I received a copy from Netgalley.
Not for me, read about 30 pages and I hated it. It's an interesting concept about a girl who can't remember anything until she kisses her best friends boyfriend which she actually remembers. The best friends boyfriend is a dick who is clearly taking advantage of FLora because he KNOWS she won't remember, yet says some bullshit about her being different from all the other girls, so she's convinces herself she loves him. That alone is eye rolling enough to make me want to throw things. The narrative is also very repetitive I'm guessing because of the uniqueness of Flora's illness she can't remember things so she writes the down and says it to herself over and over, dry annoying very quickly. Not for me. Marking as did not finish.

Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin Random House UK Children's books for approving my request to view the title.

When I first saw this book on Netgalley, it reminds me of the movie 50 First Dates, which I've watched several times and loved. So naturally, I requested it. I didn't really have a high expectations on this one other than hoping to enjoy it, which I, unfortunately, didn't.

Here's the thing : I think it was a "it's not you, it's me" case. Given that Flora Banks has anterograde amnesia, I should've expected that there will be a lot repetition in this book. And by "a lot", I mean A LOT, like a scene could be written 5 times. Sadly, I didn't expect it, which makes me extremely bored while reading this book and end up skimming like, two third of it. Also, the repetition made this book kinda pointless in my opinion. This really saddened me because Emily Barr has such a beautiful writing, but because of the repetitive nature, I couldn't enjoy it like I want to.

Another thing that made this book didn't work for me is the MC herself, Flora Banks. Not because I hate her, but more because I couldn't connect with her at all. If she's a normal teenager without anterograde amnesia, I'm pretty sure I would hate her. Not to mention, the whole I-kiss-someone-so-he-must-be-my-true-love thingy is annoying. But then, she's not, so whenever I feel annoyed about her (which is almost all the time, by the way), I feel really bad. Still, that doesn't change the fact that I couldn't understand her.

In conclusion, there were some good things that I actually like from this book. I do love Flora's relationship with her brother (eventhough there's only a little of it) and the time Flora spends in Norway. I honestly didn't know whether to recommend it or not. So I guess it depends, if you don't mind repetition, I think you'll find that this book is beautiful. But if you're like me (who gets bored easily, I guess?), then I think you better skip it.

Well, where do I even start with this book. I was lucky enough to get it through NetGalley and unfortunately had so much uni work to do that I just didn’t get round to reading it soon enough. Boy am I sorry I didn’t read it sooner.

The concept of this book is so different and refreshing. I absolutely loved Flora as a character and person. I had never heard of retrograde amnesia, and I’m sure a lot of people haven’t, so I wasn’t really sure what to expect. A lot of things are repeated because of Flora’s illness, which could have got really annoying, but Barr’s writing really helps you to understand how Flora is feeling and how hard it is for her on a day to day basis without it being too much.

I loved this book so much that I went out and bought it after reading the review copy, so it could go on my bookshelf, I also bought copies for my friends too. My point, basically, is that you should all go out and buy it for yourselves and your friends because it is really really good!

I’m keeping everything crossed for a sequel!!

I was so disappointed with this one! I had been looking forward to reading it and I found it quite interesting in the beginning. Naturally, it became very repetitive, as she forgot and had to be reminded all the time, and that quickly lost its appeal. All the way through you're aware that something is being kept from Flora by her parents and you know they are lying to her - but you don't know exactly what is being kept from her. Flora's parents are quite protective of her and you quickly realises that it's way worse than you assumed in the beginning. While I felt for Flora and wanted to find out what had actually happened and what was being kept from her, I didn't really care for the story.
I looked forward to the ending, to be honest, and while I loved part of it (a letter) I hated the twist it took and I definitely regretted reading it at that point.

The absolute best part of the story is Flora's relationship with her older brother. I loved their emails and how he treats her. Unfortunately, he's only a small part of the story.

You always remember your first kiss.
Flora remembers nothing else...

"I look at my hands. One of them says 'Flora, be brave'. I am Flora."

Flora has anterograde amnesia. She can't remember anything day-to-day: the joke her friend made, the instructions her parents gave her, how old she is.

Then she kisses someone she shouldn't have kissed - and the next day she remembers it. The first time she's remembered anything since she was ten.

But the boy is gone.

Desperate to hold onto the memory, she sets off to the Arctic to find him.

