SUICIDE CLUB

5 stars out of 5

"Brave New World." "Soylent Green." "Thelma and Louise." All of these - and a couple more classics - popped into my head as I read this mesmerizing debut novel. More to the point, if I were given the chance to live for hundreds of years - most of them sans anything I now consider fun to do, eat or wear - would I want it? Now that I've finished this book, I'm still not totally sure, but I've sure got plenty of considerations to factor into my decision (and a doggone good story to illustrate them).

The setting is New York City sometime in the future, when research has found ways for people to live to 100 and far beyond. Those "Lifers" - chosen mostly according to genetic tests  - get regular "maintenance" and replacement parts, like fake but realistic skin, blood and internal organs. They also must follow strict and ever-changing dictums; they cannot, for instance, eat bacon or open windows because doing these things might be detrimental to their well-being. Now, these Lifers are looking forward to the Third Wave, when those selected to be on The List will receive updates that will allow them to live to 300.

Two of these Lifers are Lea and Anja; Lea is about 80 years old and Anja is just over 100. Lea, whose mother died not too long ago, enjoys super success in her career (her father left the family years ago). Anja is caring for her 150-year-old mother, who remains alive - if one could call it that - only because her fake parts are still working (but they're starting to wear out). Anja is also a somewhat reluctant member of the Suicide Club, a group of Lifers who have come to reject the concept of extreme longevity and at some point commit suicide to escape both the fakeness of their bodies and the absence of a truly enjoyable life.

Quite unexpectly, Lea's idyllic existence gets a jolt. Hit by a car when she veers off the standard walking path to chase a man she thinks is her long-disappeared father, she finds herself constantly monitored by the "Observers," who believe she was attempting suicide - a no-no for anyone who aspires to be named to The List. Since her father is an outcast from the utopian society in which she thrives, she dare not tell the truth - that she was trying to reach him and simply not paying attention to her surroundings.

The future of her perfect life now in limbo, Lea tries to prove she's still worthy of The List. She's also been ordered to group therapy sessions, and it is here that she meets Anja, who works with "Sub-100s" - the folks who didn't qualify for replacement parts and will die naturally of old age. Still looking for ways to redeem herself, Lea goes to a meeting of the Suicide Club, where she sees not only Anja, but someone else who's very special to her.

Even if it didn't touch on touchy subjects like engineered humans and euthanasia, this would be a wonderful book simply because of the characters. They're real, they question life and don't always get the answers they seek. But raising those issues makes it even more meaningful; as the characters try to deal with them, readers must do the same (and I admit I didn't come away with conclusive answers). All told, this is a totally engrossing, powerful story I highly recommend, and I thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to read an advance review copy.

Suicide Club by Rachel Heng (Henry Holt and Co., July 2018); 352 pp.