Billingsley, Franny. Chime. New York: Dial Books, 2011. I picked this up after I signed up for the Mock Michael L. Printz Award Workshop this winter. The Printz Award is the annual award for excellence in Young Adult Books sponsored by the YALSA (Young Adult Library Services Association). At first the cover threw me off but once I started reading, I was hooked. Chime centers on 17 year old Briony Larkin, who believes she's a witch and as such deserves to be hanged. Briony is convinced that she was responsible for the death of her Stepmother and hurting her twin sister, Rose. With the arrival of Eldric, a charming and handsome boy, Briony begins to question her lack of loveability as the mystery of what happened to her family in the past unravels.
Set in the backwaters of Swampsea, England, Billingsley novel is lush, mysterious, and dark complete with mythical creatures. The language is both lyrical and sensory as well as properly antiquated for the turn of the century time-frame. Briony is a character you soon won't forget: strong and at the same time vulnerable. Fans of Terry Pratchett's Tiffany Aching series would enjoy this although Chime has more of darkness and gothic feel to it. Highly recommend with one note: the first few chapters may move slow as one gets use to the language and the mystery involved but keep reading and soon you won't put it down! This is definitely a strong contender for the Printz Award. Ages 12 and up.
~"...a deceivingly delicious dark tale of eccentric characters and gripping suspense." VOYA
~"Exquisite to the final word." Booklist
