Thing of Beauty

by Stephen Fried

At age seventeen, Gia Carangi was working the counter at her father's Philadelphia luncheonette, Hoagie City. Within a year, Gia was one of the top models of the late 1970's, gracing the covers of Cosmopolitan and Vogue, partying at New York's Studio 54 and the Mudd Club, and redefining the industry's standard of beauty. She was the darling of moguls and movie stars, royalty and rockers. Gia was also a girl in pain, desperate for her mother's approval�and a drug addict on a tragic slide toward oblivion, who started going directly from $10,000-a-day fashion shoots to the heroin shooting galleries on New York's Lower East Side. Finally blackballed from modeling, Gia entered a vastly different world on the streets of New york and Atlantic City, and later in a rehab clinic. At twenty-six, she became on of the first women in America to die of AIDS, a hospital welfare case visited only by rehab friends and what remained of her family.

Drawing on hundreds of interviews with Gia's gamily, lovers, friends, and colleagues, Thing of Beauty creates a poignant portrait of an unforgettable character�and a powerful narrative about beauty and sexuality, fame and objectification, mothers and daughters, love and death.

Genres: Biography, Nonfiction, Biography Memoir, Drugs, Fashion, Mental Health, Addiction

436 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 1, 1993

About the author

Stephen Fried is an award-winning journalist and New York Times bestselling author who teaches at Columbia University and the University of Pennsylvania.

His latest books are RUSH: Revolution, Madness and Benjamin Rush, the Visionary Doctor Who Became a Founding Father (Crown) and Profiles in Mental Health Courage (Dutton) by Patrick Kennedy & Stephen Fried.

He has written six other acclaimed nonfiction books, including the biographies Appetite for America: Fred Harvey and the Business of Civilizing the Wild West—One Meal at a Time and Thing of Beauty: The Tragedy of Supermodel Gia; and the mental health memoir A Common Struggle, co-authored with Congressman Patrick Kennedy. Fried also wrote the investigative books Bitter Pills: Inside the Hazardous World of Legal Drugs and The New Rabbi, as well as a collection of essays on marriage, Husbandry.

A two-time winner of the National Magazine Award, he has written frequently for Vanity Fair, GQ, The Washington Post Magazine, Smithsonian, Rolling Stone, Glamour, and Philadelphia Magazine.

Fried lectures widely on the subjects of his books and magazine articles, and does editorial consulting. He lives in Philadelphia with his wife, author Diane Ayres.

FB author page: https://www.facebook.com/Stephen-Frie...

Reviews

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm a huge fan of Angelina Jolie and a couple years ago I made it a mission to see every single one of her movies. Which is how I first heard of Gia Carangi. In the late 1990's Angelina Jolie starred in an HBO biopic called Gia. The movie isn't the best but it handled the life of Gia is a respectful way.

Gia Carangi was a part of the first wave of True Supermodels. Gia's contemporaries were women like Iman, Beverly Johnson, Janice Dickinson & Jerry Hall. Gia could have become a superstar but Gia was a very unhappy person and she treated her unhappiness with drugs.

Heroin to be exact.

Her career only lasted from 1978-1983 and in 1986 she died of AIDS at the much too young age of 26. Gia went from making $10,000 a day and being the most sought after model in world to destitute and dying in just 5 years.

Thing Of Beauty is a hard read. I felt so sad reading this book. She died when I was a infant but as I read this book I just wanted to reach out and hug her. The fashion industry of the late 70's early 80's was a sex and drug obsessed cesspool. Given the family Gia came from and the fact that she lived as an out and proud lesbian woman in a very toxic time, I don't think she ever had a chance of living a happy life.

I learned a lot AIDS. Nobody really talks about it anymore. AIDS is just another chronic illness now but back in the 80's it was deadly serious. People wore full body suits and thought that you could catch it from shaking hands or even just being in the same room with an infected person. Gia contacted AIDS in a time when people didn't even know women could catch it. I just wish Gia could have lived long enough to see the advances made in the treatment of AIDS.