Why can she remember Drake? Could he be the key to everything else she's forgotten?

This was an amazing read, well thought out and presented by the writer, in a way that engaged the reader, making you want to keep reading. A read you just can’t put down.

Unfortunately a DNF. I could not stand a narrative where the only thing Flora could remember is a boy. It's a deeply problematic "romantic" device within such a patriarchal society after establishing that her mental impairment is total and real. Once I realized I could not handle this premise that underpins the whole novel, I could not continue.

This book was amazing. After all the hype, I had to read it. Flora was an amazing character and this was a very detailed book written in a very honest way. Best YA book I've read for a long time!
Flora is 16 and has to write everything that happens to her down because she has retrograde amnesia. She forgets things as soon as they have happened, although she has some memories from when she was 10, which was when she was diagnosed.

Each and every character, Flora, her best friend Paige and Paige's boyfriend Drake, and realistically and vividly imagined by the author, as are Flora and her world. I always love first person perspectives as I feel that is a great way of the reader getting "inside" the story and character's heads. However, few accomplish this as well as Emily Burr.

This story is writing perfection for me. It takes me to many places emotionally. There's sadness, happiness jealousy friendship rivalry. The One Memory of Flora Banks is an unforgettable read.

Thanks go out to Emily Burr and publisher for a copy via NetGalley.

I’ve read a few of Emily Barr’s previous novels and always enjoyed them so I was excited when I got approved to read this new book, Emily Barr’s first young adult novel, back in January. I read the book back then but didn’t manage to get my review finished and posted but I can say that the book has really stayed fresh in my mind, which is always testament to a great read!

Flora Banks is such a brilliant character, I loved reading about her from the opening chapter. I can’t even begin to imagine what it’s like to not be able to form new memories, to only have memories from childhood. Flora is now a teenager but her mother, in her need to protect Flora, keeps her trapped as a child. Flora tries to keep a grip on her life by writing notes to herself but inevitably they get muddled up, or moved and then she has to try and piece things together. One night she experiences her first kiss and the next day finds that she has remembered it. The details around the kiss are not there but she remembers the kiss so clearly.

The novel is all about Flora learning to forge her way in the world in spite of her memory problems. Flora believes that if she can just find the boy she kissed that it will unlock her memory, that he is now the answer to everything. Life never goes as planned though and Flora encounters a lot of difficulties on her journey to find him. She becomes fiercely determined to prove to herself that she is growing up and that she will be able to manage on her own. Reading about Flora as she attempts to find the boy she kissed is really touching. To see this girl making such valiant attempts to remember things, to find ways to trigger her memory is incredible.

I felt quite on edge at times as the novel went on, it was nerve-wracking seeing Flora out in the world without her support systems in place. There are moments when she becomes really quite confused and upset, and I was so involved in the novel that I wanted to reach into the pages and tell her it would be ok. I was really cheering her on and wanting her to find the boy on her own and for everything to work out fine.

I love how Emily Barr managed to show us Flora’s life, to show us how it is to have amnesia and while inevitably some things are repeated throughout the book as we experience Flora’s confusion each day, the book never feels repetitive.

I also really appreciated how this novel never became too cliched. I was fully expecting Flora to easily find the boy and for them to fall in love and live happily ever after as is often the case, but it wasn’t remotely straightforward for her. She has so many challenges to overcome and life is never going to be easy for her. The novel for me felt so much more about Flora finding a way to have some independence and to gain a life of her own than it is about a boy, although the boy is the catalyst for the story.

It was also really interesting how we get to see Flora with her childhood best friend Paige, who’s a healthy seventeen year old. The contrast between them is quite stark at times and it really highlights just how much Flora has missed out on due to her amnesia. Early in the book the two girls are at a party together and Flora really does seem like a child, it’s quite sad to see. Paige is tied to Flora because they were friends before the amnesia – Paige tries hard to be a good friend but you can see how hard it is for her at times, particularly in the early part of the novel. It must be so difficult to be growing up and having more and more independence while the girl you grew up with is still ten years old in her mind. This is so sensitively written and I was really hoping that their friendship would survive as the book goes on, more so than I was wanting a romance between Flora and the boy.

I really enjoyed reading this book and would recommend it to everyone. It is aimed a young adults but it’s a book that can be enjoyed by anyone.

