'Susan Boyle' bio is redundant recap of her story

"SUSAN BOYLE: Dreams Can Come True," by Alice Montgomery, The Overlook Press, 246 pages, $21.95

This unauthorized biography recaps what most fans already know about Susan Boyle, the shy, 48-year-old Scottish singer who became an Internet sensation after a clip of her auditioning for a TV talent show was posted online.

Alice Montgomery's "Susan Boyle: Dreams Can Come True" touches on Boyle's childhood, but mostly summarizes the time between her audition — her voice combined with her frumpy appearance made her tryout a must-see on YouTube — through her performance on NBC's "Today" show in November.

Boyle stole the spotlight on "Britain's Got Talent" last spring. Although she finished second, the show launched a career that has seen her win success on both sides of the Atlantic. (Boyle is among those featured on a star-studded British single to raise money for victims of the earthquake in Haiti. Their cover of R.E.M.'s 1993 ballad "Everybody Hurts" was coordinated by Simon Cowell, one of the judges on "Britain's Got Talent." He has said Boyle is an example of why age should be irrelevant in singing competitions.)

Fans fascinated by Boyle's story may be interested in Montgomery's book as a refresher, but it's doubtful they'll learn much of anything new.

While it's nice to read about Boyle's Cinderella story — she released one of 2009's top-selling CDs — it's too soon to tell what her future will be. It's been less than a year since she skyrocketed to fame, and a year from now, she could be forgotten. Perhaps there would be juicier elements and more details to uncover if Montgomery had waited to write the book.