3.75 / 5 ⭐
Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Dutton for my advanced review copy.

This was like a Black Mirror episode about toxic relationships.

Enka is envious of her art school “friend” Mathilde. Mathilde has it all, she is an original artist with original and unique pains. Enka is instantly drawn to her and at first the two form a genuine friendship. Later after a tragedy befalls Mathilde, Enka is given the opportunity to share her best friend’s brain–and take away some of her pain.

The story itself was original and I enjoyed the scifi aspects. I didn’t find myself particularly interested in any of the characters but they were well-developed. I had a good idea of who Mathilde, Enka, and Logan all were.

There were points where the writing style did feel like it was trying too hard. I can enjoy purple prose, but this felt like parts of the book stylistically did not flow and it made a 205 page book a bit slow and maybe even boring at times.

This book explores jealousy, toxic relationships, originality, AI, and the vanity of technology. I definitely understood what Huang was saying with this book and I think those were the best parts. Parts of this felt like a horror story and I wanted a bit more of that and less flowery reflections from the narrator. I did find myself losing interest in the middle of the book and the ending felt abrupt.

This was by no means marketed as science fiction, but I think it could be. I did not find the world difficult to understand and I enjoyed the amount of cyberpunk setting we received.

Overall this story is unique and poignant, but I think it could have been more engaging.

I went into this book knowing absolutely nothing about the premise, and it blew me away! This was the exact kind of weird literary fiction that I love. A story that dives into female friendship, the cuthroat scene of art school, and the allure of extreme wealth, this was one to remember. I just couldn't believe that this story kept getting weirder and wilder, and I was hanging onto every word of it. Perfect for fans of weird litfic, Immaculate Conception is a book that's stuck with me long after I turned the last page.

A fascinating, haunting story of artistic love diving deep into the depths of the psyche. This book examines how much a person would go through to keep personal connections alive, but how far is too far? When boundaries begin to blur between friends, the reader is thrust into an advanced technology that fosters many ethical questions. This story is horrific in its subtle development that lingers in your mind. I think this could be a reread for me one day to see how it impacts me in different seasons of life.

Thank you also to NetGalley, Dutton, and author Ling Ling Huang for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Goodness, this book was a lot. I can’t say it was my favorite by the author, but it’s one I’ll never forget. Lots of commentary on society’s view of conceiving and reproduction. Really makes you think!

(Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.)

Immaculate Conception is one of the best examples of a dirtbag narrator I've ever read. In the near future, Matilde and Enka are art students in a prestigious art school. Their work is challenged by AI and the continued need to be more creative, more imaginative than anyone ever has been before. Matilde is wildly successful early on, fueled by intense childhood trauma, while Enka broods on her lack of opportunity and support for her art as a fringe kid.
Enka is so cold as a narrator, her relationships are widely superficial with the exception of her relationship with Matilde, which is intensely exploitative and invasive. It goes beyond friendship, leaning into a queer space, where neither of these women understand the other no matter the level of intimacy between them. This novel is like an episode of Black Mirror, with such complicated layers that I kept being surprised by the twists. Lots of conversations about consent in love, art, and technology. These are meaningful, yet this book is not especially fun to read. It reminds me at times of Yellowface by RF Kuang, but where Kuang let's the reader in on the joke through the absurdity of the protagonist, Huang makes Enka mundane, borderline relatable in her monstrosity.
3.5 rounded up
Thanks to NetGalley and Dutton for this ARC!

I loved this book! It kept my engaged the whole time, and I read it in 2 sittings. It went in directions I was not expected in the art and AI space, and I really enjoyed the exploration of the intersection of these topics.

Both tender and provocative, this book blends myth, faith, and identity in ways that feel entirely new. It challenged and moved me in equal measure.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC of this title. I found this book quite compelling, if a little longer than it needed to be to set up the back story. I appreciate a near future sci-fi story that unfolds slowly over time. The main difference between our current reality and that of the book seems small, but has a huge impact over time, and it was interesting to think about.

In Immaculate Conception we follow the friendship between two art students and how it changes and grows over the course of their lives. Set in a near future where several unsettling technological “advancements” have been made and the line between progress and dehumanization is becoming increasingly thin.

This was a well-written and thought-provoking book, but I found the content to be genuinely disturbing at times. It offers a creepy dystopian glimpse into a future where technology is so deeply embedded into daily life that people have forgotten how to interact meaningfully with each other. This leads to the development of The Scaffold, a device implanted into the brains of two willing participants to allow them insight into the other person, to live through their experiences as a way to experience empathy. Even though this seems to be one of the big marketing points of the book we don’t see it at work until much later into the book. By then we have all the world building and character development that leads to the actual use of the device. I appreciated that all these themes are explored but it did have a lot going on and at times I wasn’t sure where we were heading

Most of the characters were unlikable, which I think was supposed to be intentional. Mathilde stood out as the emotional core of the story and against the highly technical background she really stood out as a touch point for the reader. I also liked the depiction of female friendship, how one person can appear caring while quietly holding onto jealousy and resentment. It was a layered portrayal of their friendship that felt impactful and was well done

The pacing seemed a bit uneven at times, but in hindsight that might be less about the structure and more about how off-kilter the I felt reading the book. The technological “advancements” were horrifying to read about but delivered in the most nonchalant way which really threw me off balance. It’s clear the author put a lot of thought and care into developing the narrative and exploring empathy connection and what it means to be human using the friendship to provide a timeline but ultimately it was a little too much for me. I can absolutely see why other people (probably someone smarter than me) would enjoy it and I can even see it being something that gets studied in higher education. But it wasn’t a fun read at all, if anything it was a terrible way to imagine how the future could look like

TLDR; Good but scary, but could be fun for someone much smarter than me

Thanks to Netgalley and Dutton for this e-ARC that I chose to read and review

I've tried twice to read this and DNF'd it both times. Ugh... this was such a highly anticipated release for me, as I really enjoyed Natural Beauty. This one just didn't work for me. I was bored? I liked the worldbuilding and discussions of art and AI, but felt so disconnected to the characters. I'm afraid I have to officially call it on this one, I just can't see myself trying again.

