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Suicide Club
In Rachel Heng's debut set in near future New York City—where lives last three hundred years and the pursuit of immortality is all-consuming—Lea must choose between her estranged father and her chance to live forever.
Lea Kirino is a “Lifer,” which means that a roll of the genetic dice has given her the potential to live forever—if she does everything right. And Lea is an overachiever. She’s a successful trader on the New York exchange—where instead of stocks, human organs are now bought and sold—she has a beautiful apartment, and a fiancé who rivals her in genetic perfection. And with the right balance of HealthTech™, rigorous juicing, and low-impact exercise, she might never die.
But Lea’s perfect life is turned upside down when she spots her estranged father on a crowded sidewalk. His return marks the beginning of her downfall as she is drawn into his mysterious world of the Suicide Club, a network of powerful individuals and rebels who reject society’s pursuit of immortality, and instead chose to live—and die—on their own terms. In this future world, death is not only taboo; it’s also highly illegal. Soon Lea is forced to choose between a sanitized immortal existence and a short, bittersweet time with a man she has never really known, but who is the only family she has left in the world.
335 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 10, 2018
294 people are currently reading
10667 people want to read
About the author
Rachel Heng
9 books278 followersRachel Heng is the author of the novels The Great Reclamation (Riverhead, 2023) and Suicide Club (Henry Holt, 2018), which has been translated into ten languages. Rachel's short fiction has been published in The New Yorker, McSweeney's Quarterly, Glimmer Train, Kenyon Review, longlisted for the Sunday Times Short Story Award, and recognized by anthologies including Best American Short Stories, The Pushcart Prize, Best Small Fictions and Best New Singaporean Short Stories. Her non-fiction has been listed among Best American Essays’ Notable Essays and published in The New York Times, The Atlantic, Esquire and elsewhere. She has received grants and fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts, Vermont Studio Center, Sewanee Writers' Conference, Fine Arts Work Center and the National Arts Council of Singapore. Rachel received her MFA in Fiction and Playwriting from the Michener Center for Writers, UT Austin, and her BA in Comparative Literature & Society from Columbia University. She is currently an Assistant Professor in English at Wesleyan University.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 817 reviews
May 22, 2020
An interesting concept, but much of how this society operates is overstated and exaggerated, like a Black Mirror episode without the subtlety. There doesn't appear to be a strong message that the book advocates for or interesting questions beyond what the typical dystopian story asks. I also found it odd that the protagonist is clearly portrayed as a flawed character who isn't a good person, yet we are somehow supposed to sympathize with her. Overall, the characters are very dull, which tempers down the emotional resonance of the ending, and the themes explored are cookie-cutter dystopian with underdeveloped world-building.
July 18, 2018
This book has such a brilliant premise: in this future, immortality is within grasp, but only for those 'deserving' and as such suicide is illegal, anything that might be construed as bad for your health is illegal in fact. I found this idea of preservation of life being the most important thing even before individual happiness and fulfillment so very very brilliant. But I struggled with the execution to no end.
I did think that the world Rachel Heng has created here is interesting and developed in such a way that it never felt info-dumpy. But once you start pulling at the threads it does not really make sense. Innovation has led to a world where organs are augmented, skin can be built to be near indestructible, and science has found out the best ways to life long and healthy lives - but at the same time there are people who will not receive those treatments and it never did become clear to me how that works - I would have liked to have this dichotomy explored more: how is decided whose life if worthy enough to make their suicide illegal? There are infinite possibilities to make this a strong indictment on our current society and I would have loved the book more for it. There were other things that did not make sense for me: it never becomes clear how much in the future we are and as such I did not buy the fundamental changes in education that have occurred. It is a plot point that only those who have long life-spans can become medical doctors because the education takes 40 years - and I don't buy that. Why would anybody have to study for 40 years to be a good doctor? I don't think education would change this fundamentally. It irked me especially because I think another explanation would have worked far better: medical degrees are expensive, amongst the most expensive in fact (when considering how much a single student costs universities), so why not make the exclusion of people with shorter life spans about this?
My biggest issue, by far, was the main character, Lea. I found her to be less than convincing and unpleasant to spend time with. She is 100 years old and even if that is young in the scheme of her potential life span she is still more than three times as old as I am but she felt like she was 20, tops. I did not get her and the weird back story she had did not work for me either. She never felt her age and never felt like a person. I had this whole elaborate theory in fact that she might actually not be human because this would be the only way her behaviour makes any sense. Also, a petty problem I had with her: she kept sweating behind her knees whenever she was uncomfortable and if that doesn't scream 'weirdly programmed robot' then I don't know (I am sorry if I am the weird one and everybody is in fact sweating behind their knees).
The second main character, Anja, was so much more interesting and if the book had been told from her perspective I would have enjoyed it a whole lot more. Her mother was one of those whose bodies were used to test new procedures and now her heart keeps going even though she is brain-dead but she is not allowed to die because life is precious even though she might be stuck and suffering. This is such a creepy, brilliant concept that I would have loved to have seen explored more. But we spend so much more time with Lea than with Anja that this could not save the book for me.
So yes, I struggled with this, and I am super disappointed because the bones of this story are so brilliant.
I received an arc of this book courtesy of NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton in exchange for an honest review.
I did think that the world Rachel Heng has created here is interesting and developed in such a way that it never felt info-dumpy. But once you start pulling at the threads it does not really make sense. Innovation has led to a world where organs are augmented, skin can be built to be near indestructible, and science has found out the best ways to life long and healthy lives - but at the same time there are people who will not receive those treatments and it never did become clear to me how that works - I would have liked to have this dichotomy explored more: how is decided whose life if worthy enough to make their suicide illegal? There are infinite possibilities to make this a strong indictment on our current society and I would have loved the book more for it. There were other things that did not make sense for me: it never becomes clear how much in the future we are and as such I did not buy the fundamental changes in education that have occurred. It is a plot point that only those who have long life-spans can become medical doctors because the education takes 40 years - and I don't buy that. Why would anybody have to study for 40 years to be a good doctor? I don't think education would change this fundamentally. It irked me especially because I think another explanation would have worked far better: medical degrees are expensive, amongst the most expensive in fact (when considering how much a single student costs universities), so why not make the exclusion of people with shorter life spans about this?
My biggest issue, by far, was the main character, Lea. I found her to be less than convincing and unpleasant to spend time with. She is 100 years old and even if that is young in the scheme of her potential life span she is still more than three times as old as I am but she felt like she was 20, tops. I did not get her and the weird back story she had did not work for me either. She never felt her age and never felt like a person. I had this whole elaborate theory in fact that she might actually not be human because this would be the only way her behaviour makes any sense. Also, a petty problem I had with her: she kept sweating behind her knees whenever she was uncomfortable and if that doesn't scream 'weirdly programmed robot' then I don't know (I am sorry if I am the weird one and everybody is in fact sweating behind their knees).
The second main character, Anja, was so much more interesting and if the book had been told from her perspective I would have enjoyed it a whole lot more. Her mother was one of those whose bodies were used to test new procedures and now her heart keeps going even though she is brain-dead but she is not allowed to die because life is precious even though she might be stuck and suffering. This is such a creepy, brilliant concept that I would have loved to have seen explored more. But we spend so much more time with Lea than with Anja that this could not save the book for me.
