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El secreto de Selena (Selena's Secret): La reveladora historia detrás su trágica muerte (Atria Espanol)
Written by the popular Spanish-language TV personality who is also an acknowledged expert on Selena, this definitive book reveals new details about the life and death of the Tejano superstar, and includes never-before-released information surrounding convicted murder Yolanda Saldivar.
268 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 5, 1997
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1362 people want to read
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May 29, 2020
I saw the film Selena when it hit theaters in 1997.
I’d heard about the shooting via media coverage and grief-stricken friends but hadn’t really been a fan of hers, let alone of Tejano music.
The film changed all that.
From that day on, I would spend a great deal of my tween and teen years dancing and singing along to her English and Spanish music, all the while drawing jeers and sneers from monolingual friends and relatives.
Cut to 2020. Having nothing but time and wanting to hear something other than my usual R&B, Pop, Gospel or Hip Hop, I went hunting for a Selena playlist and wound up down the proverbial rabbit whole of interviews, true-crime documentaries and music. At the bottom lay Maria Celeste Arraras's...offering.
I knew going in that, at best, Arraras’s account was just that, an account.
I had zero reason to believe her particular take on events. Heck, I wouldn’t even bet on Selena’s family’s version of the story.
Any way you look at it, the title of this book is all wrong. Based on its contents, it should be titled Selena’s Murderer: The Revealing Story Behind Her Tragic Railroading and Conviction by Corrupt, Starstruck Cops and Prosecutors and the Gullible and Partial Jury of her Peers!
I might have known I was in trouble when I came across the official title which, for some reason, implies a relationship between a salacious, hidden truth and a murder.
Here’s what I got out of Maria Celeste Arraras’s Selena’s Secret:
1. Howard Stern was, and probably still is, a terrible human being.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bXk_g...
2. Abraham Quintanilla was a villain of vaudevillian proportions, a big, big bully who would ultimately come to cultivate his daughter’s killer.
3. Selena was an impetuous, “rebellious” slutty McSlutterson who stubbornly refused to heed her best friend and future murderer’s wise council.
4. Selena was surrounded by paranoid, territorial sharks, every single one of whom hated and worked to destroy Yolanda Saldivar for no reason at all.
5. Yolanda Saldivar was Innocent! Innocent! I tell you! It was a conspiracy that went all the way to the top of the Texas criminal justice system.
6. Heterosexual Catholics with clean records and “good” families are, by default, innocent of the first murders they commit.
7. A primarily African American jury would almost certainly have meant an acquittal.
8. Abraham Quintanilla was a villain of vaudevillian proportions, a big, big bully who would ultimately come to cultivate his daughter’s killer.
9. When faced with workplace harassment, pull out a gun.
10. Selena would still be alive had she obeyed an armed Yolanda Saldivar’s command to “close the door.”
11. Killing killers who kill sometimes lose weight behind bars.
12. If you have a secret, your murder might have been justified. Arraras states the opposite in the penultimate chapter, but the damage is pretty much done by that point.
13. Abraham Quintanilla was a villain of vaudevillian proportions, a big, big bully who would ultimately come to cultivate his daughter’s killer.
14. If you want to know who the sympathetic characters are, look for the courtroom clothing choices. Elegantly dressed Quintanilla family, bad. “Humbly” dressed Saldivar family, good.
15. Selena’s marriage was in trouble because she did not believe her husband to be man enough.
16. The Saldivar Family are in possession of property that doesn’t belong to them and should be sued into the next millennium the second they attempt to cash in on it.
Full disclosure: I’d already made up my mind when I picked this up. Having heard and synthesized the competing and, undoubtedly, apocryphal and self-serving narratives, I remain unmoved.
Sometimes, even critical thinkers have to come to a decision as to which version of a story to believe.
For the record, it is my conclusion that Yolanda Saldivar is solely and directly responsible for the shooting death of 23-year-old Selena Quintanilla-Perez.
Whether Saldivar’s intention was to take her own life or fend off an angry and controlling Abraham Quintanilla is of no consequence. The fact is that on March 31st, 1995, she fired the bullet that Struck Selena in the back, emptied her body of blood and sent her, clinically dead,” to the hospital where she was officially pronounced dead.
As Selena lay dying in the lobby of a Corpus Christi motel, she identified Yolanda Saldivar as her shooter.
Saldivar, a medical professional of several years, neither offered aid, screamed for help nor contacted the paramedics. Her claim not to know that Selena had been hit doesn’t hold water, as the blood found in the hotel room indicates otherwise.
Following the shooting, Yolanda was caught attempting to flee the murder scene, whereupon she began a nine-hour standoff before giving herself up to authorities.
Whether or not Selena was in flight from her husband and father is of no consequence.
I disapprove of but am not especially shocked at or outraged by her alleged affair with a married man; it’s inclusion in this book is sleezy and mean-spirited,
Maybe the boutiques were failing; that would explain the missing money.
However, maybe Saldivar was a treacherous fraudster, a filthy liar and embezzler who, when caught with her mitts in Selena’s cookie jar, snapped and panicked all at once and made a terrible mistake.
As far as I’m concerned, why Selena died will never matter as much as how Selena died.
Also, it bears repeating that the "context" is immaterial; Yolanda Saldivar wielded a loaded gun and caused a woman's death.
Arraras tries very hard to appear evenhanded in her analysis of, revelation about and report of the events surrounding Selena’s murder.
