Book Review: Suicide Club by Rachel Heng

This was a well-written, well-crafted tale on a topic that I think is coming very close to being overdone… Immortality or extra-longevity seems to be an obsession (see my recent post about the latest Dara Horn for an example – albeit a very good one) – it appears in science fiction, futuristic tales, vampire/supernatural stories, humor (dark and not-so-dark), and drama (again, dark and not-so-dark), and the inevitable ennui that seems to accompany it is becoming, well, boring to read about. I understand that we are a society obsessed with life, health, and technology, and see the appeal of stories like this. But I’m starting to feel the ennui of the characters when I read them…

But, there’s good news – nearly any topic (even the overdone ones) maintains its interest in the hands of a talented author, and I’m pleased to report that Rachel Heng is such an author. With a delicate touch, Heng paints a vivid picture of extra-longevity and its adherents and opponents in such a way that each position is presented with equal consideration in the course of a narrative that is as much family drama and personal growth as it is manifesto. There is so much nuance in the personal journeys of the two main female characters; their positions could not be farther apart on the longevity spectrum, but their lives feel oddly parallel and it is that contradiction that kept the story engaging and fresh for me.

My review copy was provided by NetGalley.