The One Memory of Flora Banks

I don't remember the time I cried so hard while reading a book. Nothing ever moved me as much as 'The One Memory of Flora Banks' did. Despite suffering from amnesia Flora is one of us. She wants to be loved, she wants to be perceived as 'normal' human being, she wants to explore and she wants to be understood. But unlike most of us, she also has courage to confront her illness and fight for the right to live her life on her own terms.
At the beginning I got a bit annoyed by constant repetition of things I already knew (Flora had to reread them all the time), but without it I would never get the taste of what it can feel like not to remember. It also gave me the impression that nothing could surprise me, which finally led to the ending that overwhelmed me with the amount of new information and eventually reassured me that Flora's late brother saved her life. If I had to use one word to describe the book, it would be: stunning.

Powerful.
If I had to describe The One Memory of Flora Banks in one word, it would be: powerful.

Flora Banks is a 10-year-old girl trapped in the body of a 17-year-old.
Ever since the accident, Flora's brain was damaged in a way that prevents her from creating new memories. She can remember new things for about 3-4 hours before her brain is wiped clean again. Her only "fixed" memories are the ones from before the accident.
But then, one day, something impossible happens. Flora remembers kissing a boy by the beach. She *remembers* it. No matter how many times she forgets everything else, it's the one thing she can hold on to.
This is how Flora sets off on an adventure across the world, determined to find the boy she somehow remembers.

If you're looking for a book so unique, heart wrenching and thrilling, this is the one for you.
The One Memory of Flora Banks will make sure you won't be able to think of anything else while you're reading it.
Are you ready?
Well then, mark January 12th on your calendar.
And now? You wait.

On the cover of a sampler I received of this book, is the little sticker 'The YA Debut of 2017'. That's a big claim to make and a lot to live up to, but I definitely see how The One Memory of Flora Banks lives up to that claim, after finishing the whole thing and needing to sit in silence for a second to absorb what I'd just read. It was powerful, it was special and one I can't wait for other people to read!

P L O T

When Flora was ten, she had surgery that removed part of her short term memory. She can remember everything perfectly up until she was ten, but from then onwards, she relies on the notes she writes herself to remember everything important that happens. The most important thing to happen to her is that she remembers kissing Drake. It doesn't matter, for the moment, that he's her best friend's boyfriend. Love has fixed her. OR has it?

When I read the blurb, I was a little worried that this book would fall into the same trap that Finding Audrey found itself tangled up in, with the suggestion that romantic love is a cure-all for mental illness. The One Memory of Flora Banks may first appear that way, but in reality, this isn't the case and I was so relieved.

Flora decides, while her parents are in France to see her brother, Jacob, in hospital, to go to Norway in search of Drake, who's moved there for university. It's an adventure, one she's not entirely sure she'll survive but if Flora is anything, it's determined!

There was something about the plot progression that made me feel constantly nervous. I was worried what was going to happen to Flora if she forgot something important, if something terrible happened to her with no-one looking out for her, but mostly I felt pity and sympathy for her situation. She'd fallen hopelessly in love with a boy and was going across the earth to find out if he felt the same way.

When she got to Norway, I started to relax as she met some lovely people that wanted to look out for her, but the way I was feeling towards Flora was exactly the kind of thing she wanted to escape from, and watching her do that, to varying degrees of success made me both panicky and proud.

S T Y L E

I loved how the writing style reflected her memory loss by always summing up what had happened in the previous chapters. Repetitiveness is usually a bad thing to say about a book, but with this it did wonders to build the atmosphere of confusion and clarity at the same time.

Flora was also an unreliable narrator, in the fact that if she forgot something, you wouldn't hear about it until someone else told her. This was so unique, and kept me wondering about Flora's capabilities, although I could never really trust what was going on.

I'm going to try and explain the reading experience with an analogy: You know how in the shower, when you're all intoxicated by your nice marshmallow body wash and suddenly, you get this epiphany about the your mental health or what your place is in the world? (If you don't just go with me on this one.) That's how I felt the whole time I was reading this book.

C H A R A C T E R

Flora was such a beautiful character to read about. As her story slowly unravels and you learn more about her friendship with Paige, the relationship with her brother and the thought processes of her parents, her caged life seems unjust. She's a girl that wants to go on adventures, and I was definitely siding with Jacob the whole way through that she should be allowed to exist authentically as herself, rather than as a drugged zombie with a foggy mind and no sense of self.

Her tattoo, 'be brave' was a constant reminder throughout the book to her (and me, I couldn't help but be inspired too!) that as long as you believe in yourself, you're capable of anything and that was something super sweet to read.