Still, her partiality to and advocacy for Yolanda Saldivar are clear. From her insinuation that others, mainly Martin Gomez and the Quintanilla family, somehow caused her descent into terror and madness to her suggestion that Selena’s defection from and “betrayal” of Saldivar may have been a contributory factor in her death, her #NotAllMurderers movement is in full force.
Also, Arraras’s avoidance of the word murder in favor of the word “tragedy” doesn’t read as objective or balanced as she thinks it does, especially when 60 percent of the book consists of images and anecdotes designed to garner empathy for Saldivar.
Ultimately, as long as you aren’t looking for anything 100% true or new, Selena’s Secret is an OK read.
If you don’t want to reward a click-baiting, cash-grabbing journalist’s desperate attempt to remain relevant, avoid this one like your conscience and blood pressure depend on it. I wish I had. A very generous two stars.
Further Reading/Watching/Listening:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rn2h7...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ElTf1...
https://www.billboard.com/articles/co...
https://www.vibe.com/2017/01/suzette-...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pTY4l...
I’d heard about the shooting via media coverage and grief-stricken friends but hadn’t really been a fan of hers, let alone of Tejano music.
The film changed all that.
From that day on, I would spend a great deal of my tween and teen years dancing and singing along to her English and Spanish music, all the while drawing jeers and sneers from monolingual friends and relatives.
Cut to 2020. Having nothing but time and wanting to hear something other than my usual R&B, Pop, Gospel or Hip Hop, I went hunting for a Selena playlist and wound up down the proverbial rabbit whole of interviews, true-crime documentaries and music. At the bottom lay Maria Celeste Arraras's...offering.
I knew going in that, at best, Arraras’s account was just that, an account.
I had zero reason to believe her particular take on events. Heck, I wouldn’t even bet on Selena’s family’s version of the story.
Any way you look at it, the title of this book is all wrong. Based on its contents, it should be titled Selena’s Murderer: The Revealing Story Behind Her Tragic Railroading and Conviction by Corrupt, Starstruck Cops and Prosecutors and the Gullible and Partial Jury of her Peers!
I might have known I was in trouble when I came across the official title which, for some reason, implies a relationship between a salacious, hidden truth and a murder.
Here’s what I got out of Maria Celeste Arraras’s Selena’s Secret:
1. Howard Stern was, and probably still is, a terrible human being.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bXk_g...
2. Abraham Quintanilla was a villain of vaudevillian proportions, a big, big bully who would ultimately come to cultivate his daughter’s killer.
3. Selena was an impetuous, “rebellious” slutty McSlutterson who stubbornly refused to heed her best friend and future murderer’s wise council.
4. Selena was surrounded by paranoid, territorial sharks, every single one of whom hated and worked to destroy Yolanda Saldivar for no reason at all.
5. Yolanda Saldivar was Innocent! Innocent! I tell you! It was a conspiracy that went all the way to the top of the Texas criminal justice system.
6. Heterosexual Catholics with clean records and “good” families are, by default, innocent of the first murders they commit.
7. A primarily African American jury would almost certainly have meant an acquittal.
8. Abraham Quintanilla was a villain of vaudevillian proportions, a big, big bully who would ultimately come to cultivate his daughter’s killer.
9. When faced with workplace harassment, pull out a gun.
10. Selena would still be alive had she obeyed an armed Yolanda Saldivar’s command to “close the door.”
11. Killing killers who kill sometimes lose weight behind bars.
12. If you have a secret, your murder might have been justified. Arraras states the opposite in the penultimate chapter, but the damage is pretty much done by that point.
13. Abraham Quintanilla was a villain of vaudevillian proportions, a big, big bully who would ultimately come to cultivate his daughter’s killer.
14. If you want to know who the sympathetic characters are, look for the courtroom clothing choices. Elegantly dressed Quintanilla family, bad. “Humbly” dressed Saldivar family, good.
15. Selena’s marriage was in trouble because she did not believe her husband to be man enough.
16. The Saldivar Family are in possession of property that doesn’t belong to them and should be sued into the next millennium the second they attempt to cash in on it.
Full disclosure: I’d already made up my mind when I picked this up. Having heard and synthesized the competing and, undoubtedly, apocryphal and self-serving narratives, I remain unmoved.
Sometimes, even critical thinkers have to come to a decision as to which version of a story to believe.
For the record, it is my conclusion that Yolanda Saldivar is solely and directly responsible for the shooting death of 23-year-old Selena Quintanilla-Perez.
Whether Saldivar’s intention was to take her own life or fend off an angry and controlling Abraham Quintanilla is of no consequence. The fact is that on March 31st, 1995, she fired the bullet that Struck Selena in the back, emptied her body of blood and sent her, clinically dead,” to the hospital where she was officially pronounced dead.
As Selena lay dying in the lobby of a Corpus Christi motel, she identified Yolanda Saldivar as her shooter.
Saldivar, a medical professional of several years, neither offered aid, screamed for help nor contacted the paramedics. Her claim not to know that Selena had been hit doesn’t hold water, as the blood found in the hotel room indicates otherwise.
Following the shooting, Yolanda was caught attempting to flee the murder scene, whereupon she began a nine-hour standoff before giving herself up to authorities.
Whether or not Selena was in flight from her husband and father is of no consequence.
I disapprove of but am not especially shocked at or outraged by her alleged affair with a married man; it’s inclusion in this book is sleezy and mean-spirited,
Maybe the boutiques were failing; that would explain the missing money.
However, maybe Saldivar was a treacherous fraudster, a filthy liar and embezzler who, when caught with her mitts in Selena’s cookie jar, snapped and panicked all at once and made a terrible mistake.
