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List Price: $6.99 | | Publisher: Berkley
Salesrank: 1415978
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| Used Price: $11.30 |
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| Media: Paperback |
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Editorial Review:
A profile of the late Mexican-American singer considers the culture that influenced her career, the family that supported her rise and ultimately set the stage for her downfall, and her shocking murder by the head of her fan club. Tour.
Selena: como la flor Reviews:
THIS BOOK MENTIONS JENNIFER PENA!!!!! 
2009-05-14 - Here is an excerpt from this book on page 224:
So, evidently, was twelve-year-old Jennifer Pena. On September 20,the syndicated television news program Hard Copy ran a segment about Abraham's most recent discovery,whose pert appearance and perky countenance had been drawing comparisons to Selena for several years. Her forthcoming album, recorded under the auspices of Q Productions at Q Zone Studios in Corpus Christi, was already being anticipated by fans, who were flooding record stores with requests, according to the segment.
The precocious Pena did a pretty credible Selena, down to the spangled jewelry and bright red lipstick she adorned herself with, and she knew how to say all the right things, parroting the party line that no one could replace Selena, though Jennifer's moves,stage presence, and vocal inflections indicated she was trying as hard as she could to refute that notion.
On Sunday, September 24, Pena performed at Mateo Camargo Park in San Antonio, accompanied by Abraham, who made his appearance at the show emerging from a car surrounded by an entourage worthy of Elvis Presley. Pena, it was revealed after the show, was Abraham's choice to play the role of Selena in the farewell tour the following spring. His ideal Selena was the twelve-year-old chica, not the full-grown woman who was as strong-willed and independent as he was.
It was a good book, I bought this book when it first came out because I loved collecting all books about Selena. I'm a big Selena fan. I love to read different writers views and information about Selena. Highly recommend it to all Selena fans and everyone.
good
2004-04-22 - When I got this book I was so happy because I needed to know more about Selena and this book has it all. Great pictures and it get you the inside scoop on Tejano Leading Lady.
Still the Best Biography on Selena in Print!
2003-07-31 - Although it's an unauthorized biography, "Selena: Como La Flor" remains the definitive book about the life and death of Selena. Patoski does a good job of explaining the history and development of Tejano, or Tex-Mex, music prior to Selena y los Dinos' arrival on the scene. Patoski also covers in detail, much of what the 1997 film bio skipped over: primarily the decade between Selena's beginnings as a regional performer, and her signing with EMI Latin/Capitol Records.
Patoski also covers the rather strange goings-on during the final months of Selena's life: her relationship to her fan club president and murderer Yolanda Salvidar; her possible infatuation with a doctor in Mexico; and the possibility that Selena may have been ready to ditch her singing career to persue her interest in selling fashion.
Of course, Selena's murder and Yolanda's trial are also dealt with in the book, but it was the events immediately preceeding her death that intrigued me the most. It's clear from "Como la Flor" that, unlike the movie, everything wasn't coming up roses for Selena near the end of her life. Although Patoski gives a balanced portrayal of Selena's father, Abraham Quintanilla Jr., it's pretty clear that Mr. Quintanilla figuratively sacrificed his daughter to fuel his own stiffled musical ambitions.
As other reviewers have already mentioned, Mr. Patowski has done an excellent job of researching the slain singer's life. There are comments from many past associates of Selena in the book, and raises interesting questions of what directions Ms. Quintanilla's life may have taken if she hadn't died.
If your only source of information about Selena is the Jennifer Lopez film, you owe it to yourself to read "Como la Flor," because this book is far more interesting. (In case you're wondering, I think JLo doesn't hold a candle to Selena in terms of singing!)
What a work of art!
2001-01-17 - I first became a fan of Selena's when she was killed. I was, at that time, 15 years old. I have been extremely interested in anything I could find about her since then. I got Dreaming Of You for Christmas that year and constantly listened to it. She just totally changed my life. Ever since then i'd done everything I could to find out as much as I could about her, and after a while I thought I knew pretty much everything there was to know about her. She lived a life I only could have dreamt about. But when I bought this book and read it, I realized I knew practically nothing about her. It really touched me how down-to-earth she really was. She never let fame get to her head like a lot of celebrities do. For that I honor her. She was a real inspiration to other latinas out there. Viviras Selena! We always have and always will love you.
Selena Forever and Eternity
2000-05-19 - This book was a shocking wake up call for me. I love Selena with everything that is real and unreal. Joe Nick Patoski is a pure genious! It documented how shocking and sad the death of Selena Quintanilla Perez was. I miss her terribly and if i could, i would read this book over and over again. This is truly a keepsake and all selena fans will cherish it.
