Sunday 5 February 2017

The One Memory of Flora Banks by Emily Barr

HOW DO YOU KNOW WHO TO TRUST WHEN YOU CAN'T EVEN TRUST YOURSELF?
I look at my hands. One of them says FLORA BE BRAVE.
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, and the next day she remembers it. It's the first time she's remembered anything since she was ten.
But the boy is gone. She thinks he's moved to the Arctic.
Will following him be the key to unlocking her memory? Who can she trust?

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.



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