As far as I’m concerned, why Selena died will never matter as much as how Selena died.
Also, it bears repeating that the "context" is immaterial; Yolanda Saldivar wielded a loaded gun and caused a woman's death.
Arraras tries very hard to appear evenhanded in her analysis of, revelation about and report of the events surrounding Selena’s murder.
Still, her partiality to and advocacy for Yolanda Saldivar are clear. From her insinuation that others, mainly Martin Gomez and the Quintanilla family, somehow caused her descent into terror and madness to her suggestion that Selena’s defection from and “betrayal” of Saldivar may have been a contributory factor in her death, her #NotAllMurderers movement is in full force.
Also, Arraras’s avoidance of the word murder in favor of the word “tragedy” doesn’t read as objective or balanced as she thinks it does, especially when 60 percent of the book consists of images and anecdotes designed to garner empathy for Saldivar.
Ultimately, as long as you aren’t looking for anything 100% true or new, Selena’s Secret is an OK read.
If you don’t want to reward a click-baiting, cash-grabbing journalist’s desperate attempt to remain relevant, avoid this one like your conscience and blood pressure depend on it. I wish I had. A very generous two stars.
Further Reading/Watching/Listening:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rn2h7...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ElTf1...
https://www.billboard.com/articles/co...
https://www.vibe.com/2017/01/suzette-...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pTY4l...
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 28, 2010
"There is no doubt that Yolanda Saldivar pulled the trigger and killed the beloved Tejano superstar Selena Quintanilla Perez. But does any of us know what really happened in Room 158 of the Days Inn, moments before Yolanda fired the gun that took Selena's life? Maria Celeste Arraras has many answers..."
Really? Well why didn't she write about it, then? This book, this badly written, poorly researched, "much ado about nothing" book, is one of the most disappointing books I have ever read. There was no revelation as to why Saldivar killed Selena, no new input about what really happened in Room 158... Nothing. The only new thing it brought to the table was a possible affair between Selena and a doctor, but really, was it necessary to even mention that when it's the killer who offers the information?
I read this when it was first published and the only reason I give two stars instead of one, or none at all, is that the pictures are nice, and there are a few (FEW being the operative word) things about Selena that were nice to know and a few things about Saldivar that are worth knowing. No, not one of us know what really happened in Room 158... not even Maria Celeste Arraras.
Really? Well why didn't she write about it, then? This book, this badly written, poorly researched, "much ado about nothing" book, is one of the most disappointing books I have ever read. There was no revelation as to why Saldivar killed Selena, no new input about what really happened in Room 158... Nothing. The only new thing it brought to the table was a possible affair between Selena and a doctor, but really, was it necessary to even mention that when it's the killer who offers the information?
I read this when it was first published and the only reason I give two stars instead of one, or none at all, is that the pictures are nice, and there are a few (FEW being the operative word) things about Selena that were nice to know and a few things about Saldivar that are worth knowing. No, not one of us know what really happened in Room 158... not even Maria Celeste Arraras.
March 16, 2014
if you want to read a pointless book that just builds up suspense for no reason, read this book. I would give it no stars if I could.
January 2, 2015
I am obsessed with anything Selena and so I thought why won't I love to know her secret?So I was all worked up to read this book.Maria is a celebrity in Spanish media in America and is well known for covering tragic horrifying death of my luv Selena,so I imagined she must've known something even crazy fangirls like me don't,so I went ahead and got this book!I was disappointed to say the least but then it would be a major understatement!!
This book is creepy!!When some 1 like Selena is concerned who is practically a goddess for millions of girls and fans (like me in the 1st place!) you have to be careful in this realm!Selena means so much to us and if you are going to claim about less than flattering aspects of her young yet eternal life,you better back it up with solid facts and evidence.
The book has evoked similar reactions from so many Selena fans.When we want to know it all about her dark side or bright side,the book lets us down big time!One big turn off about this book was how this book is a tell all about....well... Maria's hair!Yes!She tells us what she was wearing,how her hair was,how bad the airport she visited was etc in this book,while that spicy secret about my angel doesn't come up anywhere in the book!!Another major flaw with this book is:Maria actually attempts to 'empathize' with Selena's killer!!Yeah,you heard that right!Let me put it in other words what it means,it is akin to give voice to those 'poor' Taliban monsters who shot bullets into Malala Yousufzai's head or giving voice to those 'poor little' Nazis who found Anne Frank's secret Annex and took her to Nazi concentration camps!How can you wish to empathize with that satanic cretin Yolanda Saldivar who shot Selena??How can you?How can anyone??It shocks me,baffles me and disgusts me!!
USP of this book is:How She got the inside track with a miserable cretin Yolanda the killer,how she 'won her trust' and how she gets to 'present' her side of story!!It's a typical liberal impulse,like those liberals who sign petitions against death penalties to convicted terrorists and radicals!
Sure Selena was a human and had her flaws,no1 is that perfect but going gaga over her killer and lending her voice to show her side of story is sick and twisted!Yolanda has to pay the price of killing a nice girl like Selena and prison sentence is way too small a price to pay for what she has done!Let her rot in jail.
Lets give in to her impulse to show Yolanda in some positive light,the book does a poor job even at that!There's no juicy gossip/secret in this book!It's a misnomer,a wrong title!This book should have been titled 'Woohoo!I got to interview a sick twisted killer and look how good my hair looks'
Big 0 star
This book is creepy!!When some 1 like Selena is concerned who is practically a goddess for millions of girls and fans (like me in the 1st place!) you have to be careful in this realm!Selena means so much to us and if you are going to claim about less than flattering aspects of her young yet eternal life,you better back it up with solid facts and evidence.
