The One Memory of Flora Banks

by Emily Barr

It’s not a lie if you can’t remember the truth.
 
“Mesmerizing, electric, and achingly lovely, The One Memory of Flora Banks is unforgettable. One of the best YA novels I've read in a very long time.”
--Jennifer Niven, New York Times bestselling author of All the Bright Places
 
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—in Svalbard, Norway—Flora knows with certainty that this is the first step toward reclaiming her life.
 
But will following Drake be the key to unlocking Flora’s memory? Or will the journey reveal that nothing is quite as it seems?
 
Already a bestselling debut in the UK, this unforgettable novel is Memento meets We Were Liars and will have you racing through the pages to unravel the truth.


Praise for The One Memory of Flora Banks:

An EW Most Anticipated YA Novel of 2017

★ "[A] remarkable odyssey...an enthralling story...a deftly, compassionately written mystery.” —Booklist, starred review

★ "Barr’s tale mingles Oliver Sacks–like scientific curiosity with Arctic adventure and YA novel in a way that’s equally unsettling, winsome, and terrifying." —Horn Book, starred review

"Perfect for fans of both young adult romance and psychological thrillers, The One Memory of Flora Banks is destined to become one of your favorite beach reads of 2017. Promise." —Bustle

"Mesmerizing, electric, and achingly lovely, The One Memory of Flora Banks is unforgettable. One of the best YA novels I've read in a very long time." —Jennifer Niven, New York Times bestselling author of All the Bright Places

"Ultimately, this title will leave readers with a sense of hope and faith in the human spirit....A strong choice for YA shelves." —School Library Journal

"Flora’s situation may be singular, but her desire for autonomy should speak loudly to teens in the midst of their own journeys into adulthood." —Publishers Weekly

"An affecting portrayal of living with amnesia and discovering one's own agency." —Kirkus

"[T]his is [Barr's] first YA novel and it is a good one. It will not be forgotten by readers." —VOYA

"An extraordinarily moving and original novel, a story of secrecy and lie, love and loss that manages to be both heart-breaking and life-affirming...Barr’s first novel for teenagers...is as brave as Flora herself." —Daily Mail

"An icily atmospheric story...captivating...[a] pacy page-turner that packs a significant emotional punch." —The Guardian

• ISBN10: 0399547010
• ISBN13: 9780399547010
• Publish Date: 2 May 2017 (first published 12 December 2016)
• Publish Status: Out of Stock
• Out of Print: 18 September 2020
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Philomel Books
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 304
• Language: English

Reviews

[Bianca]

— My one memory of this book would be that it was so annoyingly repetitive and that it romanticized the main character's illness. It had so much potential! If only it hadn't focused on finding "the boy who kissed her on the beach (repeat 9999999999999x)"

[Nessa Luna]

Actual rating: 3,5. Full review asap.

[Sam@WLABB]

For the past seven years, Flora has made no new memories. After having a tumor removed from her brain, Flora was left with anterograde amnesia. Although she is chronologically 17 years old, her most recent memories have her as a 10 year old. That is until she kisses a boy, and she remembers. This one memory prompts Flora to embark on an adventure to find this boy, who she believes can repair her memory.

I was wary when I began this book, because I had seen quite a few "meh" reviews, and I have to say, at first, it was difficult to adjust to the style. This story is told from Flora's point of view, so we spend a lot of time inside her head. It's sort of jarring at times. She is an amnesiac with limited short-term memory, so there is a lot of repeating and revisiting things over and over again. This took some getting used to, but I must say, Barr did a wonderful job helping me sort of understand Flora's daily struggles.

At the same time, we saw this spirited side of Flora. A part of her that wanted to break free and explore. To make new memories, even if she may not remember them. She had adaptations in place to cope with her daily life, and I was really impressed with what she was able to accomplish. The phrase, "Be Brave, Flora", kept popping up, and I love this idea that even if we have obstacles in our way, we can be brave, and try new things. We can change and grow and continue to hope.

During most of the book, I felt my heart breaking. Here is this young woman, who is stuck at the age of 10. It made me think really hard about not being able to have new memories or being able to learn new things. The whole idea of that weighed heavily on me, but not on Flora. It was almost sold as liberating, as she was forced to live in the now and enjoy the present to the fullest extent. Another great take away courtesy of Flora Banks.

I must say, I loved the relationship between Flora and her brother, Jacob. It was very special. Although they were separated by 7 years and lived in different countries, he was always trying to be her champion. He loved her fiercely and saw only the best parts of her. We get to know Jacob through letters, emails, texts, and flashbacks, and I really wish the story had been able to bring those two back together, but I am grateful for what we got. It was a lovely bond they shared, and heck, I have tears in my eyes just thinking about it.

Overall: An interesting coming-of-age story, which balances the sad with hope.

[pamela]

The One Memory of Flora Banks was an interesting if problematic book.  It tackled a very interesting subject matter, but I’m not entirely sure it did it wholly effectively.  I enjoyed the book since the narrative was sweet and interesting, but I’m not entirely sure it was the healthiest portrayal of chronic illness.

Flora Banks is a teenager who has anterograde amnesia.  A tumour when she was ten made it impossible for her to create new memories and so she lives her life in a state of confusion, with the memories of a ten-year-old, but the body and emotions of a teenager.  One night, she kisses a boy on the beach and for the first time she has a memory that stays.  What follows is the story of her trying to hang on to that memory, a story that will twist and turn and take her on an adventure to the other side of the world.

Flora is an incredibly memorable character.  As the narrator, her quirks and mannerisms show themselves in interesting ways.  A lot of the narrative is repetitive for that reason, because we are experiencing the way that Flora’s mind works, but the repetition had just enough difference as to keep it interesting.  I found the way it was written fascinating rather than boring.  Flora writes things down (think Memento) to remind herself of them, and builds a physical trail of memories for her future self to follow.

The other characters in the book have no real characterisations of their own.  Instead we experience them through Flora’s eyes, and for obvious reasons she proves herself a rather unreliable narrator.  What is true of the people that she knows in one chapter can be completely turned on its head the next.  We see Flora’s parents how she sees them at certain times in the narrative, and the same goes for the boy she kissed and her best friend.  It made for very interesting reading and stylistically I simply can’t fault this book.

The big problem with this book, and indeed with so many books dealing with any kind of chronic illness, is that it doesn’t always deal with said illness in the best possible way.  Despite the characters of the novel responding to her positively and appreciating her for everything that she is, Flora herself latches on to the one thing she feels she needs to be; normal.  It is this idea of normalcy that makes this novel so problematic, especially when we factor in the layers of self-deception practiced by her family, and by herself on more than on occasion. It is this self-deception that needed to be tackled to give this book the depth that it needed.  For me, one of the most tragic and underdeveloped characters of the whole novel is Flora’s mother.  At times she is painted as a villain, but reading between the lines you can see a deeply troubled woman with her own mental illness to deal with who is given virtually no page time.  The One Memory of Flora Banks had the potential to delve so deeply in to the subject of chronic illness, but instead it seemed to romanticise it and ultimately raised more problems than it solved.

I thoroughly enjoyed the experience of reading The One Memory of Flora Banks, even if I didn’t really love where it went.  It was beautifully written, with a unique style and a memorable protagonist.  With a bit more depth I think it could have been a great, and indeed important work of YA fiction, but it is not quite there yet.

Review also at I Blame Wizards