I love finding science fiction stories I have not read before. This book also tackles a topic that has been in the public eye for a while now, how AI and technology more generally affect artists and copyright systems. This would be a great book for fans of the books of Cory Doctorow and William Gibson.

If the potential implications of AI-generated art keep you up at night and you love reading about relationships between jealous codependent artist friends, then this may be for you. This was the first 5-star read I have had in a long time, I did not expect it to go in a biotech/AI direction, but I enjoyed the winding path it took me on.

Enka and Mathilde, classmates who attend the prestigious Berkshire College of Art and Design, are two artists who seek to stay relevant in the quickly changing technological landscape. Set in a futuristic world where artists must keep pushing creative boundaries to questionable lengths; a Sci Fi take on the art world, in which changing one’s spinal joints to ball joints to rotate like Dr. Frankenstein’s play toy is just what it takes. Enka, a scholarship student, always feels in competition with Mathilde, a creative genius in the making. Spanning through their young adulthood to middle age, the women maintain a connection, parasitic and unrelenting in their quest to create.

Thank you Penguin Group Dutton for this ARC.

Art, technology, horror?! What's not to love? Huang is an expert at creating an atmosphere that is chilling and inviting. The themes in this book will have you questioning what our future will look like and what the power of obsession can do.

“If you have enough of it, money can keep the unseemly from happening to you, and the unsightly from view.”

Ling Ling Huang’s Immaculate Conception is a sprawling speculative fiction novel that spans decades and tackles a dizzying variety of topics. Art, AI, capitalism, female friendship, nature/nurture, conservatorships, motherhood, the ethical implications of cloning… the list goes on endlessly.

The resulting novel is captivating and moving, but at times a bit trudging and unfocused. I do want to give Huang major kudos for the way she depicts Enka and Mathilde’s art - I didn’t have to suspend disbelief to accept that audiences were captivated by their art, because the concepts she crafted for them were truly captivating. 3*.

Thank you to Dutton and NetGalley for providing this e-arc.

This is a story about originality and identity.
The fallout from the convergence of art and technology.

This is a story about overconsumption, over-convenience, and over-policing.
The further commodification of pain and trauma when artistic expression and freedom are stripped away.

This is a story about comparisons.
The known ways in which we see ourselves and the (un)known ways in which others see us.

This is a story about friendship.
The bond that is sometimes so overpowering it crosses the line into love. Or obsession.

“Immaculate Conception” asks us to pause—to reflect. If we got everything we ever wanted, would we finally be happy?

• when enka meets mathilde in art school, she is immediately drawn to her, seeing her as making original art, while enka feels lacking in her talent. their close friendship quickly becomes codependent, especially as mathilde becomes increasingly more famous. when enka marries a billionaire whose company is funding new biotech that allows people to access the thoughts & memories of others, already fuzzy boundaries between enka & mathilde begin to blur further, altering their relationship forever.
• this book painted a really interesting picture of two close friends who are also always in direct competition with one another, and looking at the things we’ll do to achieve success.
• ultimately i was a little disappointed by this book, as the tech part didn’t come into play until the final part, which was the most interesting part, and i wish we had more time with it.

This book didn't land for me. I felt like the author was trying to hard to make it a Lit Fic book, and it felt really pretentious. I just couldn't really get into this book.

Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!

This book is well timed, as conversations around AI and Art are more necessary now than they ever have been before, but something bout this book felt a bit unreachable for me. It may have been the pretentiousness of the characters or points where the narrative lost itself in trying to do too many things at once, but it just wasn’t my favourite read.

This wasn’t my favorite, I got the feeling that the author was trying too hard to be literary and smart & meaningful, it came off as somewhat pretentious which I hate.

The writing per usual is above average, but after reading 2 of her books and feeling lukewarm about them both, I think I can safely say that she is just not for me.

i lack the talent to be an artist, but that won't stop me from obsessively reading about them.

that made this book very relatable.

it took me ages to read this because it is so immersed in the world of a truly gruesome heroine, who is consumed by envy and self-pity. but it also made it an unflinching and exciting read. the themes of legacy, identity, success, and art were a lot to chew on. i didn't adore the author's debut, which made this all the more impressive.

