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.

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.