I'm Still Here - Clélie Avit - Review AND Giveaway

I'm Still Here is Clélie Avit's debut novel.

After a horrifying mountain climbing accident, Elsa is lucky to be alive. But she's in a coma. Unknown to her doctors, friends and family, Elsa can hear what is going on around her, but cannot communicate.

A young man named Thibault is in the same hospital to visit his brother, who has also been in an accident. But, the circumstances are quite different and Thibault cannot bring himself to enter his brother's room. Instead he ducks into Elsa's room. Discovering she is in a coma from her chart, he happily sits down in the visitor's chair......and begins to talk. This is the first time, but it won't be the last. He finds himself drawn to Elsa, despite her being in a coma. And Elsa? She is just as drawn to Thibault - and determined to let Thibault know.

This isn't a new premise for a novel (or a story either - I thought of Sleeping Beauty as I started reading), but I enjoyed Avit's take on it. The reader is privy to the details of  both Elsa's and Thibault's lives.

Who knows if those in comas can hear what is happening around them? (And I think they can) Imagine the frustration and fear they must feel. Avit does a good job portraying what such a patient might feel with Elsa's thoughts, hopes and memories. And fears as well - she can hear what her doctors and family are discussing.

I quite liked Thibault. His open, unhindered, unscripted monologues revealed much about his life, his thoughts and his character. But, I thought the parallel storyline about his brother should have affected me more. (And I felt bad about that as it too has some serious overtones.) I'm not sure if it was 'lost in translation', but I didn't feel the emotion the situation warranted.

The pragmatic in me had to ignore Thibault's crossing of lines with a stranger (some of his behaviour in the hospital going ignored by staff is a bit of stretch) and just go with the fairy tale, hoping that Elsa can wake up and let Thibault know she has heard every word he's spoken.

I'm Still Here is a quick little romantic read, with a fairy tale feel.  Read an excerpt of I'm Still Here.

"Clélie Avit was born and raised in the Auvergne region of France. She works as a physics and chemistry teacher, while also teaching dance. Avit received the Prix Nouveau Talent for I'm Still Here (Je Suis La), her first novel."

And if you think you'd enjoy I'm Still Here, enter to win one of two copies I have to giveaway using the Rafflecopter form below. Open to US and Canada.  Ends September 17/16. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Alex - Pierre Lemaitre

I had seen a few mentions of Alex by Pierre Lemaitre around the blogosphere and thought it might be a good fit, given my penchant for crime thrillers.

Was it ever! I was hooked from the first chapter. (And more than a little annoyed at myself that I didn't start reading earlier in the night) Fair warning right from the start - Gentle readers this one's not for you - there is graphic violence and disturbing situations.) Back to that first chapter.....a beautiful young woman named Alex is snatched off the street, taken to an abandoned warehouse and forced into a small wooden crate which is then suspended from the ceiling. Her captor says nothing more to her other than he is going to watch her die. But Alex is resourceful....very resourceful...

A kidnapping is reported and the case is given to Commandant Camille Verhoeven - a man who lost his pregnant wife to a kidnapper - her body was found, but not the perpetrator and he has eschewed all kidnapping cases since.  Verhoeven's boss LeGuen assigns him to the case as he says there is no one else and so Verhoeven reluctantly takes on the case. LeGuen has brought Verhoeven's old team back together. Lemaitre has created a memorable group of investigators that I really enjoyed. But the most memorable is of course Verhoeven.

"People rarely get the measure of Camille on first meeting and rarely appreciate him. This might also be because he's not exactly cheerful. Camille doesn't like himself very much." Camille is also a victim of fetal hypotrophy and stands only 4'11'. "Camille is positively stunted. He sees the world from the viewpoint of a thirteen year old." In contrast, his superior and old friend LeGuen is quite large - the scale is somewhere near three hundred pounds. Armand and Louis fill out the team. Again opposites -  Louise is wealthy with no need to work and Armand is a notorious penny pincher. (His scavenging ways provided a light note in a heavy plot)

And what a plot! Lemaitre is fiendishly clever, leading the reader down one path initially and then veering off in a direction I didn't see coming. I really don't want to give much more away - I love being surprised and Lemaitre successfully caught me unawares. Loved it!

I have to also mention that Frank Wynne did a fantastic job with the translation - very smooth reading with no wooden clunky sentences or form.

Alex is an excellent thriller and a great introduction to a prickly character I want to see more of. Alex was the winner of the CWA International Dagger Award 2013. Read an excerpt of Alex.