This book asks a lot of interesting questions, I won't really get into it in detail to avoid spoilers, but it does make you sit there and think for a while.

🎨 the intrusion of Ai and its exploitation of artists'
🎨 Nature vs. Nurture.
🎨 the ethics of advancing technology.
🎨 is it friendship and love or jealousy and manipulation.
🎨elitism and wealth inequality.

🤯🤯🤯There was a twist in here I did not see coming 🤯🤯🤯

I also think this would make a fantastic Black Mirror episode.

❗️This would of been 5 stars BUT I took a star off for the pacing, it was a little too slow and inconsistent at times and even though it was an engaging read and I enjoyed the story as a whole I think it took a little too long to get to the SCAFFOLD plot.

📖 Read this if you enjoy: art, technology, obsession, grief, trauma, intense codependent relationships, blurred lines of friendship, frayed boundaries, slow burns, dystopian, litfic/speculative/scifi, thought provoking stories.

✨️quotes✨️

"All I'm trying to say is, I didn't concent to being healed."

"If jealousy was a well, I'd never reached the bottom, hadn't realized the well was a tunnel to the mother of envy, which is awe."

"What an unbelievable scam it is to get everything you've been told to want."

Many thanks to Netgalley & PENGUIN GROUP Dutton | Dutton for sharing a digital copy. as always, opinions are my own.

Set in a dystopian future, there is a difference between the privileges of an enclave person, and the starker life of the fringe. One's classification determines how much of the internet can be utilized, and what limitations are placed on people's lives.
Enka is a college student, majoring in art. She is limited by the artificial divisions and boundaries of the time because she is a "fringe". She is not part of the student elite and watches from the sidelines.
Mathilde, another student, is totally immersed in her art. Emma notices the differences between herself and Mathilde, who receives opportunities , compliments and endless encouragement to succeed. She feels " less than" because she is not part of the enclave elite. It is a social classification that limited Enka's access to resources and knowledge, that makes her road to success an upward climb. It is not a reflection of her capabilities or mindset or the interest invested in her studies. The classification covers the whole family, and every person in the dystopian times. She is not an enclave; she is a fringe and she feels it. Even though the girls are "friends", the differences set the mood for envy , jealousy, and desire for recognition.
This novel embodies the dystopian world of artificial intelligence in a cold, biased future and satirized what is important to us in all its hidden meanings. No wonder Enka feels jealousy and envy. Her future has been set by her designation, not her talent.
In presenting something so engineered, the self loses its shine and our individuality loses focus. Our humanity lacks meaning, leaving the soul to ask whether our interactions with others are something that we ourselves should pursue. For what?
I found this book disconcerting and questioned the concept of sharing ourselves in a negative world that strips a person of his or her humanity and individuality. Their world functions more like a cult in its execution. How concerning.
The kind of envy that engenders destroys " love", shared values and opportunities and minimizes our very existence.
It turns our intentions sideways.
I took several moments to think about the message behind the words. Which is an easier path? To envy or admire, to rejoice or to stew? Enka' s entire outlook in life was skewed and affected her choices. To love or to possess...That is the question. Not a world I would be happy in indeed.
Read it and take a moment to yourself. An interesting look at how society can evolve.
Thank you to the author and publisher for the ARC copy. All opinions are my own.

I'm definitely in the minority here, but I'm not sure if I "loved" this book. I found the writing style striking, and the story engaging at times, but overall found it to be kind of a slog. I think there's a lot of "telling" over "showing", which dragged the pacing down a fair amount, and made me feel always just outside of being invested.

The themes in here are timely and carefully crafted, so I hope it continues to find its readers!

Thank you to the publisher for the opportunity.

This was a really good read and I think it had a decent writing style and story! Would recommend to anyone looking for next read

Huge thanks to Dutton and NetGalley for an eARC copy of this story in exchange for an honest and unbiased review!

Ling Ling Huang is writing some of the more insightful, unique, and interesting horror stories in recent years. While at times I wished that this story leaned into the speculative, dystopian world it opened up more (the barriers between neighborhoods, etc), I loved all the different avenues it explored. Jealousy and friendship are feelings/concepts/experiences everyone has a grasp of, and I think there are pieces of each that anyone could relate to here (if not to the extent Enka takes it).

A gripe I have more with the marketing & synopsis of this story rather than the actual execution is the reveal of the technology used to share trauma between the characters. This isn't revealed until a point in the book that I think the synopsis should have kept secret.

