The Binding: A Novel

In her fantasy novel The Binding, Bridget Collins grapples with the intriguing concept of memory erasure. Emmett Farmer has always been fascinated with books despite how his small community considers them suspicious objects meant to be feared. While working on his family’s farm, he receives an unusual letter, instructing him to report to Seredith, a bookbinder, and become her apprentice. Under Seredith’s tutelage, Emmett is exposed to the startling truth that books are used to capture a person’s memory. After discovering a book with his name on it, Emmett is thrust into the dark side of bookbinding, where his entire past as he remembers it is threatened.

Though marketed as Collins’ first book written for adults, The Binding is reminiscent of beloved young adult fantasy titles; the story focuses mainly on issues that correspond with the age and experience of the book’s adolescent characters and is written in the voice of its teenage protagonist. The physical spaces described throughout are written with exceptional detail and the emotions conveyed are pleasingly raw and relatable. The novel’s only shortcoming lies in the pace of the story; while the first section of the book will immediately grab readers with its exciting world building, the repetitive, drawn-out second and third sections may test readers’ persistence. But those who reach the novel’s conclusion will not be disappointed.