So yes, I struggled with this, and I am super disappointed because the bones of this story are so brilliant.
I received an arc of this book courtesy of NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton in exchange for an honest review.
February 12, 2020
Everything started going wrong after the Second Wave…They’d had the lifespan tests and predictive treatments for decades…but this was something different. The Second Wave, it was dubbed, when a whole raft of new Medtech measures were approved for mass distribution: first-generation SmartBloodTM, an early prototype of what would later become DiamondSkinTM, the first truly functional replacements. And with the new technologies, a whole host of new Directives, aimed at keeping the Ministry’s biggest investments—lifers—safe and healthy. The Second Wave. There would be immortals by the Third.
Rachel Heng’s Suicide Club reimagines a near-future America as a place where medical advancements have made immortality possible and where class lines are now redrawn by a new form of classism and ageism: the estimated length of your lifespan. Here, people are separated into groups, “lifers” and “sub-100s,” those who have the potential to live forever and those who do not. It’s a fresh and unique way to envision a new version of a system that we’re already so familiar with and to see it play out in a futurist narrative, but this novel fell flat for me in more ways than one.
Lea Kirino is a “lifer” who lives life by the rules. She maintains an ultra-healthy lifestyle to upkeep her biological upgrades, has a job she’s doing well at (trading organs on a new version of Wall Street), and has the perfect lifer fiancé. But, when she sees her father, who disappeared nearly ninety years before, her entire world is turned upside down, as he unwittingly leads her to the Suicide Club—a group of individuals intent on living and dying by their own rules.
The problem with this storyline, I must first point out, is thatSorry lol most of that was spoiler! This is literary, character-driven fiction, sure, but the characters didn't drive much of anything.
Heng’s Suicide Club offers up beautiful imagery, but it failed to move the story along. There are few things worse to a reader than pointless narrative that takes up space on the page simply for the sake of being pretty. I don’t know about you, but I like my narratives like I like my stilettos: pretty but still functional. But here the purple prose brimmed the pages, fluffed up like 80s hair, describing nothing that resonated or left a lasting impact. All the space of written nothingness could’ve been used to progress the actual plot. Such a wasted opportunity on the part of the author is such a source of ennui for me.
I also found all the characters in Suicide Club to be uninteresting and dull in that drained-of-color sort of way. I regularly confused the two female protagonists in my mind, because neither of their stories grabbed me and they both seemed overwhelmed by a kind of neurosis about their circumstances rather than actively trying to do something about it for much of the novel. They blended together in my mind because I wasn’t interested enough to notice or appreciate the subtle nuances of character differentiation between them—or because they hadn’t been effectively imagined and presented on the page. Either way, Suicide Club did not live up to my expectations, a real shame, because it was my first foray into anything resembling Sci-Fi in quite a long while. 3 stars ***
**I received an advance-read copy of this book from the publisher, Henry Holt and Co., via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.**
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Rachel Heng’s Suicide Club reimagines a near-future America as a place where medical advancements have made immortality possible and where class lines are now redrawn by a new form of classism and ageism: the estimated length of your lifespan. Here, people are separated into groups, “lifers” and “sub-100s,” those who have the potential to live forever and those who do not. It’s a fresh and unique way to envision a new version of a system that we’re already so familiar with and to see it play out in a futurist narrative, but this novel fell flat for me in more ways than one.
Lea Kirino is a “lifer” who lives life by the rules. She maintains an ultra-healthy lifestyle to upkeep her biological upgrades, has a job she’s doing well at (trading organs on a new version of Wall Street), and has the perfect lifer fiancé. But, when she sees her father, who disappeared nearly ninety years before, her entire world is turned upside down, as he unwittingly leads her to the Suicide Club—a group of individuals intent on living and dying by their own rules.
The problem with this storyline, I must first point out, is that
Heng’s Suicide Club offers up beautiful imagery, but it failed to move the story along. There are few things worse to a reader than pointless narrative that takes up space on the page simply for the sake of being pretty. I don’t know about you, but I like my narratives like I like my stilettos: pretty but still functional. But here the purple prose brimmed the pages, fluffed up like 80s hair, describing nothing that resonated or left a lasting impact. All the space of written nothingness could’ve been used to progress the actual plot. Such a wasted opportunity on the part of the author is such a source of ennui for me.
I also found all the characters in Suicide Club to be un
**I received an advance-read copy of this book from the publisher, Henry Holt and Co., via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.**
FOLLOW ME HERE:
Goodreads | Twitter | Instagram | Get a Copy of My Book | Book Editing, Author Coaching, Submit Your Book to Me
February 14, 2023
I found the first 20 pages unengaging but later found myself reading half of this novel in one sitting.
The idea of the novel was interesting but it could have been fleshed out a bit more. Additionally I did not like the main character much and Liked Anja more.
The idea of the novel was interesting but it could have been fleshed out a bit more. Additionally I did not like the main character much and Liked Anja more.
July 9, 2018
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.
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.
July 11, 2018
If you could live forever . . . would you?
Oh man! This premise is such a fascinating one and makes an incredible story. It also raises some provocative questions about the human race, life, death and immortality. I always love it when an author is clever and creative enough to incorporate deeper topics into the narrative. I appreciate that sort of storyline - the ones that allow the exploration of big questions. I salute you for this brilliance, Ms Heng!
"Suicide Club" is a science fiction novel that is set in near-future USA. The population is in decline so to combat this people are strongly encouraged to live a super-healthy lifestyle and to get various different body enhancements and replacements. Those lucky enough to do these things are often able to live for over one-hundred years and are known as lifers. But those who aren't as fortunate live for under one-hundred years. As a result, they are classed and treated as second-class citizens and live and die just as us mortals do.
I think we can all agree that the concept is an intriguing one! I knew after reading the synopsis for the first time that I had to get my hands on a copy by whatever-means-necessary. The story follows two female characters through their deeply contrasting lives - Lea, a lifer, seems to have it all - A great job, a fiancee, and tries to live her life as close to perfection as possible - in order to do so she consults the governments directives. Then there's Anja, a classical violinist and who's mother is at death's door.
The contrast between the two main characters/protagonists is great and Heng is adept at developing her characters distinctive personalities. As the book progresses you get to know them both well. We learn about Lea and Anja's past experiences as they are relevant to the story that is being told here. Although the characters are a vital part of the book, I found that "Suicide Club" was definitely more concept-driven than anything else. I don't mind this and I don't blame Heng for writing it this way as the concept is such a magnetic one. As for the characters, they are all pretty unlikable in nature but I didn't mind that as it fit with the conceptual aspect of the book extremely well.
The pace of the book is fairly pedestrian and although this is the case throughout, there is plenty of intrigue to keep you reading and turning those pages right up until the finale. On the whole, I found it quite unpredictable which very much appealed to me. I was also pleasantly surprised that the writing was rather beautiful - Heng has a lovely style and I would definitely dive into another of her titles in the future. I don't think that this is touted as being part of a series but if that were the case I would have enjoyed the story continuing and developing further.
All in all, this is a well-executed and beautifully told story that I found pleasant to read. Maybe not as much as I would've liked but it was a great read nonetheless. What let it down a little was that it lacked the excitement necessary to make it unforgettable, I honestly don't know if it's likely i'll remember this book in a couple of months time. A slow-burning dystopian future that seems all too real (which is scary).
