Each biography opens with a pivotal moment in the performer’s career. The texts then move chronologically from the person’s childhood to his untimely death, touching on upbringing, setbacks, and accomplishments along the way. The volumes are enhanced by their many photos and clean design.

These titles offer thoughtful overviews of pop-culture icons who died of unnatural causes. Name recognition will likely make the books appealing to young audiences. Each biography discusses the subject’s early life, providing details that give insight into later success and troubles and maintaining a laudatory tone that focuses on the individual’s artistic achievements and hard work to achieve fame. Details explaining that Jack Nicholson warned Heath Ledger about the Joker role, that young Michael Jackson never got to play with his peers, that John Lennon had no musical training, or that Tupac Shakur was a standout student in high school are bound to resonate with readers. Numerous photos and sidebars appear throughout. Worthwhile resources for reports as well as popular reading.

Though some may find the premise of the Lives Cut Short series ghastly, this evenhanded and educational entry proves its worth. The text is wonderfully readable and focuses on the bigger events (the tours, the milestones, the trials), while sidebars on nearly every page delve into the myth and minutia that so frequently landed in tabloids. The chapter on his death—including speculation about his addictions, details on child custody, and the controversy regarding his burial—is surprisingly complete.