The initial idea that someone can only remember things from before they turned 10, and then recalled one event that had just happened was an interesting premise for a book, so I was looking forward to reading this. To start with, you think you know what might happen, but as the story quite literally unfolds, you realise that nothing is quite what it seems, and it becomes really difficult to work out who is telling the truth and what is actually real in Flora's life. She is an amazing character - the reader is left feeling that if Flora can do what she does, then almost anything is possible.
Aimed at a reader of around 13+, I would recommend it.

I have already bought these books for my libraries, I loved the first half but found myself skipping ahead to get to the end to see if Flora would regain her memory and really to figure out what was happening faster!

Thank you for the opportunity to review this title. I was intrigued by the premise, but ultimately the construction just didn't keep my interest. :-(

I loved and lived this book. I felt the reader was immediately drawn into the life of Flora banks. The repetition was hypnotic and really worked to focus the story. This was unlike any book i have read before and kept me completely entranced throughout. There are enough twists to the tale to add real dimension and leave the ending well worth waiting for, I would certainly look for more books by this author.

The one memory of Flora Banks could definitely be classed as a page-turner. Flora is a genuinely lovely character, one who is bound to captivate anyone who reads this book.
The book captured my attention from the first page with the first few lines:
“I am at the top of a hill, and although I know I have done something terrible I have no idea what it is.
A minute or an hour ago I knew, but it has vanished from my mind, and I didn’t have time to write it down so now it is lost. I know that I need to stay away, but I don’t know what I am hiding from.”
Flora Banks is 17 years old and has anterograde amnesia. When she was ten she had a brain tumour and when the doctors removed it they took her ability to retain memories from that time onwards. Flora has to write herself notes about important things so she doesn’t forget them. She writes these notes mostly on her hands.
In chapter one Paige is at her friend’s house at a going away party for Paige’s boyfriend Drake. “I look at my hand. Party, it tells me, in thick black letters.”
“I imagine I dressed for what I thought a party was like. I stand out as the person who has got it wrong.
I look at my hand. It says I am 17. I look down at myself again. I look like a teenager, but I don’t feel like one.”
Initially I didn’t like Paige, for reasons that will become clear when reading the book, but I ended up becoming fond of her. “Paige is my best friend. I am on sure ground with Paige. I met her for the first time when we were four years old and starting school…I know Paige, and when I look at her, I am surprised to see that she is an adult.”
“Paige is beautiful, with long black hair that is thick and slightly curly, and creamy skin, and cheeks that dimple when she smiles. She looks like a china doll. “
Paige has a bit too much alcohol and goes out for some fresh air. “I should not be out on my own. I Shouldn’t stand in the middle of roads. I have only just been allowed to start crossing rounds without a grown-up…I am ten years old. I don’t know why I am in a grownup’s body. I hate it and I want to go home.”
Drake come out to check on her and they sit on the beech talking. “We stare at the words together. Flora, be brave, he says, reading the other hand. ‘I love the words on your hands. Does it work? Do they help you remember?”
Whilst they are talking Drake tells Flora that he and Paige have split up because there was not much point in staying together when he was moving to Svalbard. After that he kisses her.
“The thing is’ says Drake, ‘I can say this, because, like, what the hell? You won’t remember anyway. I would be like, in the pub with you and Paige and looking at you, all like pretty and blonde and different from every other girl in the world, and wondering what it would be like to be with you.”
When Flora gets home she writes down what happened with Drake so she can remember it. “I read it, but I don’t need to because I can remember it.” Flora is very excited by this because it is the first new memory she has been able to make since the age of ten. “I have to spend my life with him because he makes my memory work.”
Paige sees one of Flora’s notes and discovers what happened with Drake. “And you know what else? I’ve been the only looking out for you for years and years, you know. I’ve taken you out when your mum would have kept you wrapped in cotton wool at home…Every time you forgot where you are I help you. My mum always hated me doing it, she said I shouldn’t have to be your carer. But sure have my boyfriend.”
Paige tells her that she had promised Flora’s mother she would do her a favour but she wasn’t going to do it anymore as they were no longer friends.
When Flora gets home she find out her parents had asked Paige to look after her whilst they went to visit Flora’s brother Jacob in Paris. Jacob was sick. Flora decides not to tell her parents that she and Paige aren’t speaking.
I liked Paige’s brother and father but I really disliked her mother even though I understood her reasons for being controlling and over-protective.
“My father is funny and lovely. At work he is an accountant but when the doors are closed at home he wears patterned jumpers that he knits for himself. His hair sticks up in the air, when mum hasn’t patted it down. He says funny things. He would do anything for me, I know that, and I would do anything for him, if I were capable of doing anything. Everything about him fills me with relief when I see him. He is my home.”
Jacob was probably my favourite character in the book, after Flora. “I know Jacob. He is the person I love most in the world. He is bigger than me. He used to pick me up and carry me around, and he let me sit on his lap to watch television, and I have a very clear memory of him allowing me to paint his toenails.”
Whilst her parents are away Flora decides to go to the Arctic to find Drake with some interesting consequences.
This was the best YA book I have read so far this year and Flora’s rules to live by are pretty sound advice.