[arc review]
Thank you to NetGalley and Dutton Books for providing an arc in exchange for an honest review.
Immaculate Conception releases May 13, 2025

2.75

The themes in this novel are smart and timely. Everything about Mathilde’s art is striking, but Enka’s lack of individuality as a main character unfortunately makes this such a laborious read.

4.5
I absolutely loved Natural Beauty so when I saw Ling Ling Huang had another book coming out I knew I had to read it. Immaculate Conception explores so many interesting concepts. It is a terrifyingly dark take on the future of AI, technology and its impact on art, artistic ability, creativity and humanity as a whole. It's a scary take on jealousy, obsession, and competitiveness among friends and peers. How privilege and class guide and divide us all. Being in Enka's head was something. Her codependency and competitiveness with Mathilde was beyond obsessive and ultimately leads them down a disturbing path. I'm so glad I stumbled upon this author last year. I find her work to be original, engrossing and thought provoking. I was blown away by the ending. I enjoyed this novel very much. I'll be thinking about it for awhile and am excited to see what Ling Ling Huang does next.

Ling Ling Huang’s Immaculate Conception plunges the reader into the depths of desperation and creative ecstasy, only to drag them back—dazed, haunted, and profoundly moved. This harrowing and thought-provoking novel explores the fine line between genius and madness, friendship and rivalry, originality and artificial mimicry.

At the heart of the story are Enka and Mathilde, two artists bound by a complicated friendship that morphs into something far more unsettling. One is a blazing creative force; the other, an unlikely competitor whose presence gradually fractures the boundaries between them. Their relationship becomes a gripping lens through which Huang examines envy, ambition, and the fragile sanctity of original thought.

A fever dream of envy, genius, and obsession. Immaculate Conception is a razor-sharp meditation on friendship, originality, and the terrifying power of AI

Strange, daring, and completely unforgettable. Huang blends myth and reality in a way that felt surreal but emotionally grounded. Some passages were confusing, but the risk-taking paid off. This won’t be for everyone—but I couldn’t stop thinking about it.

Wow... I have no words for how good this book is. Like, holy shit. It's probably the most engaging horror, sci-fi books I've read in a while, and it's also so fucking smart. I won't be able to do it justice with a review, but know that if you like character-driven stories with commentary that makes you think instead of feeling talked down to and the kind of plot that makes you never want to drop the book to do anything else, then you need to add this to your TBR.

Immaculate Conception has so much to say about obsession, artistic ambition and envy, human relationships, and how complex, messy, and crazy they can get, betrayal, wealth inequality, technology and AI in art, self-acceptance, and I probably missed more themes. It's ambitious, but it doesn't bite off more than it can chew, and all of these themes intertwine seamlessly, so they're explored in a very smooth way that meshes very well with the plot.

The premise is unique and fresh, and it's executed in a way that doesn't disappoint. This made me feel the kind of horror that doesn't come from gory scenes or disturbing imagery, but from the actions and decisions of human beings. The tech really is disturbing, and how normal it is for the characters makes it even more off-putting. The way they use that technology is horrific, but also fascinating and so creative. This worked so well for me, it's easily one of the best books I've read this year.

This was great. But I expected it to be considering that I thoroughly enjoyed Huang’s debut Natural Beauty. Lots of topics were touched and discussed, but not preached. Nothing was heavy handed which I really appreciate as a reader, I need the author to trust me.

I don’t like SciFi so this was a little out of my element and I think it’s the main reason I didn’t rate it higher. If you do like scifi, then this might really work for you, it’s a good blend of literary fiction and science fiction.

Aside from the genre that was clearly not for me, I have two minor complaints:

1. I needed more from her relationship with Logan. I know that her marriage was not the focal point, but still wanted to know more. It felt very underdeveloped while still quite central to her person so I think more exploration of their relationship and their dynamics would’ve benefitted the overall narrative. Their relationship was very flat in my opinion and it made it difficult for me to care about one of the big reveals.

2. I felt that the ending was a little too tidy. There was one small thread that was left, which I really appreciated, but for the most part, it all seemed too perfect. I wanted something a little more open, ended or more imperfect.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Dutton for the e-arc in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

From the author of Natural Beauty, set in the fiercely competitive art world, a novel about an obsessive friendship upended by a cutting-edge technology purported to enhance empathy and connection

if "do i want her or do i want to be her" was a book.