I received a copy of this book from Penguin via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

It just wasn't my type of book. I got bored with it, sorry.

This book had such page-turning quality, I couldn't put it down. Flora's amnesia was portrayed so sensitively, you could literally feel her confusion on the page. Having to start afresh every day was bewildering for her, and it actually made you ache. The strength of her brother, and her parents, was admirable. We'll leave the Drake stuff out! Brilliant book, just loved it.

This was a total change from my normal reading habits but i have to say i thoroughly enjoyed it. Flora had brain surgery at the age of 10 and can no longer retain memories from after the operation. Flora has to constantly read notes written on her arms to remind her of important things and she has a letter that reminds her that when she was 10 she had a brain tumour which was removed when she was 11. Life is very difficult for Flora, she can remember how to do daily tasks but cannot remember situations. After a party her best friend's boyfriends kisses Flora and this memory stays with her. A family crisis leads to Flora being left alone to fend for herself and this is where things start to go badly wrong. There are many twist and turns in this ultimately uplifting book. Thanks go to NetGalley for the chance to review this wonderful book.

Flora Banks is a seventeen-year-old girl who has no short-term memory - the result of a tumour that was removed when she was ten.
But then she kisses Drake at his leaving party and remembers it.
Determined that Drake is the key to restoring her memory, a series of events lead to Flora embarking on a journey to Svalbard where Drake has moved.
Can Flora find Drake with only her notebooks and the writing on her hands to help her?
Will Flora's memory be restored?
Can she have a normal life?

I have mixed feelings about The One Memory of Flora Banks.
On the one hand it was interesting to have a protagonist who couldn't remember everything - talk about an unreliable main character.
However, while I did like Flora and felt sorry for her, I found her naivety annoying at times but it was understandable that she would be childlike given the memory loss after the tumour.
There also wasn't much of a plot - not much happened and things took longer to happen because of Flora's memory loss.
While the idea for this book was interesting and unique, I didn't connect with it.

Overall this was an okay read.

Excellent read - gripping and moving in equal meausre and a writer woth a neat turn of prose

This story was a weird one for me - and I can't decide if it's a good weird or a bad weird.

The book follows 17-year-old Flora. When Flora was ten, she had a tumor in her brain that had to be removed, leaving her with anterograde amnesia, basically, she remembers things that happened before the surgery, but is unable to make new memories afterward. Until one night, when she kisses her best friend's boyfriend Drake on the beach after his going away party and, when her other memories fade a few hours later, she remembers the kiss. And when her parents have to take an emergency trip to see her older brother, Jacob, in France, they leave Flora with Paige, the friend they don't know isn't speaking to Flora. After emailing back and forth with Drake, Flora decides to meet him in Norway, where he is studying.

There's more to the plot but I'll leave it at that for now.

It took me a little bit to get used to the writing style of this book. Every once in a while, Flora would lose her memory and had to reorient herself. That kind of jarred the narrative at times, having to hear the basics over and over. It did, however, give an impression as to what life is like for Flora.

Maybe it's just the cynic in me, or perhaps because I haven't lived with amnesia like Flora does, but I thought chasing down Drake because she was in love and remembered their kiss was a bit far-fetched to me. I was a little skeptical of the relationship from the get go. Not only was he Paige's boyfriend, but he'd only been in the country a little while in the first place. It was like a strange sort of insta-love that happened before the book started. Also, I'm willing to bet that falling in love isn't going to cure your LACK OF BRAIN TISSUE. Just saying.

I don't think I liked Flora's character as much as I should have. She felt very young, younger than 17, but I suppose that is because she sometimes gets stuck in the time for the surgery when she was ten. But I just found her extremely naive and annoying at times.

I pretty much figured out the plot twist with the parents fairly early on, at least part of it. They just seemed off - at least in the few chapters we saw before they left. It's the typical absentee parents of YA, but with a 'good' reason. In the end, I understand why they didn't bring Flora with them, but I thought it was extremely far-fetched that they would leave her with her friend, and not even check in with the friend in person before leaving. But I suppose if they did, there wouldn't be a story.

I guess the big problem I had with this book was that I was expecting so much, and it was just meh. There were some intense moments throughout the book, but they all seemed to resolve themselves fairly quickly and easily. The concept was really amazing, and I've read other amnesia books that are done well, I just don't think this was one of them.