I recommend Thing Of Beauty to everyone because more people should know about the wild and wonderful Gia Carangi.

Also Cindy Crawford used to be known as "Baby Gia" because of her stunning beauty.

[Kimberly · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an astonishing story of an incredible woman's life and death. Stephen Fried lays bare everything I wanted to know (and possibly things I didn't know I wanted to know until I read the book) about Gia Carangi. Her story opens with John Keats famous quote from Endymion, "A thing of beauty is a joy forever..." which I think clearly explains what we are thinking and feeling inside when we see a photograph of someone beautiful - they never look unattractive, their life is perfect and they will never grow old and die. That's why I thought this book was amazing. She was reputed to be the very first "supermodel", but her story brings Gia to a very human level, a place where people can identify with her struggle and hopefully learn from her mistakes - something she truly wanted for young children. Mr. Fried has done a fabulous job of getting this message across. Wouldn't it be interesting to see how this book could change the landscape of adolescence with the struggle of self-esteem and lack of purpose many teenage girls endure if it became required reading in middle school?

This was also a grievous look at the perception of AIDS in the early 80's, mostly due to the lack of information available. She is believed to be the first "famous" woman to die of this disease and Mr. Fried depicts this reality of her story in a tone that is both sobering and empathetic.

In the last chapter of the book, "Beautiful Friend, The End", we learn that Gia is coming to terms with her fate and pens the following: "Life & Death, energy & Peace, if I stopped today, it was fun, Even the terrible pains that have burn me & scarred my soul it was worth having been allowed to walk where I've walked. Which was to hell on earth, Heaven on earth back again, into, under, far in between, through it, in it over and above it." Her demise is truly heartbreaking and Mr. Fried handles it with the utmost care.

I read this book a few years before "Gia", an HBO movie starring Angelina Jolie, was released in 1998. I was happy to see that her life was immortalized on screen just as in all the photographs of her which makes the message of her life that much more accessible and meaningful, never a life diminished.

[Christina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wasn't quite sure how I felt about this book halfway through. The story of Gia has always fascinated me because of her meteoric rise and her catastrophic tragic downfall just all happened so fast. It hovered at about a three-star review through most of the middle because while this is a well-written book (reads kind of like a documentary and I tend to like that style of writing) and seemingly well researched, I found I really didn't care all that much about what was going on in the middle because it was all about photographers and editors and makeup artists and I realize the author was trying to set a base and really show Gia's career trajectory (short as it was). But, a lot of the names started to blend together and only a few truly stood out to me. I am sure someone who is a fashion historian would love this. Personally I felt it took away from her story a bit. But, I also realize that some of these characters become very important towards the end although there weren't many of them there for her when she was dying. But, the last third of the book is where it became a 4-star read and you really saw the rawness of the gorgeous girl who had severe abandonment and depression issues and was really just looking to be loved.

[Bren fall in love with the sea. · Rating 3 out of 5]

“here we are, without our families, totally out of our heads, and we don’t know where on earth we are. That was the feeling of the early seventies—nobody knew where they were.”
― Stephen Fried, Thing of Beauty


Given to me by a friend for a gift. I had seen a film on Gia, with Angelina Jolie playing the lead role.

In case, you have not hear d of her, Gia was..well Gia was beautiful. Truly beautiful. And she was a super model. She tragically died of AIDS.

I did enjoy reading this although it was very sad..heartbreaking actually. It gives you a look inside the world of modeling but really its focus is on Gia herself. I have to say the book was written so well and though I only gave it a three that is because of how bitterly sad it was.


I recommend the movie as well.

[readergirl · Rating 5 out of 5]

After reading this book I think Angelina Jolie did a pretty shitty job playing Gia. Good acting, bad casting. Love me some Angelina but she doesn't capture Gia's essence or vulnerability.

