequently left to sing, once leaving her daughter with a neighbor for five months. At 16, the author moved to London to study dance. In 1994, she went to an open audition for a female pop group while telling herself, "You have to do this." The team who put them together, as a group originally named Touch, had witnessed the success of boy bands and wanted to fill a gap in the market. When it became clear to the five women in the Spice Girls that their vision differed from that of the men controlling them, they parted ways and, with new management, signed a record deal. About their nicknames (Sporty, Scary, Baby, Posh, and Ginger), the author writes, "it was just a joke for a magazine that ended up brilliantly defining us." While she espouses nothing but positive opinions of others, she's critical of herself. Since seeking help in 2000, the author has been diagnosed with, most notably, depression, anorexia, and anxiety. Especially between 1996 and 1998, the Spice Girls experienced massive success, which the author credits to "a miracle of alchemy and chance." Throughout, the author writes in a conversational tone--e.g., "I've skipped ahead a bit here, haven't I? Let me back up a bit." Of choosing to reunite with the Spice Girls after mixed success as a solo artist, she notes, "It's unhealthy but it's really good for your ego--it makes you feel important again; it makes you feel worthy." A sincere memoir that will engage dedicated fans. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.