Well what a treat this book was. Totally loved Flora such a unique character in every way, the book was devoured in just one sitting as I couldn't put it down! The story is told just from Floras point of view and had you constantly guessing if what she was seeing/hearing/remembering could be actually trusted??...I thought it had good pace and kept my interest throughout. Loved seeing her learn about herself and friends and family members and the way it all unfolded was just beautifully written. Must read book!!

Too clichéd for me - it really annoyed me and I struggled to finish.

Flora Banks is 17. She lives in Cornwall and has a best friend, parents and a brother. So far, so ‘normal’, but Flora isn’t normal because she can’t recall anything on a daily basis unless it happened before she was ten. However, last night Flora kissed a boy and what’s amazing is that when she wakes up she can actually remember doing it.

This revelation causes Flora to embark on a journey that takes her to the Arctic to find the boy she kissed. She goes because she’s in love with him and because she hopes he holds the key to unlocking her memory.
A novel about a character who has no memory is a tricky premise for a writer, but Emily Barr tackles the challenge cleverly and with aplomb. Naturally there’s a certain amount of repetition, but it’s handled deftly and is integral to plot and character.

Flora is indisputably a quirky, attractive and original character. She is resolute, resilient and funny, and although she’s by no means your average teenager, her faltering steps towards independence echo those all teenagers make. The plot twist, while not entirely unexpected, is satisfying in that it confirms the reader’s suspicions about Flora and neatly ties up a well-told and enjoyable story.

Flora Banks has anterrograde amnesia, preventing her from creating new memories. She remembers everything since before she was ten, but since then, she relies on information that her mum gives her via a book to discover who she is; she had a brain tumour that caused her memory problems, but she has a best friend and parents who love her and who will always look after her. This has been her life for seven years, but when she kisses a boy on a beach, she suddenly finds herself with a new memory that she is able to retain. She is in love with the boy from the beach, and despite her limitations, she ends up on a journey to Svalbard to find him. This is a beautiful story, and though it might seem as though it’s a lazy YA book about a boy and a girl, it’s really not. It’s a journey of self-discovery for Flora, and although she thinks she has set out to find a boy, what she’s really done is set out to find herself. As cliched as that may sound, the story is anything but. It even turns itself into a bit of a thriller at the end, and it’s well worth a read.

When I heard that Emily Barr was releasing a new book, I was really looking forward to it. I’ve read and enjoyed several of her adult novels, so a YA book was a new direction.
The storyline was intriguing and it was fascinating to read how Flora tries to keep hold of her memories, writing in notebooks and on her hands and arms.
Flora is a very likeable and unique leading character, and I was rooting for her to get her happy ending.
What she manages to achieve, travelling to the Artic to find Drake, all on her own, is inspiring.
Yes, the story has lots of repetition in parts, but it’s not at all boring, and I do think that it helps understand what Flora has to deal with constantly.
I was looking forward to bedtime and continuing the story, before remembering that I finished it the previous night.