Overall, I wanted to love this book, but I think it missed the mark for me.

The One Memory of Flora Banks by Emily Barr, was an incredibly special book. In fact it was so special that after finishing it I had to take some time out to gather my thoughts before sitting down to write my review of it, hence why the review is coming some three weeks after finishing it. As a book that will stay with me for a long time, this was a truly memorable story and one that was quite unlike anything I’ve ever read before. I can only hope that within this review I do the book the justice that it so very much deserves.

As the title correctly suggests this book tells the story of Flora Banks, a 17 year old girl who has had anterograde amnesia since the age of 10 when she had an operation which removed a tumour from her brain. With her amnesia meaning that she is unable to keep memories in her head for longer than a mere couple of hours, one evening after going to a party Flora kisses a boy on a beach, something which she is so desperate not to forget and something that she writes down. Whilst perhaps not the most sensible thing to have done given the repurcussions it has on her friendship with her best friend, we see how that one kiss completely changes Flora’s life as she breaks free from the control of her parents and sets out on the biggest adventure of her life.

Whilst I struggled to understand exactly what young Flora was going through, I have to say that I thought Flora was an extraordinary lead character. I loved seeing Flora develop and grow as the story progressed and thought that the transformation she went on from being completely dependent on her parents for everything to being so much more independent entirely fascinating, she certainly proved herself to be a brave and fearless character. For me, even though Flora was considerably younger than me, I found Flora’s whole story to be extremely powerful and one which made me feel that little bit more grateful than I already was before starting the book for my health.

The way that Emily has written this novel is something that I found to be extremely clever although very different to books I’ve read previously. There was a lot of repetition in this book, which I have to say at first somewhat annoyed me until I grew to appreciate why it was there, the fact that it was really giving us a glimpse into Flora’s mind and accurately portraying exactly what she was both thinking and feeling. I loved the effort that Emily had put into her story, creating one that really set the scene for the reader and transported them to a whole new world particularly when the location of Svalbard was introduced to us.

Whilst this is a book that seems to be being marketed as a YA book, I’d say that it’s actually a book that can be read and appreciated by anyone of any age. With a number of themes being touched on throughout this is a very important book that raises awareness about a condition that perhaps is poorly understood and which people may not have very much understanding of. Having now taken the time to really think about this book and all that it represents, this is a book that more than deserves to be read and given a chance. I’m looking forward to seeing what Emily writes next.

This is equal to Paper town's and Love Rosie I really enjoyed this book and can't wait for others to read it as well

First, thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I really, really enjoyed this book. Flora, given the nature of her condition, is an unreliable narrator. She's impulsive and spirited and honest. She just forgets this. She's not certain of anything, really...and then she is. She makes a memory, and that memory leads her on an incredible path.

This book is full of psychological suspense and adventure. I found myself on the edge of my seat wondering what Flora would do next. The behaviour of all of the characters felt realistic and well-observed, something that sometimes falls astray in teen fiction. And a strong female character? Who isn't an orphan? In a non-post-apocalyptic world? With a mental illness that isn't written just because it's in vogue?

Yes please. My teen book group agreed and it's our next month's read. :)

This book is one of those little gems shining through in a sea of books.

Barr manages to present a rather tragic story with an incredible amount of humour, love and compassion.

The reader meets two versions of Flora, actually make that three, because there is also an in-between grey area. We meet docile Flora, the girl who follows rules and listens to her parents. Then there is Flora the impulsive adventurer. The girl who is off her meds. Third Flora is the girl who exists in the confusion of post-tablets and pre-clarity.

Flora has problems with her short term memory. She relies on post-it notes, written messages on her arms and a handwritten book of memory props to get along every day.

Now at this point I have to wag a finger at any a parent who would leave a vulnerable child, teen or young adult alone based on the assumption that another teen will be looking in on them. Teenagers can be as flighty as birds and as dramatic as a reality TV show character on LSD.

So Flora is left to her own devices and ends up coming off her medication. Even before that she spends an unhealthy amount of time obsessing about being kissed by her best friend’s boyfriend. The kiss becomes a pivotal part of the story, her obsession and a possible recovery.

Her search for Drake is a bold one, but it is also one ridden with dangers. The fact she is lucky enough to encounter people who care, which is perhaps a scenario we all wish for, if one of our children were alone and in trouble. Flora is halfway across the globe searching for love, and the only person who is aware of her exploits is her brother.

