This novel is set in a future dystopian society where there have been tremendous advances in medical science leading some people to have extra-long lives - and working on immortality, though they're available to only those whom genetic tests show have the capacity to live a long time. However, life seems to basically revolve around the pursuit of long lives, with many things banned - meat, sugar, and pretty much any food other than vitamin mush; most music which for some reason is thought to induce stress; even jogging. And of course, murder and suicide is forbidden for those with potential longevity so there is a lot of monitoring of those who might be "anti-sanct" or acting against the sanctity of human lives. This is not your typical dystopian novel - it's an adult book rather than a young adult book so no love triangle, there is little focus on the "lifers" who have the potential for longevity vs. the sub-100s who will live normal life spans, and while the "suicide club" of the title is definitely making a protest against society, it's not really about an attempt to take down the society's structure. It's definitely an interesting and thought-provoking book, but there's something very detached and remote about the characters and plot that left me a bit cold.

This was a totally different plot than any that I read. What would you do to survive in a world where looking young was worshipped and seeking unadorned normal death is considered suicide? I enjoyed the characters, the story line and the way this book makes you think "what if?" Interesting read.

“He told her about his daughter. About how she was smart and strong and different, how she thought there was something wrong with her because she sought the messy, sprawling innards of life, the flesh beneath the skin, the breakages. That she felt, deep within her, the violence of what it meant to live forever.”

I received a free e-ARC through NetGalley from the publishers at Henry Holt & Company. I have an impulse-control problem when it comes to books, obviously. Trigger warnings: death, suicide, body horror, rape, animal death, violence.

In the future, technology makes it possible to live for hundreds of years or, potentially, forever. Lifespan is determined by genetics and enhanced with near-indestructible organ upgrades and a hyper-focus on health and diet. As a side effect, death has become not only almost impossible but illegal. Lea is one of the “lifers”, expected to live for a minimum of three hundred years and dedicated to her job, friends, and living forever. When her estranged father resurfaces, Lea’s life is thrown into chaos. Kaito is “antisanct”, a person who shuns upgrades and health clubs in favor of eating meat, drinking alcohol, and dying young. Suddenly, Lea is under suspicion for associating with a mysterious antisanct group called the Suicide Club who rebel against immortality and choose death when they want it.

This book never quite took off for me. In part, it’s a genre issue. I’m weary of dystopian worlds and stories about perfect, healthy rich people who have everything and still can’t manage to be happy with it. It doesn’t help me live my life, and I don’t think it says anything particularly true about the world I live in. The other issue is, I think, one of execution. The novel fails to delve as deeply into its proposed topic material as it probably could, and it leaves the whole experience feeling rather shallow. On the other hand, the writing is usually good and undistracting (save for a handful of unnecessarily gross descriptions–as a non-meat eater, being in Lea’s head while she eats foie gras for the first time is nothing short of gag-worthy, and I don’t think the word “slugs” should ever be in the same sentence with a semi-romantic kiss), and the pace is consistent.

A big part of the novel’s problem is Lea. She’s just so uncompelling. Barely a thought goes through her head that isn’t about cortisol levels or what she isn’t allowed to eat, she often substitutes “health” for mere vanity, and she never pauses to think about why she actually wants to be immortal. She also has episodes of sub-psychotic rage, in which she kills a rabbit and then another child, and I can’t decide whether we’re supposed to empathize with her or not (though I landed firmly on not). She practically rapes her boyfriend, who doesn’t say no but whose discomfort is obvious enough to read on his face, and there’s absolutely no criticism of any of her actions. If these are effects of true life experiences being repressed or the burden of living forever, I’m not convinced. There’s no character development for at least 80% of the book, and her sudden change of heart is just that–it’s sudden, without the slow buildup or the explanation that would make it believable.