Many thanks to Sceptre for an ARC. I was not required to post a review and all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.
Oh man! This premise is such a fascinating one and makes an incredible story. It also raises some provocative questions about the human race, life, death and immortality. I always love it when an author is clever and creative enough to incorporate deeper topics into the narrative. I appreciate that sort of storyline - the ones that allow the exploration of big questions. I salute you for this brilliance, Ms Heng!
"Suicide Club" is a science fiction novel that is set in near-future USA. The population is in decline so to combat this people are strongly encouraged to live a super-healthy lifestyle and to get various different body enhancements and replacements. Those lucky enough to do these things are often able to live for over one-hundred years and are known as lifers. But those who aren't as fortunate live for under one-hundred years. As a result, they are classed and treated as second-class citizens and live and die just as us mortals do.
I think we can all agree that the concept is an intriguing one! I knew after reading the synopsis for the first time that I had to get my hands on a copy by whatever-means-necessary. The story follows two female characters through their deeply contrasting lives - Lea, a lifer, seems to have it all - A great job, a fiancee, and tries to live her life as close to perfection as possible - in order to do so she consults the governments directives. Then there's Anja, a classical violinist and who's mother is at death's door.
The contrast between the two main characters/protagonists is great and Heng is adept at developing her characters distinctive personalities. As the book progresses you get to know them both well. We learn about Lea and Anja's past experiences as they are relevant to the story that is being told here. Although the characters are a vital part of the book, I found that "Suicide Club" was definitely more concept-driven than anything else. I don't mind this and I don't blame Heng for writing it this way as the concept is such a magnetic one. As for the characters, they are all pretty unlikable in nature but I didn't mind that as it fit with the conceptual aspect of the book extremely well.
The pace of the book is fairly pedestrian and although this is the case throughout, there is plenty of intrigue to keep you reading and turning those pages right up until the finale. On the whole, I found it quite unpredictable which very much appealed to me. I was also pleasantly surprised that the writing was rather beautiful - Heng has a lovely style and I would definitely dive into another of her titles in the future. I don't think that this is touted as being part of a series but if that were the case I would have enjoyed the story continuing and developing further.
All in all, this is a well-executed and beautifully told story that I found pleasant to read. Maybe not as much as I would've liked but it was a great read nonetheless. What let it down a little was that it lacked the excitement necessary to make it unforgettable, I honestly don't know if it's likely i'll remember this book in a couple of months time. A slow-burning dystopian future that seems all too real (which is scary).
Many thanks to Sceptre for an ARC. I was not required to post a review and all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.
August 7, 2018
Content Warning: Animal Death, Violence, Graphic Internal Body Descriptions
Living forever in a future society that helps restore your body sounds like a utopia. But in this future world people have to meet certain standards to be given the treatments they need to love forever. This book builds character development flawlessly. I was rooting for the main character Lea despite some of her very unlikable traits. Lea is a lifer who at the age of 100 is trying to extend her life and hopefully be apart of The Third Wave that will begin making people immortal. A wrench is thrown into her world when her estranged father Kaito comes back into her life. The book is a character study of how Lea and Kaito come to terms with their shared past and choices they make for the future.
The Suicide Club that Lea and Kaito find themselves caught up in are a group of people who are against being unable to choose when and how to die. In the club we meet characters who shun technology gone wrong when a person doesn't receive the right treatments their body may be kept alive for decades beyond when they are brain dead. The world building could have been better, but while reading I intimately got to witness what love, regret, and freedom mean in this future world. I was excited to keep reading and interested in the surprising ways this society maintained control.
There is a cost to everything. This book examines if giving up unhealthy habits and creative pursuits you love is worth immortality. There were some graphic descriptions of how a body can live healthily past 100, but nothing drawn out. Lea spends the book piecing herself together after realizing the hard choices she made in life. What kind of life can you make in a world where music, art and sugar are banned? I enjoyed this book and am happy it gave me so much to ponder about mortality, family and technology.
Recommended for readers who:
- want to get sucked into great storytelling
- enjoy character study dystopia's
- want to think deeply about the consequences future technology can have on humanity
January 1, 2019
See my complete review on my site.
Would you want to live forever?
In her debut novel Suicide Club, Rachel Heng reaffirms the notion of “be careful what you wish for” and challenges her readers to reflect upon the price they would pay for immortality.
We live in a world where the quest for long life is a multimillion dollar industry. In Heng’s near future setting, people live for hundreds of years. But at what cost?
In this engaging story, Lea Kirino is a successful woman with the potential to live forever. By all accounts, she has a profitable career, a loving relationship, a comfortable apartment. Lea follows all of the suggested guidelines for nutrition (juicing), exercise (low impact, including no running), and avoiding stress (even too much smiling causes unwanted wrinkles).
Then one day, she sees her estranged father on the street and it changes everything. Lea begins to question being a “lifer” as she is confronted by the divergent and illegal ideas of her father and the mysterious Suicide Club...
Suicide Club is a thought-provoking novel perfect for readers who like dystopian or speculative fiction that makes you think. I was both entertained and intrigued by the book; it held my interest throughout. With characters you will relate to and a story that will draw you in, Suicide Club is one of the strongest debuts of the year.
Would you want to live forever?
In her debut novel Suicide Club, Rachel Heng reaffirms the notion of “be careful what you wish for” and challenges her readers to reflect upon the price they would pay for immortality.
We live in a world where the quest for long life is a multimillion dollar industry. In Heng’s near future setting, people live for hundreds of years. But at what cost?
In this engaging story, Lea Kirino is a successful woman with the potential to live forever. By all accounts, she has a profitable career, a loving relationship, a comfortable apartment. Lea follows all of the suggested guidelines for nutrition (juicing), exercise (low impact, including no running), and avoiding stress (even too much smiling causes unwanted wrinkles).
Then one day, she sees her estranged father on the street and it changes everything. Lea begins to question being a “lifer” as she is confronted by the divergent and illegal ideas of her father and the mysterious Suicide Club...
Suicide Club is a thought-provoking novel perfect for readers who like dystopian or speculative fiction that makes you think. I was both entertained and intrigued by the book; it held my interest throughout. With characters you will relate to and a story that will draw you in, Suicide Club is one of the strongest debuts of the year.
November 29, 2018
Fitness as morality, aging, dying, beauty -- Heng raises a host of great topics. But why, whenever old people are depicted in fiction, they usually represent merely death, lost chances, regret, and a younger character's sentimentality? And hmmm... is it just me or are younger writers freer with wanting to 'help along' oldsters through those pearly gates when life extension and immortality are discussed? Caveat: not advisable for animal lovers and the squeamish.
September 30, 2018
Many thanks to Henry Holt Books for providing my free copy! I’m going to say right up front that I thoroughly enjoyed this debut novel. It is a slow burn with an original premise and lovely writing. In a world where we all strive to look younger and more beautiful, this book almost mocks that but in a very intelligent way.
