The One Memory of Flora Banks by Emily Barr

Warning: Spoilers! (duh.)

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.

Reading the Riot Act

The One Memory of Flora Banks by Emily Barr
Published January 12th 2017 by Penguin
Paperback 303 Pages

Flora Banks has no life. She has a best friend and a school and parents that love her - but her memory lasts barely a day, hours maybe. Still, she goes on, writing notes to herself on her arms, writing her memories down to tell herself later. Then, at his leaving party - Flora kisses her best friends boyfriend, Drake,...and the next morning, she remembers him. Then the next day, and the next day. The kiss on the beach and the boy. She remembers something, finally but the guy is gone, across the ocean and her friend hates her for kissing him. When her estranged brother becomes sick, Flora is left alone and after several R-rated emails between her and Drake, Flora is on a plane. She feels the memory slipping away and she knows Drake is the only person who can help her.

She heads to the Arctic, with no idea where he is or what he's doing - but she goes anyway. I was really excited once she'd decided to go. This book has a lot of repetition. I mean A LOT! Which is understandable, but still annoying as hell. The majority of it is re-reading the same stuff we read a few pages ago. Flora Banks has Amnesia - but I definitely do not! We get to the Arctic and here I am hoping things are about to happen. No. It's gonna take another 100 or more pages of wandering around in shops and having the same conversations over and over before she even gets an idea of where Drake is. This entire section made me wonder how insensitive I am - maybe that's the point. I didn't care that Flora was struggling, that she was in a new place and could not remember getting there. That she had no idea what was happening to her and still managed to make the slightest progress. Still, I hated her for getting in my way - for taking too long.

When Flora begins to make friends, begins to recall more and more of what is happening, I become very proud of her. It's the point we know there is something more than Amnesia going on because without her medication, she is starting to remember more. She goes on excursions, sees polar bears and I forget about Drake - just like Flora does. I'm in the moment with her but it seems even sweeter, because I know I'm the only one who will remember it.

Just as I give up on Drake - there he is. Flora, like a mad woman sails to his girlfriend's house with no memories. It's bonkers and I'm not annoyed at her anymore. FLORA IS A DAMN BADASS! Of course, we get there. Drake's girlfriend answers the door and he pretends not to be there. He slams the door in her face and the girlfriend brings her inside. It is horrible. He says that the kiss never happened, that all the emails were from Flora to herself, she imagined them all. She is crazy. And maybe she is. Suddenly the whole journey I've taken with Flora is bathed in suspicion, I don't know what to believe her on or if even she knows what's true and false.

Flora's parents bring her home, her father instantly seeming like the most comforting person we've seen in this book. Flora's brother is dying and he came to get her anyway. She doesn't know why none of them have spoke in years, there's still more to figure out but is any of it true? Is she just mad? Well, no. It's turns out the estrangement came when Flora's mother decided to buy illegal medication off the internet. In truth, the arguments between the mother and everyone else is because her Amnesia is getting better. The dad knows it, her brother knew it and now her best friend knows it. Flora is being doped up to keep her docile and it's affecting her memory. Then, her best friend to the rescue. She pops by for a visit, Flora lost in the fog of drugs. She tells Flora she knows she wasn't lying about Drake - because a girl from the party took a photo of them kissing. She does remember, and they are going to see a doctor who can help - besides she's only a week away from being 18. Soon, her mother won't be able to control her. And it ends. Just like that. I am furious.

I have issues with the ending. First off, the whole point of writing about someone dealing with an illness is redundant if that person is magically healed. I get it was about the journey, but if I was suffering from something like Amnesia or a memory disorder - I'd feel ripped off. Everyone in these stories ends up "normal" in the end. What a load of crap, why can't someone with a problem be allowed a story without them having to be magically cured of the problem? Why can't it be about representation? I didn't want Flora to get better, it felt...dishonest. Next, I had a problem with the parental plot twist (that everyone saw coming), I don't care how protective you are - I don't see any mother, especially the one we've watched worrying for Flora and wanting her to be happy- drugging her daughter to be sure she remains memory-less. It's too far-fetched and honestly, if the doctors knew that was happening, where the hell are the police? Why isn't the father doing anything? I didn't get it and I don't believe it.

So yeah, The One Memory of Flora Banks was a mixed bag. Often, that can be a good thing - it keeps it all interesting. Overall, I gave this book a solid 3 stars! A totally respectable rating.