Anja’s circumstances are more interesting, but I never felt we got an accurate picture of her role in the Suicide Club or the club itself. The novel might have been more compelling from the perspective of one of its insiders, like Kaito. Suicide Club does less to interrogate suicide or immortality than it does the downsides of living forever if you’re not wealthy. The scenes of members drinking gasoline and lighting themselves on fire grow less shocking with each repetition, but the fleeting mentions of “farms” where people with mismatched organs waste away for decades never fail to horrify. The novel tries hard for the angle that living forever is meaningless without people and experiences, but it ultimately falls short on a theme that was already tired and nearing cliche.

I review regularly at brightbeautifulthings.tumblr.com.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the free ebook copy in exchange for my honest review.

Everyone loves a unique premise to a novel. Something new and refreshing is always welcomed! SUICIDE CLUB by Rachel Heng is a solid debut and I’m curious to see what she comes out with in the future. I will point out, that this one is a little slower paced and took me out of it a little in the middle, but otherwise I really enjoyed the writing.

Lea Kirino is considered a “Lifer”. This means that she has the potential to live forever, as long as she does everything she needs to to ensure that. She’s incredibly successful in everything she does in life. All of that is put at risk when she runs into her estranged father on the street. He introduces her to the Suicide Club – a group of people that reject the pursuit of immortality and decide they want to live and die on their own terms. Is Lea willing to throw away her chance at immortality to stay close to her father?

The concept is really intriguing. With society always seeking ways to prolong life and with advancements in medical technology, this doesn’t seem as farfetched. Showing the values of society really set the tone for the novel – death is outlawed and taboo, the New York exchange isn’t stocks but humans organs, and all their methods for reaching immortality.

If you’re looking for a very unique read and the concept of immortality intrigues you, then I would highly recommend picking this one up.

I give this 3.5/5 stars - rounded up for rating.

Why is future NYC always awful? No redemption is ever suffered by writers envisioning the long term psychological impact on living NYC? Human organs sold on the stock exchange as opposed to landfill material... Life by any means necessary and long life at that or death and the very human experience of love? Is it really a question and if so read this book because it will rip the lens out of your eye when you envision how the world is supposed to be.

Suicide Club is another one of those books that leaves me with endless mixed feelings. The premise is incredibly compelling, and I was so excited to read a book following this idea of a society in which immortality is such a strong goal that death itself becomes illegal. Unfortunately, this is one of those books that suffers from great ideas with poor execution.

The beginning was promising, with strong, incredibly detailed world-building that made me excited to find out where the story would go. And then at some point it just sort of... petered out. It felt as though the author explained just enough about the world to get you started, and then decided to focus solely on plot points and moving the story forward rather than continuing to focus on the bigger themes and ideas that could be explored. The most frustrating part is that the concepts in this book are so intelligent and truly fascinating, but Heng never really dives deeply into any of them and doesn't take there this book to levels where it could thrive.

The two main characters we follow are Lea and Anja and after three hundred pages I still don't really feel like I know much about either of them. As the summary states, Lea is a Lifer, meaning that she can potentially live forever if the technology is developed, which she is full-force on track to do. She eats what she's supposed to, she stretches and de-stresses regularly--essentially, she does every thing possible to make sure that she keeps her body and mind in top form. But then she sees her antisanct father one day and her whole life spirals, which is where things really started to fall apart in the book as well. Lea's transformation and journey in this book felt so disjointed and didn't really make any sort of logical sense. I feel like I still don't understand her or her actions and I couldn't possibly predict anything she is going to do. She's entirely unrealistic, and for someone who just turned one hundred, she acts as though she's still incredibly young. There are many flashbacks to Lea's childhood that were randomly placed and also didn't make sense, and things she did as a child aren't really explained in regard to the motivation behind it and aren't connected well enough to the present.

Anja is a much more interesting character than Lea, and I almost wish we had followed her life more than Lea's. I still had some issues with Anja, but overall I found her to be a more realistic character that actually had semi-predictable patterns in her life. Her back story makes more sense and she acts more like a normal human being, which is always nice when you are reading about actual human beings. One major issue I had with these two characters, however, was that for some reason I kept mixing up various past experiences between Anja and Lea, which led to a fairly confusing and frustrating experience.

