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marinaemoore's review against another edition
4.0
This book gets major points for piquing my interest in Frida Kahlo. I really enjoyed learning about her and looking up her artwork that was referenced.
I took one star away from my rating because I found the book to get pretty repetitive and I thought the advice sections were a little cringey.
I took one star away from my rating because I found the book to get pretty repetitive and I thought the advice sections were a little cringey.
carlagarcesredd's review against another edition
3.0
Generally I did learn more about Frida and along with my Frida fans continue to be fascinated by our icon. Unfortunately, the book didn’t reveal what I hoped. I thought the structure was clever but ended wanting to go deeper and learn something about myself mirrored in Friday’s life.
dame_samara's review against another edition
3.0
I described this book to my partner as "How to not pursue non-monogamy" because with how much focus is placed on Frida and Diego's, love? marriage? scandals?
It really does show a powerful image on how not to pursue a non-monogamous relationship, because while we see the letters they wrote between each other, it feels like in reality they weren't communicating what they needed with each other openly and honestly.
In all other parts not strictly about Diego and Frida, I found this book incredibly intriguing. This book seems to make a combo of biography and self-help book that I have never seen and found super interesting.
It really does show a powerful image on how not to pursue a non-monogamous relationship, because while we see the letters they wrote between each other, it feels like in reality they weren't communicating what they needed with each other openly and honestly.
In all other parts not strictly about Diego and Frida, I found this book incredibly intriguing. This book seems to make a combo of biography and self-help book that I have never seen and found super interesting.
alannajane's review against another edition
1.0
I wanted to listen to this audiobook to find out more about this iconic woman and her life, as well as how she was as a person. Let me be upfront: I am not a fan of Frida Kahlo’s. Frankly, I have always found her work terribly haunting and unnerving. I just knew the very basics of her life, and very little more. Hence me wanting to listen to this audiobook to learn more about the iconic artist.
This book did very little to help me in this regard. Plus, I genuinely struggled to even finish it to be able to give this promised review. Honestly, it was painful to listen to.
I felt throughout that the writing of this book was like a like a high school essay that hasn’t been edited enough to fit on ten pages! The author repeatedly says the same things over and over and over again, with a little theme-related conjecture on the side.
WHAT I LOVED ABOUT THIS BOOK:
* the cover art
WHAT I DISLIKED ABOUT THIS BOOK:
* Let's talk about Frida as a disabled person. The author commends Frida’s BRAVERY and says how STRONG she is and how “nobody else has ever lived through such a horrible life” when millions actually do right this minute. Further, those of us living with disabilities as absolutely not your "inspiration porn". We are all simply humans who are going about our own complex human lives while also sustaining some kind of disability that is often only remarked on in order for us to become inspirational models for others. The vast majority of us do not want this added responsibility. (If you wan to know more about the movement to stop this from happening, please google #notyourinspiration and #stopdisabilityinspirationporn). I felt like this entire book was an ode to the "inspiration porn" that Frida provided by simply surviving a life fraught with trauma and injury while being a well-known painter. It made me incredibly uncomfortable, disappointed and upset. I would have quit the book much, much sooner had I not promised to provide a review in exchange for the ARC copy.
* The author says the same things over and over and over again. How many times can one book reiterate the same bus crash, multiple surgeries, allude to different extramarital affairs, disability-sourced infertility and loneliness? In this case, multiple times per section and there are 13 sections. It. Was. Painful. (Also see above section on "inspiration porn").
* This book is like a celebrity-crush blog post with so little depth, imaginings based on minuscule fragments of truth that are such pure conjecture that it might well have been the complete opposite.
* Author clearly has zero interest in or knowledge of either the creative process or painting.
* Keeps alluding to the fact that we only know Frida more intimately today because of the diaries and letters to family and friends that were left behind. I learned that these were locked in the bathroom of her house until years after her death. Beyond that, the author reveals very, very little of what might have been said in these beside the fact that many of her most famous quotes originate from them. I expected so much more. I expected that her research would have included reading what she could have of these.
Nope. Just Nope.
I wanted to learn about Frida from this book, but all that I learned was that the author idolizes her. Plus, as a disabled woman who has experienced several violent traumas in my life, I found this book actually offensive in its continued and repeated use of Frida's life/physical challenges as "inspiration porn".
I would like to thank the author Arianna Davis, the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this audiobook in exchange for my (probably too) honest review.
This book did very little to help me in this regard. Plus, I genuinely struggled to even finish it to be able to give this promised review. Honestly, it was painful to listen to.
I felt throughout that the writing of this book was like a like a high school essay that hasn’t been edited enough to fit on ten pages! The author repeatedly says the same things over and over and over again, with a little theme-related conjecture on the side.
WHAT I LOVED ABOUT THIS BOOK:
* the cover art
WHAT I DISLIKED ABOUT THIS BOOK:
* Let's talk about Frida as a disabled person. The author commends Frida’s BRAVERY and says how STRONG she is and how “nobody else has ever lived through such a horrible life” when millions actually do right this minute. Further, those of us living with disabilities as absolutely not your "inspiration porn". We are all simply humans who are going about our own complex human lives while also sustaining some kind of disability that is often only remarked on in order for us to become inspirational models for others. The vast majority of us do not want this added responsibility. (If you wan to know more about the movement to stop this from happening, please google #notyourinspiration and #stopdisabilityinspirationporn). I felt like this entire book was an ode to the "inspiration porn" that Frida provided by simply surviving a life fraught with trauma and injury while being a well-known painter. It made me incredibly uncomfortable, disappointed and upset. I would have quit the book much, much sooner had I not promised to provide a review in exchange for the ARC copy.
* The author says the same things over and over and over again. How many times can one book reiterate the same bus crash, multiple surgeries, allude to different extramarital affairs, disability-sourced infertility and loneliness? In this case, multiple times per section and there are 13 sections. It. Was. Painful. (Also see above section on "inspiration porn").
* This book is like a celebrity-crush blog post with so little depth, imaginings based on minuscule fragments of truth that are such pure conjecture that it might well have been the complete opposite.
* Author clearly has zero interest in or knowledge of either the creative process or painting.
* Keeps alluding to the fact that we only know Frida more intimately today because of the diaries and letters to family and friends that were left behind. I learned that these were locked in the bathroom of her house until years after her death. Beyond that, the author reveals very, very little of what might have been said in these beside the fact that many of her most famous quotes originate from them. I expected so much more. I expected that her research would have included reading what she could have of these.
Nope. Just Nope.
I wanted to learn about Frida from this book, but all that I learned was that the author idolizes her. Plus, as a disabled woman who has experienced several violent traumas in my life, I found this book actually offensive in its continued and repeated use of Frida's life/physical challenges as "inspiration porn".
I would like to thank the author Arianna Davis, the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this audiobook in exchange for my (probably too) honest review.
meganmelanson13's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
2.0
cesquib's review against another edition
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
slow-paced
2.5
Going in, I didn’t know much at all about Frieda Kahlo’s work or personal life. I enjoyed learning more about her vivacious and bold way of life, as well as her struggles. However the repetition of the same facts and phrases over and over was tiresome. I think if the book was organized a little more succinctly and length cut down considerably it would have been more enjoyable and impactful.