Many people agree that to test whether a book is worth reading would be to read the first line. If you get through it and nothing grabs you, many people would put the book down and continue in their search for their next favourite book. The very first, opening line is precisely what will make you read The Ninth Life of Louis Drax by Liz Jensen.
'I'm not most kids. I'm Louis Drax. Stuff happens to me that shouldn't happen, like going on a picnic where you drown’.
Along with this heavy misfortune in Louis’ past, the main plot of the book is about a horrendous and unexplainable cliff fall, which results in Louis ending up in hospital in a coma. His mother is naturally devastated, and his father has suspiciously disappeared without a trace. A ferocious and bitter story of a mysterious young boy who is the only person that can explain his fall, The Ninth Life of Louis Drax will entrap you intentionally and irrevocably. We hear the story from two main narratives; one from the doctor taking care of Louis and trying to unravel the mystery surrounding the small boy in the hospital wing, and Louis himself. You may ask why and how, but Louis seems aware of his own mind even though he is under the paralysis of a coma, and he speaks to the reader from the confines of his own brain. Thus, we are introduced to the darkest of his thoughts, and the startling curiosity of an extraordinary prepubescent boy.
Published in 2004 by Bloomsbury Publishing, The Ninth Life of Louis Drax is Liz Jensen’s fifth novel, along with other titles such as Paper Eater (2000) and War Crimes for the Home (2002). The Ninth Life of Louis Drax was in the works to be adapted for the screen by the late director Anthony Minghella before his death in 2008. The film is currently in the capable hands of The Weinstein Company, and it is in talks of the script being revived.
Louis Drax is a character that will grab you from the very beginning. He is extraordinarily intelligent, he is mysterious and he is dark; not the usual attributes for a nine year old boy. The concept of his story also shares these three traits, and makes the reader constantly grasping to find the truth. What happened to Louis? Was he pushed? Or was it a terrible accident involving an accident prone child? Sinister and delving, a must-read for anyone who likes thrilling stories told by an expert storyteller.
Grab the book today, read along, and Louis will welcome you. After all, the mind is a lonely place for such a precocious and bright young boy. A storm of secrets and lies will pour, so be sure to take along an umbrella…