Thank you very much for allowing me to read this title; I am trying to read as widely as possible ahead of the Carnegie/Greenaway nominations and awards for 2018 and your help is much appreciated.
As a Carnegie/Greenaway judge, I'm not allowed to comment about my opinions on specific titles so I can't offer an individual review on any title as I stated on my profile.

When I read the synopsis for The One Memory of Flora Banks I was instantly intrigued and I couldn’t wait to meet Flora.

Flora has suffered with anterograde amnesia since the age of 10, unable to retain new memories she relies on her parents and best friend Paige help and her notes on her arms to keep her safe. When Flora kisses her best friends boyfriend Drake before he sets off to Svalbard she wakes up the next day and for the first time she remembers. Flora is certain that Drake is the key to repairing her memory and she is desperate to find him as she takes a courageous journey to attempt to find him.

The opening chapter pulled me straight into the storyline and I was instantly worried for Flora who we soon learn is such a brave and loving character who I loved. The first part of the book I really enjoyed and we really got an insight into how confusing and worrying things can be for Flora when she constantly has to discover that she is no longer the little 10 year old girl she thinks she is.

Flora goes on a remarkable journey which for someone suffering from anterograde amnesia was a difficult and dangerous thing to do but her determination drove her to carry on to achieve her goal of finding Drake. She seemed to be one of these characters that everyone loved and cared for and where ever she turned she seemed to find people who would look out for her and she made some great friends along the way.

This was quiet a hard review to write and rate because I really enjoyed the plot and I loved Flora and the ending was very clever and brought a lump to my throat so this should have easily have been a 4 star read for me but for a big chunk of the middle part of the book I found my attention begin to waver and I was on the verge of skim reading which I hate but because of the constant repetition it became a bit of a chore. I can understand why the author kept writing the same things over and over again to give us an insight into what life is like for Flora who constantly has to absorb the same information continuously but for me the repletion was too much and at one point I did consider putting the book down but I am pleased I carried on as the author pulled the storyline back with the wonderful ending.
All in all this was an enjoyable read and I am sure other readers will not find the repetition a problem , one thing for sure is that everyone will fall in love for the courageous Flora.

*I received this ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

Seventeen-year-old Flora Banks has no short-term memory. Her mind resets itself several times a day, and has since the age of ten, when the tumor that was removed from Flora’s brain took with it her ability to make new memories. That is, until she kisses Drake, her best friend’s boyfriend, the night before he leaves town. Miraculously, this one memory breaks through Flora’s fractured mind, and sticks. Flora is convinced that Drake is responsible for restoring her memory and making her whole again. So when an encouraging email from Drake suggests she meet him on the other side of the world, Flora knows with certainty that this is the first step toward reclaiming her life.
With little more than the words “be brave” inked into her skin, and written reminders of who she is and why her memory is so limited, Flora sets off on an impossible journey to Svalbard, Norway, the land of the midnight sun, determined to find Drake. But from the moment she arrives in the arctic, nothing is quite as it seems, and Flora must “be brave” if she is ever to learn the truth about herself, and to make it safely home.

Rating: 3/5 stars

I’ve heard of unstable narrators, but this is just ridiculous. This novel is very unsettling and I often felt on the back-foot throughout. The disorienting changes in time and tempo resulted in very complicated feelings about this novel. The repetitive nature of the storytelling and the way in which other aspects of the novel were only really half told made me feel like I was missing things, which was the point I suppose.

This was like a weird YA re-telling of Memento. It was a brave novel to write- there was always a chance that the reader could tire of the constantly repeated phrases and the back and forward nature of the book, but Barr gave it a good go. The issue that a novel like this just isn’t enjoyable. Interesting, yes. Complicated, yes. But enjoyable? No- this is the sort of book you read only once.

