The One Memory of Flora Banks

Description

You always remember your first kiss. Flora remembers nothing else. A novel of heart-stopping suspense and haunting obsession. I look at my hands. One of them says 'FLORA be brave'. I am Flora. 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 a boy - her first kiss - and the next day she remembers it. The first time she's remembered anything since she was ten. But the boy is gone. Desperate to hold onto the memory and feelings of love, she sets off to the Arctic to find him. Why can she remember Drake? Could he be the key to everything else she's forgotten?

THE ONE MEMORY OF FLORA BANKS published in 2017 was Emily Barr's first novel for young adults and was a global hit, publishing in 27 languages. Before that, she worked as a journalist in London but always hankered after a quiet room and a book to write. She went travelling for a year, which gave her an idea for a novel set in the world of backpackers in Asia. This became BACKPACK, an adult thriller which won the WH Smith New Talent Award, and she has since written eleven more adult novels published in the UK and around the world. She lives in Cornwall with her husband and their children.

An extraordinarily moving and original novel, a story of secrecy and lies, love and loss that manages to be both heart-breaking and life-affirming . . . This is Barr's first novel for teenagers and it is as brave as Flora herself * Daily Mail * Clever and original with a unique heroine, this is a refreshing love story. A great YA read to start 2017. * The Sun - Book of the Week * 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 * A winning mix of a John Green/ Rainbow Rowell-style sharpness and sensitivity, but underlined with a darker edge, belying the author's previous experience as a thriller writer . . . a coming-of-age, finding-yourself-type novel which is, in turn, unsettling and uplifting. * View * This is the most perfect, dazzling gem of a book. I loved every moment of it. -- Lisa Jewell, Bestselling author of 'The Girls' A thriller in the Momento mould that has some profound things to say about safety, danger and living in the momemt. Flora is a flawed and messy heroine who teaches us the importance of being ourselves and living life to the full. I couldn't put it down. -- Julie Mayhew, YA author of 'Red Ink', 'The Big Lie', 'Mother Tongue' I devoured it, reading late into the night because I couldn't put it down. Almost immediately I found myself pressing it into the hands of my writing friends. It's not often I read a book in a single sitting... compelling, thrilling, atmospheric - Flora's voice is unique and her mantra works beautifully as a message of love and support to all young women: be brave. -- Elizabeth Haynes, adult crime/thriller writer 'Into the Darkest Corner', 'Never Alone' I loved this book! Such a page turner. I was desperate to know what was going to happen next all the way through. I was totally drawn into Flora's confused and disturbed world and absorbed in the story from start to finish. -- Liz Kessler, YA author of 'Read Me Like a Book' A truly gripping and atmospheric psychological thriller, with a wonderfully quirky, brave, vulnerable heroine. -- Fiona Noble, The Bookseller, One to Watch I absolutely loved The One Memory of Flora Banks. It suddenly struck me that it could be a reworking of the Sleeping Beauty story, and manages to have a real fairy-tale feel while also being completely rooted in the here and now. And it's a wonderfully effective psychological thriller. A book that you'll definitely want to read more than once, and to recommend to friends. -- Andrea Reece, FT Weekend Oxford Literary Festival Children's Programme Director YA readers are going to love Emily Barr. She takes an agonising emotional situation, weaving in travel and adventure with gripping results. As with her adult books her love of travel and exploration comes through on every page and lending an extra dimension to her plots. -- Andreina Cordani, Book Review Editor for Cosmopolitan A coming of age mystery that is unforgettable. Perfect for book groups of all ages and fans of Hitchcock and Before I Go To Sleep. -- South Wales Evening Post The writing is impeccable. Serious kudos to Emily Barr for creating a narrative that has to undergo a lot of repetition...but constantly feels fresh and new. Flora Banks is brave and fierce, and goes on the kind of adventure that most of us wouldn't even dare to attempt. What struck us the most was the 'realness' of the story, despite it being one epic trip that is almost hard to imagine happening... And yet, Flora's experiences and the things people say and do to her are incredibly real. -- Maximum Pop! Books [Barr] has created a likable character in Flora. -- The Times Simply superb; both clever and poignant. Flora is enchanting. -- Irish Examiner With its original plot and charming protagonist, there is much to like about Emily Barr's young-adult debut. Her [Emily's] page-turning talents are put to good use in Flora's adventure, as the reader accompanies a brave teenager on a journey to discover who she really is. Barr's light touch captures the innocence and integrity of Flora's voice. Readers will surely have difficulty forgetting about Flora, her parents and their predicament. -- Irish Times An icily atmospheric story with a captivating hook. A pacy page-turner that packs a significant emotional punch. -- The Guardian An absorbing, original and definitely memorable book. -- Sunday Express