Immaculate Conception felt emotionally and structurally bogged down. The dynamic of a friend from a disadvantaged background feeling jealous of her affluent, talented friend and subtly sabotaging her is pretty redundant and familiar. Even though the story doesn't offer anything new to that trope, the motivation, the jealousy, the insecurity, and the desperation to prove one's worth were portrayed well enough to feel believable.
Set against the backdrop of the art world, the novel raises some interesting questions about what it means to create something original, the progression of AI, and its threat to the art industry. These reflections were well thought out and are relevant in today's world, which is becoming more and more digital. It also touches on bodily autonomy and how control over one’s own body, and creative expression can be exploited by larger systems. This portrayal particularly reminded me of Britney Spears conservatorship and even The Vegetarian by Hang Kang with its depiction of a woman gradually stripped of her voice and autonomy. If I were to recommend the book, it's solely for its thematic reflection, because the narrative structure, unfortunately, hinders any emotional connection with the characters. The constant shifting between past and present, along with flash-forwards, was overused and didn’t work in this story's favor at all. As a result, no momentum was built and I struggled to stay immersed in the characters' relationships.

That said, I've got to give it to Ling Ling for crafting body horror and sci-fi elements like no one else. The atmosphere she builds is uncanny and chilling, reminding me why I fell in love with her work in the first place.

This novel is a sharp, unsettling exploration of the ethics of art—how jealousy can drive self-improvement, but also how it can quietly sabotage ambition and potential. I was especially drawn to the world-building, where art and technology blur in fascinating, sometimes disturbing ways. The idea that AI can be used to create transcendent art—and whether that's ethically justifiable—is a timely and provocative thread throughout the story.

What truly stood out to me were the complex themes of jealousy and greed, all tangled within a toxic friendship that feels authentic and never overwrought. The emotional stakes are high, and the tension is masterfully sustained. As you read, you’re constantly forced to ask: Can genius be taught? Or is it something you have to steal—or suffer for?

If you're looking for a book that will rattle you, make you question your closest relationships, and leave a hollow ache in your chest this one delivers.

I liked it even more than Natural Beauty

I loved this book. Ling Ling Huang is definitely one of my favourite authors now. Brilliant writing and perfect amount of suspense. Masterfully done storytelling.

How much of what we do for others is actually done more for ourselves? What do we lose when we only get what we want?

Thank you Dutton Books for the eARC!

Immaculate Conception by Ling Ling Huang is one of those books that burrows inside your brain, and the more you think about it, the more you are compelled to believe that that collection of words you read is more than a book, but a masterful work of art.

Seriously. This book is officially my third favorite book of the year. And I cannot stop thinking about it. There was a point when I was reading that I had to stop just because I was connecting so many dots, and it was hitting so close to home, and I was feeling everything so intensely. The list of socially and emotionally relevant topics the author tackles is long, but she blends each stroke of thematic nuance perfectly. Take the concept of gatekeeping. From the most literal to figurative, I could list at least five different examples from the book, each one a very real concern or fear. But the one that hurts the most is the mirror.

For those that like comprehensive world-building and need extra time with the characters to buy into their relationships, you might want more than you get here. For me, it wasn’t an issue. I got what I needed to understand the characters and how the world helped shape who they were, with space to speculate beyond what was written.

If you are fascinated by the art world, love characters that don't always do the right thing, and are concerned with how advances in technology pose dangers to creativity and autonomy, you should definitely read this.

TW/CW: 911 mention, depression, anxiety, grieving, mourning, death of parents, death by suicide, death of baby, gaslighting, toxic family relationships, toxic friendships, cutting, racism

*****SPOILERS*****
About the book:
Enka meets Mathilde in art school. Mathilde is a dizzyingly talented yet tortured artist whose star is on the rise—and Enka, struggling to make art that feels original, is immediately drawn to her. The two strike up an intense bond that soon turns codependent. But when Mathilde’s fame reaches new heights, Enka becomes desperate to keep her best friend close—no matter the cost.