But the book does. Sandy Linter, Gia's long time girlfriend, confirmed she learned even more about Gia after reading it. (quoted from her blog). That in itself is good enough reason to read it for me.

[Christa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't have words to express how much Gia's story means to me. This book contains exclusive, not often discussed information about Gia, from her time at the top of the modeling industry to her fall as a heroin addict and final collapse from AIDS. But her spirit never died, and never will die, thanks to the wonderful people who saw not just Gia's outer beauty, what everyone used her for and praised her for, but the person inside; the lesbian, the strong spirit, so sad but so brave. RIP Gia. You will never be forgotten.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have never read a book at this pace ever! It literally took over my life these past few days. I read before work, during my lunch and whenever I could. Seeing the movie years ago on HBO is just a tip of Gia Caranji's life. What an incredible story and a life taken so early through the harsh world of drugs. A great read and I recommend it to anyone who enjoys biographies.

[Jean Marie Angelo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Found this paperback in a store last month and bought it only because I had seen some bits and pieces of the HBO movie Gia and wanted to know more. I am so thankful that I read this book. Once I started I was totally engaged. The author had me caring about a young lady who died long ago. He did exhaustive reporting to recreate the world of Gia: her childhood in Philly, her instant success as an exotic beauty in a world of blondes, and her subsequent demise. I was totally moved and wondered why. I certainly am not a fashion model, nor a fashionista. What I realize is that I was a young gay woman, like Gia, who came of age right before the age of AIDS. What I can relate to are her internal struggles to really accept herself and to get free of the addictions and behaviors that always brought her down. The book is filled with atmosphere and a look at New York's fashion and publishing scene in the late 1970s and early 1980s. For that it is worth a read. Gia was the first famous woman to die of AIDS. In 1986, the year she died, there was still too little known about the disease. We've lost too many good people.

[Ashlei A.K.A Chyna Doll · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am kinda sad I rated this only 2 stars... Although it was wonderfully written, edited,and researched the main character was just a spoiled brat who had EVERYTHING!!! Was handed the world on a silver platter and basically slapped it out of the givers hands and laughed, but cryer when it was not picked up and handed to her again..

I just could not sympathize with her no matter how hard I tried or how I read the horrible things SHE DID TO HERSELF!! ( notice I said she did to herself, no one did it to her..yes her mom left but plenty of people come from bad backgrounds they don't go that wrong..) I was very sorry for her demise. AIDS is not a thing I want for anyone.. (I watched my God-Father die from this horrible horrible disease. Sad to think anyone goes through it...) other then that I was not rooting for her at all.. And I'm sad to say because the HBO Movie I loved and wanted to love this book...

But I didn't...

[Née · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very interesting, if heartbreaking, biography of supermodel Gia Marie Carangie. I read this book years ago after seeing the HBO film version of it (starring Angeline Jolie in her best role ever). Gia was not only one of the first real supermodels, she was one of the first openly gay supermodels, and one of the first woman in the Western world to die of AIDS after getting it through intravenous drug use.

The story is incredibly heartbreaking and emotional, but Fried's telling of it does her short life a great deal of justice. Definitely recommended to those wanting to read a non-fiction story about a brave (but ultimately easily influenced) gay woman, in an industry and era when being gay and so unabashedly herself was not always popular.

[Mirela · Rating 5 out of 5]

This biography broke my heart. Poor Gia. She was too special for this world.
#GiaMarieCarangi #ebook