Lea Kirino is considered a lifer, which means she can potentially live forever. She works in a career in which she helps her clients in the organ trade business through the New York exchange. She and her fiancé, Todd, are genetically elite and as long as they engage in organ replacements, various technological enhancements, exercise, and proper nutrition, their potential to live forever is possible. However, all of this is in peril after Lea runs into her estranged father and he introduces her to the SUICIDE CLUB. It’s a group that is against this notion of immortality and wants to live and die on their own terms. Does Lea want to shatter her chance at immortality? I finished this book weeks ago and I cannot get it out of my head. The narrators, Lea and Anja, are two strong women with very distinct voices that I love. They are each searching for their own idea of quality of life and the meaning behind it. The concept of immortality is so fascinating, and the realistic, detailed dystopian future that Heng creates is seems entirely plausible. For instance, instead of the New York Stock Exchange people are similarly trading human organs. The idea of death is forbidden - the notion that looking at art or listening to music is taboo is unimaginable but makes total sense if you’re serious about a regimented, long life. This book begs the question is this life of immortality worth the sacrifices you need to make?
This beautiful book is thought-provoking and really makes you consider whether these type of science and medical advancements would be ideal for the future. The idea of genetically engineered humans walking the earth is a real brain teaser and a lot of fun to ponder. My only critique is wanting more: more world building, expansion on the suicide cult, and on the bionic aspect. But I’m in love with this book anyway.
Lea Kirino is considered a lifer, which means she can potentially live forever. She works in a career in which she helps her clients in the organ trade business through the New York exchange. She and her fiancé, Todd, are genetically elite and as long as they engage in organ replacements, various technological enhancements, exercise, and proper nutrition, their potential to live forever is possible. However, all of this is in peril after Lea runs into her estranged father and he introduces her to the SUICIDE CLUB. It’s a group that is against this notion of immortality and wants to live and die on their own terms. Does Lea want to shatter her chance at immortality? I finished this book weeks ago and I cannot get it out of my head. The narrators, Lea and Anja, are two strong women with very distinct voices that I love. They are each searching for their own idea of quality of life and the meaning behind it. The concept of immortality is so fascinating, and the realistic, detailed dystopian future that Heng creates is seems entirely plausible. For instance, instead of the New York Stock Exchange people are similarly trading human organs. The idea of death is forbidden - the notion that looking at art or listening to music is taboo is unimaginable but makes total sense if you’re serious about a regimented, long life. This book begs the question is this life of immortality worth the sacrifices you need to make?
This beautiful book is thought-provoking and really makes you consider whether these type of science and medical advancements would be ideal for the future. The idea of genetically engineered humans walking the earth is a real brain teaser and a lot of fun to ponder. My only critique is wanting more: more world building, expansion on the suicide cult, and on the bionic aspect. But I’m in love with this book anyway.
August 2, 2023
Not to get too personal, but I'm missing a vital organ (my thyroid) and have to take daily meds forever to stay alive. I'm also someone who has casual suicidal ideation (lifelong, but losing the thyroid didn't help).
There are days when I look at the price the pharmaceutical companies put on my Synthroid and Liothyronine and think, This is how much they've decided my life is worth; the cost to keep me living.
And sometimes I can't fathom paying it because I can't see the value in it. Maybe if my life was 50% off? 75%? BOGO?
So the concept of Rachel Heng's Suicide Club is very interesting and semi-relatable to me.
She presents an American future where medicine has advanced enough to keep the genetically gifted alive much longer, to the point where age 300 is a reachable goal. As a result, society becomes health-obsessed - orthorexic and anti-death. Everyone faces the pressure to be their own bioengineers; to eat the same sludge designed for optimal nutrition, to follow the same workouts, and consider the benefits of such things as pet ownership or fresh air only in relation to one's health.
The expectation for everyone, not just the genetically gifted "Lifers", is to keep living. Even upon one's natural death, bodies are kept on life support and remain vegetative at home or stacked up in warehouses at their living relatives' expense.
An underground group forms in retaliation of this anti-death culture, the titular "Suicide Club". They are those who eat meat and ice cream rather than nutritional sludge, who run despite its high-impact on the body - anything to make life worth living, not just for the sake of living.
They also see purpose in death. They help those with family members on forced life support to cut it, and help one another die when they deem they're ready. As suicide is this anti-death America's greatest taboo, they make viral videos of the suicides of those consenting, and the government desperately wants to stop them.
I found the conceit and worldbuilding of Heng's dystopia to be excellent. Her writing, which I found so beautiful in her 2023 novel The Great Reclamation, is just as good in this, her debut. But what makes The Great Reclamation a 5 star book for me and Suicide Club a 2 star?
It comes down to character work. Main character Lea has motivations all over the place. She starts the novel as a health-obsessed executive, a Lifer fully enmeshed in the lifestyle. When her estranged father comes back into her life, himself a member of the Suicide Club, an accident mistaken for a suicide attempt upends her life, and she becomes involved in the Suicide Club's secret world.
She eats meat again and dreams of ice cream from her childhood. She listens to passionate cortisol-raising music and breaks up with her Lifer boyfriend. While it seems this is the turn she'll make, renouncing societal norms and reveling in the freedom of the Suicide Club's lifestyle, this isn't her character arc. At the same time, her character arc isn't really turning her back on the Suicide Club either.
She walks the line between both, committing to neither. She doesn't reach resolution with her dad, nor with the restriction of her adult life. And no conclusion is really reached on either.
Compare this to Ah Boon's arc in The Great Reclamation. Born into the fishing tradition in rural Singapore, he is rejected by the men of his family and never learns their trade. He goes to school instead, his experience informed mainly by his relationship with his classmate Siok Mei. When she rejects him, instead choosing a life of counter-culture and protest, he becomes a stubborn shill for the government. So far removed from his roots, he helps modernize the natural land he was born to, undoing all Siok Mei was fighting for.
It is a heel turn, and it makes for an amazing, heartbreaking character arc. He actively makes choices that launch him toward who he will become at great cost.
Lea does no such thing. Her choices are at odds with each other, canceling each other out so their impact on the story is null.
While I'm secure in the impression Heng's interesting future left on me, I have no feeling for what it impressed on Lea. Without a strong POV to guide the story along, the story, despite its fascinating worldbuilding, felt meandering, almost pointless.
There are days when I look at the price the pharmaceutical companies put on my Synthroid and Liothyronine and think, This is how much they've decided my life is worth; the cost to keep me living.
And sometimes I can't fathom paying it because I can't see the value in it. Maybe if my life was 50% off? 75%? BOGO?
So the concept of Rachel Heng's Suicide Club is very interesting and semi-relatable to me.
She presents an American future where medicine has advanced enough to keep the genetically gifted alive much longer, to the point where age 300 is a reachable goal. As a result, society becomes health-obsessed - orthorexic and anti-death. Everyone faces the pressure to be their own bioengineers; to eat the same sludge designed for optimal nutrition, to follow the same workouts, and consider the benefits of such things as pet ownership or fresh air only in relation to one's health.
The expectation for everyone, not just the genetically gifted "Lifers", is to keep living. Even upon one's natural death, bodies are kept on life support and remain vegetative at home or stacked up in warehouses at their living relatives' expense.
An underground group forms in retaliation of this anti-death culture, the titular "Suicide Club". They are those who eat meat and ice cream rather than nutritional sludge, who run despite its high-impact on the body - anything to make life worth living, not just for the sake of living.
