Despite the overly harsh and provocative title, almost fitting and reminiscent of a Chuck Palahniuk book, I really wanted to read this based on the speculative premise of the book: Certain cities in America now have advanced technologies for the human body that can have them living much longer than they previously could (or should -- 150+ years old). Technologies like DiamondSkin or SmartBlood, enhancing how a human body can withstand time. But what if an implanted heart keeps going a little too long? When does Wellness go too far and makes life not worth living, like a styrafoam cake at a birthday party? The "Suicide Club" of the title is the organization that helps those end a life when it has gone on too long, as a protest to the Lifers. There are two main characters here: Lea, a Lifer who is determined to get the chance to be immortal and does everything possible to think of her health and extend her life. And a woman from Sweden, Anja, who has an incapacitated mother, a former opera singer, who had many life saving technologies. Anja wonders how much of her real mother is still with her. I like the idea of the book, but I feel like the result doesn't gel together. Some things aren't explained. I wanted the book to go in other directions, but I can't fault a book for being what I didn't expect -- I didn't write it. I like that Lea is not a saint in her choices, ultimately ending fairly harshly. I think the title was underused anyway -- possibly should have been something different, along the lines of the immortal/wellness aspect. But now I'm sounding like an editor and I don't mean to nitpick something that has very obvious personal connections to the author! In the end, this story seems to me more about aging parents and care, but maybe that is just where I am at right now. I wish I had loved this more! More detail, more polishing, I would have. ( )

A future dystopian world in which our obsession with health is taken to its extreme. The details are perfect. The clothes, food, skin, of future trans humans. Disturbing in the naturalness of description. Well written. A page turner. I devoured it and felt guilty for doing so based on this future world’s ethic.

Phew. An adult dystopian successfully pulled off. ( )

I received this as an ARC from #Netgalley, #TheSuicideClub. This is set in the near future where people, with the coming of the Third Wave, can achieve immortality. Some, however, want to live, and die, on their terms. The Suicide Club, helps them achieve this. However, when Lea sees her father, for the first time in 88 years, she steps into traffic and is put under observation to make sure she qualifies for the Third Wave. This book’s ending was not what I was expecting. Also the death of Anja’s mother didn’t seem to fit with the rest of the book. ( )

In some unspecified future New York, your future is determined by a cheek swab at birth. If your life expectancy is over 100, you gain access to life extending treatments and you become a "lifer," a privileged class. If it isn't, too bad for you.

Extended life comes at a price, however: endless regulations and advice about your life, designed to make sure only the worthy benefit. Lea, just turned 100 and poised to become an executive in health finance, becomes ensnared in the system one day when she sees her long absent father in a crowd.

the theme becomes obvious--almost too obvious. With everything in life so tightly regulated (no music, only a healthy diet, no stress, no outside air)--what's the point? The lifers have 300 years to look forward to, but no joy in it.

The writing is excellent and I felt that the characters did ultimately develop, but I felt there was a problem with the structure. Too much backstory was hinted at. It's preferable to giant info dumps in a novel of this length, but it left me wondering about all the details that were vaguely sketched in. On the one hand, artificial organs; on the other, people apparently left as organ farms and a well developed exchange in organs. There's a shadowy Ministry, information that other countries have not chosen the US' route (hinted at the US' tendency towards being pro-life; in the future, the sin is to be "antisanct"). Heng came up with an idea that could have supported a more elaborate story than she gave it. ( )