The book has evoked similar reactions from so many Selena fans.When we want to know it all about her dark side or bright side,the book lets us down big time!One big turn off about this book was how this book is a tell all about....well... Maria's hair!Yes!She tells us what she was wearing,how her hair was,how bad the airport she visited was etc in this book,while that spicy secret about my angel doesn't come up anywhere in the book!!Another major flaw with this book is:Maria actually attempts to 'empathize' with Selena's killer!!Yeah,you heard that right!Let me put it in other words what it means,it is akin to give voice to those 'poor' Taliban monsters who shot bullets into Malala Yousufzai's head or giving voice to those 'poor little' Nazis who found Anne Frank's secret Annex and took her to Nazi concentration camps!How can you wish to empathize with that satanic cretin Yolanda Saldivar who shot Selena??How can you?How can anyone??It shocks me,baffles me and disgusts me!!
USP of this book is:How She got the inside track with a miserable cretin Yolanda the killer,how she 'won her trust' and how she gets to 'present' her side of story!!It's a typical liberal impulse,like those liberals who sign petitions against death penalties to convicted terrorists and radicals!
Sure Selena was a human and had her flaws,no1 is that perfect but going gaga over her killer and lending her voice to show her side of story is sick and twisted!Yolanda has to pay the price of killing a nice girl like Selena and prison sentence is way too small a price to pay for what she has done!Let her rot in jail.
Lets give in to her impulse to show Yolanda in some positive light,the book does a poor job even at that!There's no juicy gossip/secret in this book!It's a misnomer,a wrong title!This book should have been titled 'Woohoo!I got to interview a sick twisted killer and look how good my hair looks'
Big 0 star
May 19, 2020
This book is disrespectful to Selena and her family. Why publish something like this after her death and why go to the one who MURDERED her for the "juicy secrets"? It's stupid and Maria Celeste knows what she's doing, it's disgusting. The fact that they made a series off of this crappy book is much more infuriating. This is nothing but a cash grab, save your money and your time and read "To Selena, with love" by Chris Perez instead.
July 14, 2015
It was really a waste of my time. It has no secret to unveil and to use a deceased person
as your pawn doesn't say much about you Maria Celeste. There is no excuse, reason or explanation
to take someone's life. Let Selena RIP!
as your pawn doesn't say much about you Maria Celeste. There is no excuse, reason or explanation
to take someone's life. Let Selena RIP!
May 16, 2016
My review on this book has been okay. Maria Arraras explains everything perfectly, although at time I feel as if her “story” is all over the place. At times she could be talking about a certain topic of Selena then move to another thing. This book really does show the readers some of the behind the scene story that not everyone knows. I’m sure some people know more than others but as a reader that knew about Selena more than Yolanda, this book explains more on how Yolanda is. I feel as if Maria Arraras favors Yolanda Saldivar more than Selena. She expresses how she feels about the situation but at times she also acts as if she very close to Yolanda’s family because they trust her. I am sure her family did trust her but I feel as if she is bragging that her family and all of these other people trust her.
At the beginning of this book I was interested and learned things I didn’t know. For example, I did not know that Yolanda told Selena that she had been raped in Mexico and Selena took her to the hospital but nothing was wrong. I am not full of knowledge with the details, but I do know some because I am a Tejano and know about the Tejano history as well. My family are Tejanos and we all love Selena for her ecstatic personality and amazingly talent. Other than that, the way I feel that this book is an okay book. Maria Arraras made the book very simple to read and made it from her perspective and not anyone else’s.
I must say that I am confused when Maria Arraras talks about Selena having an affair with the Monterrey plastic surgeon. Is it true that she had an affair or not? Maria Arraras also had the talked about her interview with Yolanda Saldivar in Chapter four. The book is called “Selena’s Secret” and from what I got out of that chapter was nothing. Also in Chapter twelve titled “The Secret” HAS NOT BEEN TOLD. Are you going to tell us the secret or not? Ms. Arraras keeps saying how she knows the whole story and how Yolanda fully trust her. That’s good that Yolanda trust you but that’s not what I want to know. Then after her rant about how she knows the secret but she must not reveal it because it’s more of “Yolanda’s Secret”. Then Ms. Arraras says in the last paragraph of the Chapter, “If you should see me on the street, ask me whatever you wish, but do not ask me about the secret. It’s not only that I can’t discuss it; it’s also because it’s time to give it a rest.” Why do you do this to your audience? I am very aggravated because I feel as if there is no secret and this is just a bunch of lies. If you’re not going to tell us the “secret” then you really shouldn’t name the book “Selena’s Secret”. I am sure many other people agree with me. I rate this book a three.
At the beginning of this book I was interested and learned things I didn’t know. For example, I did not know that Yolanda told Selena that she had been raped in Mexico and Selena took her to the hospital but nothing was wrong. I am not full of knowledge with the details, but I do know some because I am a Tejano and know about the Tejano history as well. My family are Tejanos and we all love Selena for her ecstatic personality and amazingly talent. Other than that, the way I feel that this book is an okay book. Maria Arraras made the book very simple to read and made it from her perspective and not anyone else’s.
