Rachel HengReseñas

94000

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.

Rachel Heng tells the story of Singapore in the mid-twentieth century, an amazing story of a tiny country changing from a rural colonial backwater to Asia's economic powerhouse in barely a generation. There's no doubt that Singapore's development in such a short period of time is impressive. But what has all this change and progress meant for the people who have had to make adjustments to their entire lives?

Ah Boon, the main character, is the son of a fisherman, born in a rural fishing village. His ability to "find" islands no one else can see, and the bounty that his village harvests from fishing these islands, earns him the chance to attend school. But his education is interrupted, first by the Japanese invasion that subjugates Singapore and kills his father, then by the demonstrations and protests of the Singaporean independence movement. Despite his love for Siok Mei, a girl from his village who becomes an enthusiastic revolutionary, Ah Boon cannot completely reject his connections to his family and his village. Instead, he takes a job with the Gah Men (government) in the hope of making life better for everyone. But he finds himself embroiled in conflicts between the traditional life and the promise of the bright future for his country.

The Great Reclamation, named for the Singapore government's project of creating more land for the island country by filling in the bay with sand, thus destroying the livelihood Ah Boon's village, is a perfect example of what so many people are facing today as their traditional ways of life are obliterated by economic development. Heng's beautiful descriptions of the natural world and village life really emphasize everything that the villagers are losing. She also has great sympathy for her characters and the difficult choices that they face. Nothing is black and white; all their decisions are haunted by the knowledge that they will affect so many others.

I was very glad that I found this book, as there's not a lot available on modern Singaporean history in the U.S. It probably helps to have a little knowledge of the general events of postwar Singapore. This is also a book that could have really used a glossary! But the story is compelling and the characters sympathetic enough to be worth reading even if you have to do a little bit of Googling.

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.

4.5

I knew almost nothing about Singapore, but this well-written novel tells so much history while focusing on one particular family. Ah Boon is the second son of a fisherman. Although life is hard, the family is close-knit, loving with many friends in the village. When very young, Ah Boon, on a fishing trip with his father sees islands that no one else sees. That day, many fish are caught giving enough money for Ah Boon to attend school in the village. Here he meets Siok Mei, a bright confident girl. They become fast friends.

The friendship between Ah Boon and Mei continues through their teen years but Mei becomes increasingly radical in her political beliefs bringing Ah Boon into her circle of friends. Eventually, due to pressure from his family and his own questioning, Ah Boon and Mei separate. Ah Boon's father is taken into the military along with his uncle who has been like a father. The father is killed by the Japanese but the uncle returns home.

Eventually Ah Boon manages to get a job as a community organizer and employed by the suspicious Gah Men (Government after WWII). He learns better English, he wears better clothes, and he meets different people. Although many in the village are suspicious of him, his warm personality wins many people over and he has much success in his job. Here he meets Valarie, a young woman from a wealthy family.

There were many times that I had to look up references, words, and some history to fully understand. However, this book provides such a good picture of how national politics affects individuals and families on a daily basis.

The "great reclamation" refers to the fact that the new Singapore government literally built the city of Singapore up from the ocean, bringing huge amounts of sand to build up the land. However, the reclamation project itslef caused drastic changes to the fishing village which was right on the beach. The noise of huge machinery was terrible and people were very distraught. At the same time, the government was building many floored flats for the people to move into. Ah Boon was persuasive and most families saw the advantages including his older brother who was a fisherman. The Uncle, however, was so opposed and there is a huge tension between the two. Yet, the family is portrayed so believable, with arguments, hurts, yet support and love. I especially liked Ah Boon's mother, the sister of Uncle, who tries so hard to keep peace.

Mei remains as a political radical and is imprisoned and Ah Boon is drawn back to her even though he is now engaged to Natalie. The ending of the book kept me reading and loving all these people.

So well-written, so interesting, and although the characters deal with so many problems - fishing, poverty, change, they remain strong and optimistic. Great read.

