Reviews tagging 'Infidelity'

The Binding by Bridget Collins

27 reviews

annieogg's review

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Infidelity

marleywrites's review against another edition

emotional mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.75

This book took awhile to grow on me, but by the end of part one I was very invested. Seeing all the pieces fall together was extremely satisfying. I loved the angst and the intense emotions. This is one I would consider rereading, especially in the fall/winter. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Emotional abuse, Animal death, Suicide, Death, Alcohol, Homophobia, and Fire/Fire injury

Moderate: Violence, Infidelity, Kidnapping, Grief, Gaslighting, Classism, Vomit, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual assault, and Rape

Minor: Cursing

prashiie's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

“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 more harm. That’s all books are.”
I have mixed feelings about this book. While I really love the (queer) characters, the general outline and the uniqueness of the story, I also think it did not deliver its full potential. This book could have been so much more. Getting into the story was especially troublesome as the writing really threw me off. The detailed description of the surroundings part one almost felt cinematic. The writing in parts two and three on the other hand was more pleasant. 

Also the blurb is somewhat misleading. It comes across as if Emmett is already an apprentice and has bound many people and one day he finds his own volume. But in fact at the beginning of the story he is forced to take the apprenticeship and for a long time he has no idea how binding works. And he does not find his own book in his mentor’s vault. Someone taunts him with his book when he goes to his first binding.

I would have loved to see what happens to our main characters! I was so invested in their love story, it felt like an abrupt ending. And I wish Seredith had a bigger role in this story, she really was my favourite character and the noblest of all!
 

"To have another person’s memory entrusted to you… To take the deepest, darkest part away from them and keep it safe, forever. To honour it, to make it beautiful, even though no one will ever see it. To guard it with your own life."
Although the majority of people loathed binders, she didn't let that influence her character. She stayed true to her profession until the end.

“There was sympathy in her face, as if I could tell her everything and she would understand.”
It is with Seredith that Emmett finds a real home. He carries her sympathy, morality and loyality while her own son, de Havilland, chooses a different path.

It's a pity that the point of view changes after Emmett goes to his first binding and gets his memories back. It would have been interesting to see how he gets to know his own powers and proceeds to become a fine binder. For example, the voice that he uses to curse the people that threatened to burn down Seredith's bindery with Seredith in it? This never gets mentioned again in the story.

 
The story also goes to show how greed and power can destroy any noble art.

 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Kidnapping, Rape, Suicide, Fire/Fire injury, Adult/minor relationship, Sexual harassment, Animal cruelty, and Homophobia

Moderate: Incest, Infidelity, Alcohol, Outing, Violence, Vomit, and Sexual assault

Minor: Murder

therukat's review

adventurous dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Suicide, Alcohol, Sexual violence, Abortion, Animal death, and Rape

Moderate: Infidelity, Biphobia, Kidnapping, Homophobia, Fire/Fire injury, Dementia, Outing, Emotional abuse, Blood, Excrement, and Pedophilia

A dog dies

xbernadette's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Sexual violence, Vomit, Homophobia, Infidelity, Grief, Classism, Alcoholism, Panic attacks/disorders, Injury/Injury detail, and Animal cruelty

Moderate: Homophobia, Suicide, Alcohol, Incest, Blood, Hate crime, Animal death, Vomit, Death, Sexual harassment, Gore, Fire/Fire injury, Cursing, and Adult/minor relationship

archkyrology's review

dark sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.0

"Am I more than you bargained for yet" -Fall Out Boy

In an attempt to play around with the memory wiping aspect to create a mystery, it just becomes confusing. The first half of the book is slow, relaxed, and curious enough to keep you reading. The second half was very fast and genuinely upsetting almost the entire time. I wish a lot of aspects had been done differently. Also a very cliffhanger ending for a book that doesn't have a sequel.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Alcohol, Blood, Classism, Emotional abuse, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Homophobia, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Suicide attempt, Fire/Fire injury, Infidelity, Suicide, Rape, and Physical abuse

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Pedophilia, Violence, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Gaslighting, Excrement, Incest, and Ableism

elphayes's review

adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

The book is solid but a little flowery in how it's written. I'd have liked a more direct narrative, and the conversations seemed a little 'up to interpretation' in terms of those between the main character and his love interest. 

I'd have liked more focus on the MC and his craft, maybe more focus on how he learned to do it and finish a book etc. It kind of jumped from his sole life story to sudden romance, and was a bit jarring. Given the plot it does make sense but I think it could have been done a little better.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexual harassment, Misogyny, Homophobia, Infidelity, Rape, Pedophilia, Murder, Mental illness, Emotional abuse, Addiction, Sexual assault, Vomit, Alcoholism, and Sexual violence

Minor: Sexual content and Child death

galleytrot's review against another edition

dark emotional

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Infidelity, Vomit, Animal cruelty, Homophobia, Rape, and Sexual assault

Moderate: Alcohol, Alcoholism, and Blood

katkinslee's review

emotional sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

It was an interesting read but it definitely didn't have enough about the actual magic of binding and the ending was so abrupt that it really took away from the enjoyment of it all

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia

Moderate: Physical abuse, Animal cruelty, Alcoholism, Incest, Infidelity, Animal death, Misogyny, and Rape

abbyeck's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Outing, Suicide, and Vomit

Moderate: Death, Infidelity, Rape, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, and Sexual harassment