From School Library Journal
Grade 6-9-Jones manages a brief but cohesive narrative of the Tejano star's life and untimely death at the hands of her fan-club manager. Diaz is marred by suppositions about how she might have made certain career choices. For example, in discussing her decision to accept a role in Charlie's Angels, the author states, "-the $12 million paycheck couldn't have hurt-." That's fine, as far as it goes, but this device and tone are repeated throughout. The author quotes Diaz as being concerned about whether, as an actor, she could live with the over-the-line crudeness in her hit There's Something About Mary. This is followed up by the supposition that since the film was a success, she was probably able to live with it. The copyediting is also sloppy-Being John Malkovich director Spike Jonze's name is spelled both correctly and incorrectly in the same photo caption. The books have vivid colors and hip typography, but the cover photo of Diaz is amazingly unflattering. All of the photos are full color, and come from all of the standard public-domain sources. Joe Nick Patoski's Selena: Como la Flor (Boulevard, 1997) is the definitive biography, and is accessible to the same audience as Jones's book. Anne E. Hill's Cameron Diaz (Chelsea, 1999) offers much of the same information.
Tim Wadham, Maricopa County Library District, Phoenix, AZ Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.