Phew. An adult dystopian successfully pulled off.

There is so much history and politics in this novel made personal by the tight focus on the characters and the way it shapes their lives and relationships. The Great Reclamation follows Ah Boon from early childhood up through adulthood, showing how his way of life and his place in his community changes through World War II and the Japanese occupation to the push for independence and modernization following the war.

I enjoyed how the characters' relationships were tested and shaped by these events and their politics but also by their hang-ups and enduring personality traits. The characters always felt like themselves even as they went through so many changes and even as you could see how their lives might have gone differently. Despite their different perspectives and the conflicts between them, so many of the characters were sympathetic and complex, with their conflicts being not right v. wrong, but different ideas of what 'progress' or 'improvement' means and what they should be willing to sacrifice for it, if anything at all.

Seeing Ah Boon's life in vivid detail from childhood, created a wonderful tension between a past that is in some ways sweet and nostalgic and in others cut with grief, a present where that past is already being inexorably eroded largely outside the characters' controls, and the various futures they hope to shape.

Clearly this is a backstory to a serial killer. Clearly.

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.

Interesting plotline, but it could have done with a bit more exploration into the minds and motivations of Lea, Kaito, Uju, Anja and the motives of the Suicide Club. The superficial skimming leaves one frustrated.

I received this ARC from Henry Holt and Company in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of this book in any way.

I don't know if I really like this book or not. I definitely don't hate it, but I can't say I particularly liked it. Let's discuss.

Obligatory Summary

Lea Kirino is a high society lifer on the path to immortality and success when a ghost from her past in the form of her long lost father shows up and ruins her chances. He disappeared 80 years ago when she was a child, and now seems to have a lot of secrets, one of which is the Suicide Club, a secret underground organization of influential people who believe in living life to the fullest and dying when and how they choose. As Lea learns to accept her past, she must figure out where her allegiances lie—with her father and the antisanct Suicide Club, or with the Ministry and all it's mundane regulations.

On the other side of this story, we have Anja, whose mother is trapped in a man-made shell of machinery that will live far longer than she has—a portable life support machine. She is intricately and deeply connected to the Suicide Club.

My Thoughts

Okay, this premise sounds interesting enough, doesn't it? It sounds like a journey through the meaning of life and death and politics. But it isn't. Not really.

The big problem—the main problem—with this book is that it is boring. It wasn't predictable, per say, but only because I couldn't really make sense of the characters' motivations. The why's behind their actions. They did whatever Heng wanted them to do, and a lot of the time, it didn't mesh with the world she created. The world was really good, though, with a great atmosphere for the most part.

Because of that, the message of the book didn't really come across. Was it about living your life to the fullest? I think so, but I can't really be sure. Was it an advocate for informed suicide? For assisted suicide? A commentary on the stock market? On the nonsensical trends of high society socialites? A case study on the family? I really can't say.

Beyond all this, it was boring. The plot didn't really start until half way through, and there were several loose threads, which is bad, considering that this is a standalone. It felt like a chore to read this. It took me almost two months to read and it's only 335 pages.

Also, that cover is butt ugly and misleading genre-wise like whoever designed that needs to be fired. (Note: it was Meryl Sussman Levavi)

Excuse me, I read this in 3 days. I DONT EVEN LIKE DYSTOPIAN FICTION. I DONT EVEN LIKE SCIENCE FICTION. So why did I LOVE THIS?? Wow. I think maybe I loved the writing the most. I was not bogged down with scientific terms and descriptions. I felt like I was part of a down-to-earth conversation. I didn’t feel stupid or unwelcome because of heavy writing about a planet that doesn’t exist. That’s why I avoid science fiction. My mind is too simple and reality-based to grasp it and comprehend it. I appreciated that I didn’t have to sift through mind-numbing details about how this dystopian future world functioned. I like to think this would be categorized as more contemporary fiction than science fiction.

