A wonderful slice of black humour set in a future world where environmental issues have made the earth a pretty grim place to live. As a result, suicides are commonplace, supported by a burgeoning cottage industry providing those who have had enough with an easy way out. One such emporium is run by the Tuvache family - father Mishima, mother Lucrece, daughter Marilyn and sons Vincent and Alan (all the kids are named after famous people who have committed suicide - Monroe, Van Gogh and Turing respectively).
Coming across like a cross between the Addams Family and the Maitlands from Beetlejuice, the Tuvaches are goth to the max, apart from Alan, who is the black sheep of the family as he loves life more than anything, and seems to inadvertently dissuade people from shopping in their store with his sunny life-affirming demeanour.
What follows is a wonderful tale of rediscovering the "joie de vivre" that exists in us all. A small but perfectly formed tale. Highly recommended.

Thank you Net Galley. I enjoyed this quick read immensely. I laughed as i read it, prompting my family to ask me for a look. The blurb sounded interesting, but the book surpassed my expectations. I am doubly happy as I have also discovered a new author.

Well, I was going to give this 4 stars, until those last three words. The story was unique and it was definitely a nice change of pace for me, but I felt like the ending was a huge cop-out. I almost want to give it two stars now, but I'll be generous and go with 3. I feel like if you like French farce and Lars von Trier movies (he likes cop-out ending too), then you might like this one.

**I received this copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review**

A beautifully dark read. Jean Teule makes the reader feel immersed in this story. How many of us feel like a Tuvache in a world of Alans? Or an Alan in a world of Tuvaches?

This is a wonderfully weird little novel about a shop that provides the means for people to commit suicide and the influence upon his family of an optimistic child named Alan. There is a real tongue in cheek quality to the prose which leads to one reading the novel with a constant smirk. The characters are well written and engaging and the day to day lives of the family make for a truly different read.

This is certainly an original book. Such an unusual topic for a novel.

It is more of a long short story, than a full blown novel. For that I am thankful.

There is some clever writing and some dark humour in the pages, but for me this is just a little too surreal to get to grips with, hence the rating of only two stars.

Is it a family saga?
Is it a story about failed relationship within a family?
Is there something deeper going on?
Is it science fiction?

Does it have a proper ending? In a way it does, but you'll need to read it for yourself to find out what it is.

Thanks to Netgalley and Gallic Books for a copy in exchange for this honest review.

VERDICT: A quirky and hilarious French novel, typical of Teulé, about finding and spreading happiness.

Teulé actually got the idea of this novel while researching for his book on the life of the French poet Verlaine. He read about a periodical founded by poets, called The Suicide Shop. This is a very hilarious book, with a great message, though the ending is bittersweet.
The Tuvache family is running a unique shop, providing their customers with all kinds of mean to put an end to their lives. You have to realize the story happens some time down the line, when life is hardly bearable on Earth, because of pollution and terrorism.
Their business is thriving, until they give birth to Alan (there’s a neat explanation on his name!), who already smiled to the customers as a baby. This is totally out of line with the profile of the shop! Alan grows into a very cheerful and optimistic boy to the utter horror of his parents, his brother and sister, as it could drive away customers.

‘He only ever notices the bright side of things,’ sighs Lucrèce, raising a hand that trembles with indignation. ‘We force him to watch the TV news to try and demoralize him’.
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The characters are totally hilarious, each with his/her own debilities and idiosyncrasies. The customers as well!
And it is quite creative the things you can find in this shop!
Alan’s optimism and love get gradually contagious on the members of his family, and little by little turn upside down the very purpose of the shop.
I really enjoyed the message of the book, on how to find happiness in everything and how it can be your mission in life.

Their collective happiness, their sudden faith in the future and those radiant smiles on their faces are his life ’s work.
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There are also lough out loud passages on the government, but you would not expect less from a French author, would you?

The government, recognizing its own incompetence and its culpability, has decided to commit mass suicide tonight , live on TV! Can you prepare what’s needed?
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Let me specify that the translation was fabulous. I know how difficult it is to translate humor. This was flawless and so much fun, even in English.
Of course I didn’t like the ending of the book, but knowing Teulé, I was actually expecting it and it didn’t come as a surprise. Typically quirky French literature!