First Impression- 5 stars so far

HUGEEEE thank you to the publisher for the ARC.

This was picked as our May book club read for AAPI Month, and even though the release date didn’t align, I still dove in—and wow, there’s a lot to unpack already.

Right away, the story opens with a tone that’s eerie and unsettling. One character definitely gave off some creepy energy (side-eye fully activated ). However, beneath that discomfort is a layered, thought-provoking narrative that’s drawing me in.

What I’m loving so far:
-The contrast between Mathilde and Enzo—poor vs. privileged in art school
-Symbolism and flashbacks that deepen their relationship to art and identity
-Honest explorations of mental health, self-harm, and self-image
-Beautiful integration of cultural elements like noh plays
-An art school setting that feels immersive and specific
-The author’s style is rich and descriptive, which fits the story’s art focus perfectly

There’s a quiet tenderness forming between characters that I’m watching closely, but the unsettling undertones make me curious to see where this is going. So far, I’m invested—and will return with final thoughts when I finish.

Art, toxic friendships, and AI. I'm not sure this book is my vibe, but it's an interesting read nonetheless. The ending is intense! Thank you, NetGalley.

I really liked how this was written. The story pulled me right in and it didn’t even feel like I was reading a sci-fi, but more of a literary thriller. Loved the setting of the art world and the backdrop of AI concerns. There’s also a great plot twist.

💬Immaculate Conception by Ling Ling Huang is one of those novels you simply can’t put down. Part mystery, part literary fiction, part thriller and undeniably chilling, the entire book hums with an undercurrent of impending doom. At least, that’s how it felt to me.

Set in a future time, the story follows Enka and Mathilde, two friends who meet at an art school. Told in both past and present timelines, the narrative reveals the evolution and eventual convergence of their lives. Art and technology intertwine in a way that’s absolutely riveting.💬

🌐Oh boy, this book is deeply thought-provoking especially in an age when AI is advancing rapidly and cloning is no longer the stuff of science fiction. What if a scientist could manipulate neural networks so that the brain could "process" trauma? This is a novel best read with minimal context so the full impact can land.

I’m still in deep thought over the questions it raises: about race, consent, agency, the uses (and abuses) of technology, and whether we’ll ever reach the true end point of such experimentation.🌐

Thank you to Penguin books and Dutton books for the advance copy of this book.

'Immaculate Conception' by Ling Ling Huang is a dystopian world in which technology is deeply intertwined into the lives of artists and best friends, Enka and Mathilde. This was such a unique concept that showed the true struggles and beauty of deep friendships. It's an exploration of how far is too far with technology, and it blurs the boundary of art and technology. This was an excellent story. The way Huang showed both the inevitably and the marring of technology's influence on art and humanity was beautiful. There was also a breathtaking look at the love, hurt, jealousy, and forgiveness inherent in friendships.

As someone who is not a frequent flyer in the science fiction genre, I was apprehensive to give this one a go at first. However, the premise is one that really appealed to me and I had to find out for myself what was going on and what was going to happen.

There are so many deeper conversations happening in this book alongside the plot progression. We see reflections on AI/tech, friendship, wealth disparity, bodily autonomy, and who owns the art when something new is created. Extremely contemplative and reflective!

The writing in this book is nothing short of brilliant and I enjoyed the approachable lyricism Huang created in this novel.

My one struggle with this book was how much seemed to happen off page. Understanding that this book can only pack in so much that it wanted to say, the author definitely needed to make things shift and move without our witnessing it, but it did pull me out of the story a bit while I was trying to figure out what had happened and why.

Overall, I definitely recommend this book and I would easily pick it up for a friend.

Immaculate Conception by Ling Ling Huang is wild, in the best way. It’s a weird, beautiful deep-dive into obsession, art, and friendship that left me a little shaken and totally hooked.

This was really complex and layered.

At points I felt like maybe I wasn't smart enough for it, but then there were a few really clear "ah hah yeah I see what she was doing there" moments. There was a lot going on. And usually I enjoy a book about challenging religion and with the themes of this book you'd think that it'd be enough, but besides the sensationalism I think maybe it could have gone further in that commentary? Or maybe I would have wanted it to go futher.

I did enjoy the commentary on Ai and art. The scifi elements were kind of eerie and alarming, but were still kind of the backseat to Enka and Mathilde's relationship and professional conquests. All in all, unsettling.