Rachel Heng writes in a poetic, easily digestible way. She writes beauty. She describes emotions and people and faces (this woman has a thing for eyes, lots and lots of eye descriptions) in such a natural, wonderful way. I loved Lea and was scared of her. Anja was a mystery but I loved her too. These women were real to me — Lea most of all. Deeply flawed and deeply, unmistakably human.

Very very glad to have received an ARC of this, or I probably otherwise would never have picked it up or have even been on my radar! 4.5 incredibly impressed and blown away stars.½

I received this ARC from Henry Holt and Company in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of this book in any way.

I don't know if I really like this book or not. I definitely don't hate it, but I can't say I particularly liked it. Let's discuss.

Obligatory Summary

Lea Kirino is a high society lifer on the path to immortality and success when a ghost from her past in the form of her long lost father shows up and ruins her chances. He disappeared 80 years ago when she was a child, and now seems to have a lot of secrets, one of which is the Suicide Club, a secret underground organization of influential people who believe in living life to the fullest and dying when and how they choose. As Lea learns to accept her past, she must figure out where her allegiances lie—with her father and the antisanct Suicide Club, or with the Ministry and all it's mundane regulations.

On the other side of this story, we have Anja, whose mother is trapped in a man-made shell of machinery that will live far longer than she has—a portable life support machine. She is intricately and deeply connected to the Suicide Club.

My Thoughts

Okay, this premise sounds interesting enough, doesn't it? It sounds like a journey through the meaning of life and death and politics. But it isn't. Not really.

The big problem—the main problem—with this book is that it is boring. It wasn't predictable, per say, but only because I couldn't really make sense of the characters' motivations. The why's behind their actions. They did whatever Heng wanted them to do, and a lot of the time, it didn't mesh with the world she created. The world was really good, though, with a great atmosphere for the most part.

Because of that, the message of the book didn't really come across. Was it about living your life to the fullest? I think so, but I can't really be sure. Was it an advocate for informed suicide? For assisted suicide? A commentary on the stock market? On the nonsensical trends of high society socialites? A case study on the family? I really can't say.

Beyond all this, it was boring. The plot didn't really start until half way through, and there were several loose threads, which is bad, considering that this is a standalone. It felt like a chore to read this. It took me almost two months to read and it's only 335 pages.

Also, that cover is butt ugly and misleading genre-wise like whoever designed that needs to be fired. (Note: it was Meryl Sussman Levavi)

Fresh and inventive, Suicide Club was an interesting take on the quest for immortality and eternal youth. In the near future, America is on the cusp of immortality. Lifers now live to be nearly 300 years old and word is that soon, death will be eliminated. Lea Kirino has nearly perfect genes, with the right treatments, she can live far longer than most of her peers. Her first century has passed by in a blur, from a strict regimen of nutrients, supplements, and exercise, and government directives. Everything is going along swimmingly; she has her perfect job, fiance, apartment, and body. While walking to work one day she thinks she see her long lost father and crosses the street to get him. When she comes to, she realizes that she's been hit. The government has placed her on "observation" because they are convinced that she's trying to kill herself. Lea is initially furious, she wasn't trying to get into that awful club where lifers (those with great genes) find atrocious ways to kill themselves (so their bodies can't heal). But once she starts going to WeCovery and rediscovers her father, she starts to suspect that their is something her perfect life is missing. Different, dark, and beautifully written. This book will appeal to many readers.

I enjoyed the world building and setting here in this book. It’s set in the future, people now live much longer than normal. They are pumped up with various implants (e.g. Diamondskin) and follow a strict diet and exercise program, and even go as far as to reducing various activities that activate cortisol levels that put them on overdrive. It may seems appealing, because you live longer than the normal life span and you’re looking like a supermodel but at the same time there’s an underlying dictatorial tone where you have to follow the rules or you’ll be seen ‘different’ and won’t be qualified to have these perks anymore. Everything is dictated by the “Ministry” and once you fall off the path you’ll be observed by the men in black which could lead to potentially drastic results.