They also see purpose in death. They help those with family members on forced life support to cut it, and help one another die when they deem they're ready. As suicide is this anti-death America's greatest taboo, they make viral videos of the suicides of those consenting, and the government desperately wants to stop them.
I found the conceit and worldbuilding of Heng's dystopia to be excellent. Her writing, which I found so beautiful in her 2023 novel The Great Reclamation, is just as good in this, her debut. But what makes The Great Reclamation a 5 star book for me and Suicide Club a 2 star?
It comes down to character work. Main character Lea has motivations all over the place. She starts the novel as a health-obsessed executive, a Lifer fully enmeshed in the lifestyle. When her estranged father comes back into her life, himself a member of the Suicide Club, an accident mistaken for a suicide attempt upends her life, and she becomes involved in the Suicide Club's secret world.
She eats meat again and dreams of ice cream from her childhood. She listens to passionate cortisol-raising music and breaks up with her Lifer boyfriend. While it seems this is the turn she'll make, renouncing societal norms and reveling in the freedom of the Suicide Club's lifestyle, this isn't her character arc. At the same time, her character arc isn't really turning her back on the Suicide Club either.
She walks the line between both, committing to neither. She doesn't reach resolution with her dad, nor with the restriction of her adult life. And no conclusion is really reached on either.
Compare this to Ah Boon's arc in The Great Reclamation. Born into the fishing tradition in rural Singapore, he is rejected by the men of his family and never learns their trade. He goes to school instead, his experience informed mainly by his relationship with his classmate Siok Mei. When she rejects him, instead choosing a life of counter-culture and protest, he becomes a stubborn shill for the government. So far removed from his roots, he helps modernize the natural land he was born to, undoing all Siok Mei was fighting for.
It is a heel turn, and it makes for an amazing, heartbreaking character arc. He actively makes choices that launch him toward who he will become at great cost.
Lea does no such thing. Her choices are at odds with each other, canceling each other out so their impact on the story is null.
While I'm secure in the impression Heng's interesting future left on me, I have no feeling for what it impressed on Lea. Without a strong POV to guide the story along, the story, despite its fascinating worldbuilding, felt meandering, almost pointless.
May 27, 2018
Of course we all want to live as long as we can, being as healthy as we can and able to enjoy our time on Earth. What if science and medicine in the future could extend your life for hundreds of years? Would it be worth losing your soul, your privacy and your individuality in the quest to live longer? Are you really living if “defective” body parts can be replaced, you need constant “tweaking” and even the thought of breaking a sweat could be “damaging?”
What if you decided you wanted to end your life, on your terms, and it isn’t allowed? Rachel Heng’s SUICIDE CLUB is a dark and gritty tale of a dystopian future world where genetic perfection is the ideal, but the loss of freedom of choice is brutal, because one never knows who is watching, who might hear and who may turn you in as imperfect.
Lea will have to choose between merely existing, potentially forever or learning how to experience life with all of its warts, darkness and real joys. Will she choose life on her own terms or will she become a sheep in the masses?
Emotionally dark and heavy, sometimes dragging along, I have to say, it was the ending that made the book for me! It was beautiful.
I received a complimentary ARC edition from Henry Holt & Co.
Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. (July 10, 2018)
Publication Date: July 10, 2018
Genre: Scifi | Dystopian
Print Length: 352 pages
Available from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
For Reviews, Giveaways, Fabulous Book News, follow: http://tometender.blogspot.com
What if you decided you wanted to end your life, on your terms, and it isn’t allowed? Rachel Heng’s SUICIDE CLUB is a dark and gritty tale of a dystopian future world where genetic perfection is the ideal, but the loss of freedom of choice is brutal, because one never knows who is watching, who might hear and who may turn you in as imperfect.
Lea will have to choose between merely existing, potentially forever or learning how to experience life with all of its warts, darkness and real joys. Will she choose life on her own terms or will she become a sheep in the masses?
Emotionally dark and heavy, sometimes dragging along, I have to say, it was the ending that made the book for me! It was beautiful.
I received a complimentary ARC edition from Henry Holt & Co.
Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. (July 10, 2018)
Publication Date: July 10, 2018
Genre: Scifi | Dystopian
Print Length: 352 pages
Available from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
For Reviews, Giveaways, Fabulous Book News, follow: http://tometender.blogspot.com
June 29, 2018
"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.
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.
July 16, 2018
DNF at 56%. Brilliant premise but just couldn't engage at all. It started off well but then descended into a rather humdrum tale of two women. The world building just wasn't there and honestly it felt like I'd actually have to live forever in order to be inclined to finish it. On the plus side for others it's good writing and if you are looking for more drama than sci-fi dystopia you'd probably love it. Great idea subjective failed execution..
August 18, 2018
I received this ARC from Henry Holt and Company in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of this book in any way.
I don't know if I really like this book or not. I definitely don't hate it, but I can't say I particularly liked it. Let's discuss.
Obligatory Summary
Lea Kirino is a high society lifer on the path to immortality and success when a ghost from her past in the form of her long lost father shows up and ruins her chances. He disappeared 80 years ago when she was a child, and now seems to have a lot of secrets, one of which is the Suicide Club, a secret underground organization of influential people who believe in living life to the fullest and dying when and how they choose. As Lea learns to accept her past, she must figure out where her allegiances lie—with her father and the antisanct Suicide Club, or with the Ministry and all it's mundane regulations.
On the other side of this story, we have Anja, whose mother is trapped in a man-made shell of machinery that will live far longer than she has—a portable life support machine. She is intricately and deeply connected to the Suicide Club.
My Thoughts
Okay, this premise sounds interesting enough, doesn't it? It sounds like a journey through the meaning of life and death and politics. But it isn't. Not really.
The big problem—the main problem—with this book is that it is boring. It wasn't predictable, per say, but only because I couldn't really make sense of the characters' motivations. The why's behind their actions. They did whatever Heng wanted them to do, and a lot of the time, it didn't mesh with the world she created. The world was really good, though, with a great atmosphere for the most part.
Because of that, the message of the book didn't really come across. Was it about living your life to the fullest? I think so, but I can't really be sure. Was it an advocate for informed suicide? For assisted suicide? A commentary on the stock market? On the nonsensical trends of high society socialites? A case study on the family? I really can't say.
Beyond all this, it was boring. The plot didn't really start until half way through, and there were several loose threads, which is bad, considering that this is a standalone. It felt like a chore to read this. It took me almost two months to read and it's only 335 pages.
Also, that cover is butt ugly and misleading genre-wise like whoever designed that needs to be fired. (Note: it was Meryl Sussman Levavi)
April 10, 2018
#SuicideClub is a gripping debut for fans of Margaret Atwood, Emily St John Mandel & George Saunders.
If you like your near-future dystopias compelling and poignant, with clear philosophical underpinnings which question the way we live now, then get ready to join the Suicide Club. A tale of two loving daughters coming to terms with their parents’ mortality - or lack thereof.
The action unfolds in a New York City that is still recognisable (nary a jet pack or flying car in sight) but where the population is divided into bio-enhanced ‘Lifers’ and those who are deemed Sub 100s - i.e. unlikely to live more than a mere hundred years. In a world where the state devotes so much time and money keeping its enhanced Lifers alive, euthanasia and suicide are not just highly illegal, but a complete moral anathema.
