Chime by Franny Billingsley 361 pages

This lush fantasy is this year's National Book Award for Youth finalist. Briony is weighted down by a terrible secret. She believes that she is a witch and is guilty of both killing her step-mother and injuring her twin sister. She finds herself attracted to a newcomer, Eldric and thinks that he may be attracted to her as well. She finds that she has a powerful rival, Leanne. Her self-hatred make her easy prey for the spirits, The Old Ones, that haunt the marshes near Swampsea. Thank goodness that Eldric is strong and good and quite the hero. I am not a huge fantasy fan, but I think I was snared by the subtle mystery running throughout this tale. This is almost as good as that old Newbery classic, The Witch of Blackbird Pond.