Thursday, May 4, 2017

The One Memory of Flora Banks Blog Tour Review, Quotes, & GIVEAWAY!


The One Memory of Flora Banks

by Emily Barr
Publisher: Penguin
Release Date: May 2, 2017


Summary:

Seventeen-year-old Flora Banks has no short-term memory. She lives under the careful watch of her parents, in a town she is familiar with, among people who are equally familiar with her story. She has not been able to recall any part of her past since she was ten, when the tumor that was removed from her 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 singular memory breaks through Flora's fractured mind, and sticks. Flora is convinced that Drake and their shared kiss are 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 in reclaiming her life.

With little more than the tattoo "be brave" inked into her skin, and written reminders of who she is, how old, where she lives, and why her memory is so limited, Flora sets off on an impossible journey to the land of the midnight sun--Svalbard, Norway. There she is determined to find Drake, and to explore the romantic possibilities and hopeful future that their reunion promises her. 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.

Rich with psychological twists, powerful moments of hope, despair, and confusion, and a landscape very much a character unto itself, FLORA BANKS is an emotionally compelling and immersive read that celebrates the resilience of the human spirit, the depths of the human heart, and the power of the human mind.


NOTE: I received this book from Penguin in exchange for an honest review.


Find it: Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | iTunes | Book Depository | Kobo





When I started reading this book, I wasn't sure if it was something I was going to like or not.  You see Flora, our narrator, had a brain tumor removed and it also removed her short term memory.  Basically she forgets everything that has happened since she was 9 years old every time she turns around.  She resorts to writing notes to herself on her hands and arms to fill herself in on things.  So, the reason that this was hard for me to get into at first was because of the repetitiveness.  Every time Flora forgets, she has to go back through EVERYTHING to understand why she's not a little girl anymore.

Then I got to this magical place where I got used to the recapping, and I started LOVING this book.  Flora just grew on me and I was rooting for her while equally worrying to death what was going to happen to her.  She basically kisses a boy on the beach and REMEMBERS IT-- and only it.  She decides to follow that memory to the arctic where the boy currently is-- on her own.  I was blown away by her bravery and ability to always land on her feet.  I also wanted to fly to Svalbard and bring her home safely.  I am a mother after all.

I thought the best part of this book (besides Flora in general) was that there was this whole other "family secrets" storyline, which made the book so much more interesting.  I didn't really want to read about a GUY that "fixes" her-- and you guys, this book is not that!!  It's about Flora finding her independence and being insanely brave and LIVING.

By the end of the book, I went from nervous and tense to emotional in a hurry.  It surprised me how hard the ending hit me.  I cried-- which I haven't been doing as much while reading.  I felt the hurt and hope, and THAT was when I realized how good this book really was.

OVERALL: I loved the rollercoaster this book took me on.  Flora isn't a character I'll be forgetting anytime soon.  I completely recommend trying this-- it's like a YA Momento with major feels.

Rating: 4/5

















~Me too, Flora, me too.






Emily Barr (www.emilybarr.com) began her career as a journalist at the Guardian before realizing that she was drawn more toward books. After taking a year to go backpacking for a column assignment, she returned home with the idea for her first book, the New York Times bestseller Backpack, and never looked back. She has since written 11 additional books for adults. The One Memory of Flora Banks is her young adult debut. Emily lives in Cornwall with her partner and their children. You can follow her on Twitter @emily_barr.












Week One:
May 1 – Butter My Books – Guest Post
May 2 – Novel Novice – Svalbad Travel Guide
May 3 – No More Grumpy Bookseller – Review
May 4 – Pink Polka Dot Books – Review + Favorite Quotes
May 5 – Tales of the Ravenous Reader – Mood Board
Week Two:
May 8 – Midsummer Reads – Author Q&A
May 9 – Margie’s Must Reads – Review
May 10 – Adventures of a Book Junkie – Author Q&A
May 11 – Bibliophile Gathering – Review
May 12 – Brittany’s Book Rambles – Guest Post
Week Three:
May 15 – Fiktshun – Guest Post
May 16 – The Book’s Buzz – Guest Post
May 17 – Here’s to Happy Endings – Flora Banks Inspired Recipe
May 18 – Andi’s ABCs – Flora Banks Bookish DIY
May 19 – In Wonderland – Review





  • Enter for a chance to win one (1) of five (5) copies of The One Memory of Flora Banksby Emily Barr (ARV: $17.99 each).

  • NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Enter between 12:00 AM Eastern Time on May 1, 2017 and 12:00 AM on May 22, 2017.  Open to residents of the fifty United States and the District of Columbia who are 13 and older. Winners will be selected at random on or about May 24, 2017. Odds of winning depend on number of eligible entries received. Void where prohibited or restricted by law.



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18 comments:

  1. I remember seeing this one on Goodreads a while back and was really intrigued. Great review! Sounds like a good one!

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  2. This just sounds like an amazing and unique story. Glad you loved it, and loved your review! Thanks for hosting.

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  3. I have seen this cover so much but this is the first review. Sounds really good and I like emotional books. great review!

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  4. This sounds absolutely stunning! I just watched a review of this on youtube, and they said the same sentiment as you. I think I would get annoyed at the repetitiveness at first, but it seems to add style to the book. Great review Michelle! :)

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    1. Thanks!! The repetitiveness took time to get used to, but at the same time, I don't know how you would tell a story about a character like Flora without it?? It was true to her character, and so maybe that's why I was able to eventually accept it??

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  5. I love how much you connected to Flora; it gets me even more pumped for this book, since I need to be attached to the characters in order to truly immerse myself within a story.

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  6. Okay, you have made me want to read this. I love emotional books and this one sounds really unique too. Great review!!

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  7. Your review has given a great understanding of this book and made me really want to read it too.

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  8. Just the quotes alone make me want to read this book! Also yay! for no "knight in shining armor" that comes in and saves the damsel! She does it herself. :)

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  9. So glad to see that you enjoyed this! I finished it in one day and was completely blown away by how amazing it was, especially Flora's character! It was definitely hard to read at times, seeing what was going through Flora's mind, but it was such a really well written book. Great review!

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  10. Really enjoyed the description of the book and and review of the book. The story sounds really interesting and I'm looking forward to reading.

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  11. Really enjoyed the description of the book and and review of the book. The story sounds really interesting and I'm looking forward to reading.

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  12. I read The Memory Book last summer, and after reading your review, this seems like the perfect book to pair with it! I've been seeing ads for this one everywhere, so I definitely need to pick this one up this summer! :)

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  13. I love the quotes you chose. I totally agree with you, that being in Flora's head took some getting used to, but once I did, I grew to love the story as well. Great review.
    Sam @ WLABB

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  14. I've seen a lot of mixed reviews about this book so I kind of put it to the back of my mind but your review has renewed my interest for it. I have a bunch of ARC's I have to get to at the minute, but I think I'll pick it up as soon as I can when I'm done with them! Great review 💖

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  15. I've been seeing this one ALL OVER the social medias, so it makes me thing I should take a closer look for sure. :) Thanks for sharing, Michelle.

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  16. Like you, I thought this book would be about a guy fixing Flora, which is why I discarded it. But I'm so happy to know it's not like that! Now I'm interested in it and need to know the family secrets and all that. Great review!
    Genesis @ Latte Nights Reviews

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