It’s an interesting world, where suddenly everything that you thought was normal isn’t anymore and is frowned upon. These special perks are not always granted to everyone because it’s also based on your genetics, your job, and your social standing as well. It’s appealing but at the same time it doesn’t sound so fun and it feels like you’re a drone.

The plot itself was interesting and follows two points of view. Lea and Anja. I prefer Anja’s point of view because she’s part of the underground Suicide Club movement for various reasons. She’s a carefree spirit who does what she wants despite society and its’ demands because she’s seen the other side of things and how it’s affected people she cares about (her mom in this instance). The two characters offer two very different perspectives in the novel and it all comes together nicely and seamlessly.

I rather enjoyed the part with Lea and Kaito on the boat. You feel the emotion and the sadness of what’s to come. You feel the regret of moments missed in life and although it can’t be made up in just one sitting, that one moment together still creates a powerful memory that stays with you - which no one can take away. It’s a bittersweet moment and the most memorable in the book.

Although the plot flowed through nicely, I can’t really say I like the writing style. It drags in some parts and it shows an attempt to be lyrical and poetic with way too many descriptions of smells and sights. I understand the point of it being that instead of becoming a drone like everyone else, stop and just live the moment and take in your surroundings. However it bogs down the reading flow and I found myself struggling to keep the pace. Less lyrical prettiness and let’s just get down to the basics shall we? It would have made the reading more enjoyable.

Overall, a great interesting idea and a good deep read. Worth the time to go through.

Would you want to live forever?

In her debut novel Suicide Club, Rachel Heng reaffirms the notion of “be careful what you wish for” and challenges her readers to reflect upon the price they would pay for immortality.

We live in a world where the quest for long life is a multimillion dollar industry. In Heng’s near future setting, people live for hundreds of years. But at what cost?

In this engaging story, Lea Kirino is a successful woman with the potential to live forever. By all accounts, she has a profitable career, a loving relationship, a comfortable apartment. Lea follows all of the suggested guidelines for nutrition (juicing), exercise (low impact, including no running), and avoiding stress (even too much smiling causes unwanted wrinkles).

Then one day, she sees her estranged father on the street and it changes everything. Lea begins to question being a “lifer” as she is confronted by the divergent and illegal ideas of her father and the mysterious Suicide Club.

The Suicide Club is made up of people who challenge the status quo that immortality – and the price one pays for it – is a worthwhile goal. The members are committed to exercising autonomy and control over the course of their lives: to eat what they want, live how they please, and die how (and when) they choose.

Lea begins to question everything; everything she thought was true and right. Heng challenges her readers to consider issues of longevity but also family relationships, wealth and consumption, and what truly makes life worth living - and dying. For me, it brought up contemplation about the right to die with dignity and autonomy, though not specifically taken on in the book.

One of the strengths of Heng's writing - and there are many - is her commitment to detail. Her ability to describe this world is rivaled only by her presentation of it; while she is descriptive in her storytelling, Heng also trusts her reader to put the various pieces together. She takes her time and brings the reader into Lea's world day by day. The result is a dynamic, multidimensional setting and intriguing characters that set the stage for the readers' reflections.

Suicide Club is a thought-provoking novel perfect for readers who like dystopian or speculative fiction that makes you think. I was both entertained and intrigued by the book; it held my interest throughout. With characters you will relate to and a story that will draw you in, Suicide Club is one of the strongest debuts of the year.

Thanks so much to Henry Holt & Co. for providing me an ARE of Suicide Club. All opinions are my own.

This book has an incredibly intriguing premise: in this near-future dystopia set in NYC, immortality is within reach as lives can extend up to 300 years but in order to qualify, you must have good genes and follow a strict ongoing regimen. The population is divided among the "lifers" and those who are unlikely to live more than a mere 100 years, the "sub 100's". In this mad world, anything that may be construed as bad for your health is banned (ice cream, vigorous exercise) and cortisol levels are constantly being measured. Most importantly, euthanasia and suicide attempts are highly illegal.

