I loved the premise of this book as I am a huge fan of dystopian stories, but unfortunately it feel short for me. The action didn’t really start picking up until about halfway through and by then I was just wanting to get the story over with.

I received an ARC via Netgalley.

I always think the most disturbing dystopias are the ones you can *really* see happening, and Suicide Club has an alarmingly plausible concept. I loved how complex the characters and their decisions were, and how family was ultimately at the heart of everything. The scenes with Anja and her mother were particularly affecting.

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!