Suicide Club by Rachel Heng

Suicide Club

by Rachel Heng

They leave us no choice.

AS FEATURED ON BBC.COM. A 2018 DEBUT TO WATCH OUT FOR AS SELECTED BY INDEPENDENT, GRAZIA, THE BOOKSELLER AND THE RUMPUS AND AN ELLE, STYLIST AND I MAGAZINE RECOMMENDED SUMMER READ.

'Original and subversive.' Independent

'Thought-provoking, moving, worryingly convincing - and ultimately hopeful.' Irish Times

'A provocative new author. A fascinating debut novel. Read it!' Jeff VanderMeer, author of the Southern Reach trilogy

'Life-affirming . . . "Be careful what you wish for" has never been so chilling, or so gripping' Erin Kelly, author of He Said/She Said

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What are you doing to help yourself? What are you doing to show that you're worth the resources?

In a near-future world, medical technology has progressed far enough that immortality is now within grasp -but only to those who show themselves to be deserving of it. These people are the lifers: the exercisers, yogacisers, green juicers and early nighters.

Genetically perfect, healthy and wholesome, one hundred-year-old Lea is the poster girl for lifers, until the day she catches a glimpse of her father in the street, eighty-eight years after their last encounter. While pursuing him, Lea has a brush with death which sparks suspicions. If Lea could be so careless, is she worthy of immortality?

Suicide Club wasn't always an activist group. It began as a set of disillusioned lifers, gathering to indulge in forbidden activities: performances of live music, artery-clogging meals, irresponsible orgies. But now they have been branded terrorists and are hunted by the state.

And Lea has decided to give them a call.

'Chilling . . . Through crisscrossing stories about love and loss, suffused in some wonderful and heartbreaking prose, she takes the reader on a journey to truly understand the question: who wants to live forever?' Stylist

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'Addictive' Sun

'Gripping' Red

'Clever, bold and makes you think about the value of life' Good Housekeeping

'The future is here. Let's welcome one of its stars. Talented and ferociously intelligent, Heng has produced a glittering debut.' Joanna Briscoe, author of You

'If the styling is satirical . . . Heng isn't playing for laughs . . . the fascinating and compelling scenario on show here ultimately forces you to question nothing less than the meaning of life' Metro

Reviewed by Joséphine on

5 of 5 stars

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Initial thoughts: Suicide Club was such an addictive read. What surprised me about that was the plot wasn't fast-paced, and yet, I didn't want to put it down. I loved the dream-like prose which allowed me to connect to Lea and Anja but also created a sterile distance that underscored their utopian society. As expected from the title, Suicide Club was gruesome to read but it also made me think about what it could mean for healthcare to extend our lives even further beyond our inherent nature, and to what extent that is desirable.

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My full book review will be up on Word Revel closer to the July 26, 2018 publication date.

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Note: I received an advanced reading copy from a local distributor in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 29 January, 2018: Finished reading
  • 29 January, 2018: Reviewed