From the Bookshelf of Mock Printz 2026…

Chime

Franny Billingsley

Start date: May 1, 2011

Finish date: May 31, 2011

Discussion: Mock Printz 2012

Why we're reading this: Has won our poll and received many starred reviews.
[close] Has won our poll and received many starred reviews.

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Mock Printz 2012

* Printz Poll Results are IN!
By Kathy · 3 posts · 107 views

last updated Jan 23, 2012 11:20AM

* And The 2012 Winner Is...
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last updated Jan 21, 2012 12:17PM

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What Members Thought

Dec 06, 2010 Liz rated it it was amazing

Shelves: young-adult, fantasy, 5-star, audiobooked, historical-fiction

Chime is not a book that every reader is going to love. I spent the first 150 pages trying to decide whether or not I even liked Billingsley’s novel, but kept reading because I’d heard it was good and my book club was reading it. While it took me a while to adjust to Briony’s novel, Chime turned out to be a well-plotted and lyrically written novel.

The world of Chime is an intoxicating mix of enchanting and dangerous. Billingsley’s setting had an ambiance that was both historical and magical. I w ...more

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May 23, 2011 Mary rated it really liked it

Shelves: the-rich-part-of-life

Chime is a complicated book with elements of fantasy, mystery, historical fiction and romance. The characterization is complex with a boogy man, witches, a father who is a cleric, a sister who appears autistic. a dead stepmother, a chime child, dark muses, a girl bearing a huge guilt trip and a love magnet all set in a town called Swamp Sea which is actually next to a swamp. Did I mention that everyone appears to come down with a swamp cough?
Not being a Billingsley fan, since her previous books ...more

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Jun 24, 2011 Brandi rated it liked it

Shelves: teen, random-reads-column, librandian-blog, 2011

The swamp is full of evil beings, dangerous terrain, and secrets that keep many of the villagers of Swampsea far away. A place of bewilderment for everyone else, Briony knows more about the swamps than most people. She knows the creatures who call the swamp home, sees them with the Second Sight, and knows all the traps and snares placed by the creatures to catch trespassers. In order to keep her secret hidden from the rest of the villagers, Briony stays away from the swamp. Briony is a powerful The swamp is full of evil beings, dangerous terrain, and secrets that keep many of the villagers of Swampsea far away. A place of bewilderment for everyone else, Briony knows more about the swamps than most people. She knows the creatures who call the swamp home, sees them with the Second Sight, and knows all the traps and snares placed by the creatures to catch trespassers. In order to keep her secret hidden from the rest of the villagers, Briony stays away from the swamp. Briony is a powerful witch who has caused many incidents, some resulting in harm towards her family. For her entire life, her Stepmother helped protect Briony from unveiling her secret, but after her mysterious, arsenic-related death, Briony can only help herself and hope she doesn’t end up like the other possible witches; executed by hanging.

Briony is now solely responsible for her handicapped twin sister Rose. No one else understands her fear of strange men and her need for collecting miscellaneous scraps of paper. Briony’s attention waivers with the arrival of the Eldric, a curious, young man, and his father, who intends to drains the swamps in order to build a new railroad. Briony has never let anyone close to her before. Even Cecil Trumpington, a local boy with his eye on Briony, cannot get close to her despite his many efforts. There is something different about Eldric though. Despite her constant deterring, Eldric and Briony form a relationship, though romance or not remains to be seen. The duo forms a Bad Boys Club, complete with their own language and initiations. As their relationship continues to grow, Briony encounters obstacle prohibiting her from having a normal life including a chronic disease caused by a swamp creature that only Briony knows the cure, the increasing persistent advances of Cecil, and a strange woman set on pulling Eldric far away from Briony. When all events reach a climax, it is up to the Chime Child, an old woman half-witch, half-human, to help put things right.