The main protagonist, Lea, is a young 130 years old and a model lifer. She was blessed with perfect genes and as long as she follows her strict maintenance regimen, she can live forever. Lea has a successful job with the New York Exchange where organs are bought and sold, a wealthy fiancé with pristine genes and a gorgeous apartment. She plans to join the elite Third Wave and become a true immortal until her world is rattled when she sees her estranged father in passing on the street. Lea's path crosses with Anja, another lifer who is struggling to accept the idea of immortality. Anja's mother obsessively spent all of their money on life extension and was one of the first patients treated with new medical procedures. Her mother received a new heart but as she aged, she has become brain-dead and immobile but her heart keeps beating on. Anja does not want her mother to suffer but she is not allowed to end her precious life.

This is a truly brilliant world that Heng built and I really wanted to love this book but sadly, I struggled through the entire story and did not find the narrative engaging. The novel starts on a promising note but it soon begins to drag, becomes repetitive and plot holes begin to form. I loathed the main protagonist, Lea. She seemed immature for her age and was simply unbearable. I think the novel would've redeemed itself if it was narrated by Anja, a Swedish immigrant living in her New York. Anja was a much more pleasant character and her backstory was compelling. I did love the idea of the Suicide Club, a secret group of people who did not want to live forever and found a way to end their lives honorably. The book also makes us question ourselves, our world and what life means to us.

It's important to remember that this is Heng's debut novel and she shows definite promise. I would read anything she puts out in the future and look forward to seeing her develop as a writer. I think this book is worth reading if you are okay with a slow, unengaging narrative but extremely interesting premise. Just don't question the story too much. I rated this as three stars solely for the dystopian world that Heng created that is equally terrifying and plausible. Overall, I think this is mainly a thought-provoking story about family and the choices we make for love.

I purchased this book from Amazon to read. All opinions are my own. 🌟🌟🌟🌟Suicide Club by Rachel Heng. In this future world Lea is an overachiever. She has spent all of her life chasing immortality. The company she works for trades human organs like it's the New York Stock Exchange and are striving to keep everyone living forever. On her way to work one day Lea has an incident and is placed under watch by the Ministry (government of sorts) and while attempting to get her life back she stumbles upon a group of rebels that are striving to fight the immortality laws and live (and die) by life on their terms. In a pursuit for what Lea believes is right strange things happen to the relationships Lea builds and maybe immortality hasn't always been her dream after all. Review also posted on Instagram @borenbooks, Library Thing, Go Read, Goodreads/StacieBoren, Amazon, Twitter @jason_stacie, and my blog at readsbystacie.com

My favorite science fiction is the kind that starts with trends that are happening now and then stretches them into the future in ways that are both plausible and ridiculous. Suicide Club is exactly that. It takes place in New York City roughly 300 years into the future where our obsession with healthy lifestyle trends has become the organizing principle of society. The all-abiding “Sanctity of Life Act” makes life all about longevity and nothing about living.

Lea Kimino is a successful, young hundred-year-old, a perfect physical specimen with a great job and benefits until the day she sees her long-lost, fugitive father and chases after him, stepping into traffic. This indicates she is not sufficiently concerned about her life, especially since she won’t explain, so they send her off to We-Covery and a couple federal agents monitor her at work and home, speaking to colleagues and even her boyfriend to investigate her antisanct activities.

Anja is another lifer–the people whose natal genetic test qualified them for a lifetime of longevity enhancements like self-healing skin, all trademarked to hilarious effect. She and her famed opera singer mother immigrated from Sweden so her mother could pursue the more aggressive American search for immortality. Of course, that meant that their musical careers suffered because the greatest enemy in this new America is cortisol, which meant avoiding emotional stimulation such as enjoying music. In fact, everything that makes life enjoyable seems to be bad for the constant equanimity of living forever.