For some, like Lea (a young woman of 130), this makes complete sense. Who in their right mind wouldn’t want to live forever? For more than a century, Lea’s had her eyes-on-prize of joining the Third Wave and become one of the first true Immortals. It’s the pinnacle of everything she’s ever strived for in two lifetimes of relentless over-achieving. Now, just as she is poised to see it all through, something happens. This ‘something’ is the sort of tiny, inconsequential event which the likes of you and I might walk away from without looking back. But for Lea, it could well mean the difference between eternity and mortality.
As a result of this, Lea’s path crosses with Anja, another Lifer, locked in her own struggle with immortality. What to do with an elderly mother whose enhanced body has all but given out? No longer alive, in the sense that you or I would recognise, and yet with a heart that has been specifically designed to keep on ticking. So, what if you are going to live forever, but simply don’t want to? That’s when, you join the Club and, perversely, act on the side of death in the name of love.
One of the things I particularly enjoyed about the dystopic elements of Suicide Club was the strangest things were little more than the logical extension of our how current obsessions with youth and health are being taken to almost religious extremes in some quarters. In doing so, Ms Heng makes us ask ourselves, what price immortality?
Having said this, what I love most about this novel are the characters and the poignancy of their situations and dilemmas, and the sheer beauty of the prose. The ending was particularly beautiful, but I didn’t want it to happen. I would happily have kept reading the same amount again and cannot wait to see what Rachel Heng does next.
It won’t surprise me in slightest if this ends up being a major Netflix series. Hopefully in my Lifetime.
I am grateful to the publisher for letting me see an advance copy of Suicide Club.
If you like your near-future dystopias compelling and poignant, with clear philosophical underpinnings which question the way we live now, then get ready to join the Suicide Club. A tale of two loving daughters coming to terms with their parents’ mortality - or lack thereof.
The action unfolds in a New York City that is still recognisable (nary a jet pack or flying car in sight) but where the population is divided into bio-enhanced ‘Lifers’ and those who are deemed Sub 100s - i.e. unlikely to live more than a mere hundred years. In a world where the state devotes so much time and money keeping its enhanced Lifers alive, euthanasia and suicide are not just highly illegal, but a complete moral anathema.
For some, like Lea (a young woman of 130), this makes complete sense. Who in their right mind wouldn’t want to live forever? For more than a century, Lea’s had her eyes-on-prize of joining the Third Wave and become one of the first true Immortals. It’s the pinnacle of everything she’s ever strived for in two lifetimes of relentless over-achieving. Now, just as she is poised to see it all through, something happens. This ‘something’ is the sort of tiny, inconsequential event which the likes of you and I might walk away from without looking back. But for Lea, it could well mean the difference between eternity and mortality.
As a result of this, Lea’s path crosses with Anja, another Lifer, locked in her own struggle with immortality. What to do with an elderly mother whose enhanced body has all but given out? No longer alive, in the sense that you or I would recognise, and yet with a heart that has been specifically designed to keep on ticking. So, what if you are going to live forever, but simply don’t want to? That’s when, you join the Club and, perversely, act on the side of death in the name of love.
One of the things I particularly enjoyed about the dystopic elements of Suicide Club was the strangest things were little more than the logical extension of our how current obsessions with youth and health are being taken to almost religious extremes in some quarters. In doing so, Ms Heng makes us ask ourselves, what price immortality?
Having said this, what I love most about this novel are the characters and the poignancy of their situations and dilemmas, and the sheer beauty of the prose. The ending was particularly beautiful, but I didn’t want it to happen. I would happily have kept reading the same amount again and cannot wait to see what Rachel Heng does next.
It won’t surprise me in slightest if this ends up being a major Netflix series. Hopefully in my Lifetime.
I am grateful to the publisher for letting me see an advance copy of Suicide Club.
February 15, 2019
Interesting concept; didn't really work for me.
There were a lot of unanswered questions in the plot and the characters were underdeveloped. It all felt very unfinished.
There were a lot of unanswered questions in the plot and the characters were underdeveloped. It all felt very unfinished.
February 16, 2019
RTC to come!
3.5 stars, rounded up on goodreads just because I liked the last chapter
- like black mirror but not as provoking and inquisitive as I’d hoped for a book that essentially deals with issues akin to euthanasia and artificially lengthened lifespans? Lots of potential, but the delivery was a little lacking
3.5 stars, rounded up on goodreads just because I liked the last chapter
- like black mirror but not as provoking and inquisitive as I’d hoped for a book that essentially deals with issues akin to euthanasia and artificially lengthened lifespans? Lots of potential, but the delivery was a little lacking
June 17, 2018
Imagine a future in which death is close to being eradicated. At birth, everyone is allocated a number which determines whether or not they will be a ‘lifer’, a person who will live for hundreds of years with the aid of surgical enhancements and advanced biological technology. Those with a natural lifespan – ‘sub-100s’ – are effectively an underclass, relegated to the outer boroughs of this world’s cities. There are whispers that new developments will soon make immortality possible, with the most diligent lifers certain to be first in line. As for the existence the lifers actually have – it’s like wellness culture taken to the absolute extreme. Life has been stripped of everything pleasurable, from fatty food (artery-clogging) to exercise (too much of a strain on the body). Little wonder, then, that some rebel, forming a rule-flouting group they call the Suicide Club.
At the centre of this story is Lea, who’s just turned 100. She's a model lifer for whom immortality is the ultimate dream. But she’s hiding a turbulent past and painful secrets. When she sees her father Kaito – missing for decades – in the street, she runs after him and is hit by a car. This is interpreted as a suicide attempt, and Lea finds herself under observation and forced to attend ‘WeCovery’ group counselling sessions. Also in WeCovery is Anja, whose life is devoted to caring for a mother who's all but dead due to faulty tech. Between Anja and Kaito, Lea is drawn into the murky world of the Suicide Club: part activist group, part ironic celebration.
This is an intriguing premise, and raises a lot of fascinating ethical questions. I was particularly interested in the way Lea’s fanatical ‘life-loving’ mindset drew clear parallels with the views of extreme anti-abortionists. The execution is, unfortunately, a bit clunky, and I struggled to suspend disbelief enough to accept that Lea was really a hundred years old. She’s just so shallow – none of the accrued wisdom or knowledge I would expect of someone of such an age, regardless of her outward appearance. (Also, honestly, one wonders why ‘unhealthy’ behaviour would matter quite so much once bio-technology had evolved to the point that people could be essentially made unkillable. And once you start thinking about things like this, the entire setup begins to crumble.)
I loved the concept, but there was something missing from Suicide Club for me. It feels very much like an imperfect debut from a writer who will go on to greater things: some of the plot’s potential is not quite realised, and the whole story lacks tension. Nevertheless, I love the originality of Rachel Heng’s ideas and will be keeping an eye out for her future work.
I received an advance review copy of Suicide Club from the publisher through NetGalley.
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At the centre of this story is Lea, who’s just turned 100. She's a model lifer for whom immortality is the ultimate dream. But she’s hiding a turbulent past and painful secrets. When she sees her father Kaito – missing for decades – in the street, she runs after him and is hit by a car. This is interpreted as a suicide attempt, and Lea finds herself under observation and forced to attend ‘WeCovery’ group counselling sessions. Also in WeCovery is Anja, whose life is devoted to caring for a mother who's all but dead due to faulty tech. Between Anja and Kaito, Lea is drawn into the murky world of the Suicide Club: part activist group, part ironic celebration.