A really interesting, unique book. Flora is an impetuous, adventurous main character - one I wasn't entirely sure I was going to like from the first few chapters (she is in many ways still 10 years old, due to her memory loss, and not very considerate of others' feelings) but she absolutely grew on me until I was swept away with her on her adventures. And that's what I feel this story is - it's an adventure story, not a love story as the description might lead you to believe - but it's all the better for it. There were plenty of twists and turns and emotional daggers to keep me on the edge of my seat, and it all came together for a satisfying, frost-bitten finale. Great stuff!

** I got an advance copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. **

Oh, I loved this book. Flora is sweet, brave and damaged, but for the first time in a long time she has a memory. She kissed a boy (and she liked it!). Flora is seventeen and can't remember why she is at a party. She can't remember anything much following brain surgery at the age of 10 and this has left her in limbo - the mind of a young adult with the vulnerability of a young girl, Luckily, her best friend, Paige, has stayed by her side through thick and thin and always looks out for her, until, that is, we realise that the boy Flora kissed is Paige's boyfriend. '

Flora, be brave' reads a permanent tattoo on Flora's hand, and brave she is. She covers her hands and arms with writing to remind her of things and also has a book, her story, written by her mother explaining why she has no memory. But can she trust her mum?

With her friendship in tatters following her beachside betrayal of Paige and her parents rushing away to see her sick brother, Flora finds herself home alone. Using her messages to herself, the internet and more gumption than a party full of 17-year-olds, she sets of to Arctic Norway to hunt down the love of her life who she believes can restore her memory.

This is one of those truly life affirming stories that make you smile from ear to ear. It's not all plain sailing for Flora, far from it, but she is brave, she is clever and most of all, she is magnificent. In her second hand fur coat and her spanking new snow boots, she sets about melting the hearts of the good people of Svalbard, just like she melted mine.

Once again, YA fiction proves that it makes marvellous reading for all. Emily Barr is a genius author. Read it, you won't regret it.

The one memory of Flora Banks is a strange but delightful book. Full of not only teenage angst but also the fight for life and whatever that throws at you.

Flora has amnesia and at 17 lives at home with her overprotective parents but she kisses a boy on the beach and remembers it, so she travels to seek him out. Along the way she experiences a strange and wonderful journey.
I really enjoyed the story, most of all the characterisation of Flora. She is a protagonist that I immediately liked and felt for. Following her along her journey allowed me to feel all sort of emotions for her welfare whilst also wishing her the best of luck.
Reading this book has certainly taken me on an emotional journey, enabling me to imagine life as both the Flora and her parents and the situations that arise.

Flora Banks is 17 but her short term memories only last 1-3 hours. All her long-term memories are from when she was 10, or younger. So she uses a system of writing words on her arms and leaving herself notes to try and remember where she is and how old she is.
Perhaps there is a limit to how many books in the genre of "first person POV from someone with amnesia" I can read. Because I found the repitition of facts irritating. Just like in [book:Elizabeth Is Missing|18635113] I wanted to scream at the MC and those around her a number of times.
And even at the end, I didn't find many of the characters actions believable. I won't go into detail as they are spoilers, but those closest to Flora made really dumb and seemingly out-of-character decisions that enabled the book to have a plot. So when the plot rests on actions I don't beleive in, and I find the main character irritating... well... you can see where this is going.
The end of the story I really enjoyed. Loved how it came together and the potential for the future for Flora, and for that it gets 3 stars.
If you haven't read much in this genre, then you may really enjoy this story! And it is a fast read ; only took me about 2.5 hours.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Very believable account of a girl with short term memory loss. Flora is a character so easy to sympathise with in in her attempts to overcome problems that would be bad enough without the obstacle of having to remind herself who ore where or who she is and, more importantly, why. A tough challenge for the author, but she really pulls it off and it's a great read.