There are also many plot holes and similar types of issues that showed up in this book that really took away some of my enjoyment of the novel. Some of the ways in which society worked just didn't make sense and were highly inconsistent throughout the story. Even the entire reason for Lea's demise is flimsy and truly doesn't make sense at all. Despite that, I still managed to finish this book, if not for enjoyment than purely because I was interested to see where the author would take the story. I'm very unsure of whether or not I liked the ending, because on the one hand I found it be very satisfying and interesting, but on the other hand... nothing felt fully resolved. I'm just really uncertain on my thoughts on it.

The only sort of silver lining to this book is that this is a debut novel, so I do still have high hopes for Heng's future work. She has great ideas and thought-provoking topics, so the only thing missing is the execution, which fortunately is something that can be improved on as one writes more and more. I will definitely keep my eye out for Heng's future work!

Overall, I've given Suicide Club three. It just didn't live up to what it promised.

I thought this was a really unique and fascinating premise. The characters were compelling and the dystopian world reminiscent of Brave New World and the Netflix series Altered Carbon. The themes of immortality and family felt extremely relevant The character, Lea is dynamic and Rachel Hung doesn't shy away from painting her in all her brutal truths. Suicide Club is a thoughtful and intriguing look at what it really means to be alive. I would definitely recommended this book to others.

The premise of the book is that as soon as a child is born genetic testing is done to determine whether that child gets to be a lifer or not. Being a lifer means that you receive all these medical interventions that aim to make you live way beyond a normal person. Lea is a lifer and is hoping to be part of the third wave coming soon that will essentially make her live forever. She has lived a pretty much perfect life until her long lost father shows up and so much changes.
I really really wanted to like this book. The over all store concept really intrigued me, but for what ever reason I could not connect with any of the characters. They all just felt like they were just out of arms reach. I definitely think that the story line is unique, but I just couldn't get into it.

Thank you to the publisher for the privilege of reading this book. I was pretty engaged with the story most of the way through. The premise of the book (the pursuit of immortality) is incredibly interesting on its own and the author did a great job crafting that world. The book did lose me toward the end and I was disappointed with the ending. There were also details of the story and about the characters that seemed to be presented for no good reason and never followed through with in the rest of the book. Overall, it was an enjoyable read and I'd recommend it to anyone who's interested in escaping into a unique story.

*This review is based on a free digital advance copy provided by the publisher. The opinions expressed are my own.

In the world of Suicide Club, selection is based not on race, class or intellect but on the genetic potential for longevity. Lifers are nurtured and given state-of-the-art treatment and nutrition. What happens to everyone else is less clear, although we do get hints as the story progresses.

Lea is a Lifer, a true believer and at 100 years old is looking forward to living much longer, or even possibly being selected for immortality. Anja is dealing with the reality of a mother whose consciousness is gone but whose body refuses to die.

Events bring each to a crisis. Lea is confronted by her dissident father and Anja sees an opportunity to help her mother.

What I like about Suicide Club is that not everything is explained. We get a picture of a society where life is sacred and there is immense pressure to maintain good health and lifestyle. What we don’t know is why the government moved in this direction, rather than being in the pockets of alcohol, tobacco and fast food manufacturers as many western governments are now. There is a falling birthrate, but whether this is due to loss of fertility or individual choice is not clear.

This uncertainty doesn’t bother me. Most people, most of the time, don’t stop to think about how their society came to be where it is or how things might have been different. Both Lea and Anja are thoughtful characters but their reflections are on their own situations within the context of their world as is.

This isn’t so much a thriller as a thoughtful, beautifully written novel about two women considering what it means to live and to die. It portrays a society where people are coerced by kindness rather than cruelty to live in a particular way of life, which raises interesting questions for readers across the political spectrum.

Rating: 3.5 stars

[Excerpt]:
Obviously the title of this book makes you instantly think of some sort of secret club or society in which the members kill themselves for some reason or other, and after reading Heng’s debut, it’s clear this guess isn’t too far off the mark. “Suicide Club” is a standalone book which takes place in the far future where people are strictly regulated in their every day lives – health, exercise, eating habits, activities, work environment/careers, even leisure – in order to attain immortality. The different phases of technological enhancements which keep people alive for longer and longer come in “waves” – the First Wave, the Second Wave, and during this book Lea and others are preparing for the Third Wave (aka full immortality).