They meet in We-Covery and both of them have important decisions to make about their parents. Lea’s father wants to die and Anja’s mother is mostly dead, except for a few enhanced body parts that won’t shut down. Meanwhile, the Suicide Club is broadcasting videos of lifers committing quite horrific suicides, their dramatic methods needed to overcome all the immortalizing technologies preserving their bodies.

I loved Suicide Club. It is such a clever idea and a beautiful send-up of the glut of self-help and diet crazes. It also poses the essential question, is living a long time more important than really living? The store cash register than adds up your RDA of nutrients, fat, carbs, salt, etc cracked me up. The whole birthday cake that is made for cutting, not eating, all of the satiric hilarity is a necessary balance to the gruesome realities of immortality.

I received an e-galley of Suicide Club from the publisher through NetGalley.

Suicide Club at Henry Holt & Co. | Macmillan
Rachel Heng author site

★★★★
https://tonstantweaderreviews.wordpress.com/2018/07/25/9781250185341/

In the world of Suicide Club, selection is based not on race, class or intellect but on the genetic potential for longevity. Lifers are nurtured and given state-of-the-art treatment and nutrition. What happens to everyone else is less clear, although we do get hints as the story progresses.

Lea is a Lifer, a true believer and at 100 years old is looking forward to living much longer, or even possibly being selected for immortality. Anja is dealing with the reality of a mother whose consciousness is gone but whose body refuses to die.

Events bring each to a crisis. Lea is confronted by her dissident father and Anja sees an opportunity to help her mother.

What I like about Suicide Club is that not everything is explained. We get a picture of a society where life is sacred and there is immense pressure to maintain good health and lifestyle. What we don’t know is why the government moved in this direction, rather than being in the pockets of alcohol, tobacco and fast food manufacturers as many western governments are now. There is a falling birthrate, but whether this is due to loss of fertility or individual choice is not clear.

This uncertainty doesn’t bother me. Most people, most of the time, don’t stop to think about how their society came to be where it is or how things might have been different. Both Lea and Anja are thoughtful characters but their reflections are on their own situations within the context of their world as is.

This isn’t so much a thriller as a thoughtful, beautifully written novel about two women considering what it means to live and to die. It portrays a society where people are coerced by kindness rather than cruelty to live in a particular way of life, which raises interesting questions for readers across the political spectrum.
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I received a copy of Suicide Club from the publisher via Netgalley.
Read more of my reviews on my blog katevane.com/blog

I think this book needed more of everything. More world building. More character development. More plot. The concept was a really interesting one, and I thought the plot was just really slow moving, until I got to the end are realized there just wasn't much of one. Honestly I had a hard time pushing myself to finish. I wish there had been more about how this new future worked, how it got that way and why the US seemed to be alone in it. I think that may have helped to hold more of my interest. I received an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

"Lea Kirino is a “Lifer,” which means that a roll of the genetic dice has given her the potential to live forever―if she does everything right. And Lea is an overachiever. She’s a successful trader on the New York exchange―where instead of stocks, human organs are now bought and sold―she has a beautiful apartment, and a fiancé who rivals her in genetic perfection. And with the right balance of HealthTech™, rigorous juicing, and low-impact exercise, she might never die.
But Lea’s perfect life is turned upside down when she spots her estranged father on a crowded sidewalk. His return marks the beginning of her downfall as she is drawn into his mysterious world of the Suicide Club, a network of powerful individuals and rebels who reject society’s pursuit of immortality, and instead choose to live―and die―on their own terms. In this future world, death is not only taboo; it’s also highly illegal. Soon Lea is forced to choose between a sanitized immortal existence and a short, bittersweet time with a man she has never really known, but who is the only family she has left in the world."
This book was very difficult to read and to follow. I had a very hard time getting into the story as well. The author basically makes it into AA for people who don't want to live forever. I found the protagonist very boring and an interesting as well as most of the other characters.
To say the least I would not recommend this book.