Thank you to Penguin Dutton & Netgalley for an e-copy.

Immaculate Conception tells a story of a near future possibility of AI and technology influencing art. In art school, Enka meets Mathilde and forms an instant, intense connection that soon turns codependent. The story follows Enka throughout her life as she battles with originality, always pitting herself up against her friend in often unhealthy ways. At the novel’s culmination, we learn that Enka’s “help” ultimately exploits and hurts Mathilde and weakens her own art.

The book is a fascinating study on the art world in general, and what it means to exist in that space. The relationship has with ones own work versus that with others and the jealousy that can come along with that. How we view ourselves versus others. There is a constant juxtaposition in the novel, especially when it comes to Enka and her feelings about Mathilde. Technology allows her fascinating insight into her friend, but it is for the detriment. If only she had just asked her, spoken her fears aloud, she would know that Mathilde shared the same feelings all along.

Huang’s writing is once again beautiful yet accessible, drawing you into the story in such a realistic way that it feels inevitable it will happen in our world.

A captivating novel that deals with the relationship of art to grief and technology, of girls to their closest friends, and of self to an ideal. Dark and does not shy from the punch of landing Enka's decisions with their consequences. To what depths will envy drive you? (While also making you convince yourself you're acting in everyone's best interest...not just your own.)

Oooooh I put this down after finishing and immediately wanted to cheer for what a tight, neat job Huang does wrapping up a story with lots of threads to chase. This was everything I wanted out of Catherine Lacey's Biography of X and didn't get there. Not that they're so similar--just put me in mind of each other with the reference to a world that segregates America amidst a deep discussion of art and what it means.

“Is there anyone who knows a young woman’s body better than her closest friends? By way of love or comparison or some combination of the two?”

Thank you to netgalley and dutton books for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

Immaculate conception is the story of two artists whose friendship knows no bounds. Enka struggles to create art and to keep up with her best friend Mathilde, attempting not to fall into obscurity, despite the creation of an AI -inspired technology that creates art with the input of just a few words. She obsesses over Mathilde and the art she creates, wishing she had her talent, her career, her mind. One day when she is given the opportunity to trial new technology that allows her to inhabit Mathilde’s brain, utilizing her trauma, talent and memories to become the artist she’s always wanted to be, why would she ever deny the opportunity? Even if it means sacrificing herself and those she loves in the process.

Ling Ling Huang once again has blown me away with her writing. She writes such vivid imagery, her words flowing like poetry, vibrant and striking. She compares the image of blue veins through transparent skin to streams, often finding a stunning contrast between beauty and violence. This book shows us creation and destruction exist on the same plane, often times weaving a very subtle distinction between the two. This story is a collage of genres, sharing elements of body horror, sci fi, and Lit Fic. One thing Huang does beautifully is taking reality as you we know it and flipping it on its head using elements of magical realism.

This world Ling Huang has created is so intricate and new, and we are absorbed into it as we also mourn, with the characters, an old world that no longer exists. Technology has transformed and we see a glimpse into that as most art is transformed into a digital era, a new way of existence.

This world she has created is so intricate and new, and we are absorbed into it as we also mourn, with the characters, an old world that no longer exists. Technology is so different and we see a glimpse into that through most art transformed into digital. The characters reminiss over things that no longer exist; paint.

I almost wish we got more detail in the vast changes of this world and the reality as we know it so we could see the full extent of these changes and visualize it rather only disvovering as we go, but this book is more character and plot driven, and while the world plays a huge part it is less descriptive and I find myself mourning what couldve been.

This book felt like staring into a cracked mirror, making a mold of myself and having it come out warped and oddly textured. I could recognize a version of myself in these pages: an artist, a friend, a lover, someone attempting to unleash trauma through creation. There is a humanity and emotion in this book we can all relate to, a version of ourselves that identifies with these characters, however small. The actions of two women that occur in response to one another that soon spiral into a chaotic, technological ruled future.

