Member Reviews

Arianna Davis can paint with words, she allured me into her world of Frida.

As a devoted admirer to Frida Khalo, naturally I had to read this book(thank you NetGalley for the opportunity ). To my surprise, I discovered new small facts about Frida, her friends and family.

My criticism is that this book is consistently redundant, to the point of an unnecessary level. The first two chapters read like two similar introductions, version A and Version B. I did get confused a few times.
But don’t let that stop you! Anyone who wants to be educated about the infamous Frida, should pick up this book. Anyone who knows Frida like the back of their hands should also read this book. It’s for all “Los Fridos”.
It’s an easy relaxing and wonderfully written read.
I am curious to know what Davis has up her sleeve with her next book, and I hope there is another. Clearly, this is her artistry and needs to continue to write.

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Beautifully written and laid out. I absolutely love love stories and poetry. Most of these you will know. Some I have never heard of before. These stories transported me to another world of love and light. I felt like this book was speaking to me and for me. It was so beautifully written and resonated to my core. Highly recommend. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

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What Would Frida Do?
Frida Kahlo lived a life that was all at once fascinating, heartbreaking, and inspiring. This part biography and part memoir, this book uses the artist's story to give advice on living bolding and embracing yourself, just as she did.
I loved the information and research, though found many parts of the book repetitive. For those skimming through I can see it not being noticed, but in listening through I would have preferred new information or for it to only be stated once.
The audiobook is narrated by Marisa Blake, who does a great job telling the story of Frida's life and is clear and engaging to listen to.
Thanks to Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for the advance copy of the audiobook.

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The cover of this story drew me in. The vibrant colors do justice for its content. Frida Kahlo would most likely approve of it (as the Davis points out, Kahlo was super particular and we really no idea if she would have approved of this novel or its cover, but it seems to be within her character to approve of both). If you picked up this book based on the cover, you won't be disappointed. As flamboyant as the cover is, the content is just as rich and vibrant. I learned more about Kahlo's life than I knew before and walked away a bit more inspired for my own pursuits.

What is this book? It's part biography on Frida Kahlo. It's part narrative writing from the author about her research and connections to Frida. It's part inspiring quotes from the author. It's part life advice of what Friday would do in various situations. The advice ranges from writing love letters to spending time on self-love/care. Each chapter gives you some background information from Davis on her research and some history of the famous artist. Some chapter have overlapping research revealed, so repetition happens. The repeated facts aren't too annoying though and seem to drive in certain main points about the author's life. I also learned quite a bit more about Diego Rivera, her husband.

Frida's life is laced with tragedy, but as this novel shows, she decides to find the beauty in everyday life and within herself. We could all take some inspiration from that alone!

Recommended for: nonfiction lovers, biography memoir fans (I didn't know that was a thing until this novel), fans of Frida Kahlo, those needing some inspiration and life advice

*Note, this novel does talk about Frida's sexuality in a few chapters. I would give this warning to students and parents more as an FYI.

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Thank you Dreamscape Media and Seal Press for the Advanced Audiobook!

I thoroughly enjoyed "What Would Frida Do?". I grew up with artist parents who highly encouraged museum trips and art history lessons. They would bring us to the National Museum of Mexican Art in Chicago where I was introduced to Frida Kahlo. My entire life, I have seen Frida's face on bags, wallets, mementos, and more. She has always been a familiar presence for me, as I am sure she is for many. So what I specifically loved about this book is that it was a contemporary look at why Frida's history remains so valued. Why do so many people look up to her and praise her? What is the sensation that IS Frida?

I loved how Arianna Davis answered these questions because I could hear her own experience in these big questions. Davis reminds readers and listeners why Frida made waves and why she remains an inspiration. This book is for all Frida lovers, art lovers, and I would highly recommend it if you know nothing about Frida Kahlo. It's a great history that is easily broken down in clean and concise ways.

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I very much enjoyed this book. I've always found Frida interesting, but I didn't know a lot about her. This book gave a great overview of her life and gave us an intimate peek into her heart.

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