Barr makes an important point when it comes to vulnerable people and independence. Are they hindered by their loved ones when it comes to evolving, growing up and being able to make their own decisions? The gut instinct to keep them safe may also be the factor keeping them from moving forwards.

I really enjoyed the read. It is funny without being insulting, it is realistic without bending the boundaries of imagination and it definitely pulls on the heartstrings. I would love to know what Flora gets up to next. At this rate she may end up in a tent on top of Mount Everest.
*Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for my copy of The One Memory of Flora Banks.*

I’m not sure how I feel about this book… For one side I think it’s an extremely interesting idea, that was developed in a very realistic way. One the other side, the book turns a bit confusing and repetitive. Obviously that’s the idea, we are actually able to see the world through Flora’s eyes, but sometimes it annoyed me quite much.

Flora is a 17 year old girl with anterograde amnesia. For those who are wondering what that is, I’m pretty sure everyone has seen “Finding Nemo” before. Well, anterograde amnesia is what Dory has. You basically don’t have short-term memory. In Flora’s case, she can remember things from her childhood, until she was 10 years old, due to a tumor. Flora can only remember things for 2-3 hours. And after that, everything vanishes. It’s quite unsettling, and the book represented it gloriously!

Until… She kisses a boy. And the story is basically developing after that. She wants to get more memories. She wants to do everything she can to hold on to that moment. It was sweet, but sometimes a bit too much… Because she has amnesia, and the book represents her POV, we read, and read, and read something over and over. The idea is really good, but in some parts it made me terribly frustrated.

But I really liked that the book is set in the Arctic, and that there’s even a Finnish person in it and polar bears!

The characters are really interesting too. It’s impossible not to like Flora… she is adorable, wild and strong. She is a bit like a child in terms of trusting and talking, which is normal because time kinda stopped after she was 10 years old. But that only adds to her character. She is stronger than she thinks, and she goes for what she really wants, without any fear, and remembering to always write what’s happening. Sometimes she gets frustrated, but she doesn’t quite. How many persons not suffering form amnesia do that?

We also read about a lot of persons in this book. Some that are amazing, some that are utter idiots. I really liked that the author decided to show both sides. Because I believe that a lot of persons would feel compassion towards a person like Flora, but there are some people that would also take advantage of her. And there were a lot of characters that I really enjoyed reading about! Like her brother, Paige, Agi, …

I was quite expecting the end… I feel that every book I read, with mental illnesses, has unfortunately the same type of end. But some parts of it still surprised me, and they are really pleasant to read.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book, but I had some problem with so much repetitions, although I still found it really interesting and original! I think this is a book, that will go different with everybody, so I would recommend reading it.

I love it when I come across a book that opens me up to a brand new world. Granted that kind of happens a lot when you read as much as I do but what has to be said is that Young Adult fiction seems to be pioneering in its attempts to enlighten people to the unusual and tragic.

Take The One Memory of Flora Banks for instance. I’m sure that there have been many books that have been written about memory loss or amnesia. I, myself, have not read any that I can remember. What is certain is that I definitely hadn’t when I was a teenager. Don’t get me wrong, I loved and treasured the series of books that I read as a teen but it is only as an adult that I realise just how much they weren’t very enlightening.

Flora Banks, however, is. Flora is a teenager but she knows very little about her own life. She can’t retain memories and hasn’t had a new memory since the age of 10 when she was in an accident which caused her to experience severe memory loss.

After a party thrown by her best friend Flora kisses a boy. This is something that she remembers and holds on to. She kissed a boy. Days later she still remembers it. After this kiss her whole world as she knows it is thrown into chaos.

The One Memory of Flora Banks is a courageous tale of love, drama, family loyalty, adventure and most of all one of independence. It is a story that will resonate with teenagers (amnesia aside) as we all have had a little bit of Flora Banks in us at some point in our youth.

This is a brave novel that tackles an issue that, without literature and fictionalised accounts, many of us will never come across in our lives. The One Memory of Flora Banks is definitely a novel for your TBR pile.

The One Memory of Flora Banks by Emily Barr is available now.

For more information regarding Emily Barr (@emily_barr) please visit www.emilybarr.com.

For more information regarding Penguin (@PenguinUBooks) please visit www.penguin.co.uk.

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