At its base this is a story of friendship that becomes so much more. There is an intimacy to friendship that cannot be replicated in other form, or relationship; they know and see parts of you that not even a lover may see. They harbor your secrets, your youth, they watch you age, change, heal, fall ill; they bare witness to your metamorphosis. They are witness to all of the good, bad, the ugly. It shows how having any form of technology at our fingertips can be dangerous; an access to wealth, knowledge, technology- you could do anything, even access and (attempt to) replicate the identity of someone else, how having access to every thought of someones can give you too much power, and ultimately leave their fate in your hands, how attempting to mimic someone, you can cause them to lose themselves entirely.

It also shows how love, art and raw human emotion will prevail above all else, that at its root, technology will always be at mercy to its creators: humanity.

“It was arrogant of me to think I could make something that isn’t touched or disfigured by death.”

3.5

The sci-fi dystopia Ling Ling Huang has created is absolutely brilliant. This is such a smart and interesting novel following Enka, a young artist who becomes obsessed with her ‘more successful’ friend.

The writing is phenomenal! I loved all the conversations surrounding ownership and autonomy and I found the dynamic between Enka and Mathilde to be very intriguing. I’m not someone who cares much about creating art, so all those conversations slightly bored me. The plot, even though it was fast moving, I didn’t fully connect to it.

I can’t pinpoint exactly why I didn’t love this, but I still enjoyed it & would definitely recommend!

This book was captivating from start to finish. I’ll admit that the first 5% of the book had me a bit confused but once I understood the world that this story was taking place in, I was immediately intrigued and invested. This book deals with jealousy and trauma in such a fascinating way. It was heartbreaking to see Enka make such extreme decisions in relation to Mathilde, especially when we see their friendship from Mathilde’s POV and how genuine her love was for her. It just goes to show the lengths someone will go to out of jealousy and despair. It also poses the question: would you get rid of your trauma if you could? This story and question will definitely stick with me. This story was fast paced and a perfect read for a new sci-fi reader. This was my first book from this author but I’m definitely going to read her other works!

Set in a near future with rapidly advancing technology, Immaculate Conception follows a young art student, Enka, who is experiencing the world outside of the fringe - areas walled in by buffers, alleged art pieces that cocoon those deemed 'worthy' into enclaves with access to art, culture, and opportunities, leaving the rest to exist in a liminal space of disconnection and stagnation - for the very first time. She has been unexpectedly accepted into a prestigious art college, where she meets a woman whose life will be inextricably intertwined with her own. We observe Enka and Mathilde over the decades as their friendship ebbs and flows, codependency and obsession laced with twisted love and envy - crossed boundaries, betrayal, and possession.

Ensconced in the contemporary art world, the novel plunges into the tendency toward pretension, artifice, and self-flagellation for those ambitious enough to chase fame and notoriety based on their trauma dumping and pseudo-intellectualism. Mathilde is widely accepted as a prodigy and artistic genius - and yet her art is often somewhat nonsensical and sensationalist, relying on shock and disgust over a more subtle approach. The constant quotes from art critics, falling over themselves to wallow in interpretive excess and undying praise, are as comedic as they are depressing - a reflection of our own world, often more focused on obscurantism than connection. So much of the art in this book rings hollow, and as a mirror for Enka's inner life and the art world at large, it is perfection.

This novel is ambitious in its thematic scope, from the aforementioned commentary on the art world (including AI's influence on ownership of ideas) and exploration of wealth inequality and caste systems to coercive caretaking and enmeshment, to religious abuse, grief, loss, and the slow journey that is healing from trauma. While Ling Ling Huang does an admirable job of examining each one, there are only so many pages to deliver the level of depth and nuance I might hope for.

What Immaculate Conception does best is exploring the competitive environment fostered by academia and the arts and how it can erode relationships from the inside out. We experience the narrative from Enka's point of view, and she is a complex, if horrifying, protagonist. She sees herself as a selfless caregiver for her traumatized best friend, in orbit of her genius, in awe of her talent and creativity - and yet, in reality, she uses Mathilde's reliance on her to suck her dry. Her moments of clarity are brief, and her guilt lasts only as long as it takes for her to find a new angle of exploitation. Enka is all the more terrifying in that she isn't a monster - she is painfully human. Jealous, angry, insecure, frustrated, greedy, cruel, and self-centred, but also curious, lonely, empathetic, and, at times, caring. The trouble is she never has to face her demons. She has the privilege, as someone married into great wealth and power, to go on living in luxury despite her actions. She can pretend she's done no wrong as her victim withers away into nothing.

