Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

Admittedly, I have typed and deleted my review of this book a couple times now because it's been hard to find the words to express how greatly disappointed I am with not only the book but the author, and the members of the Michael Jackson fan community who support this book of lies, fantasies, and deception. Let me first say that I read the entire book, cover to cover. I read the prologue online a couple months ago and although I was displeased with what I read then, I was hopeful that after reading the whole book, I would get not only a better understanding of Michael and Shana's "relationship," but a better sense of her intentions for writing the book. Well, after reading, I was able to get a better understanding of Michael and Shana's relationship. There was none. Shana worked for Michael's manager and the only reason he spoke with her consistently during her time there was because she was the receptionist. It was her job to speak to the many celebrities who called in. Yes, Shana and Michael may have exchanged pleasantries over the office phone (not her home phone, mind you). Yes, Michael politely spoke to and possibly flirted with her when he came into the office. Yes, he put her in two of his short films, Is It Scary and Ghosts. [Please note that she asked him to be in the former. Please also note that she had a very forgettable, non-speaking role in both]. But do these occurrences equate to a relationship, or a "romance" as Shana so eloquently writes in the title? Ask yourself that question and be honest. The most time Shana Mangatal ever spent with Michael Jackson was during her time as an extra on the set of the aforementioned short films. This fact was apparent early on while reading the book, and it became even more apparent as my reading continued. For those of you who have actually read the book, please ask yourself why Michael decided to distance himself from Shana. According to the book, her and Michael were intimate during the summer of 1996. After that, the only other time she had contact with him was if it were through an associate/friend or through a chance encounter. She claims to have been invited by Michael to one of his concerts during the HIStory tour and to Neverland, but she never saw or spoke to him during either of these occurrences. In fact, he avoided her. She admits to fishing for information about Michael from his friends and acquaintances. She retrieved information about Michael's personal life from those around him, not from the man himself. She essentially stalked him for years, believing she had a chance even though he got married TWICE and had THREE kids with women other than her. There was no romance between these two. The only person hopelessly in love here was Shana. But aside from her misrepresenting her "relationship" with Michael, what upsets me the most is her tone on several controversial issues. Her disapproval of his closeness to children, especially "young boys" as she loves to note, is discussed in the book on more than one occasion. She speaks on the vitiligo, the surgeries, his addiction to pain killers, etc.--all spoken about with such a tone that would be overlooked by naive fans, but would allow the media to take her words and manipulate them in an attempt to vilify Michael. DO NOT BUY THIS BOOK, PLEASE. I understand that after Michael's passing, many fans want to live vicariously through those who were blessed to have been around the man we love so dearly, especially those who claim to have had a personal relationship with him. But please, do not be fooled by those who misrepresent how close they were to him. Remember that any time the name "Michael Jackson" is thrown into the equation, someone is more than likely trying to profit from that association. I didn't believe it initially, but I now believe Shana's intent was to capitalize from her supposed association with Michael. If not, she could have kept her "stories" about Michael online as she has done for years. She could have even offered to donate some of the proceeds from her book sales to Michael's favorite charity. That is the least she could do after breaking her promise to never speak on their affairs. Do not forget that Michael was a very private person and would not want this type of book to be released. Shana states several times in her book that Michael asked her to keep any private moments they shared to herself. So why is she now coming out with this tell-all book, after he specifically asked her to NEVER share those moments with anyone? Shana's excuse is that she wants everyone to know what kind of man Michael really was, but most of what she wrote has been recycled from other books, interviews, online forums, fan fics, etc. I had an overwhelming sense of déjà vu as I meticulously read each page. Most of what she wrote has been said before by other people in Michael's life, so do not be fooled into thinking that she is saying anything new. Before you attack those who are questioning Shana's motives, please stop and ask yourself why YOU are so adamant about defending her. We would not even know the name Shana Mangatal had it not been for Michael Jackson. Why are you so quick to defend her over him? Why are some fans so quick to latch themselves on to anyone who claims to have been associated with Michael? I understand that he is no longer with us and some want to live vicariously through others who were around Michael, but please remember that this man had a number of people around him and the vast majority of them did not have good intentions. For those of you who are curious about the "juicy" details (and I use that term very loosely because there was nothing juicy about this book), please save yourself a few dollars and do a quick Google search for the excerpts you are looking for. The passages you are looking for are out there, and they are free of cost. Please keep your receipt if you have already bought the book, and make use of your store's return policy. Even e-books can be returned. As a community, we must stop lining the pockets of those who are trying to profit from being associated with Michael--especially those, such as Shana, who promote their fan fics under the guise of having written a positive book about him. Save your money or buy Michael's 1988 autobiography, Moonwalk, instead.