Immaculate Conception follows art students Enka and Mathilde as they move through the constantly evolving art world and dealing with their very toxic relationship. Enka is immediately drawn to Mathilde who is a very troubled soul who makes beautiful art, while Enka struggles with her own art and how she feels that her work lacks originality. The girls quickly develop a very close bond, though it turns into a very toxic relationship, with each one relying on each other to just simply exist. After Mathildes career begins to take off, Enka begins to feel jealous of her friend, and the need to keep her friend as close to her as much as she can, no matter what she has to do.
I absolutely adored this book, it was the perfect combination of horror, scifi and literary fiction and it had me invested. The beginning of the book does lack a bit as they have to set up the world that this is taking place in, as well as giving the audience the basics of the art world that they are being placed in. The dynamics between Mathilde and Enka were engaging and there were points where I was literally yelling at my book saying not to do something.

I finished this days ago and I haven't stopped thinking about it.
Truly a fantastic mix of lit fic, sci fi, horror. Perfect for Black Mirror fans. It's so cinematic.
There's are a few scenes that are etched into my mind.

Wow, what ride! I love the concept of this- that technology allows for someone to legitimately share a brain with another person to help with empathy. What could go wrong! This is a story of obsession and friendship with some great reveals. I loved a lot about it but was letdown by the ending. Still id seek out this author again!

This was a wild ride and on here I'm giving it 4 stars because I think it did everything that it promised. My rating on Goodreads will be "No Rating" because I am wildly confused about how I feel about this book. It definitely left me unsettled, sad, hopeful (kind of), and just depressed.

This was masterfully told and the writing was fantastic. The book is told almost like a journal to me because the MC is just telling you everything that is happening and how everyone is feeling. It's a really strange and different way to tell a story, but it worked for the most part in this book. I will say the middle section got a little boring with this way of telling the story, but it ended up all coming together. I also find it really interesting that the book is all about our MC being jealous of her friend and the least interesting parts of the book were where our MC WASN'T interacting with the friend and just talking about her own life and art. I have no idea if that was intentional, but it's genius if it was. Even in the text, our MC was less interesting than the friend.

I think for me, it was just too depressing. I get the end has a moment of hope, but listening to our MC make mistake after mistake was really difficult. I wanted to slap her so many times and scream at her to get her shit together that it became really frustrating. That was definitely the point of the book which is why I'm not rating it low. I just didn't love it personally.

Overall this was a massive think piece about the future of the world and what people will do with technology/AI if given opportunity. The commentary was great and really makes you think about what humans are capable of doing when given the capabilities to do anything.

ling ling huang continues to impress me. I genuinely didn't think she could top her debut 'natural beauty", but this was even more brilliant than I could've imagined. With the perfect balance of dystopia and surrealism but fully fleshed out human characters this book is one l will never forget. An amazing experiment on the human condition, the rise of technology and artificial intelligence with the art world. I urge everyone to read this!

I love when women write horror. Every line in this book is just so dang good. It is not for the faint of heart, but it is so worth it.

A toxic pair of tortured artists—having already been a fan of Natural Beauty, I’m thrilled to say Ling Ling Huang’s follow-up, Immaculate Conception, is yet another engrossing, thought-provoking page-turner. It folds in themes of friendship, technology, fine art, and classism within a speculative narrative that’s unapologetically high-concept.

I thought the friendship in R.F. Kuang’s Yellowface was manipulative, but the relationship between Enka and Mathilde operates on a whole different level—a messy train wreck I couldn't look away. I particularly appreciate the decision in setting the story in a fictional future, the light sci-fi elements provide framework for high-stakes decisions and allow for morally ambiguous choices that are both conceptually fascinating and emotionally charged.

The novel fully immerses itself in the world of fine art; while the niche focus might alienate some readers, that’s also part of its point—the practice and appreciation of art as a pursuit often reserved for the privileged. As someone who went to art school and endured similar critiques and exercises, I couldn’t help but feel both seen and slightly roasted by the book’s portrayal of insular intellectualism. It’s indulgent, yes—but I also can't deny its allure.

With Immaculate Conception, Ling Ling Huang has officially become an auto-read author for me. I love the scale of her ideas, her surreal prose (reminding me a bit of Mona Awad), and how she packages all of it into something genuinely addictive. That said, I’d still recommend starting with Natural Beauty—while the subject matter here really worked for me, I can see how its pretentiousness might rub some readers the wrong way.

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.