If the best art can make the experiencer feel strong emotions, than this book is incredible art.
Huang beautifully tells a story of a close female friendship through the lens of jealousy and ambition. There are few emotions the reader doesn’t experience while reading this book.

I did feel like the book tries to tackle a lot of different topics (the ethics of AI art, conservatorships, clones, and what constitutes truly original art, etc) and maybe the arguments surrounding each would have been stronger by choosing fewer to feature; but at the same time, I bet each reader will come away from this book pondering something different - making this story a good choice for bookclub discussions.

Overall, I had just as good a time with Immaculate Conception as I did with Huang’s previous Natural Beauty. She is an author I hope has more books coming because I love her written voice and interesting concepts.

Thanks so much to Dutton Books and NetGalley for my ARC and to Aardvark Bookclub for my finished copy!

Took me a minute to be in the right head-space for this one, but ultimately I ended up really liking it and LLH is definitely an auto-buy author for me now! IMMACULATE CONCEPTION is such a great and nuanced study on art, female friendships, platonic love, how technology continues to shape our world and how we communicate with one another, the darker side of societal norms and expectations, and the lengths we choose to go to achieve what we deem makes us most powerful and in control. LLH's prose is beautiful, atmospheric, and captures that feeling of obsession and longing so perfectly..... while I do feel like the pace meandered a bit in the middle, IMMACULATE CONCEPTION is ultimately is a very well executed, thought-provoking story, filled with unexpected twists and lots to ponder on both during and after reading!

The best description I can give is similar to an amusement park fun house - another twist and turn around every corner. And honestly? Not mad about it at all. I found the discussions in this book intriguing and incredibly relevant in today's society. Also, the obsession story turned horror story of two female friends was impeccable! This was another wonderful telling of what can happen when technology becomes the forefront of society and how one woman's obsession can become a downfall of integrity.

"Immaculate Conception" by Ling Ling Huang was interesting, unusual, creative and captivating. Loved the imaginary future, a variation of the reality we know, the consequences of an alluring life, art, social hierarchy, and technology. Clever, unique, and overall enjoyable novel. Thank you NetGalley, the author and publisher for the review copy. All opinions are my own.

Ling Ling Huang is a must-read for me. Add in a complicated female friendship and art school and I could not read this fast enough. The reality, however, was that I had to pause to absorb the deliciously weird world Huang had created. I also had to pause at times to absorb the brilliant language. What a gift of a novel. I don't want to give anything away, so I'll add my voice to the chorus of "you have to read this novel!"

This sophomore novel by Ling Ling Huang is such a hit (for me.) In Immaculate Conception the reader follows Enka and her friendship with Mathilde. Two college students who befriend each other in art school, despite working in two different mediums. The novel follows Enka and Mathilde's complicated relationship from college, adulthood, stardom, and even one's own bodily autonomy.

Huang's art references are rich, her nuance in how art school looks, and even the art market/museum world is incredible. Not only that, Huang also ventures into the realm of technology in art, bodily autonomy, and who/what makes art. This novel never gives reader director answers around art, bodily autonomy, and technology. Rather it asks the reader to think critically and look at the world she has written, because we will soon be there. Are we as readers comfortable with art made via technology, are we comfortable with technological divides, etc.

Throughout the novel the reader explores how technology and art's future's art intermingled and who get's to make the decision for artists, their work, and their body, especially when shareholder's values are at stake.

I could wax poetically about this novel, but I do not want to give any spoilers. I just loved it. It feels so of the now, but is also creates this future that feels like it will actually happen. I also love how much attention to detail the author spent on art and actual artists. This is a five star read for me and I cannot wait for Ling Ling Huang's next novel.

Oooh such an interesting book about art, female relationships, and power. This is a book I’d never have imagined and was so thought provoking. I was captivated by the beginning and am here for all of its social commentaries.

Ling Ling Huang does not have to worry about the sophomore slump with her latest book. It is definitely a hit.

I’ll start by saying that I did not like Enka, who is one of the main characters in the book. And I’m fine with that. The author writes Enka’s descent into jealousy and sabotage in a way that takes you by surprise. Every time I thought Enka was about to become a better person, she does something so egregious that it’s shocking. One particular event made me say “why did you do that?” out loud because I was so shocked. That one thing caused so much damage to people who didn’t deserve it at all.

The book also explores how technology can be used in nefarious ways, even if the wielder is trying to be innovative. Richard and Monika Dahl are AWFUL, the type of wealthy people that brag about being philanthropic in public while doing terrible things in private.

Mathilde, the other main character in the book, is written so well. She is a naturally talented artist, who meets Enka while they’re in art school. Mathilde’s talent is unmatched and she becomes a global sensation almost immediately. And for this she suffers the most, by her hand and others who want access to her brilliance. Her friendship with Enka is tested over and over again and the author does a wonderful job of seeing how success of one friend can taint the other.

I truly enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more of Huang’s work.

Ling Ling Huang is an auto-read author for me! Her writing is always incredible, and while the pacing slowed a bit for me around the middle, I couldn't call some of the twists and really loved the journeys of both Enka and Mathilde. More more more!

Ling Ling Huang you are a genius and thank you for writing weird gay books that both chill and invoke deep deep longing.