YOUNG ADULT FICTION
What a terrific life-affirming novel. I read it in its entirety on one day because I didn't want to put it down. From the mundane everyday life at home, to the promise the desolate Arctic holds for Flora, it had me hooked.
Flora is a delightful character, and whilst under the strict almost suffocating watchful eye of her mother, she desperately seeks independence - understandably considering she's 17. She is such a strong character, and I thought Emily Barr conveyed Flora's frustration and the reality of her situation well. I did wonder how it was going to be possible to write about a character who can't remember anything after a couple of hours without being annoyingly repetitive. But honestly it's done so naturally and with such control that it's a matter-of-fact event every time it happens rather than something that you glance over it as you've heard it before. The ways Flora was given to remind her what was happening and what had happened to her were achingly poignant. So in turn the journey she makes, both literally and figuratively, is really quite wonderful to read.
And so I'm sat here (on my one-too-many birthday) pondering the thought that I can't remember having books like The One Memory of Flora Banks when I was younger. I love the fact that there is such a wealth of great, diverse and well-written literature out there for young adults today. Flora Banks is like a breath of fresh air - it's a really good read, totally recommended.
