A fun read for fans of ‘Next Top Model’ and those cruel but entertaining makeover shows of the early 2000s. Ruth Crilly wanted to be not just a model, but a supermodel. In this memoir, which is very funny and mostly light-hearted, Ruth presents many cringeworthy anecdotes from her career (I’m not sure which was the most awful… maybe the one about the red coat) for our amusement and gives an insight into what it was like to work in the industry 20-ish years ago. No doubt much of it is the same now. The way she was treated by certain photographers, agents, editors etc was shocking. Nor was Ruth always on her best behaviour! But I liked her honesty and her friendly way of talking to the reader. She has a great turn of phrase and I particularly liked her descriptions of a buffalo mozzarella. The chapters often ended with twists, such as the one in which Ruth performs an actual feat of telekinesis in the hope it will get her out of a horrible photoshoot. I’d recommend this ‘super’ memoir.
Thank you to the publisher Blink (Bonnier Books) for the copy via NetGalley. Published in 2024.