Lea is our protagonist. She looks to be in her 50s, but thanks to the Second Wave, she’s actually almost two-hundred years old. This book deals a lot with family relationships, especially that of a father-daughter and mother-daughter, but it also deals with family trauma, like what happens when an integral part of the family (a son) dies early and tragically (cancer). Of course, the book also talks about how the strive for immortality has horrors in store; horrors that may not be super obvious if you think “well, I’ll get to live forever, what’s wrong with that?!” A lot, apparently.
[Full review on my blog!]

Suicide Club is a book full of brilliant concepts that never develop into a convincing or engaging narrative. It’s a speculative novel set in a near-future New York society in which death is illegal and the pursuit of immortality is all-consuming. 100-year-old Lea Kirino is a model citizen; she has a high-level job on the New York exchange, which now deals in trading human organs, she has a genetically beautiful fiancé, and she’s being considered for a promotion. But things change for Lea when she spots her estranged, fugitive father for the first time in 88 years, and she comes in contact with a group called the Suicide Club, which advocates for the right for everyone to live and die on their own terms.

So it pretty much goes without saying that this is a fantastic premise; where Suicide Club falls apart is in the execution. It starts out on a promising enough note – the worldbuilding at first seems impressive, and Rachel Heng does a good job of integrating her new terminology into the narrative so that it doesn’t overwhelm. It’s not until you get a decent amount of the way in that numerous holes begin to develop – and it’s not so much in the nitty-gritty details as it is in the overarching concept. If society is still comprised of so many “sub-100s” (people with a ‘normal’ lifespan), how has death become such a cultural taboo? And why don’t these groups revolt against those in power to gain access to their technology? Why is Lea so closely monitored for a supposed suicide attempt after she’s hit by a car; does no one ever have a genuine accident in this society? In some ways this reminded me of Felicia Yap’s Yesterday, another underwhelming speculative novel whose premise falls to pieces if you look too closely.

But the biggest problem with this book was the protagonist, Lea. I don’t even know where to begin. I was sort of buddy reading this with my friend Hannah, who at one point said that the only logical explanation she would accept for Lea’s behavior was if she were revealed to be an alien at the end of the book. Spoiler alert: she isn’t. But I think that just about sums it up. Even though Lea has a lifespan of 200-300 years (so she’s technically only middle aged), she’s still 100-years-old, so you’d think we’d see some wisdom and life experience occasionally reflected in her behavior. Instead, she is the world’s most wooden, immature, simple-minded character, who makes the most incomprehensible decisions and shows absolutely zero critical thinking skills. This would be convincing characterization for an 11-year-old girl; not a 100-year-old New York businesswoman. Her backstory too is laughably incongruous with her characterization, and her character development is hackneyed and unrealistic. Despite the questionable worldbuilding and positively dull narrative, I think this book could have been saved if we’d been focusing on someone other than Lea.

Which brings my to my next point, which is that we follow another character for a few chapters, Anja, a Swedish immigrant living in New York with her mother who is being kept alive in a vegetative state. Anja is vulnerable, complex, sympathetic – everything I hoped Lea would be – and it makes no sense to me why we follow Lea’s journey so closely at the expense of Anja’s. The split between their chapters is probably 70/30 in Lea’s favor, which makes me wonder how Lea can come across as so under-developed when she has more than twice the narrative that Anja has.

So all in all, a disappointment. But it’s worth noting that this is a debut novel, and a rather ambitious one at that. The writing itself was solid, and again, the premise was brilliant, so I think Rachel Heng shows promise. I’ll be interested to see where she goes from here – though hopefully it’s somewhere with a more convincing and sympathetic protagonist.

Thank you to Netgalley, Henry Holt, and Rachel Heng for the advanced copy provided in exchange for an honest review.

