Reviews with content warning for Vomit - The Binding

Gros coup de cœur sur la couverture de cette édition de the borough press, j’ai dévoré le livre mais ça reste un 3 ou 3,5/5 en vrai. Je pensais qu’il y aurait plus de choses dans le récit autour des livres et de cet art du binding (en français ça parle « d’enlivreur » j’ai cru voir) qui permet d’effacer la mémoire d’une personne et l’enfermer dans un livre. En fait au cœur de ce livre c’est plutôt une histoire d’amour, une tragédie. Et même si ça arrive tard, une fois que c’est arrivé ça prend quasiment tout le livre et ne continue pas vraiment ce que le premier quart nous laissait penser que ce livre serait. J’aime bien ce genre de changement surprise mais comme je ne suis pas très romance j’étais un peu blasée. J’ai l’impression que je pourrai même spoiler en disant ça mais la plus grosse partie du roman parle de ça donc 🥲
Quand même un bon roman qui a su me donner envie de continuer, bien écrit et prenant. Et qui prend cette idée d’extraction de mémoire et en montre les pires dérives possibles.

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goose's review against another edition

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dark mysterious sad medium-paced

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

4.0

Such an interesting concept, really loved it. I hope Collins keeps exploring the idea. I liked the characters alright. There are some things that squicked me in the book, but it didn't affect my enjoyment of the story as a whole.

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daniquevdijk_'s review against another edition

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emotional hopeful inspiring sad 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

5.0

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mari_books's review against another edition

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dark emotional sad fast-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

4.0

Wow this is the most unique concept for a book I’ve ever read, and so uniquely dark and disturbing. I was very unsatisfied with the ending and felt there were way too many loose ends. The descriptive writing is amazing but I wish the author pulled it in a little, in some places it felt more confusing than helpful when scenes were over described. The first part of the book was very slow and then super fast at the end, I think maybe we could have

heard from Lucian’s pov much earlier so it could be like back and forth?

Huge trigger warning for self harm/suicide, sexual assault, and manipulation

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halellery's review

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Intriguing premise, sloppy execution.

This seems to be my main trouble lately with the books I pick up. I'm developing a phobia of beginning new books, for having been so underwhelmed so often. And my 'dropped' list keeps growing.

Like seriously, binding up your bad memories in books so that you don't have to remember, and the people who practice that craft. That could have gone places. I was sold two sentences into the book summary.

And then, it flopped.

Flowery prose and a rambling, whiny narrator is a particularly unattractive combination for me, I'm finding. To top it off here it comes coupled with first person POV, which more often puts me off, rather than help toward further immersion.

Not to mention that very alluring premise, which remains forevermore undeveloped.

I'm told the book gets notably better in the second part. It might, at that.

But I'm past the point in my life where I was generous enough to plough through watery mush to get to the supposed 'good parts'.

Kudos to Carl Prekopp for lending his voice to the audiobook version. He's cool. He made the hours I wasted on this at least bearable.

ALSO, I just discovered through a random review that there is a particularly brutal murder of a puppy in the second half of the book.
That's a trigger for me, which I would have appreciated being warned about in some manner, thanks a lot, Collins.
You now go straight to my blacklist for that.*

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freyajhugroo's review against another edition

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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? Yes

3.5

Gay love story, intricate and creative world building meets capitalism and heteronormativity.

Incredible concept, complex characters but a somewhat dissatisfying ending.
I enjoyed the way the book was structured too.

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