[Kellie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Here is what I liked about this book: This book was well written and loaded with great information. Information, not only about Gia but anything you wanted to know about the modeling industry in the late 70’s and early 80’s, the culture of that time, New York and the bar scene. The author even had some comments about the politics of the time with some typically left-wing media type comments about Ronald Reagan. Here is what I didn’t like: I thought I was reading a book about Gia Carangi and her life. Instead, I got more than I bargained for. If you want an education on the modeling industry during the time, this is the book for you. Me, I was never interested in this industry, even as a teenager. The author’s attempt to provide detail of the modeling industry was like reading a textbook or maybe it was an explanation of one more thing to blame on Gia’s demise. It might have escalated the downward spiral but the real source behind Gia’s addiction was her childhood. There is no doubt in my mind, after reading this book, the the sole source for Gia’s addiction was her dysfunctional family. The author’s attempt to use the modeling industry, the culture of that time period, Reagan cutting funding for public drug rehab, did not convince me otherwise. Yes, this is a very sad story and I am very glad I read it. I have been surfing the web to see the collection of covers and pictures of this incredibly beautiful person. It definitely left an impression on me. I just think this story could have been told in a more personal, more concise way.

[Liz Filippone · Rating 4 out of 5]

I forgot how long it takes me to read biographies. They're usually stuffed with so much information, one needs a break, but I really enjoyed this one. I saw the HBO movie awhile ago and had always been interested in her life. I thought the author did a really good job of documenting events in her life, and in the "modeling world" in general. It was funny, sad, frustrating, overwhelming (with info), and conflicting, which happens a lot with biographies. However, with all the people in her life, the author compiled their views and stories clearly and methodically. In other words, he kept it neutral with his own views, but would chime in with a response to someone's account, especially about her mother. Some blamed her mother for her heroin addiction, while others implied that she really did love her she just didn't know how (kind of thing). I definitely was puzzled and surprised at the end how the mother didn't allow her friends to see her in the hospital while she was sick with AIDS. Her mother did come off as self-centered and narcissistic. I know writing any type of book is difficult, but I give authors a lot of props when writing about a known person.

[Racheal Giuliano · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book could have easily been 300 pages if the author kept to the subject of the book. The first 250 pages were basically an encyclopedia of big names in fashion in the late 70s and 80s. There was an unnecessary amount of detail on people and places mentioned, far more than is needed to inform us of their relevance in the story of Gia. The photos taken of Gia were described in great detail, it would have been nice to have been able to see the photos in the book.

Once you get past the first 300 pages or so the book is insightful and full of accounts from Gias friends and family, building a picture of how she ended up where she did. The last portion of the book is why I went from 1 star to 3 stars.

There were also a frustrating amount of typ.s in the book, some of course were meant to be there as the author was quoting from diaries, but there were also a lot of typos in the narration.

[audrey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well jeez let's see... I kinda read this book mostly because i am interested in becoming a junkie/model. Ok that is a pretty lame joke/lie. Naturally i read this book because Gia is HOT HOT HOT (and sadly dead) and i wanted to know about her life and see how wide of the mark that Angelina Jolie film was (verdict: kinda!!). The book is detailed and tells you LOTS about the 80s modelling scene (yaaawn) but also everything you'd wanna know and more about Gia The Hot Dead Supermodel Junkie. Verdict: ACE! yay, bios...

[Kathrin · Rating 4 out of 5]

My daughter wants to do some modeling. I'm making her read this book. I think it's a good read for anyone one looking to go into the business. It will show you the not so pretty side, and the negative way some people handle the pressures of being a model. I have a few friends in the modeling business as well as an aunt, they agree. Read this before you start modeling.

[Alia Barker parsons · Rating 2 out of 5]

If the author would focus solely on Gia, then it would have been better. Instead you got case histories of anyone mildly associated with Gia.

[s.alnuaimi · Rating 5 out of 5]

"I think God has a plan for me, but I don`t think it`s in this life."

Gia

[Marti · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although I would argue the "supermodel" label for Gia (since I had no idea who she was until the film with Angelina Jolie), the story was told in a way that really captured the times in which she lived, which was the main reason I was interested in this book.

And it was not just the whole Studio 54 scene which is what I was expecting. It was a bonus that it went into so much detail on Philadelphia and the surrounding areas. Therefore, I can really appreciate the come-down where one minute you are partying on the isle of Capri at an Italian noble's villa and the next minute in drug rehab in Norristown, PA. And I enjoyed the descriptions of Philadelphia back in the seventies like how Sansom Street was where all the "hippie" boutiques were. By the time I got there, it had all moved to South Street.