Despite being told in first person, the prose remains detached; blunt. It mirrors Enka's cold, calculating mindset. She is obsessed with Mathilde, with her genius, with her pain, and she sees her as both muse and possession. This novel examines our tendency to mine artistic genius, extracting and consuming it—mass producing and commodifying it, through Enka's pillaging of Mathilde's creative mind. The horror here is not supernatural—it's the horror of someone who says, "You'll never be alone," while isolating and devouring you from the inside out.

Religion, too, is incorporated and commented on. Enka asserts that faith could have saved them both from their fate, yet this reads as another in a long line of tools with which Enka can absolve herself without consequence. If she believes God forgives her, does she ever need to atone for what she's stolen from Mathilde?

I'll wrap this up in the interest of leaving something to be discovered, but I'll just add that there's a kind of queerness in their intimacy and obsession, but nothing overt. Instead, we're left with a harrowing portrait of codependency, artistic envy, boundary-crossing, and the disturbing ways love can be used as a justification to possess and destroy.

Some may believe that flipping the perspective to Mathilde would have driven home the horror, but to my mind, making Enka the narrator reveals the true terror: how ordinary this kind of monstrousness can be. People don't need to be demons to be cruel beyond measure-they just need envy, access, and a belief that they deserve what isn't theirs.

This book is brutal, brilliant, and sickening. And while it could have gone even further-what's already here is enough to unsettle and disturb you.


I had no idea how Ling Ling Huang could follow up her incredible debut, Natural Beauty, but she's done it again, folks. Thank you to Dutton Press and Netgalley for an ARC of my most anticipated read of the year!


“Being seen forces me to see myself, and I break under the weight of my gaze.” pg 230


Trigger/Content Warnings: Loss of Parents, 9/11, Suicide, Grief, Loss of a Child/Infant, Insects, Corpses, Self-Harm, Body Horror, Medical Content, Pedophilia, Child Sexual Abuse, Sexual Assault, Confinement, Conservatorship, Ableism, Trauma, Attempted Suicide, Religious Abuse, Forced Medical Procedures, Toxic Friendship, Misogyny

I loved Natural Beauty so I was curious about Huang's sophomore effort. She blew me away with this work too and has risen to my list of auto-buy authors. I'll be eagerly following her career now. I just love seeing more horror written by women; I think the female gaze adds a dimension that's missing and much needed in the genre, as shown by works like The Substance.

"Immaculate Conception" is a fascinating work of body horror, female friendship, and codependence in a near-future world in which technology is used to further class divides in the name of security. In this world, Enka, an up-and-coming artist, is a fringe kid who wins a scholarship to a prestigious art school specializing in technology art. Desperate for success and fame, she nevertheless is plagued by the idea that her work is missing some fundamental gravitas.

She befriends Mathilde, a wildly innovative and revered artist who's nevertheless also tortured and reclusive. The friendship borders on codependency and obsession as Enka inserts herself into Mathilde's life, going so far as to have a ritual of pressing her hand to the glass of Mathilde's studio every time she passes by and lying on the floor as she works. Remarkably, Mathilde does not see her as a stalker and allows her into her inner sanctum. This evolves to lying in bed with her and comforting her in a non-sexual way when Mathilde crashes mentally.

Then the novel explores the intriguing question of where imagination comes from - is trauma a correlation or causation? And it pushes the boundaries of the complexities of female friendship and consent as Enka becomes consumed by jealousy and greed, feeling always caught up in her best friend's shadow.

When the opportunity comes to combine consciousnesses using a technology developed by her husband, the many layers of friendship get deeper and darker as Enka explores the question of what their potential might have been had her obsession not ruined them.

This was a delightfully creepy novel that was a fascinating look into the art world and the dangers of technology and commodification. Are there really any original ideas any more or are we all just copies?

Both women were often unlikable but always relatable to me. I understood their motivations and was on the edge of my seat as I followed their descent into madness and oblivion of self. This was not a rosy depiction of female friendship but it also showed how valuable and important it is to the experience of womanhood, and to the work of an artist, that is often done in isolation.