I must say that I am confused when Maria Arraras talks about Selena having an affair with the Monterrey plastic surgeon. Is it true that she had an affair or not? Maria Arraras also had the talked about her interview with Yolanda Saldivar in Chapter four. The book is called “Selena’s Secret” and from what I got out of that chapter was nothing. Also in Chapter twelve titled “The Secret” HAS NOT BEEN TOLD. Are you going to tell us the secret or not? Ms. Arraras keeps saying how she knows the whole story and how Yolanda fully trust her. That’s good that Yolanda trust you but that’s not what I want to know. Then after her rant about how she knows the secret but she must not reveal it because it’s more of “Yolanda’s Secret”. Then Ms. Arraras says in the last paragraph of the Chapter, “If you should see me on the street, ask me whatever you wish, but do not ask me about the secret. It’s not only that I can’t discuss it; it’s also because it’s time to give it a rest.” Why do you do this to your audience? I am very aggravated because I feel as if there is no secret and this is just a bunch of lies. If you’re not going to tell us the “secret” then you really shouldn’t name the book “Selena’s Secret”. I am sure many other people agree with me. I rate this book a three.
June 26, 2019
Not a good book at all. I love anything that is about Selena. When I saw this book I was drawn to the fact it was about her and I was tricked by the title. I kept wondering what was her secret? When I read the book I said to myself this was awful! She gave poor research and it seemed like she focused on Yolanda’s story and not Selena’s. It’s really sad because Selena isn’t here to give her side of the story, but Yolanda is here to spread lies. This book should’ve NEVER been written and published. There is NO secret. I found a YouTube video of Selena’s sister saying that there is no secret and that Maria was full of it. She said the book was nothing, but lies. If anyone wants to know the truth of who Selena really was and about her death, read Chris Perez’s book “TO SELENA, WITH LOVE” No one REALLY knows what happened in that hotel that day, not even this author. Only two people who knows are Selena and Yolanda. Like I said Selena isn’t here to tell her story. Don’t buy this book unless you want to be disappointed and feel tricked. The cover tricked me and the book tricked me. I don’t like being tricked or lied to and this book did both.
March 15, 2015
They should rename this book, "Why Maria Celeste Arraras Thinks She's A Great Telejournalist" with the byline "I Know Selena's Secret But Am Not Telling You".
January 3, 2020
Decided to start out my 2020 reading with a true crime book. This is only ok. The author is a well-respected television journalist, but her writing/writing style left a lot to be desired. I appreciated her commitment to remaining as unbiased as possible in her reporting. However, there is really no new info here, just the assertion that, according to Yolanda (and the author seems to believe her for some reason), Selena had a secret that COULD CHANGE EVERYTHING. (Hint: she *maybe* had a secret and it wouldn't change anything, if true.)
The secret? Selena was having an affair with a doctor from Mexico and was making arrangements to move there to be with him, divorcing her husband and leaving the world of music behind. We will never know what was going on in Selena's mind, because Yolanda killed her. Everything else is just noise.
The secret? Selena was having an affair with a doctor from Mexico and was making arrangements to move there to be with him, divorcing her husband and leaving the world of music behind. We will never know what was going on in Selena's mind, because Yolanda killed her. Everything else is just noise.
September 26, 2016
I will give it three stars because Maria included many details of the trial of Saldivar. Also, because she created visual pictures of what happened on the day Selena was killed, of the sadness of the families and the trial. She also made us aware of many smaller and bigger details not included in the film.
However,
I was very disappointed that no "secret" was ever revealed. Built up suspense and interest for no reason. Kind of a tease.
However,
I was very disappointed that no "secret" was ever revealed. Built up suspense and interest for no reason. Kind of a tease.
February 24, 2012
Maybe it's because I read it in Spanish and I was a huge Selena fan, but this book his horribly misleading (and other than a good Spanish learning experience) a complete waste of time. She does not say anything new that hasn't been said/known before about Selena. The "shocking facts" she does reveal are useless and irrelevant.
July 28, 2014
After so many years of wanting to read this book, I was very disappointed, the book is horrible misleading, a complete waste of time, there were many times that I felt like just stopping from reading it anymore..She doesnt reveal anything new about selena, if I could I would give it no stars at all.
July 19, 2007
Worst book I've ever read.
August 24, 2014
So it wasn't just me disappointed as hell with this deceptive book? Arraras should sell cars.
February 15, 2020
Este libro lo leí hace unos veinte años, pero como la cadena Telemundo llevó el libro a la televisión en una serie de trece capítulos (cuyo resultado es un trabajo muy bien cuidado y con una adaptación magistral del escrito; la escena de la llamada de Yolanda al padre de otra cantante ofreciéndole lo mismo que le ofreció al padre de Selena te deja con la piel de gallina, por mencionar un ejemplo), rescaté mi ejemplar del baúl de los recuerdos y lo leí de nuevo, porque el libro tiene detalles que la serie no tiene, y viceversa.
Sobre el famoso “secreto”, sí, aparece en el libro (y en la serie), pero antes de ir al grano la autora tiene que crear un contexto. Eso lo entiendo. Sólo que en ocasiones la lectura cansa por ello, a pesar de no ser un libro aburrido.
De un modo parcial, sin ponerse del lado de nadie salvo de Selena —quien fue la gran perdedora en esta historia—, María Celeste presenta todos los lados de los implicados en el asesinato de la cantante, incluyendo entrevistas con Saldívar y Abraham Quintanilla (padre de Selena).
Un buen libro que puede ser para los fans de la cantante una pieza de colección. Y para los que no lo son, será una muy buena lectura.
