I am a big fan of Liz Jensen. I loved Egg Dancing, Ark Baby and My Dirty Little Book of Stolen Time. Always acerbically funny, some of Jensen's books have been more light-hearted than others: The Ninth Life of Louis Drax is not one of them.
It's a dark, twisted story, with chillingly real characters. But don't let that put you off!
Narrated by nine-year-old coma patient, Louis, and Dannachet, his doctor, the story is both a mystery and a gothic ghost tale.
Despite being attracted to Natalie Drax, Louis' mother, Dannachet begins to question her version of the events that led to Louis' near-fatal fall into a ravine.
Through Louis and his mother, we piece together Louis' personality and life before his fall - he is accident-prone, dysfunctional and sees a therapist - but is this the whole story?
Louis' voice is startlingly original and utterly compelling. This book stayed with me long after I closed it and I urge you to give it a whirl.
Rating: 5/5
Like this? Try: The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time by Mark Haddon