The One Memory of Flora Banks ~ Emily Barr

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—in Svalbard, Norway—Flora knows with certainty that this is the first step toward reclaiming her life.
 
But will following Drake be the key to unlocking Flora’s memory? Or will the journey reveal that nothing is quite as it seems?

Book Review:

I picked up this book as a part of BookTube-A-Thon 2017 for the hyped book challenge. I have seen it all over BookTube and it is even one of the books on the Zoella and Friends Book Club list. I figured that it was a good time to give it a try and I am glad I did. 

When I first started reading it, it felt and read like any contemporary novel with a bit of a twist coming in the form of Flora's short-term memory, over protective parents, and one confusing evening. As I continued to read it, I began to get similar feelings to when I was reading We Were Liars by E. Lockhart. 

I was constantly kept on the edge of my seat as I read the story. I wanted Flora and her best friend to work things out. I wanted Flora to get answers for the confusion that continued after her kiss with Drake. Eventually we find out the truth about that night and that kiss that Flora seems to remember. It is not as sweet as Flora remembers it to be. I wont divulge to much of the truth because it would completely ruin the impact of the novel, but let's just say, it was completely unexpected.

After the truth is revealed, Flora has to deal with figuring out who is with the help of some friends and her dead brother through his boyfriend. Thankfully, it seems as though everything is going to work out for Flora and she is going to be able to live the life that her brother wanted for her. 

Pages:298                                                                                                                                  Rate: 4/5

Favorite Quote:

“Although I don't know much about anything, I know that I have a story. I know that it is not over. There are shades and shadows of adventures and people and wild new places."

A Study in Charlotte ~ Brittany Cavallaro

The first book in a witty, suspenseful new trilogy about a brilliant new crime-solving duo: the teen descendants of Sherlock Holmes and John Watson. This clever page-turner will appeal to fans of Maureen Johnson and Ally Carter.

Jamie Watson has always been intrigued by Charlotte Holmes; after all, their great-great-great-grandfathers are one of the most infamous pairs in history. But the Holmes family has always been odd, and Charlotte is no exception. She’s inherited Sherlock’s volatility and some of his vices—and when Jamie and Charlotte end up at the same Connecticut boarding school, Charlotte makes it clear she’s not looking for friends.

But when a student they both have a history with dies under suspicious circumstances, ripped straight from the most terrifying of the Sherlock Holmes stories, Jamie can no longer afford to keep his distance. Danger is mounting and nowhere is safe—and the only people they can trust are each other.

Book Review:

I started this book without any real expectations. I love the BBC adaptation "Sherlock Holmes," but I have never read the original series by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Although I had no real expectation, I was nervous that the dynamic between Charlotte Holmes and Jamie Watson wouldn't be the same as it is between the actors in the BBC television show. I was pleasantly surprised to have Charlotte be just as perturbed, easily aggravated, blatant, and intelligent as the original Holmes. Jamie wasn't as similar to the Watson that I have come to love, but his character still had that undeniable devotion and loyalty to Charlotte like the original Watson had for his Holmes. 

I found the setting to be rather interesting as both of the characters were far removed from their connections, but especially Charlotte, who even though she seems so independent could have gotten things done much more efficiently if she had her colleagues from Scotland Yard. I felt that this separation and the fact that familial relationships weren't able to completely participate in the dynamic between Charlotte and Jamie was valuable to their appeal. I loved that the story did not focus on a romantic relationship and that the brains of the operation was female. 

Now, although this book was great and I am excited to continue with the trilogy, it was hard to get into at first. It really took me a while to find my groove with the story. Maybe it is the writing. Maybe it was my preconceived notions of Holmes and Watson. I don't really know, but I do know that as soon as I was hooked, I could not put it down. 

Pages: 341                                                                                                                                 Rate: 3/5

Favorite Quote:

“I began wondering if there was some kind of Watsonian guide for the care and keeping of Holmeses.”