I have never wanted to live forever and I don't understand people who do. This is a sad and lovely book about people who do and people who don't. There is an elegance to each side that Ms. Heng has put on display in a unique way. It didn't change my mind, but it offered a glimpse of that kind of yearning. How loving can deepen the dilemma and yet have nothing to do with it. Recommended.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Henry Holt & Company, and Rachel Heng for the opportunity to read and review this amazing debut novel - I loved it!

Imagine a world in the maybe not so distant future, where technology and science have made it possible to live hundreds of years. A world where you are assessed at birth and put into a category of either a "sub-100" or a "lifer." If you are a sub-100, meaning you will not live to 100, you are relegated to a sub-class of people, not eligible for all of the parts replacements and rejuvenation treatments. But if you are a lifer, you can expect to live for hundreds of years, looking completely youthful. You see Treaters to assess how everything you do affects your body and life expectancy; you've learned that running is harmful so you stop; you eat Nutri-paks and not trad (traditional) foods. You are watched constantly, evaluated, turned in for simple acts. For the select group, the Third Wave, offers the possibility of immortality.

But what happens when your body finally gives out but some parts keep on going - like a mechanical heart that won't stop? What happens if you don't want to live this way? Enter the Suicide Club - a rebel group that finds a way to die under their control and decisions.

This book is told in alternating chapters between Lea, a Lifer, whose one simple act sets up her downfall, and Anja, another Lifer, whose mother is basically dead besides her continually beating mechanical heart.

This was a powerful debut - frightening because with a little leap of the imagination, you can see this future world happening. Our Fitbits that nudge us to move are just like the reminders sent to the Lifers to stretch every hour. The juices, cleanses, the surgeries to keep ahead of the aging process contrasted with the Assisted Suicide laws.

Highly recommended - there would be SO much to discuss in a book club. Can't wait to read more from this author.

It is hard not to be intrigued by a title like Suicide Club!

We follow two viewpoint characters, Anja and Lea, in an alternate US where humans are medically enhanced to live, ultimately forever. The two perspectives show those who are allocated a higher genetic number and allowed access to treatments and medication that will extend their life, and those lower on the scale who live in the poorest housing available and who don’t have the same medical benefits afforded them. It read like an extreme version of the health and fitness obsession that we have in society today, which I found a clever way to make the imagined world Heng created seem only slightly beyond possibility.

This in itself is a fascinating concept, and I think the novel raises many interesting questions about quality versus quantity when it comes to life, including why anyone would want to live forever. It is extremely well written and Heng wrote the two viewpoints so well that as a reader I felt it was a seamless transition between the two - there wasn’t one perspective I didn’t want to hear from, each of the narratives were balanced and well integrated.

However, the pacing of the plot itself I found quite slow and I often felt like the progression was directionless. I’m not necessarily a reader that needs a lot to happen, but I think this could have benefited from some added plot drama, or perhaps being condensced into a shorter timeframe.

I look forward to reading more from Rachel Heng, and I think if you enjoyed books like Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro or Only Ever Yours by Louise O’Neill you’ll enjoy this.

Thanks to NetGalley and Henry Holt & Company for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 stars- This was a very intense book that makes the reader not just enjoy what they are reading , but actually think about what they are reading. This is a story that has people asking would you want to live forever, or after so long would you try and find a way to leave this all behind? In a word where immortality isn't just a dream and death is against every a group of people find a club where the end might be possible. Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read and write about this book.

If you had the chance, would you want to live forever? In Suicide Club by Rachel Heng, people are living longer lives than ever before. Some people, like the main character, Lea, may have the opportunity to live forever.

Of course, they have to maintain a healthy, low-risk lifestyle and get replacements for their body parts on a regular basis. No hiking, no ice cream, no rock and roll. It sounds boring as hell. Is life without decent music and ice cream even worth living?

After seeing her long-lost father, Lea is wondering the same thing. She gets put on a watch list after displaying some odd behavior. She’s on probation at work and at home. There’s more to her story that comes to light after she and her father start to discuss the past.

The people observing her require her to go to a therapy group, where she meets a new friend, Anja. Her new friend also happens to be in an illegal club called the Suicide Club. Apparently, not everyone wants to live for eternity.