What I could not quite understand was someone throwing their life away because her parents divorced when they were eleven. That was repeatedly cited as the reason she developed a two thousand-dollar-a-day heroin addiction. Although I guess she had many likable qualities in that she was kind off a rebel, she was also kind of dumb. It's amazing that people gave her so many second chances after she would show up late to photo shoots. The one who really comes off well in this tale is the photographer, Scavullo. He really seemed like a nice guy. And she had a really sociopathic friend named Rochelle. When they were together they sounded really annoying.

And then the entire fashion industry was decimated by AIDS although Gia was one of only about nine hundred women worldwide to contract it. So not only was she dying, but even her best friends treated her like Typhoid Mary.

[Luxia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Now most of us know
late
Supermodel Gia Marie Carangi's life was a Rollercoaster ride full
of sensuality and beauty. But that was only half of it and
it's
Shocking how it
ended in such terribly horrific circumstances, Gia being one of the first woman on record to die of the AID's virus at on twenty six years old.

The Author Stephen Fried clearly
did his
homework to put this Autobiography together to give the reader an inside look at the trials and tribulations of this very special and beautiful woman, who endured such unfairness from this world and saw nothing beautiful in herself, yet touched the lives of so many people. The only complaint I have about this book is that it was about a hundred pages too long. But despite that Fried wrote Gia very honestly and for the person she really was and not what everybody made her out to be. She wasn't this "big ole lesbian junkie" she was just a girl looking for love in all the wrong places. Fried not only takes us into the life of Gia Marie Carangi...but
the
lifestyle, people and
world that surrounded her and shows us the best and worst parts of her flamboyant existence.

We will get a
chance to see things not through Gia's perspective
but through the people who knew Gia or at least knew of her. Other models, makeup Artist, hairdressers, photographers and fashion designers. As well as co workers, friends, family
members in interviews and articles ect. The ones who crossed paths with Gia in life and can recall her and her Career in one of the most shallow, narcissistic and
cut throat, dog eat dog industries on the planet...high fashion modelling! Stepping into a huge pot of luck, Gia changed the standard of what was considered beautiful for that time and era when the Blonde haired and blue eyed Barbie doll image that mostly dominated the industry.


Her dark Italian and melancholy look is what set her apart from the rest and made her stand out. This gave her the title "Supermodel" and
also the nickname "Shooting Star" as Gia was gracing the covers of Vogue and Cosmopolitan. And once you make
it big, you become a member of an exclusive
international club, where the sun always shines, the parties are forever glowing; a land where there’s no
ugliness, no sickness, no
poverty; where all you're wildest dreams will come true and
everyone is certified "BEAUTIFUL!", Gia could have had it all....she certainly had the talent that required for it. Gia had a free ride to the high life.


And she f*cking blew it as she let her inner Demons consume her.
The fast
lane wasn't enough....she loved the Herione needle
more.

I strongly believe all of the Drugs and even Alcohol abuse was a substitute for her
mother's
love, attention and overall acceptance she so deeply craved...but was only given to
her in
small amounts throughout her life. Gia's mother Kathleen was a very selfish woman. Who neglected her own children and was ultimately cold blooded and uncaring. And what Gia didn't
know
about that glittering
world of the wealthy and trendy she got herself
into was
when it came down to it...they didn't care
about you and what troubles you had or what you
were going through emotionally. They only loved
you
when you
were smiling.
Gia was all alone in that world...that was her
reality.

Now rather one chooses to feel
sorry
for
Gia or not she brought most of her problems and demise
upon
herself due to the poor and
stupid decisions she made...her reckless behavior got so bad and out of control to the point she finally got herself Blacklisted from the fashion world entirely. And when Gia tried to straighten up her act and make a comeback, fate had another plan for her as Gia's chance to reach and grab the shooting star of her dreams was lost. There was no fairy tale ending for her. Having her last photo shoot for Cosmopolitan in 1983 and dying of AID's related complications in 1986. And with absolutely no one from the fashion industry attending the funeral, showing just how insignificant a model can become no matter how "Super".

