The Picture of Dorian Gray - Oscar Wilde - UPDATED REVIEW

The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde  Genre : Classics Blurb (on back of book) : Oscar Wilde’s only novel is the dreamlike story of a young man who sells his soul for eternal youth and beauty. In this celebrated work Wilde forged a devastating portrait of the effects of evil and debauchery on a young aesthete in late-19th-century England. Combining elements of the Gothic horror novel and decadent French fiction, the book centers on a striking premise: As Dorian Gray sinks into a life of crime and gross sensuality, his body retains perfect youth and vigor while his recently painted portrait grows day by day into a hideous record of evil, which he must keep hidden from the world. For over a century, this mesmerizing tale of horror and suspense has enjoyed wide popularity. It ranks as one of Wilde's most important creations and among the classic achievements of its kind. UPDATED REVIEW MY OPINION : ****** I would like to start out this review by stating that this is undoubtedly m...
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The One Memory of Flora Banks - Emily Barr

The One Memory of Flora Banks by Emily Barr
Genre: YA Realistic Fiction

Blurb (on back of book): It’s not a lie if you can’t remember the truth.
Image result for the one memory of flora banksSeventeen-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.

MY OPINION: ***

I wanted to love this book. I really did. The whole idea of it was incredibly captivating and I found myself interested in how it would all turn out.

I just had a really hard time actually reading it.

Was it repetitive? Yes. Was it slow-paced? Yup. Was it interesting? Sort of.

CHARACTERS

Flora. She has grown up learning that she had a brain tumor and it took some of her memory with it when it was taken out so she's been living for seven years with a sort of amnesia/short-term memory loss. Because of this, her arms are covered in writing and she has journals to remind herself who she is. She repeats things and she gets easily lost and confused and she finds it hard to remember anything, no matter how important it is. Except for one memory: she kissed her best friend's boyfriend, Drake, and now she's convinced he's bringing her memory back. My main issue with Flora was her voice. Yes, her lack of memory caused everything she did/said to be very simplistic and she had this idea that she was still a ten-year-old, but at times, I found her voice very childish. She heads to Svalbard in the Arctic where Drake has moved to seek him out and I'm very proud that she managed to make it all the way there without any horrid accidents.

Drake. Well, I thought I liked him, but when we actually see him after a couple hundred pages of Flora's adventure, he's kind of an asshole. He treats her like she's nothing, he lies to her, and he's just not a good guy like we are led to think he is.

Jacob. SWEETEST BROTHER EVER. I couldn't help but sniffle a little when he wrote her emails and letters and we found out that he had passed away. I think that he had a fairly complicated character even though we never actually get to see him (though I really would have liked it). He was brave and determined to fight back against his parents for the things he believed in. He was kind, protective, caring, and a great older brother.

Paige. I don't know how to feel about her, considering the fact that she completely cold-shouldered her best friend for something that Flora really didn't mean to do. Flora is mostly happy about the fact that she can remember the kiss more than anything. By the end, though, we forgive Paige and we see why she is such a great friend.

THE PARENTS. I can't even talk about them. This is like Everything, Everything all over again.

ENDING
Did not expect any of that I found the plot twist mildly interesting. I'm very happy that it all ended well enough. I couldn't help but read faster once I got to the end.

WRITING
I did like the writing style, despite Flora's immature voice. I wish that the book had been a little shorter or possibly more fast-paced.

I would recommend this book to readers looking for a contemporary novel about a girl who sets out to follow her dreams.

Main Character: Flora
Sidekick(s): Paige, Agi, Tony, etc
Villain(s): Drake, amnesia, parents, etc
Realistic Fiction Elements: This is all very real to life.

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