Reseña completa en: https://eluniversodeaisha.wordpress.c...
Sobre el famoso “secreto”, sí, aparece en el libro (y en la serie), pero antes de ir al grano la autora tiene que crear un contexto. Eso lo entiendo. Sólo que en ocasiones la lectura cansa por ello, a pesar de no ser un libro aburrido.
De un modo parcial, sin ponerse del lado de nadie salvo de Selena —quien fue la gran perdedora en esta historia—, María Celeste presenta todos los lados de los implicados en el asesinato de la cantante, incluyendo entrevistas con Saldívar y Abraham Quintanilla (padre de Selena).
Un buen libro que puede ser para los fans de la cantante una pieza de colección. Y para los que no lo son, será una muy buena lectura.
Reseña completa en: https://eluniversodeaisha.wordpress.c...
October 19, 2020
Lame
This book told you basically nothing that wasn’t already published. This “secret” is probably fake and just another way for people to profit off of Selena. Also, the author just keeps patting herself on the back the entire book! She doesn’t stop with how great she is, how honest she is, and how nobody else would keep this “secret.” It was just too much of her trying to make herself sound good. Plus it seems like she was a huge Yolanda fan and believed she was innocent. In order to make it seem like she wasn’t, she constantly tries to reassure the reader that she was a big fan of Selena. Give me a break! Like I said, lame.
This book told you basically nothing that wasn’t already published. This “secret” is probably fake and just another way for people to profit off of Selena. Also, the author just keeps patting herself on the back the entire book! She doesn’t stop with how great she is, how honest she is, and how nobody else would keep this “secret.” It was just too much of her trying to make herself sound good. Plus it seems like she was a huge Yolanda fan and believed she was innocent. In order to make it seem like she wasn’t, she constantly tries to reassure the reader that she was a big fan of Selena. Give me a break! Like I said, lame.
August 29, 2008
I had heard this wasn't a good book about Selena but I wanted to read it anyway.
January 19, 2011
A shocking experience i LOVED this book not just cause i like selena and all but because there are many
hidden secrets told and all the journey that some people never knew happened.LOVED IT!!!
hidden secrets told and all the journey that some people never knew happened.LOVED IT!!!
October 10, 2016
This author loves talking about herself and how good she is at her job lol
May 23, 2020
I am a huge fan. But over time, alot of time, I noticed her family still is trying to milk her legacy for money in the name of respect and I noticed something fishy. I believe this Journalist. I remember the reports as a child but reading this book i relived it over again. Now, to be clear, this book requires you to read between the lines bc the author gives a crap about journalistic integrity and she promised she wouldn't tell "the secret" but let me tell you straight out. Aside from Saldivar, she interviews many sources.
Abraham is too simplistic with his explanation and Saldivar is way too Looney with hers. The truth lies in the middle. It's a well known fact that Abraham is money obsessed, he hates being cheated even out of a few frickin dollars, he drives a hard bargain and he himself has become the "Shark" of the music world that he talks about.
Now don't get me wrong I love this singer like everyone else and have all her music and as a Latina myself, I can honestly say I wanted to believe the fairytale that was the movie of her life but it's so much different. I am quite sure of that. Why else would Abraham dictate anything put out there involving his late daughter? Why else would he wanna sue his own son in law for publishing a book about his romance? I'm even surprised Chris did that.
So, the book said he is a control freak. He controlled the money Selena got when she was alive and she was worth millions but only received a few hundred thousand. She got sick of it, Chris and her were having "problems", Chris didn't support her and apparently according to her that was validation for her to cheat on her husband. We all know a few things about her, one of these things was that she was a brat. A huge brat. She wanted what she wanted and her happiness to her was worth leaving Chris and falling in love with an Ugly doctor in Monterey.
The book stated that wherever she was going she didn't intend on coming back. I believe she did have a thing going on with that ugly doctor, I believe that "Chris was dullusional about his relationship." Bc if you all know, Chris is a very chill person and they were also very young too back then. A few things in the book were mentioned and bottom line is I do believe Selena was a selfish brat who wanted what she wanted and would do anything to get it, I believe Abraham made her this way, I believe Yolanda is batsh*t crazy, and she is guilty, and ridiculous and she has no idea how stupid she sounds. She is also creepily religious in a freaky way, I believe she's lying about her psychic connection with Selena from the afterlife. Abraham was right, she does have a bat in her attic.
But he is also hiding something. Idk what. Probably just the common knowledge that Selena was waaaaay less than perfect. She's a human flesh and blood woman that really was sick of her father's controlling hand. She was wrong but Her father made her that way. Probably due to him. She was sick of having her dad dictate her life. She probably didn't want to be that close to them, my God she lived next door to them. I am sure he loves her. I know she did love him too but I think the journalist is very good at catching both parties stories. And p.s both parties don't particularly like her right now so she is definitely not doing it for a popularity contest.