V E R D I C T

This book had me in tears by the end of it. The climax of Flora's story is heartbreaking and heartwarming at the same time, managing to hit you right in the feels no matter which way you turn. This was such an accomplished story, jammed packed with content, for a YA debut, and I'll now be recommending it to everyone I know. My final words on the subject?

Refreshing, addicting and slightly overwhelming, The One Memory of Flora Banks is definitely a book I won't be forgetting any time soon!

Flora Banks is a seventeen year old girl who has suffered from short term memory loss since she was ten. She remembers people and events before then, but nothing after her brain surgery. Until the day she kisses a boy and (believe it or not) remembers.

It’s very important to know that in her head she’s still the 10 year old girl before her brain surgery. She tries to remember herself daily with notes on her hand that she’s actually 17, and not 10. She also writes what she can’t forget for that day such as meeting with friends,..

I loved the story, it’s so so different from mostly other books out here and it’s actually really interesting. From the first few pages you’d think it would be (another) romance story but it isn’t, it’s actually mistery and coming out of age. Her memory loss makes her repeat things a lot and it can get slightly annoying, however, it’s what makes it realistic.

If you enjoyed reading The curious incident of the dog in the nighttime by Mark Haddon, then I think you will like this book as well. It’s similar and as good written.

I’m hoping on a sequel, I’d love to know how Flora is doing in the future

Meet, Flora Banks, one of my new favourite characters. To be honest, I don’t even remember (no pun intended) that I requested this book from NetGalley, but I am so happy I did! The One Memory of Flora Banks is written by Emily Barr and is a story of a very special girl.

Flora has anterograde amnesia, which means that she has no short-term memory. Her life is basically a blank from when she was ten years old, so every time she forgets she has to remind herself who she is, how old she is, who everybody around her is. And it seems like one of the scariest things I could imagine, but Flora is brave. Incredibly brave. She writes everything down and goes out in the world and manages to function (pretty much) properly.

"I drift off to sleep imagining what it must be, to be normal. I imagine my head filled with clear pictures of all the things that have actually happened, just filed away so I could look back on them whenever I wanted. I cannot imagine how luxurious it would be, and I go to sleep crying at everything I have been missing. I hope that I will wake up and still be able to remember."

After reading for a few chapters and putting the book away, I was so confused. Not even a mere second, but it took me literally minutes to remember that my memory actually worked. That I didn’t need to write things down so I wouldn’t forget about them. It was one of the weirdest things that ever happened to me.

Flora has one friend she actually knows, because she knows her from when she was 4. Furthermore she knows her very protective parents and her brother. However, her brother is in Paris. So she basically has three people to rely on when things get bad, three in a world of millions. All those people she doesn’t recognize, she doesn’t remember. My favourite character is of course, Flora but her friend Paige and her brother Jacob are amazing too. I can’t imagine the patience they must have with a friend like her. And both of them believe in her so much!

Even though, this story seems to be a love story, it really isn’t the main story. Flora kissed a boy on the beach and that is the only memory she was able to keep. But this is the story of Flora, of how she gets out in the world and discovers how it is to be brave (again and again).

I am giving this book ★★★★☆ (4.5 out of 5 stars), because it is an amazing book with a very lovable cinnamon roll main character (please protect her at all cost while she discovers the world!). The only thing that was slightly annoying was the repetition, because she only has one memory, she repeats it a lot, and I understand why, but it was getting a little annoying sometimes. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes contemporary books about people on a road to self-discovery and growing up. This book reminded me of Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon (which is also awesome by the way!), so if you liked that book you should really read this one as well! I will definitely keep my eye out for other books by Emily Barr.

The book will come out on January 12th 2017.

This book is a mystery, a thriller, a coming of age story and an exploration of relationships, both familial and romantic that keeps the reader on edge and engaged right through until the end.

I LOVED this book.

All because of Flora. Sometimes a character just speaks to you and Flora has an amazingly strong and indelible voice – the whole of this story is told from her point of view, although often necessarily repetitive each reboot she gives to herself has added nuance and emotion – Emily Barr moving the story forward with gentle yet incredibly addictive pace. This is one of those books I label beautiful – beautiful writing, beautiful characters and in the end a whole truck load of beautifully emotional shots through the heart.

Utterly compelling throughout as we follow Flora, learning about herself, those around her, then doing it all over again readjusting her senses, one of the strongest components of this particular story is within the relationships she forms with others. Her best friend, her parents, those she meets along the way, all seen by the reader through the filter of Flora’s memory. Her notes to herself form her next decision process, she is alive on the page and absolutely captured my heart.

The scene setting is also gorgeous – from Penzance to Svalbard the author paints a picture, again filtered through this girl, Flora, who is seeing it all for the first time all the time – it made me want to follow the journey she takes, to the land of the midnight sun. One day perhaps I will.