A brilliant sophomore sensation.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance review copy. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Somehow this novel manages to juggle prescient, dystopian concepts of technology, psychology, and self-determination with a nail-biting tale of artistic obsession and friendship. The layers to this story feel like they shouldn't work, and yet somehow it delivers a rich character portrait without compromising on the ideals of art it discusses. I expected something soap-y but was genuinely heartbroken and moved by the friendship between Enka and Mathilde. This is such an excellent portrayal of a morally compromised, yet still reliable protagonist. A wonderful new book. Thank you NetGalley for my review copy.

I was very curious about this new work from Ling Ljng Huang. I found her debut, Natural Beauty, intriguing but lacking subtlety, as though the reader needed to be led directly to the points being made. The writing and concept however made me request Immaculate Conception. In this case, I found myself leaving the book with similar feelings to my first experience with this author: strong and timely ideas with a unique bent, unfortunately heavy handed execution. In addition, I found Immaculate Conception was scattered, taking on so many thoughts (art and artists in a world of developing AI, how trauma informs our sense of self and art we make, class restricted access to art) with some struggles to tie them together. The writing is engaging and the book is intriguing; I think it will work very well from for many readers. And even still I think I will try Huang again. I fear their work is not for me, and yet I am still drawn to it.

Well I just found a new favorite book and new favorite author. I truly could not put this book down and read the entire thing in 2 days.

A haunting masterpiece that will make you itchy and uncomfortable and question yourself, what art is, what art’s role in our life is, and ultimately struggle with what it means to be human. This book seeks to find out what separates art from generative AI in a dystopian (not so distant) future where an AI database has created all of the art that could ever be made, and two young art students at a prestigious school struggle with how to proceed. This is a world separated by a “buffer” with the rich and wealthy on one side and everyone else on the other, separate and ignorant of each other. Our two main characters’ stories literally and figuratively intertwine, and through each of their experiences, we question if what differentiates true artists from computers is skill, or through lived experience and trauma.

This book takes you on so many journeys, and you feel anxious, and sad, and worried about a world where disturbed billionaires with a passion for AI ruin art and human experience as we know it. But it also makes you reflect on the purpose of trauma, and memories, and negativity in our lives and how empty the world would be without it.

I am in awe of this book, my first Ling Ling Huang, and I cannot wait to read anything else she does. I recommend reading this if you are a fan of Ishiguro’s Klara and the Sun and Never Let Me Go, or Black Mirror. I especially recommend this for anyone who’s an artist and struggling against AI infiltration.

Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC!

This is the second Ling Ling Huang book (2 of 2 they have written) I've read, and they do not disappoint. This was a 5-star read for me. Mathilde and Enka were multi-faceted and growing characters who left me wondering what would happen next in the book. I loved the different settings of the novel, and thought the author did a great job of conveying complex concepts in an easy-to-understand manner. This book is timely and relevant and deserves only the highest of praise. This is one of those books that I will not accept criticism about. Thank you very much to both the author and publisher for the ARC - this is one of the best novels I've read in a while. It did take me a little while to finish, but only because I did not want it to end.

After reading and loving Natural Beauty, I was so excited for this one! But also nervous because I know very little about the art world and can name very few artists. I was afraid of getting bogged down in all that I didn’t know, but I should have known that I would have been in safe hands with this author. I loved and absolutely devoured this book. Although art is the main setting of the story, this book is about so much more and has me contemplating so many things and having really exciting discussions!

This book is so powerful and impactful because Huang has the book ask some really difficult questions around the ideas of originality, the accessibility of art, co-opting other people’s experiences for art, and the effects technology has on many industries including the art world. These themes are brilliantly explored through a story that at its core is about two women who become friends in art school and the ups and downs of their friendships. This story, despite being about a world which many are outside of, is about competition within friendships and toxic relationships (how we can love someone but also not have their best interests at heart). Huang also beautifully explores trauma and motherhood and other concepts that everyone knows and can feel at such a personal level.

The real power of this story is in Huang’s writing which is so deliberate - you can tell she carefully parses her words and finds the right things to say to have the most emotional impact. The number of quotes that resonated with me from this book is astounding, and I am once again in awe of her talent. This novel beautifully blends literary fiction, speculative fiction, and even science fiction in a story that I think has something to offer anyone that reads it. I don’t want to say too much more as this book is worth going into knowing the bare minimum as it is so full of surprises. My love for this book knows no bounds, and I will be excitedly telling everyone to read it for months to come.