Chime is “fantasy and romance with a dash of mystery”

Chime, a National Book Award Finalist, by Franny Billingsley is an amazingly different, magical, mysterious, and melancholy book. It takes place in the early 20th century in a town called Swampsea, which, as its name implies, has a swamp.

The book starts out with the protagonist, Briony Larkin, declaring herself guilty. She is on trial, though it is unknown to the reader for what purpose.

Briony flashes back to the past, when her stepmother was kind and supportive to Briony and her twin sister, Rose, while her father was distant, unsupportive, and a stickler for the rules. Sadly, her stepmother had died two months prior. Everyone believes that it was suicide, but Briony knows it was murder.

Aside from trying to find her mother’s murderer, Briony faces another problem. The residents of Swampsea are affected by Swamp Cough. There is no known cure, and people are dying from it. Only Briony knows the reason why, but revealing the truth means her secret will be revealed too, which would result in her being hanged. However, when her own sister is plagued by the Swamp Cough, Briony knows that she cannot simply stand by and watch her die.

Her secret is perhaps the one that caused all her problems in the first place. Briony is a witch, and she will be hanged if that truth ever comes out. She has “second sight,” which allows her to see and communicate with creatures of the spirit world, the “Old Ones.” The fact that her father is a clergyman, and a rather strict one, does not help her situation.

Briony blames herself and her magical powers for everything that goes wrong in her life, like her sister’s mental disability, her stepmother’s death, and her friend’s illness. This blame blossoms into self-hatred. Briony constantly reminisces about the days when her stepmother was alive, and how she helped Briony by telling her her true identity and helping her keep her magical powers under control.

The author tells this story through amazingly descriptive and captivating writing that paints a vivid scene in the reader’s head, with usage of figurative language to poetically convey Briony’s thoughts and her feelings. It is told differently than most other books; in this one, the protagonist’s thoughts make up a rather large portion of the book (more than most books), with bits of action intertwined in between. Although it may be a little slow-moving in beginning and middle parts at times, it is worth it to keep reading all the way to the end. The end is a wonderfully unexpected twist that will completely change Briony’s life and world forever.

Will the true murderer of Briony’s stepmother be found? Will Swamp Cough be stopped? Will Briony’s true identity be revealed, and what happens if it is?

Overall, this book is a terrific read. Chime is especially perfect for those who like fantasy and romance with a dash of mystery.