There is a mystery element layered into the story, the feeling that there is more to Flora’s situation than meets the eye, that perhaps not everyone is being honest with her – the whole novel is a journey of discovery not only for Flora but for the other characters we learn about along the way and for the reader. It made me cry. Proper real cathartic tears.Flora’s life rules may be ones to live by.

For me a truly wonderful novel. If this is how Emily Barr is going to write YA then I’m going to read every single one. But there will never be another Flora..

Highly Recommended. Be brave and watch out for Polar Bears…

**Review also available on Goodreads - Amazon upon Release**

This book is both clever and engaging. A wonderful concept that doesn't fit into just one genre. We have a touch a romance, an air of mystery and a smidge of teenage angst all rolled into one fantastic novel. I love the protagonist and the way she tells her own story, this is a story that is inspiring and hope many will read it.

Can I just say - wow! I finished this book on the tube and I was definitely sniffing and looking up at the ceiling as I tried to hold in tears. Amazing story about a girl who tries to find herself in the midst a difficult environment and people who think they have her best interests at heart. My favourite connection/interaction was relationship between Flora and her brother. There is so much wisdom and slice of life in this novel. Heartily recommended read to end 2016 or begin 2017.

Flora is 17. WHen she was 10 she lost her memory and now can only recall events form the past few hours or from before the trauma.
This is the story of Flora and the one memory which takes her on an amazing adventure of self discovery .
Sometimes you read a book and it remains with you - you want to recommend it - talk about it - savour it again. THis is one of those rare books that you cannot wait to finish but then do not want it to end.
I am still savouring this one memory! Be warned though, only start this if you have time to finish it in one session.

Plot: Flora Banks is a 17 year old girl with anterograde amnesia, meaning that her last permanent memories are from before the age of 10 – she can’t remember what’s happened the day before, she can’t remember people that she’s met after the age of 10, and she frequently loses touch with what’s happening in her present situation, leaving her confused and disorientated. Fortunately, she has worked out over time ways of dealing with this, with notes on her hands, with notes around the house, and with notebooks packed with notes to help her trace her way back. But that all changes when one day she kisses a boy and remembers it the next morning, so she sets off on a quest to find the boy that made her remember.
My thoughts: I was hooked on the idea of this book the moment I received the email from NetGalley which came with the above note and a request to vote whether she should trust her mum or not – the mystery was already embedded in my brain with this single piece of marketing! And then as I opened the book (can you say that when it’s on Kindle?!), I was presented with a testimonial from my friend Sarah!
Nevertheless, the book definitely stood up in its own right and did have me completely hooked all the way through – it’s been added to my list of favourite reads in 2016 (/2017…when it’s released). It’s powerful and addictive, one of those books where you’re rooting for the protagonist, especially as we can see and understand things that she can’t, things that she’s bypassing, not knowing because of her memory. It’s a girl falls in love with boy storyline with the big twist of one being far more vulnerable than the other in ways that we can’t quite imagine until we’re put into her head. I found myself emerging from the book having got so deep into her mind that I was glancing around for notes to tell me where I was and what to do, before realising that was just the story, duh! That’s got to be some excellent character building there for that to happen!
I definitely recommend this book – for a YA read, it’s tough in parts to swallow but is so brilliant. It’s available to read in January 2017 and I recommend that you reserve your copy now – it’s one that will have people talking.

The title and blurb of this book really caught my eye. When I started reading it I was imagining all sorts of scenarios about why Flora was the way she was bur nothing could've prepared me for the last few pages. Absolutely loved the adventure and determination of such a brave person and so wanted Drake to be the hero that Flora thought he was. Would love to read a sequel to this and hopefully get to see more memories of Flora Banks.

Wow. This book really got to me. It might be because it was a bit of a trigger for me - I don't have amnesia, but I do have memory issues and I know what it's like to forget an entire conversation ever happened, or forget what I'm doing in the middle of doing it. So I had a tiny inkling of what Flora's life must be like, which, along with Barr's skilled writing, meant that I really got inside her head. Reading it was almost a disconcerting thing, because I would emerge after a few chapters unsure of who I was for a moment. There, readers, is a sign of a truly talented writer.

Something I really enjoyed about Flora's story, and something that Barr does very well, is the element of mystery. There's a secret, although Barr keeps it hidden for quite some time, distracting us with pretty boys, best friend betrayal and amazing adventures. But when it all comes out it makes the ending, which I was starting to get concerned about, just about perfect.

I would love to talk about this book with someone else who's read it, but reviewing it without spoilers is a tricky task so I'll end this here. Just give it a chance. Be Brave.