Amazon Review
At least Ronan Keating, fledgling solo artist and lead singer of Irish pop sensation Boyzone, is honest from the start of his biography Life is A Rollercoaster when he confesses: "I'm only 23, so this is not exactly what you'd call an autobiography! It's too soon to start writing my memoirs." But in all honesty, this is just what Life is a Rollercoaster is, and while he is barely older than a lot of his fans, the Boyzone star has a lot of stories to tell about what has so far been a rather spectacular career. There are also some revealing incidents, such as Ro (as he is referred to by his friends) meeting up with his idols, fellow Irish rockers U2, coping with rumours about his sexuality and the Boyzone boys crafting a Mission: Impossible style escape plan to avoid paying an 80 pound phone bill in their early, less affluent days. It also covers some more recent developments in the Keating and Boyzone camps, including Stephen Gately's outing ("We all knew from the start that Stephen was gay") and Ronan's management career with another hot Irish property, Westlife. The real meat of the book comes from the recollections of Ronan's relationship with his mother, a relationship tragically cut short when she died of cancer just as the group was getting off the ground. His heartfelt memories are both touching and recounted with a restrained dignity; never does he pity himself or mourn too long for what he lost, rather he celebrates the time he spent with her. Fans of Ronan and indeed Boyzone will pore over every word and photograph and for a straightforward pop biography it works very well. Just like the man himself, it is charming, laid back and distinctly uncontroversial.--Jonathan Weir