The Binding: A Novel

Get comfortable because this book is impossible to put down! E I hung on every word on every page and it is my belief that you will too. Sit back, relax, and become enthralled in the lives of Emmet and Lucian. Love, I love this book and wholeheartedly wish for another....

A very enjoyable read. The way it was written was beautifully done, providing elegant details without drawing out too long. And an unexpected love story entangled in the magic of it all. My one remark would be, the beginning of the story is misleading, you feel as if you're about to uncover this magical world of binding and it takes a sharp turn into a love story which fills the entirety of the book. I was so excited to learn more about binding but the love story takes over. Don't get me wrong it's beautiful and magical in and of itself, just not what reels you in at the start of the book. But, hooks you in nonetheless and you don't want to put it down.

On the one hand, this book is very well-written. It does seem more like a young adult novel, so I'm not sure what the big hullabaloo is about the adult vs YA label. I've seen YA books in recent years that are far more explicit than this one (which isn't very). The premise and the universe are fascinating, and they deserved more exploration. On the other hand, I felt rather deceived by this book. Nothing in the promotional material when I bought this book suggested that it was a homosexual romance (or, indeed, any sort of romance). I always have grave doubts about gay male relationships written by women--they seem more likely to be voyeuristic imaginings than potentially realistic. Additionally, I was both confused and disappointed by the negative reaction to the relationship: there seems to be no particular religion in this universe and only a vague set of moral values, and therefore no reason why Emmett's parents would react as they did. Ultimately, the fascinating aspects of the universe seem to be just background for a romance story that I wouldn't have been particularly interested in reading. It feels like a bait-and-switch. Then there's the fact that, based on what little we know about the universe, it seems as if it will be very difficult for the characters to find a happily-ever-after by running away together. Not a satisfying way to end.

“Memories,” she said, at last. “Not people, Emmett. We take memories and bind them. Whatever people can’t bear to remember. Whatever they can’t live with. We take those memories and put them where they can’t do any harm. That’s all books are.” Emmett Farmer is an apprentice bookbinder, a vocation that arouses fear, superstition and prejudice. In the world that Bridget Collins has created, bookbinders can capture memories in the pages of a book. Imagine if you could erase grief, pain or your darkest, most horrifying secrets forever. As Emmett learns his new trade and begins to settle in, he makes an astonishing discovery: a book with his name on it. I devoured this book! The idea of being relieved of the burden of your worst memories was intriguing. The way the unscrupulous could twist bookbinding to their own ends was haunting. I tried to stay away from reviews until I could read this for myself but one of the things mentioned more than once was how the readers were surprised by the direction the book went, that it wasn’t what they expected. It almost reads like two books, I think, which worked for me. I loved it and would definitely read more by this author.

In her chatty and revealing writer's interview at the end of the book, Bridget Collins reveals that The Binding is her first novel for adult readers. This makes sense, because the novel is a bit all over the place. I think it works best as YA or NA historical fantasy with gay elements. Some reviewers have emphasized the romance, as if to say that the plot centers around that. Well, it does, but the world Collins has built around the MM romance is so rich that it steals some of the romance's thunder. I was disappointed that the gorgeous, lyrical writing didn't extend to fully fleshed out sex scenes. This left me feeling that perhaps the author's agent had told her to tone down the romance and foreground the world-building and suspense. What it boiled down to in the book, unfortunately, is that I became impatient with the lovers for not "recognizing" each other sooner... Especially when the book switched to Lucian's narration, I was irritated at his denseness (which is quite unfair!). And then, I don't feel the author has written anywhere for the lovers to *go* at the end of the novel. Are they going to retreat to Emmett's family farm and live with his glowering parents and sister? Not likely... but where then? It is so strange that after all the build-up, they simply don't have a place to retreat to. I feel they really belong in Seredeth's bindery (I loved that part of the book... to me the first third is the best). There are other elements in here: a perverse father-son…