Chime may seem a bit confusing at times, but is entertaining. The characters are wonderfully developed and full of life. Billingsley includes specific names for every danger in the swamp which helps solidify the realism of her setting. The ending may seem a bit predictable, but the components of the story overshadow the inevitable. This turn-of-the-century fantasy novel is sure to delight.
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Jul 06, 2011 Monica rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2011, teen, newbery12

I feel like this is maybe a supernatural romance for the I'm-not-a-supernatural-romance-reader-and-I-really-hate-Twilight-but-I-think-steampunk-is-kind-of-cool-and-I'm-not-as-opposed-to-books-with-witches-and-ghosts-as-you-might-guess set. Meaning, that this is a really nice crossover title for historical fiction fans, or romance fans, or dark fantasy fans, but the twicore base might be kind of meh about it.

Chime is awfully florid, but I'm willing to pass that off as an authentic affectation of ...more

1 like · Like · see review

Mar 02, 2011 Jess rated it really liked it

Shelves: young-adult, national-book-award-finalist, fantasy

I'm still trying to sort out how I feel about this, even though it's been a while since I finished it. I just put the audio version on hold to give it a second go, which is often my approach when I can't decide. I loved parts of it - I thought the characters were well done, and the language was mostly fantastic. Initially, the language drew me into the story, along with the sense of mystery. The world-building is pretty vivid and goes nicely with the language, although after a while the style al ...more

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Mar 25, 2011 Tiff rated it really liked it

Shelves: young-adult, read-in-2011

Extremely well-written fantasy that should appeal to fans of last year's Plain Kate. This darkly magical tale combines mythical spirits, an intriguing setting, and a dose of humor, as well as an unforgettable main character. There is even a love interest to give this even wider appeal. I can certainly see why this has garnered 6 starred reviews from professional review sources. ...more

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Aug 20, 2011 Heather Campbell rated it it was amazing

I've enjoyed Franny Billingsley's other books, so I'm not surprised that I loved this one. For me it was the perfect combination of mystery and romance, eeriness and sweetness. Beautifully written. ...more

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Apr 26, 2011 elissa marked it as gave_up

Shelves: capitol_choices_archives, my_10s_reads, fantasy, youngadult, listened-to

I tried to read this a couple of times earlier in the year, and didn't have any luck at all getting in to it. I heard in December that it was easier for some readers to get in to the audiobook, which I'm definitely finding to be true for me, but I'm still not sinking down in to it. There are things that are interesting, but I just don't think this is going to be one of my favorites of the year. I agree with anybody who has said that it's "over-written". ...more

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Jan 31, 2011 Kris Springer rated it it was amazing

Beautiful, beautiful writing--Billingsley is one of my favorite authors, so I've been waiting a long time for this one!

The humor, sadness, and tone of the writing lift it above the regular teen novel. This one stays for a while. The wonder of how Billingsley created her characters and such a rich setting and plot is impressive. If you enjoy fantasy and romance, read it! ...more

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Sep 22, 2011 Bethany Miller rated it liked it

Shelves: audiobooks-on-cd

I'm torn between three and four stars. Chime has a unique story, memorable characters, and really beautiful writing. However, it took me a little while to get into it, and most teens I know won't give a book more than a chapter or two before putting it down if it isn't holding their attention. It won't be for everyone, but I really enjoyed it. ...more

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Oct 17, 2011 Jenna rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult, fantasy

I listened to this on audiobook, and loved everything about it. The reader was awesome, as was the story. I'm in love with the characters Briony (what a great name!) and Eldric. This is a beautiful tale of dark magic, mystery, and romance. ...more

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May 22, 2011 Renee rated it liked it

Shelves: ya-fantasy

Although I liked the setting, (turn of the 20th century with fairy beings (Old Ones) and witches), I disliked the main character's voice. It's difficult for me to read about a character with such self-loathing. ...more

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Mar 20, 2011 Danielle rated it it was amazing

Shelves: audio-books, favorites, ya, romance, fantasy, paranormal

Gorgeous. The writing brought tears to my eyes. And one of my top 10 kiss scenes. Loved it.

6 years later, listened to it again. Still love. One of my top 10 books.

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