This is an intriguing premise, and raises a lot of fascinating ethical questions. I was particularly interested in the way Lea’s fanatical ‘life-loving’ mindset drew clear parallels with the views of extreme anti-abortionists. The execution is, unfortunately, a bit clunky, and I struggled to suspend disbelief enough to accept that Lea was really a hundred years old. She’s just so shallow – none of the accrued wisdom or knowledge I would expect of someone of such an age, regardless of her outward appearance. (Also, honestly, one wonders why ‘unhealthy’ behaviour would matter quite so much once bio-technology had evolved to the point that people could be essentially made unkillable. And once you start thinking about things like this, the entire setup begins to crumble.)
I loved the concept, but there was something missing from Suicide Club for me. It feels very much like an imperfect debut from a writer who will go on to greater things: some of the plot’s potential is not quite realised, and the whole story lacks tension. Nevertheless, I love the originality of Rachel Heng’s ideas and will be keeping an eye out for her future work.
I received an advance review copy of Suicide Club from the publisher through NetGalley.
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February 26, 2018
When I finished Suicide Club, I surprised myself. I closed the Kindle and said, "What a beautiful book."
And it really was.
It's funny to say that a near future SF novel like this is beautiful, but that's how I felt after finishing it. I felt witness to something unique and lovely.
Oh, the book is sad of course, but there's so much beauty in choosing your own life and your own death.
Heng forces us to look at how much emphasis society places on youth and beauty and all that impossible to attain perfection. And in this novel, if you aren't perfect or don't want to be perfect, there must be something dreadfully wrong with you...and if so, isn't it better if you simply weren't allowed to progress?
I loved as our main character began to realize there was so much more than what the government wanted people to believe - and so much dignity in age and experience, and yes, even in dying in a way that befits you.
An excellent read.
*ARC Provide via Net Galley
And it really was.
It's funny to say that a near future SF novel like this is beautiful, but that's how I felt after finishing it. I felt witness to something unique and lovely.
Oh, the book is sad of course, but there's so much beauty in choosing your own life and your own death.
Heng forces us to look at how much emphasis society places on youth and beauty and all that impossible to attain perfection. And in this novel, if you aren't perfect or don't want to be perfect, there must be something dreadfully wrong with you...and if so, isn't it better if you simply weren't allowed to progress?
I loved as our main character began to realize there was so much more than what the government wanted people to believe - and so much dignity in age and experience, and yes, even in dying in a way that befits you.
An excellent read.
*ARC Provide via Net Galley
February 12, 2018
Thank you to Henry Holt Publishing and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC on The Suicide Club for my honest review.
The haunting cover of this intriguing titled novel quickly caught my eye and the premise was equally engaging. My disappointment with this dystopian story was the lack of plot movement,character motivation and connection to Lea, the main character. I was also confused by the shifting time of past and present and found the childhood trauma of Lea jarring and lackluster. Too much suspension of belief left me underwhelmed.
I did enjoy the first third of the novel, learning about "lifer's" and the routine and procedures they endure in order to live beyond 100. The premise of this futuristic world was fascinating but ultimately I needed more of a story.
The haunting cover of this intriguing titled novel quickly caught my eye and the premise was equally engaging. My disappointment with this dystopian story was the lack of plot movement,character motivation and connection to Lea, the main character. I was also confused by the shifting time of past and present and found the childhood trauma of Lea jarring and lackluster. Too much suspension of belief left me underwhelmed.
I did enjoy the first third of the novel, learning about "lifer's" and the routine and procedures they endure in order to live beyond 100. The premise of this futuristic world was fascinating but ultimately I needed more of a story.
April 11, 2018
Update: April 11, 2018
I'm so impressed right now.
This is one book that gave me so many emotions and made me cry. Suicide Club reminded me of a mix between Black Mirror and this futuristic world that Rachel Heng created.
I loved the themes, relationships between family, the overall impression of immortality and the way humankind was described in this book. Full review to come closer to the release date!
July 18, 2017
So stoked for this book written by a Singaporean! Can't wait to read this! 💕
I'm so impressed right now.
This is one book that gave me so many emotions and made me cry. Suicide Club reminded me of a mix between Black Mirror and this futuristic world that Rachel Heng created.
I loved the themes, relationships between family, the overall impression of immortality and the way humankind was described in this book. Full review to come closer to the release date!
July 18, 2017
So stoked for this book written by a Singaporean! Can't wait to read this! 💕
March 29, 2023
I still have some niggling objections to the worldbuilding here (the New York of this novel feels like it was written by someone whose experience of the city is through Hollywood movies), but Rachel Heng nails the emotional truth at the heart of this story. I’d never heard of her before this novel was announced, but I’ll be keeping close eye from now on. A stunning debut.
November 8, 2018
Thank you to the publishers for providing an ARC of this book through NetGalley.
DNF at 20%.
I got a fifth of the way through this book and there isn't a defined plot yet. It's so slow and there is absolutely no world building. I only knew people could aim for immortality because of the blurb. I can't remember who the main character is, but she was deathly boring.
DNF at 20%.
I got a fifth of the way through this book and there isn't a defined plot yet. It's so slow and there is absolutely no world building. I only knew people could aim for immortality because of the blurb. I can't remember who the main character is, but she was deathly boring.
June 25, 2018
"Something has to change. In being robbed of our deaths, we are robbed of our lives."Suicide Club is a chilling tale of a near-future dystopia where population decline has led to strict Sanctity of Life laws and systems to extend life ever longer. Poetically written, Heng weaves a dystopian nightmare that is plausible; however, I struggled to connect to the story as I had expected to and was left wanting much more.
The novel takes place in a New York City that closely resembles modern day, which both adds to the fear of this potential reality as well as creates a dissonance between the futuristic technologies that are not really explained. There is a lot of jargon used that did not seem to be explained, which I found to be distracting - like DiamondSkin is something that I should be intimately aware of, or that a Tender is something that I personally understand.
Suicide Club is told in two alternating points of view, something that I didn't realize right away. I found myself confusing backstories and just being confused until I went back and re-read. I love dual-POVs done well, but I struggle when the narrative shift isn't clearly notated and the perspectives bleed together. The first 20% of the book or so recalls the back histories of the two main characters and I struggled keeping everything straight.
I found myself not really caring much about the characters in the beginning of the book, although by the end I did care a bit for Lea and Anja. For me, the story was lacking in explanation of what steps led the population to this point, the political Ministry and its purpose left largely unexplored. With comparisons to Margaret Atwood, I found this to be particularly disappointing as I find Atwood's writing to be largely about the political systems as well as the system's impact on the central characters. I can see what Heng was trying to emulate, but for me it missed the mark.
"Someone once said that death was the best invention life had to offer."In my opinion, the overall story would have been stronger if the beginning of the novel spent a bit of time directly exploring the political climate, explaining what it meant to be a lifer or antisanc, how the tests at birth and the numbers play into the scheme of things. I found a lot of compellingly interesting tidbits about society that weren't explored. What is causing the population decline, what is the history of the Replacement business, why all the laws about taking care of yourself? Why the Lists and WeCovery? In a world where suicide is a sin and used as a form of civil disobedience, I feel that answering some of these questions would have strengthened the narrative. I found the lack of worldbuilding in a near-future dystopia to be the main reason that I struggled to connect with the story, and I was left wanting more.