I do believe Abraham threatened her. I do believe Yolanda was maybe a victim of the crazy Quintanilla family in certain ways. I do believe Selena did something very very naughty. I do believe that Chris didn't and doesn't want to believe it, I do believe Selena was out for her happiness reputation be damned, I do believe the Quintanillas always wanna save face, I do believe that doctor was an Ugly homely arrogant douche bag, I don't believe Abraham touched Yolanda, I do believe Yolanda is dramatically stupid as hell, I do believe she is not sorry for shooting her "daughter", I don't believe it was an accident about 85%sure, I believe Yolanda's family was unfairly hated, I do believe jail is probably a better place for Yolanda, I do believe she always threatened to kill herself for attention, I also believe the policeman was working too hard to stop Yolanda from killing herself when she was held up in her truck (kinda cold but when you read how many times she threatened to kill herself and the fit she put up all those times even after the truck incident, you can't help but think, my God then just shut up and kill yourself already!), I also believe that Abraham is hiding something, I believe that the family as a whole hasn't forgiven Yolanda for what she's done (I know that's hard but it's the first step to freedom), I believe that they're still at each other, I believe that Yolanda should stay in jail. Or a very restricted half house, I don't believe Yolanda is a threat to society now, I believe that the Quintanillas should let it rest now and stop trying to make money off their daughters death. I also believe this book is unbiased.
Abraham is too simplistic with his explanation and Saldivar is way too Looney with hers. The truth lies in the middle. It's a well known fact that Abraham is money obsessed, he hates being cheated even out of a few frickin dollars, he drives a hard bargain and he himself has become the "Shark" of the music world that he talks about.
Now don't get me wrong I love this singer like everyone else and have all her music and as a Latina myself, I can honestly say I wanted to believe the fairytale that was the movie of her life but it's so much different. I am quite sure of that. Why else would Abraham dictate anything put out there involving his late daughter? Why else would he wanna sue his own son in law for publishing a book about his romance? I'm even surprised Chris did that.
So, the book said he is a control freak. He controlled the money Selena got when she was alive and she was worth millions but only received a few hundred thousand. She got sick of it, Chris and her were having "problems", Chris didn't support her and apparently according to her that was validation for her to cheat on her husband. We all know a few things about her, one of these things was that she was a brat. A huge brat. She wanted what she wanted and her happiness to her was worth leaving Chris and falling in love with an Ugly doctor in Monterey.
The book stated that wherever she was going she didn't intend on coming back. I believe she did have a thing going on with that ugly doctor, I believe that "Chris was dullusional about his relationship." Bc if you all know, Chris is a very chill person and they were also very young too back then. A few things in the book were mentioned and bottom line is I do believe Selena was a selfish brat who wanted what she wanted and would do anything to get it, I believe Abraham made her this way, I believe Yolanda is batsh*t crazy, and she is guilty, and ridiculous and she has no idea how stupid she sounds. She is also creepily religious in a freaky way, I believe she's lying about her psychic connection with Selena from the afterlife. Abraham was right, she does have a bat in her attic.
But he is also hiding something. Idk what. Probably just the common knowledge that Selena was waaaaay less than perfect. She's a human flesh and blood woman that really was sick of her father's controlling hand. She was wrong but Her father made her that way. Probably due to him. She was sick of having her dad dictate her life. She probably didn't want to be that close to them, my God she lived next door to them. I am sure he loves her. I know she did love him too but I think the journalist is very good at catching both parties stories. And p.s both parties don't particularly like her right now so she is definitely not doing it for a popularity contest.
I do believe Abraham threatened her. I do believe Yolanda was maybe a victim of the crazy Quintanilla family in certain ways. I do believe Selena did something very very naughty. I do believe that Chris didn't and doesn't want to believe it, I do believe Selena was out for her happiness reputation be damned, I do believe the Quintanillas always wanna save face, I do believe that doctor was an Ugly homely arrogant douche bag, I don't believe Abraham touched Yolanda, I do believe Yolanda is dramatically stupid as hell, I do believe she is not sorry for shooting her "daughter", I don't believe it was an accident about 85%sure, I believe Yolanda's family was unfairly hated, I do believe jail is probably a better place for Yolanda, I do believe she always threatened to kill herself for attention, I also believe the policeman was working too hard to stop Yolanda from killing herself when she was held up in her truck (kinda cold but when you read how many times she threatened to kill herself and the fit she put up all those times even after the truck incident, you can't help but think, my God then just shut up and kill yourself already!), I also believe that Abraham is hiding something, I believe that the family as a whole hasn't forgiven Yolanda for what she's done (I know that's hard but it's the first step to freedom), I believe that they're still at each other, I believe that Yolanda should stay in jail. Or a very restricted half house, I don't believe Yolanda is a threat to society now, I believe that the Quintanillas should let it rest now and stop trying to make money off their daughters death. I also believe this book is unbiased.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 13, 2019
I was really excited to have purchased this book because it was about Selena. I haven’t read anything from her surprisingly and I thought this book was going to be really good considering that I was a big fan of Maria growing up. I started reading a few pages and instantly all my emotions and memories of Selena came rushing back. I was very disappointed to see that this book just ran around in circles and never really gave us what we wanted....TO KNOW THE DAMN SECRET! At times I felt like Maria was favoring Yolanda. In my head all I can think is how she could feel bad for someone that murdered in cold blood someone else? Especially someone like Selena. Granted I also learned a few things I didn’t know about the case, such as her relationship with the Doctor and her business dealings in Monterrey. I will agree though, I do not like Selena’s dad at all. To me he’s just a money hungry individual who likes to just make money off his dead daughters name, and basically wants to own rights to every single thing out there with Selena’s name on it. All in all, I really don’t recommend this book because the title is very misleading and there’s just too much running around in circles.
February 12, 2022
2.5
The book was really average. Like there were some good parts and some hard parts to read. But the parts that were really good I couldn’t put the book down. The book gave good description of Selena’s life, the trial, and Yolandas interview but other than that it was kinda bland. And a little side rant here the title is deceiving to what the book is actually about. The writer mentions the secret a lot and throughout the book is saying how important it is. Which is a good way to make readers want to keep reading however she never reviles the secret. And I can understand why she doesn’t but the entire premise of the book is about the secret. I personally think a better title would be Selena Quintanilla- The Tragic Story of Her Death.