Beauty, money, glamour and fame can't buy true happiness in the long run, Gia's definitely couldn't. And you certainly won't find any of the answers to your problems in life through all of the Drugs and partying....and for Gia she tragically found that out the hard way as it cost her her very own life. Which was hot, wild and short...like the flame of a burning fuse. That's how she lived it. And despite her self destructive ways...she was and is a legend. For Cindy Crawford was called "Baby Gia" when she first began working in the same industry. So to all you Crawford fans out there: Cindy wouldn't be were she is today if it wasn't for Gia.

'Thing of Beauty' was a Cinderella fairytale that ended in a total tragic nightmare. But definitely was worth the read and definitely worth the ride. In the end it didn't matter how beautiful Gia was because her beauty was her curse. When I finished the book I felt haunted and couldn't get Gia off my mind for days. I still think about her sometimes and all of the potential that sadly died with her. 5 STARS!

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tragedy indeed. Very in depth look at the life of supermodel Gia.

I have to admit, I had never heard of her prior to this book. A sad testament to how quickly and easily lives in the fashion industry are forgotten and swept under the rug like dust particles.

I think Gia was a very weak and fragile individual. The fashion industry is not a place for anyone of weak constitutions. She was a self destructive, tornado of denial, anger and bad habits. She used drugs to self medicate herself numb. The thing is she pinned all her issues on the fact that her mother left her father when she was 11 and she felt abandoned as a result. Gia placed too much blame on this incident for too many years. She lacked the self awareness to realize that while that may have been an incident that contributed to her depression, the fact is she made poor choices and refused to take any responsibility for them. At her worst, she was a train wreck.

Speaking of her mother, that woman is a piece of work, or shit actually. While I don't necessarily fault her for divorcing Gia's father, and think that may have been an excuse of convenience for Gia, the fact of the matter is that mother would have driven most daughters to drug use. Manipulative and selfish, she too took no responsiblity for any of her actions. She acted like a goddamn groupie when her daughter was on top, and distanced herself from her when she wasn't. She blamed Gia and praised herself in almost every sentence she uttered. When Gia was at the end of her life she bullied her into signing a document to put her on life support even though Gia didn't want it and kept all of her friends and loved ones from seeing her and having the chance to say goodbye. In the end Gia died alone and unnoticed.

This book is great if you enjoy reading and learning about the fashion industry. It is quite detail oriented. However if you are like me and don't really care about the fashion industry you will find the first half of the book a bit tedious in nature.

[Bert · Rating 5 out of 5]

Before Helena, before Linda, before Naomi, before Christy, before Cindy, before Tatjana, before Claudia and all the rest, before all of them, there was another, her name was Gia.

She dazzled brighter than all her peers, but as a lot of the brightest stars often do, she burnt out so fast and long before her time. Her story is one filled with so much sadness and misfortune, reading this book ‘Thing of Beauty: The Tragedy of Supermodel Gia’ was a real punch to the gut. Gia began modelling at the age of 17, she quickly became one of the foremost fashion models in the world, covering countless magazine covers, being the face of campaigns by the biggest designers and also becoming a favourite of the top photographers of the era.

When you reach the top though, the only way to go is down, and poor Gia took a steep decline in the following years. After the death of her close friend, former model Wilhelmina Cooper, Gia started to heavily abuse heroin, she soon became addicted and this affected her career greatly. After years of being the top model in the world, her drug use saw her career take a severe downturn, eventually, she was blacklisted and was no longer able to find work in the fashion world. It’s around this time that she turned to prostitution, which for someone in her fragile state was bound to end badly, it doesn’t end there, she also contracted HIV, and because of the world being so uneducated in regards to the HIV/ AIDS epidemic, the treatment of people who suffered from the virus was abhorrent, which also saw Gia develop a severe case of depression. Her short life came to an end after she was found on the side of the road beaten and raped, she was admitted to hospital where she was diagnosed with pneumonia, she died soon after. So incredibly sad.