I found Suicide Club to be an interesting and innovative premise, Heng writes with lyrical prose and I look forward to reading her future work and seeing her develop as a writer. This is more of a story about family and choice and less about the dystopian world. I think readers who are interested in family dynamics and the personal story of the characters will enjoy this book, but those who are looking for a dystopian thriller with political intrigue may be disappointed.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher, Henry Holt & Company, for providing me with an e-arc of this book in exchange for my honest review.
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July 3, 2018
I loved the concept behind this book. In the future, the population is falling. To try to keep it up, people are strongly encouraged to be super healthy and get various body enhancements and replacements. As a result, some people live to be over 100. Then there are the others - the sub-100s - who are the second-class citizens, who live and die like the mortals they are.
The storyline is also really interesting. Lea is a lifer, and she tries so hard to be perfect. She has a great job, a fiancee, and she does everything according to the government-issued directives. But one day she sees a face from her past in the crowd, and her life crashes down around her. The plot follows her as she tries to make
everything perfect again.
The characters are quite hard to get to know, as they are not quite human, with their enhancements and the strange lifestyles they have. You do however get to know the main characters, Lea and Anja, quite well as the story progresses. Their past experiences have made them who they are and these are revealed gradually. However I wouldn't say that I could understand any of the characters, and nor do I like them. This detachment didn't ruin the book for me though, it was very much concept-driven rather than character-based, and I felt like the aloofness of the characters fit perfectly. This is how everyone is in this world because everything is so clinical and nobody would dare to reveal their true selves and risk the disapproval of others.
The pace is pretty slow, and this is not a tense or exciting book. It is full of intrigue however, and I never lost interest. I couldn't predict what would happen, which I really liked.
Overall I really enjoyed this book in a low-key sort of way. It is well written and the ideas are great. On the down side, I don't think I will remember it, just because there was no excitement. On the up side, it wasn't what I thought it was going to be from reading the description, and this turned out to be a very good thing.
The storyline is also really interesting. Lea is a lifer, and she tries so hard to be perfect. She has a great job, a fiancee, and she does everything according to the government-issued directives. But one day she sees a face from her past in the crowd, and her life crashes down around her. The plot follows her as she tries to make
everything perfect again.
The characters are quite hard to get to know, as they are not quite human, with their enhancements and the strange lifestyles they have. You do however get to know the main characters, Lea and Anja, quite well as the story progresses. Their past experiences have made them who they are and these are revealed gradually. However I wouldn't say that I could understand any of the characters, and nor do I like them. This detachment didn't ruin the book for me though, it was very much concept-driven rather than character-based, and I felt like the aloofness of the characters fit perfectly. This is how everyone is in this world because everything is so clinical and nobody would dare to reveal their true selves and risk the disapproval of others.
The pace is pretty slow, and this is not a tense or exciting book. It is full of intrigue however, and I never lost interest. I couldn't predict what would happen, which I really liked.
Overall I really enjoyed this book in a low-key sort of way. It is well written and the ideas are great. On the down side, I don't think I will remember it, just because there was no excitement. On the up side, it wasn't what I thought it was going to be from reading the description, and this turned out to be a very good thing.
June 7, 2018
There's an interesting premise here that extends logically from our present preoccupation with youth, health and longevity: in the US, technologies have been found that can extend life into hundreds of years with artificial blood, self-renewing skin and long-life muscles. But only for those with the 'right' genetic structure and who are prepared to sacrifice anything that can inhibit long life: meat, sugar, alcohol, anything that raises stress/cortisol/adrenaline levels - but with so many restrictions on pleasure, is a long life worth living, this book asks.
It's unusual for me to be wanting more from a piece of contemporary fiction: more usually I'm wanting it to dial back on the multiple plots, the action, the filler - but here I felt that Heng could have expanded productively: in characterisation and motivation, in world-building, in plot. At the moment, this is intriguing but feels like a single-idea book, a short story expanded into a novel.
It follows the conventional dystopia arc of a protagonist who kicks against the system but unlike, say, The Handmaid's Tale or 1984 the stakes don't feel particularly high. There are some interesting updates to Brave New World, perhaps.
Intriguing, for sure, but also a bit unsatisfying.
Thanks to Hodder & Stoughton for an ARC via NetGalley
It's unusual for me to be wanting more from a piece of contemporary fiction: more usually I'm wanting it to dial back on the multiple plots, the action, the filler - but here I felt that Heng could have expanded productively: in characterisation and motivation, in world-building, in plot. At the moment, this is intriguing but feels like a single-idea book, a short story expanded into a novel.
It follows the conventional dystopia arc of a protagonist who kicks against the system but unlike, say, The Handmaid's Tale or 1984 the stakes don't feel particularly high. There are some interesting updates to Brave New World, perhaps.
Intriguing, for sure, but also a bit unsatisfying.
Thanks to Hodder & Stoughton for an ARC via NetGalley
March 24, 2020
this novel started well and had high hopes for it but felt it gradually went downhill and had elements of blade runner and brave new world in it. maybe in future will re examine the book.
Read
June 6, 2018DNF at 33%.
Suicide Club definitely has an interesting premise - people who can basically live forever and a government that ensures everyone strives to do that. But sadly it didn't draw me in.
1. For starters, I read like at least 25% of the book not realizing there were two points of view. At that point I had no idea how much I'd mixed up their two backstories. I have no idea which pieces of history belong with which person. X_X
2. All the new product/company names started to weigh on me. Observers, WeCovery, SmartBlood, sub-100s, Repairants, I think there was some kind of "DiamondSkin", etc. I guess I just felt like I was drowning in it all.
3. I feel like maybe I was expecting a cool, futuristic, dystopian thriller. But instead this felt a lot more like a personal/family story and that wasn't what I was looking for. At least half of what I read was about backstory, old family stories, etc. It just wasn't that interesting to me.
I think ultimately I just expected one thing and got something else, and because of that I had a hard time connecting to the characters and everything that was going on. (Speaking of which, it didn't feel like that much actually was going on since we spent so much time on backstories.)
Suicide Club definitely has an interesting premise - people who can basically live forever and a government that ensures everyone strives to do that. But sadly it didn't draw me in.
1. For starters, I read like at least 25% of the book not realizing there were two points of view. At that point I had no idea how much I'd mixed up their two backstories. I have no idea which pieces of history belong with which person. X_X
2. All the new product/company names started to weigh on me. Observers, WeCovery, SmartBlood, sub-100s, Repairants, I think there was some kind of "DiamondSkin", etc. I guess I just felt like I was drowning in it all.
3. I feel like maybe I was expecting a cool, futuristic, dystopian thriller. But instead this felt a lot more like a personal/family story and that wasn't what I was looking for. At least half of what I read was about backstory, old family stories, etc. It just wasn't that interesting to me.
I think ultimately I just expected one thing and got something else, and because of that I had a hard time connecting to the characters and everything that was going on. (Speaking of which, it didn't feel like that much actually was going on since we spent so much time on backstories.)
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March 10, 2018
Review to come.
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