⚠️TW⚠️
Murder
Talk of rape and SA
Violence
The book was really average. Like there were some good parts and some hard parts to read. But the parts that were really good I couldn’t put the book down. The book gave good description of Selena’s life, the trial, and Yolandas interview but other than that it was kinda bland. And a little side rant here the title is deceiving to what the book is actually about. The writer mentions the secret a lot and throughout the book is saying how important it is. Which is a good way to make readers want to keep reading however she never reviles the secret. And I can understand why she doesn’t but the entire premise of the book is about the secret. I personally think a better title would be Selena Quintanilla- The Tragic Story of Her Death.
⚠️TW⚠️
Murder
Talk of rape and SA
Violence
January 13, 2020
I did not appreciate the author of this book or her take on it. She essentially wrote the book to emphasize her interviewing skills and continued to compliment herself throughout for being an ethical and decent person. The book itself focuses on the murderer and everything that happened after Selena’s death. Not a good story about Selina herself. I found the movie a much better source of information when simply wanting to learn more about Selina the singer.
April 15, 2019
3.5*
Estuvo muy bueno, bien interesante. Lo único es que en realidad nunca dicen el secreto y siento que es necesario saber eso antes de leerlo. Porque sí es una historia contando la experiencia de Maria Celeste con el caso pero en ningún momento se cuenta el secreto completo y pienso que usaron ese título para comprar la audiencia. Por lo demás, me gustó.
Estuvo muy bueno, bien interesante. Lo único es que en realidad nunca dicen el secreto y siento que es necesario saber eso antes de leerlo. Porque sí es una historia contando la experiencia de Maria Celeste con el caso pero en ningún momento se cuenta el secreto completo y pienso que usaron ese título para comprar la audiencia. Por lo demás, me gustó.
September 8, 2011
I really love this book I was a little upset on how they tried to make selena look in this book but they overall did a good job... i was a little shocked to learn what I did about the woman who killed selena but there really isnt much to say about it you just have to read it to find out...
November 21, 2019
What a sad story! The author is self obsessed and full of herself. She wrote this to make money not to reveal the "secret". The truth is there is no secret. Selena is gone. Yolanda is a murderer and a liar. Maria Celeste Arraras took advantage of the public by publishing this book.
September 26, 2014
Really had high hopes but pretry much is a summary of her reports. Kinda dissatisfied.
February 6, 2019
This feeds my Selena addiction, but the truth is,there isn’t a secret. Only the author’s self-praise.
October 18, 2022
Most everyone knows the story behind the killing of Selena Quintanilla Perez. There's no question who the killer was, Yolanda Saldivar. However, there are so many secrets behind that tragic day March 31st, 1995 in room 158 at the Days Inn. Maria Arraras, a journalist with Primer Impacto sat every day in the courtroom listening to testimony from both sides. Speaking with Yolanda by phone, she was given first access to an interview, where Yolanda claimed she would reveal Selena's secret and what happened in the days and the minutes that lead up to the tragic untimely death of Selena.
I have been a Selena super fan since the very first time I saw the Selena movie in 1997. I first read this book back in 1998. Now 26 years later I picked up a copy of the rereleased book on the 20-year anniversary of when the book was originally released. The book is centered around a HUGE secret that Yolanda claims she knows. The author from the beginning makes you believe that she is going to reveal that secret that no one knows about. She mentions this over and over throughout the book giving you an anxious build-up and anticipation thinking that around every page the secret is about to be told andddd it's not. The so-called "secret" which is about a page and a half of the book is just speculation or assumptions based on what information Maria (the author) had put together.
Though this book does answer a few questions about the Tejano singer's tragic death and is very interesting, it builds up to nothing more than a letdown. In my opinion, all the book does is slander Selena's image and paint her father to be a money-hungry control freak. On the contrary, he was a man who adored his daughter and wanted to do whatever he could to protect her and the family's businesses. In the end, I am not really a huge fan of this book. I feel like the author wrote the book to further her career and for the ratings for the television station, she worked for. I did like the insight into the trial and the compassion that the author had for both families. She did cover the whole ordeal but that's about as far as my liking for this book goes.
I have been a Selena super fan since the very first time I saw the Selena movie in 1997. I first read this book back in 1998. Now 26 years later I picked up a copy of the rereleased book on the 20-year anniversary of when the book was originally released. The book is centered around a HUGE secret that Yolanda claims she knows. The author from the beginning makes you believe that she is going to reveal that secret that no one knows about. She mentions this over and over throughout the book giving you an anxious build-up and anticipation thinking that around every page the secret is about to be told andddd it's not. The so-called "secret" which is about a page and a half of the book is just speculation or assumptions based on what information Maria (the author) had put together.
Though this book does answer a few questions about the Tejano singer's tragic death and is very interesting, it builds up to nothing more than a letdown. In my opinion, all the book does is slander Selena's image and paint her father to be a money-hungry control freak. On the contrary, he was a man who adored his daughter and wanted to do whatever he could to protect her and the family's businesses. In the end, I am not really a huge fan of this book. I feel like the author wrote the book to further her career and for the ratings for the television station, she worked for. I did like the insight into the trial and the compassion that the author had for both families. She did cover the whole ordeal but that's about as far as my liking for this book goes.
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