How to even start to explain this book? Is it a fantasy? Is it historical? Is it a love story? It is certainly original! You need to read it to decide! Emmett Farmer is a young man who is struggling to retain his strength after an illness so that he can once again pull his weight on the farm. WHen a letter arrives telling him he is to become apprentice to a bookbinder her is confused. The only time he ever had a real book his father beat him & burned it. In Emmett's world books are scary things. They are full of people's memories that have been taken from them. Want to forget a tragedy? Want to forget a mistake? What to stop grieving? A binder will take those things away & keep them in a locked vault of books. It is hard to say much more without revealing the plot. Suffice to say this is a book that will stay with me a long time. If you loved The Toymakers & The Night Circus this could be the book for you. Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for letting me read & review this unusual book. I loved it!

I loved it last year as a proof, and I love it even more now that it graces our shelves. This book is special. A dark, twisted roller-coaster, full of broken characters and heartbreak - I raced through it waiting with baited breath to find out how the situation would resolve. It's a haunting idea, this thought of a world where books are banned and stories are stolen memories, and one that will stay with you a long time. This is part historical fantasy, part boundary-crossing love story, and the melding of the two results in a perfect book that will enchant all readers. The kind of immersive read that you can only dream of stumbling across - I cannot recommend The Binding highly enough!

My heart! Oh my heart! Of the 98 books I read in 2019 The Binding was my favourite. Collins' prose draws you into a glorious historical setting where bookbinding is not what it seems. What follows is a story that I found both compelling and unexpected. Divided into three parts, the book follows Emmet Farmer, a country boy who has suffered a recent mystery illness. To his surprise he is called to apprentice to the local book binder, despite his family's mistrust of the profession. The more he learns about what books really are, the more he comes to realise his strange illness may not be what he was told it was. Something is missing and it's up to him to find the answers. Part mystery, part love story, The Binding explores betrayal, duty to family, social expectation and abuse of power. Despite the slower pace at the start I was hooked from the first word because when this book ramps it up - wow does it go go go. I was on tender-hooks to the last. After reading, expect an extended book hangover, a desire for ice cream and the need to tell everyone you meet about this book.

Well, "The Binding" was such a great read! Firstly, it was about books, secondly I loved the ending, thirdly I really liked the language, it made me feel like I was inside the story (creepy, if you read the book and you know what I am talking about). I suggest though you do not read much of the blurb - I think it revealed a bit to much and without certain things mentioned I might have enjoyed the book even more. As it was, I sort of guessed the plot (correctly) and was slightly disappointed in not being able to enjoy the big reveal.s and plot twists. However, I think as the story progressed I have found myself loving it anyway. The premise of the book is unusual (ok, I have read someone comparing it to "Inkheart", but I have not read "Inkheart", so there) and not like anything I have ever read. Imagine the world in which your memories, bad and good, can be taken way of you and binded into books. Imagine living without your memories, not sure if something is missing and unable to remember it. Books will never be the same for you after reading this captivating story. But be aware, it is much darker and violent in places then you might have expected. It is set up in the world from Victorian era and it is equally grim, polluted, full of greed and darkness. The females in the book are never treated fairly, neither are those who dare to be different. But there is also hope, love and affection, and glimmers of happiness that made "The Binding" stand out for me. I was unsure how to rate this book, in the end I decided to go for 5 stars simply because, despite my reservations, once i finished the book I made a satisfied ahhh noise and hope for the sequel. (I received a netgalley copy but I bought the STUNNINGLY GORGEOUS signed edition of the book as soon as it was possible as well. )

I started it yesterday, I am now half way. It's a great bad weather book that draws you in and won't let you put it down. Just dont start to read it if you have somewhere that you need to be anytime soon!