A review by ari76
Suicide Club: A Novel about Living by Rachel Heng
3.0
I'd actually give this book a 2.5 rather than 3, but I rounded up because the premise was fascinating, the writing was generally solid and during the the first half of the book I barely put it down to brush my teeth. The trouble came as more exposition about Lea's past was revealed without the simultaneous exposition of various aspects of this "life-loving" society. First off, my favorite character was undoubtedly Lea's father because of his background and honestly, understandable reactions to these rapid shifts in society. The main-ish character Lea did at times strike me as immature given her 100-year lifespan, but I feel she still was written with nuance and a backstory that intrigued me more as a reader (especially the violent elements) even if it wasn't completely sensical. Meanwhile, the secondary main-ish character Anja had more dimensions/depth and her mother's experience exemplified the fundamental flaws of Hong's super-health oriented society. I liked reading about her experiences, but think her point of view could've been a separate book or at the very least more completely represented. Overall, I thought both of their characterizations, certain events in the plot and overall descriptions of the society lacked the fullness that would make the ending and therefore the book, make the most sense. For example,
Despite my feelings about the book's lack of execution, I think Rachel Heng is an engaging author whose work I want to continue reading. She definitely has the imagination and ability to make a product that keeps your brain stimulated, so I'm confident with time her work will only get better.
Spoiler
the all-knowing characterization associated with the Ministry fell flat when Lea was able to actively engage with her "anti-sanct" father multiple times over months without any further action or intervention from her "observers". I enjoyed Lea's memories of growing up as a family with her non-lifer brother Samuel, father and mother but felt they were not always presented in a way that aligned with the ongoing plot. I found myself also frustrated by the lack of exposition about the human organ market, mostly because Lea's job was an organ trader and I wasn't sure how that fit into the narrative of a super-tech oriented society where machines could generate SmartBlood and other inorganic body mechanisms. I had more concerns, but these are the ones the come to mind now.Despite my feelings about the book's lack of execution, I think Rachel Heng is an engaging author whose work I want to continue reading. She definitely has the imagination and ability to make a product that keeps your brain stimulated, so I'm confident with time her work will only get better.