Book Review: Me, Frida, and the Secret of the Peacock Ring by Angela Cervantes

Alexandra Adlawan’s

Book Title & Alexandra's Review

Me, Frida, and the Secret of the Peacock Ring by Angela Cervantes

4^th Grade and Up

Paloma Marquez is traveling to Mexico City, the birthplace of her deceased father, for the very first time. She’s hoping that spending time in Mexico will help her unlock memories of the too-brief time they spent together.
While in Mexico, Paloma meets Lizzie and Gael, who present her with an irresistible challenge: The siblings want her to help them find a valuable ring that once belonged to beloved Mexican artist Frida Kahlo. Finding the ring means a big reward — and the thanks of all of Mexico. What better way to honor her father than returning a priceless piece of jewelry that once belonged to his favorite artist!
But the brother and sister have a secret. Do they really want to return the ring, or are they after something else entirely?

The mystery felt a little dry in the beginning, but the suspense really picked up two-thirds of the way in.

Paloma is inspired to help solve the mystery by her favorite book series about a female detective Lulu Pennywhistle. Paloma’s love of mysteries and her keen eye for detail ended up being very helpful. I got kind of annoyed by how many times Paloma mentioned Lulu Pennywhistle, though. She said her name like two hundred times.

Here are a few Spanish words and phrases Paloma learns on her trip:

Viva la vida! = Long live life!

No hablo español. = I don’t speak Spanish.

valor = courage

lo siento = I’m sorry

Bienvenidos a todos = Welcome everybody

anillo = ring

The main thing that drew me to this book was it centers around Frida Kahlo. Frida Kahlo is one impressive artist and a unique all-around person. I enjoyed learning about her art. She had an art style all her own. That art style mainly consists of portraits of herself. I looked up Frida’s artwork online, and this one was my favorite: