Louis Drax isn't like other children. The morbidly imaginative and sharply intuitive boy from a provincial city in France has survived eight suspicious accidents, one for each year of his life. On his ninth birthday, Louis suffers a mysterious fall from a cliff and ends up in Dr. Pascal Dannachet's experimental coma clinic, where the truth of his most recent mishap will be revealed. So begins British novelist Jensen's fourth book (War Crimes for the Home, etc.), a fiercely intelligent psychological thriller told from the alternating perspectives of the comatose Louis and the professionally conflicted Dr. Dannachet. As the French police search for Pierre Drax, the prime suspect in his son's fall, Louis negotiates the unconscious world with Gustave, his grotesque, bandaged imaginary companion, and Dr. Dannachet reluctantly falls in love with Louis's mother, Natalie.

list of international bookray participants in tentative order:

1. daisyflower123 - Germany (pref. EU, int. possible)
2. molekilby - UK (ship int.)
3. madnad - Spain (pref. EU)
4. wanderingstar8 - UK (ship anywhere)

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

sending the book to daisyflower123 in Germany

The book arrived today and I'm looking forward to reading it.

Interesting little read. I really liked the description of the characters.

Arrived this morning. Thanks allbookedup for sharing and daisyflower123 for sending on. I've recently read "My Dirty Little Book Of Stolen Time" by Liz Jensen, a very strange book, and have also read Ark Baby. I have one more ring before this, but will read soon.

A great story. This was much darker than the other books by Liz Jensen and probably not as surreal. There is a hint of mystery and all the threads come together nicely. Will be sending this off over the weekend.

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

Enjoy

Received today with many thanks! Unfortunately, I have 2.5 other bookcrossing books waiting to be read, so this might take a little while but I'll do my best to read the book ASAP.

Really great book. I enjoyed reading it and couldn't wait to see how the story would turn out. Louis' mother and the descriptions of her really got on my nerves, though - I just didn't like her at all. Interesting concept for the story, too - comatose patient, communication through somebody else... I laughed a lot and thought it was a gripping story!

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

sent to wanderingstar8

Just received. I've read and enjoyed a couple of her other books (War Crimes For The Home, and - I think - Egg Dancing), so I'm looking forward to this one.

The Ninth Life of Louis Drax appears, at the beginning, to be about the boy of the title, an accident-prone nine-year-old. But as the book develops, it turns out to be more about the peripheral characters - and particularly young Louis' mother, a frail beauty who arouses pity in the various medical professionals who are looking after her son.

Like Jensen's other books, this conceals serious and even disturbing subject matter under a veil of slightly wacky humour. This time, though, I found it much easier to predict the twists, and perhaps as a result the book was less moving or effective than other ones that I have read, such as "War Crimes For The Home".