Enka quickly falls in love with and marries a billionaire whose family’s company is funding an unconventional technology purported to heighten empathy, which could allow someone else to inhabit Mathilde’s mind and absorb the trauma from her brain. Soon, the boundaries between Mathilde and Enka begin to blur even further, setting in motion a disturbing series of events that forever changes their lives.
Release Date: May 13th, 2025
Genre: Horror
Pages: 304
Rating: ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

What I Liked:
1. Dystopian setting
2. Writing style was good
3. Enka is the biggest villain

What I Didn't Like:
1. "You breathe in and I breathe out" repeated over and over
2. First 20% of book was dull feeling and saturated with boring art stats and styles
3. Some parts felt repetitive at times

Overall Thoughts:
{{Disclaimer: I write my review as I read}}

Enka's obsession with Mathilde is creepy. I can't understand how Enka was able to get into this program. She has no art direction and seems to just copy other people.

This weird world where French people are treated like paras is crazy.

I hate Enka. She ignores Mathilde for years but then she is getting married so she wants her there. It's like why? She gets jealous when people give Mathilde attention when Enka wanted the attention of knowing Mathilde in person. She doesn't make any sense. She says she isn't jealous but she clearly is. She then goes right back to ignoring her after the wedding.

When Enka finds Mathilde and sees she's grieving the death of her child she pretty much dismisses her feelings and tells her to get over it.

Enka even thinks she's happy that Mathilde's child die so she can be there for her kids. What a terrible friend. There was like one moment where I actually felt bad for Enka and that was how Mona treated her and wouldn't let her have a relationship with her child. That's all I am willing to give Enka!

Ahh and then Enka sells out Mathilde and says she is self harming and needs to stay because Enka needs her for her art.

Omg so Enka can actually get worse... When she finds out that Mathilde is kind of like a modern marvel she pulls out the tube for her testing changing the results. I only have one issue with this though since the one scientist saw her scan how would he have not noticed that it changed when he left the room and wasn't what it said before?

Shut up that Logan is actually a clone of his father's dna. I gasped out loud!

Ahhhhhh and now Enka is getting access to Mathilde’s brain and is thinking of taking her talent for her own.

Of course this piece of crap human Enka would tell her husband that he is nothing and not human. How horrible.

I can not believe that Enka gets a happy ending. She gets the husband she ruined. She gets the family and friends. Everyone thinks that Mathilde is dead and now she has woken up enough to ask for pen and paper to draw, but we know Enka hasn't changed and she's going to steal all her art.

Final Thoughts:
Can A24 get on making this a movie yet???

My heart is weeping for Mathilde. She lost everything just because she gave Enka a chance at friendship. She was already so broken and she trusted her only for this psycho to bleed her dry.

I almost quit this book the first 75 pages in because it was art heavy (yes, I know it's what the book was about) but something told me to stick with it and see where it went - I am so glad I did! It took so many turns from a toxic friendship, to a weird dystopian world, and then husband that's a clone. It was such a crazy story. I started with one star, went to three stars, jumped to 4 stars, and ended with this book getting 5 stars, but how could I give it any less!? So much packed into 300 pages.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really tried to get into Immaculate Conception, I promise—but it just didn’t work for me. I had to DNF at 9%, which I know is super early, but I couldn’t connect with the writing or the story. It felt distant and hard to engage with, even though the premise had potential. I’m sure it’ll resonate with the right reader, but sadly, that wasn’t me.

Immaculate Conception was a great read! I love Huang's writing. I liked the characters and the exploration of art, money, and technology.

I liked this! It was a good mix of science fiction and weird chick lit that it felt like a taste breaker but also was right up my alley. I think that it would have benefited from concentrating more on one concept than as many as were commented on because it would’ve added the extra depth that I feel could take this from a 4 star to 5 star read for me.

Everything I need from a literary fiction. My new auto buy author!!! I loved her debut novel and this one did not disappoint - it had that same raw and eerie quality that forces you to reflect.