Nine

Gr 9 Up—Julian Dex lives in a world in which everyone is given nine lives to reach their full potential. Each life gives a person an upgrade both physically and mentally, allowing them to move more easily through difficult and awkward phases. Most of Julian's classmates are determined to burn through their lives as quickly and dramatically as possible, but Julian—the only One in his school—wants to hold out as long as he can. Strict regulations and incentives designed to help with overpopulation make it clear that Julian is going to have to burn sooner or later. When his status as a One draws the focus of Nicholas, the charismatic and manipulative leader of the school suicide club, Julian finally gives in. After being reborn in the Lake, he discovers incongruities in the process—incongruities that could have caused his mother's madness and premature "permadeath." The story primarily reads as a thriller with more emphasis on character development and action than on world-building. The protagonists use up their lives almost like a video game, where they come back at the same age as they died and pick up their lives pretty much exactly where they left off. Each of the characters comes across as real and their motivations feel genuine. The narrative mostly works, but the exploration of the meaning of life and death feels surface level. Still, this has strong pacing and culminates with a gratifying ending.