Wow!
This story sneaks up on you and hits you so subtly in the back of your brain you do not even realize how it has affected you until days after you've finished it (and you will finish it in one sitting!).

In the far future, humans have the ability to live extra-long lives with the help of body enhancements like blood replacement, skin replacement, etc. They also refrain from pursuing activities and eating food that we in 21st Century would deem healthful. For instance, they don't run as that is too much pressure on joints. They don't eat "trad" food or have a balanced diet.

Lea is a "lifer," a group that wants to be part of the Third Wave and live forever, while Anja is a member of the "Suicide Club," a group that respects life and death and thinks living forever is an abomination. The two women meet when Lea sees her father - who had been charged with being anti-sanct and had run away when she was younger - in her city and then again at a Club meeting where Anja is performing.

I absolutely loved this novel and could see a future similar to this one. We are all obsessed with living longer and longer lives, aren't we? So many of us are willing to do crazy things to be healthy and expand our life span. But what if you could indeed live for several hundred years by replacing body parts and avoiding what we might consider pleasures in life? Is it worth it?

I would give this 4.5 stars! Very thought-provoking. Thanks to Netgalley for the e-arc to review.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and highly recommend if you want to get lost in a good story!

Set in the not-too-distant future, Rachel Heng's debut novel imagines the human race as finally having unlocked the capabilities to extend our existence to 300 years, and close to unlocking the secret to eternal life. With their fake skin, fake blood, harvested organs and carefully managed images, the "lifers" are almost humanoid in their merging of biotech and human flesh.
Against this image of perfection is a harsher world of misaligned people - who got various body hacks on the black market, and for whom the future is a certain long, drawn out torturous death as various parts start to fail, but the heart and/or brain continue to keep them alive. For them the Suicide Club offers hope in the form of escape from this forced existence in broken bodies. Even suicide isn't as easy as it used to be due to reinforced windpipes, tougher self-healing skin, blood that coagulates quickly, etc. However self-immolation and death by "black pills' are potential ways out.
The story centers around a lifer, Lea Kirino, who at first glance seems to have it all - handsome fiance, amazing home, excellent well-remunerated job, etc etc. However, when she thinks she sees her long-lost father on a street and gets involved in a road traffic accident chasing after him, she finds herself on the monitored list for attempted suicide, which in turns triggers the unraveling of her perfect world and a spectacular downfall into the world of Suicide Club and the more rebellious underground of the world she inhabits.
From start to finish this is a great read. For all the book's futuristic leanings, Heng creates highly believable scenarios, populated with relatable characters and a narrative that can be enjoyed far beyond the core sci-fi fanbase. Lea makes an unlikely heroine with her spectacular fall from grace surprisingly enjoyable - maybe that's just because I've always been very wary of perfect people! For a futuristic biotech world, the story has a lot of heart, in the familial love between Lea and her father, and the memories that this evokes, as well as more peripheral characters whose story arcs intersect with the pair of them.
For a debut novel, this is a hugely accomplished piece of work. Hugely recommended. I can't wait to see what Heng comes up with next!

Very interesting concept; as medical technology and understanding of optimal human function, life spans are dramatically increased. However, not for everyone. Those lucky chosen reap many rewards, but at a cost of a rigidly controlled society. So many aspects of this elongated lifespan are replacements parts that are better, stronger and self healing that 'normal' processes, and some inevitable breakdowns and degradations create a living hell.
A secret club assists those who are done, can't face that type of eternity, a way to kill themselves.
This story is about 2 women that see the cracks in this facade of extreme health and have to decide what they have to do.
There is a curious combination of current technology and futuristic Big Brother-ish oversight which hopefully is never going to happen.
There are a few things I am not sure I followed, however this is an absorbing read and I wanted to see what was going to happen. The ending felt good.

This ended up not being for me. Loved the concept, and for the most part the writing was good. I just couldn’t connect with any of the characters, and the story was very confusing and disjointed...esp at the beginning.

SUICIDE CLUB puts a new twist on our youth-obsessed culture. What if you couldn't grow old, eve if you wanted to? Heng makes us appreciate the benefits and pitfalls of living for hundreds of years. Fascinating premise well executed.

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.

While I thought the concept was unique and interesting, I don't think the execution follows through. Another editing pass might have tightened up the storyline and jumped more forcefully into the action. I did not finish, as I couldn't understand what exactly the protagonist was trying to overcome. I'm also not quite sure the world building was as detailed as it could be.