Tolog Review: Chime

Chime

by Franny Billingsley 

reviewed by Kristen Asmar 

In the fantasy book Chime, Franny Billingsley tells the story of teenager, Briony, as she battles her inner conflict between the want to stay away, but the need to be close to others. Franny Billingsley allows the reader to have an insight to Briony’s inner thoughts and feelings. This lets the reader understand the reasons why Briony has an inner conflict. Billingsley directs the reader through the twists and turns of life in Swampsea as Briony battles the contrast of all her positive relationships and bad relationships. Briony also combats the dilemma of being in a witch in a town where witches are executed. The only way she finds support is through the memory of a loved one and her only friend. The readers learn about the hardships of having two contrasting dilemmas as the plot thickens.

While wanting to stay away from a disturbing lover, sister, father, and others in town, Briony desires to be close to a new found crush, Eldric, and her memory of her stepmother. Briony’s relationship with her father is not the standard father-daughter relationship. Father was once connected to Briony, but soon they drift apart. As thought by Briony herself, “You’re looking well. How stupid you sound Briony! You speak just as Father might.” (Franny Billingsley 237). Briony’s desire to not act or be like her father is shown and proves the bad relationship between each other. Briony also despises a disturbing lover named Cecil because he is persevering on his journey persuading Briony to love him. Although Cecil is a honorable man, Briony loves Eldric. Eldric is a man from England that has found his way to Swampsea. Throughout the book, Briony avoids the truth of her love for Eldric. While Briony avoids her love, she is distracted by her sister, Rose. Billingsley describes Rose to be a particular sort of person. Rose is particular about the way things are done and what she wears and avoids human contact. Briony struggles with keeping a relationship between herself and her sister because Rose is opinionated and short tempered. Briony also struggles with Old Ones. Old Ones can only communicate with witches, so Briony can communicate with them because she is a witch. Although they possess certain powers, Old Ones seem to only bring destruction to Briony’s life. Because Old Ones are so powerful Briony’s stepmother, who is also a witch, would help Briony. This gave hope to Briony. 

Franny Billingsley uses certain writing techniques that make her book unique. One of the ways Billingsley does this is by adding many different songs written by the characters or resembling other songs in the book. An example of this is an imitation of a House that Jack Built: “This is a girl called Briony./ This is the girl called Briony; who lived/ in a swamp that was being drained.” (Billingsley lines 1-3 pg. 70) Using songs allows the reader to understand what is happening by the summarization the song accomplishes. Songs also allow a break in the intensity of the book. Another technique Billingsley uses is stating exactly what Briony thought about what someone said or did. This technique gives the reader a deeper understanding of what Briony thinks because it is said clearly. By using these techniques, Franny Billingsley differentiates her book from other.