It’s interesting to see Lea try to decide if she’s going to keep living a life without hardly any joy or join the Suicide Club.

I would have finished reading this book sooner, except that I misplaced my tablet for a few days.

This book is worth reading. I think it would make a great series on Netflix. I would give it 4.5 stars out of 5.

Society works towards making immortality a reality. But in order to do that, they focus on the people who are most likely to succeed with preferential treatment to those who exhibit whatever characteristics they think will let them live the longest. As with any society, there are those who become disillusioned with this lifestyle (and seriously, sipping dinner like it's a Capri Sun?) and choose to kill themselves. With the high tech supplements and enhancements, this isn't as easy as one might think. I only gave the book 3 stars because while the development of the main character was done very well, most other characters were left at a superficial level. My other disappointment was the lack of subterfuge. I expected a bit more espionage and disobedience. It all felt very tame. A bit too cultured for a dystopian look at a perfect future.

"Brave New World." "Soylent Green." "Thelma and Louise." All of these - and a couple more classics - popped into my head as I read this mesmerizing debut novel. More to the point, if I were given the chance to live for hundreds of years - most of them sans anything I now consider fun to do, eat or wear - would I want it? Now that I've finished this book, I'm still not totally sure, but I've sure got plenty of considerations to factor into my decision (and a doggone good story to illustrate them).

The setting is New York City sometime in the future, when research has found ways for people to live to 100 and far beyond. Those "Lifers" - chosen mostly according to genetic tests - get regular "maintenance" and replacement parts, like fake but realistic skin, blood and internal organs. They also must follow strict and ever-changing dictums; they cannot, for instance, eat bacon or open windows because doing these things might be detrimental to their well-being. Now, these Lifers are looking forward to the Third Wave, when those selected to be on The List will receive updates that will allow them to live to 300.

Two of these Lifers are Lea and Anja; Lea is about 80 years old and Anja is just over 100. Lea, whose mother died not too long ago, enjoys super success in her career (her father left the family years ago). Anja is caring for her 150-year-old mother, who remains alive - if one could call it that - only because her fake parts are still working (but they're starting to wear out). Anja is also a somewhat reluctant member of the Suicide Club, a group of Lifers who have come to reject the concept of extreme longevity and at some point commit suicide to escape both the fakeness of their bodies and the absence of a truly enjoyable life.

Quite unexpectly, Lea's idyllic existence gets a jolt. Hit by a car when she veers off the standard walking path to chase a man she thinks is her long-disappeared father, she finds herself constantly monitored by the "Observers," who believe she was attempting suicide - a no-no for anyone who aspires to be named to The List. Since her father is an outcast from the utopian society in which she thrives, she dare not tell the truth - that she was trying to reach him and simply not paying attention to her surroundings.

The future of her perfect life now in limbo, Lea tries to prove she's still worthy of The List. She's also been ordered to group therapy sessions, and it is here that she meets Anja, who works with "Sub-100s" - the folks who didn't qualify for replacement parts and will die naturally of old age. Still looking for ways to redeem herself, Lea goes to a meeting of the Suicide Club, where she sees not only Anja, but someone else who's very special to her.

Even if it didn't touch on touchy subjects like engineered humans and euthanasia, this would be a wonderful book simply because of the characters. They're real, they question life and don't always get the answers they seek. But raising those issues makes it even more meaningful; as the characters try to deal with them, readers must do the same (and I admit I didn't come away with conclusive answers). All told, this is a totally engrossing, powerful story I highly recommend, and I thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to read an advance review copy.

How would you like to live 300 years or …..forever? In Heng’s “Suicide Club,” dying is illegal. Lea Kirino is a Lifer and 100 years old. Because of her genetic pedigree, she could receive life-prolonging treatments and her life extended indefinitely. But Lea’s father suddenly appears after 88 years of avoiding the family and she discovers the “suicide club.” Thus, begins her dilemma. What is truly important in living life? Heng’s novel conjures up more questions than answers. Thought provoking.