I really wanted to like this story, but was unable to get into it after quite a few chapters. I liked the concept of the story, but unfortunately it didn't pull me in.

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I read Billingsley's book The Folk Keeper earlier this year and absolutely loved it. So I was excited to read Chime as well. Don't let the picture on the cover of the pretty teen girl fool you, this is not another teen paranormal book...it is more of a fairy tale/historical fantasy of sorts. I adored the quirkiness of the main character and the dark fairy tale like setting. There is also a sweet and quirky romance that will definitely capture the reader's heart.

Briony's stepmother convinced Briony that Briony herself was the cause of everything bad that ever happened to Briony's family. When Briony's stepmother passes away Briony is left living a half-life. She constantly feels guilty and lives in a state of grief while taking care of her mentally challenged sister named Rose. Briony used to take comfort in the mysteries of the Swamp that is next to her village but she avoids it now because of the harm she believes she does her family when she is in the swamp. Then Eldric comes to town and he accepts Briony for who she is, he awakens in her the wolfgirl who used to love to tramp through the magical swamps. As more and more of the village gets sick with the swamp cough; Briony finds she may have to embrace her witchy nature and make a pact with the Old Ones to save her village; even if it costs her her life and her love for Eldric.

Briony is a very very interesting character. She is constantly loathing herself and what she perceives to be her actions; but she never comes across as annoying. Rather she comes across as witty, sarcastic, and somewhat immune to the emotions of those around her. Some of the conversations between her and Eldric had me laughing out loud; they were just so funny, imaginative, heartfelt, and witty.

Eldric was another absolutely charming character. He is so funny, so clever, and so earnest to accept Briony with all her quirkiness and craziness. Every scene Eldric is in he brings happiness, fun, and joy to those around him. Eldric himself is happy to embrace his differences and revel in the strangeness of the swamp and in the magicalness he sees in Briony.

Briony takes on a huge responsibility; she thinks she is responsible for all of the bad that happened to her family. As such she feels it is her burden to deal with her sister Rose; Rose is a bit touched in the head. Rose is a wonderful character; who although a bit different, is just as intelligent and cunning as the rest of the group.

I loved the mythological feel that the Old Ones have. I loved how the prescence of the Old Onces was woven into the enviromnet of the dreary, dangerous, yet beautiful swamp. Billingsley's descriptions make it easy to picture the beautiful and haunting surroundings. The writing is beautiful, witty, and intelligent if a bit scattered at the times. Briony can be easily distracted by her surroundings and it makes the story a bit slower at parts. I really enjoyed the diversions though because, for me, it just added to the quirkiness of the book and the depth of Briony's character.

The ending of the book was fantastic and surprising. Looking back I see that what happened was hinted at throughout. Still I enjoyed the twist at the end and was in tears by the end of the book. Briony, Eldric, and Rose are wonderful characters and it was heartbreaking to see what they had to go to through in this story.

Overall an absolutely wonderful book. I loved the writing style, it was quirky and beautiful. I loved the characters; they were intelligent, witty, imaginative, heartfelt, and an absolute joy to read about. I loved the way the mythology of the swamp was tied in with the Old Ones, magic, witches and the Chime Child. The romance between Briony and Eldric has got to be one of my favorites so far this year. Both of them are so different but so the same and they do such a wonderful job of loving each other for who they are, yet there is a lot of fun and adventure in their relationship as well. If you are a fan of dark fairy tales or historical fantasies give this book a try; I absolutely loved it. If you read this book and loved it don't forget to check out The Folk Keeper too.

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Briony Larkin is wicked. Shes had to live all 17 years of her life with the knowledge that she was responsible for her identical twin sister Roses brain defect and her Stepmothers death. Thats because Briony is a witch: she can see the Old Ones, the magical creatures that live in and near the swamp, and if anyone in the Swampsea finds out that shes a witch, then she will be hanged.

When Eldric arrives in the Swampsea, he is like a breath of fresh air in Brionys life. Eldric makes her come alive in ways she didnt even know she could anymore. But witches dont love, and witches dont cry, and if Eldric doesnt watch out, Brionys going to be the cause of his death.

CHIME has received countless starred reviews and a nearly equal array of praise and protestation from bloggers. Suffice it to say that I went into this book with equal parts anticipation and trepidation. A book couldnt possibly live up to all that praise, I thought. At best, I thought, I will like this book, but I wont love it.

But oh, I loved it. Oh, how I did. CHIME completely won me over, and I am in nonstop raptures about its genius. Seriously. It might be a good thing you are not in my vicinity right now. Otherwise Id be floating and spinning in circles around you in my enrapturement.

When I say that CHIME won me over, it really did have to win me over. The first 150 or so pages were craAaAaAaAazy! I was really confused, because the book throws us right in the middle of Brionys narration, and shes not exactly the most objective of narrators. She is a great example of a successful unreliable narrator, because everything she narrates is colored by her own charged perception of things.

Briony is so vehement in her self-hatred that she very nearly makes us hate her as well. A person who spends her whole life thinking that shes wicked and hating herself will obviously have a great deal of trouble thinking otherwise. And yet Briony also has a wicked sense of humorand by wicked, I mean in the best way possible. She is like a magical, irresistible combination of Anne Shirleys whimsy andwell, I cant think of who her wit is like, but yeah, shes a combination of wit and whimsy, which makes her completely and utterly cool.

Brionys narration may be confusing at first, but if you give yourself a solid chunk of time to read CHIME, by page 200 you will be so engrossed in these characters stories that you will not want to put this book down. Perhaps most incredible is how well we come to know and love supporting characters such as Eldric and Rose through Brionys voice. Eldric, the boy-man with an irrepressible love of kind-hearted playing. Rose, brain-damaged but still beautifully artistic, and all the more precious for her unique and childlike take on the world. CHIME celebrates childhood and play, and suggests that the best kind of love comes from these nearly magical moments of youthfulness.

There is so much more I could say about CHIME, and so much more within this book that deserves to be talked about. But I could go on and on for pages and pages, and nothing would compare to reading this book yourself, to see if it is, too, your brand of magic. I wasnt expecting to love CHIME, but now its one of my favorite books of all time, an impressive accomplishment of writing magic. Now excuse me, while I go and reread it.

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A delightfully very well-written book. I'm 75 and never read this genre, I'm one of those heady readers, but I read a few pages and got interested, and couldn't stop. Loved the thought line of Briony...all through the book. Delightful! Would recommend for sure.

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