Book Review: Chime by Franny Billingsley
Nov. 30th, 2011 03:33 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
juushikaTitle: Chime
Author: Franny Billingsley
Published: New York: Dial Books, 2011
Rating: 4 of 5
Page Count: 361
Total Page Count: 112,950
Text Number: 325
Read Because: recommended by![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
rachelmanija, borrowed from the Corvallis library
Review: In a backwater city by a haunted swamp, Briony holds a bitter secret: she's a witch, and if the townfolk know they'll hang her for it. But now an outsider has come to town, Briony's strange sister is sick with the swamp cough, and secrets will be revealed. Billingsley's Chime has a brilliant, original voice: Briony's narration is almost an internal monologue and is steeped in dialect, and it immediately breaks the book out of the modern mold of young adult fantasy/paranormal romance and establishes a strong sense of place and protagonist. Even more than the supernatural aspects the voice creates a sense of otherworldliness, but Chime's real gem is Briony: prickly and conflicted, steeped in self-hatred but not pity, capable and deeply flawed, Briony is identifiable while retaining powerful independence. She could be just another angsty teen; instead her issues are justified and accessible. And while the voice loses its power—the reader adapts to its cadence, and the traditional plot and predictable mystery fail to provide anything to hold flagging interest—Biony does not: it's her journey towards self-understanding and -acceptance which provide emotional resonance and ultimately make the book satisfying.
Chime isn't as good as it could be: it promises mystery and convolution but provides little of either; beneath the strangeness of its narration, it's surprisingly traditional. The romance is merely serviceable, and the worldbuilding has potential but ultimately lacks depth, despite the strong sense of place. But the good outweighs the bad, both because the book is a stylistic breath of fresh air and because Briony sells it—and as a bonus, her sister Rose is also fantastic. Chime isn't a must-read, but it's above par for its genre, promising, engaging, and satisfying. I recommend it.
Review posted here on Amazon.com.
Author: Franny Billingsley
Published: New York: Dial Books, 2011
Rating: 4 of 5
Page Count: 361
Total Page Count: 112,950
Text Number: 325
Read Because: recommended by
rachelmanija, borrowed from the Corvallis libraryReview: In a backwater city by a haunted swamp, Briony holds a bitter secret: she's a witch, and if the townfolk know they'll hang her for it. But now an outsider has come to town, Briony's strange sister is sick with the swamp cough, and secrets will be revealed. Billingsley's Chime has a brilliant, original voice: Briony's narration is almost an internal monologue and is steeped in dialect, and it immediately breaks the book out of the modern mold of young adult fantasy/paranormal romance and establishes a strong sense of place and protagonist. Even more than the supernatural aspects the voice creates a sense of otherworldliness, but Chime's real gem is Briony: prickly and conflicted, steeped in self-hatred but not pity, capable and deeply flawed, Briony is identifiable while retaining powerful independence. She could be just another angsty teen; instead her issues are justified and accessible. And while the voice loses its power—the reader adapts to its cadence, and the traditional plot and predictable mystery fail to provide anything to hold flagging interest—Biony does not: it's her journey towards self-understanding and -acceptance which provide emotional resonance and ultimately make the book satisfying.
Chime isn't as good as it could be: it promises mystery and convolution but provides little of either; beneath the strangeness of its narration, it's surprisingly traditional. The romance is merely serviceable, and the worldbuilding has potential but ultimately lacks depth, despite the strong sense of place. But the good outweighs the bad, both because the book is a stylistic breath of fresh air and because Briony sells it—and as a bonus, her sister Rose is also fantastic. Chime isn't a must-read, but it's above par for its genre, promising, engaging, and satisfying. I recommend it.
Review posted here on Amazon.com.
