Chime

Gr 8 Up—When Eldric arrives in Swampsea, Briony is attracted to him immediately, but a secret rules her life. She's a witch and witches can't love anyone—and they can't even cry. A series of tragedies—flood, fire, accidents—has turned her life upside down. Her twin, Rose, will never be the same, and her stepmother is dead. The town's children are beset by the deadly swamp cough. When Rose begins coughing, Briony devises a plan to save her, even though it may get her hanged. Can electric, beautiful, and clever Eldric unlock Briony's heart and save her life? In her novel (Dial, 2011), award-winning author Franny Billingsley has created a world where the Old Ones, including witches, dark muses, woodland spirits, and the Boggy Mun who haunt the marshes, inhabit a turn-of-the-century setting that is so brilliantly realized that it becomes another character. Billingsley's writing is imbued with onomatopoeic language, and Susan Duerden's narration drips and splashes with the Swampsea as she creates a distinct voice for each character. Fans of mystery, suspense, and romance will enjoy this page-turner with the themes of guilt and redemption.—Charli Osborne, Oxford Public Library, MI