Her life was popularised in the 1998 film, Gia, starring a career-best Angelina Jolie in the titular role, and Faye Dunaway as Wilhelmina Cooper. The film is what most people know of Gia, however, for people interested in this topic I highly recommend sourcing out this book. A 10/10 read.

[Cay-lamity · Rating 3 out of 5]

even among the professionally beautiful, gia is considered special. she is more like the quintessential painter’s model—an inspiration, a “thing of beauty”—than a working girl, a professional mannequin.

T H O U G H T S:

an astonishing, tragic story that lays bare the beautiful and the unattractive, the glories and the terrors of celebrity. this is the story of gia, one of the world's first supermodels, from her peak at the top of the industry to her fall as a heroin addict. at eighteen, she was the face on the covers of cosmopolitan and vogue. at twenty-six, she became one of the first women in America to die of AIDS. (i love this article about her life and legacy.) this book paints a powerful portrait of beauty and sexuality, fame and objectification, mothers and daughters, love and death.

R A T I N G:

plot // 4
pacing // 3
language // 3
story world // 5
protagonist // 5
antagonist // 4
secondary characters // 4

3.5 stars

[Brittany Farr · Rating 2 out of 5]

Supermodels aren't my thing, I just picked up on this book because it was gathering dust in my sibling's bookshelf. There were some interesting parts but to be honest, I feel like as if the book is filled with people who tried to make themselves look good and supportive towards Gia. I do believe that Gia did lead a tough life, which is never easy when a child feels abandoned by her mother. But to be honest, a lot of other people are at fault too, but it doesn't mean they intended to be unsupportive towards Gia. I just wish that the book was just about Gia and how she succeeded and failed, rather than filled with people's reflections of their memories with Gia.

[PeachyTO · Rating 4 out of 5]

While entrenched in this sad and sometimes shocking story of a beautiful child living in a grownup world, suffering from borderline personality, losing herself to heroine and eventually dying of AIDS, I found myself truly affected by her tale. Although I was bored by some of the detail and gossip of the fashion world, the book shed a lot of light into Gia's larger than life existence and constant inner struggle with who she was, what others wanted her to be and what she needed. Love on ya, babe!

[Amber Rivera · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was interesting to learn about Gia because she was swept under the rug. She was one of the first supermodels and one of the first famous women to die from aids but no one has heard about her. The book really educated you, but I probably wouldn't read it if I was just looking for entertainment.

[Victovictovicto · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very touching story about this lost, beautiful woman. A modern tragedy. I feel very emotionally affected by this book!

[Kim · Rating 2 out of 5]

The biography that wouldn't end. Terrible editing, misspelled words and too many people to keep track.

[Karen Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a riveting account of the tragic life of Gia, a fashion model. It's a real page-turner!

[Bob Schnell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gia Carangi was arguably the first "supermodel" yet her early death left the field dominated by Cindy Crawford, Carol Alt and others. As Stephen Fried tells it, Gia's death from drugs/AIDS could have been prevented, but she was too independently minded to listen to good advice. Her childhood in Philadelphia was altered for the worse when her mother left home. Her father and brothers were not up to the task of guiding her through adolescence and she became a bit of a wild child. When her mother re-entered her life it was too little too late. Her mother became her biggest fan instead of her lifeline in troubled waters.

I enjoyed this book for the scenes of Philly in the 1970s and 80s, the fashionista society that make AbFab seem like a serious documentary, and Gia's globetrotting antics. She took it all too far, but most people in the industry forgave her simply because she photographed so well. Her tragic end should have been a lesson to her enablers, but I doubt it was.