The Binding by Bridget Collins Review

Hey Beautiful Booklovers! Today I am coming at you with an overdue review for The Binding by Bridget Collins! I read this book a couple of weeks ago, and now that I can consolidated my thoughts I am finally ready to give you my opinions on this book!

• Title: The Binding
• Author: Bridget Collins
• Hardcover: 448 pages
• Publisher: The Borough Press (10 Jan. 2019)
• Genre: Historical Fantasy
• ISBN-10: 0008272115
• ISBN-13: 978-0008272111
• My Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟

Synopsis – From Amazon

Imagine you could erase your grief.
Imagine you could forget your pain.
Imagine you could hide a secret.
Forever.

Emmett Farmer is working in the fields when a letter arrives summoning him to begin an apprenticeship. He will work for a Bookbinder, a vocation that arouses fear, superstition and prejudice – but one neither he nor his parents can afford to refuse.

He will learn to hand-craft beautiful volumes, and within each he will capture something unique and extraordinary: a memory. If there’s something you want to forget, he can help. If there’s something you need to erase, he can assist. Your past will be stored safely in a book and you will never remember your secret, however terrible.

In a vault under his mentor’s workshop, row upon row of books – and memories – are meticulously stored and recorded.

Then one day Emmett makes an astonishing discovery: one of them has his name on it.

My Review

You know as general rule I try to keep things non-spoiler, and this review is no different in that department, though that really is a tough feat!

From the synopsis you think you know what your getting into with this book, at least I did, but let me tell you this book was not what I expected it to be! Nevertheless, the writing was gorgeous, the characters in-depth, and the plot…wow that plot takes you on a ride.

There was so much I didn’t expect to encounter. So much I just didn’t see coming, and quite honestly I really had an unexpected surprise with this book; not because I didn’t expect it to be good, but because I was expecting something, got something else, and yet still managed to really enjoy it. That in itself is an unusual thing for me.

There isn’t a whole lot of focus on the magic of book binding, but what is there is sound enough, and to be honest this is a book that is focused firmly on the characters – whom I adored/ hated where necessary. There is so much to love about this book – the story line for one, the relationships for another, and I really am glad I read it (even if I originally picked it up thinking it would be more magic focused etc,).

If you like historical type fiction/ magical realism with lgtbq+ representation, I honestly think you can’t go wrong with a book like this. I laughed and I cried, which to me shows the great skill of an authors ability to make you feel a part of their world.

Have you read this book? Or are you planning on reading it? Let me know in the comments below! I’m always happy to fangirl/ boy over books with you all!