“Yellowface” meets “Black Mirror” meets “Never Let Me Go” in the best way!!!

Thank you to Penguin Group Dutton and NetGalley for the ARC.

Our MC Enka meets talented Mathilde at art school in a near-future dystopian America. The two form a deep and complex friendship, and as their careers and lives grow in different directions, Enka becomes desperate to keep her friend close. Technology and art intertwine in an amazingly creative narrative where we see how far someone might go to grasp onto love, trauma, empathy and inspiration.

I loved the pacing and structure of this story. Every question I had about the world building became clear later in the chapters in a very satisfying way. The intricate details of the technology and the artistic exhibitions made them so easy to imagine and digest, keeping the book so compulsively readable.

I love a morally ambiguous narrator and Enka was such an interesting MC. I haven’t stopped thinking about this book since I finished it, and highly recommend this one.

Thanks to Dutton and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I really enjoyed Natural Beauty, so I was really excited to get this ARC! To me, this is a 4 ⭐️ read. All the parts of the book were interesting, but the story didn’t flow very smoothly in my mind.

The futuristic setting was creative and I loved that it was entrenched in the world of art. The software that creates art and made artists afraid of becoming obsolete is a clear and needed commentary on using AI for artistic pursuits.

I loved the beginning of the story when the girls are in college and Enka is such a supportive friend even though she is extremely jealous of Mathilde. She feels as though just being around such a great artist and getting to be her friend is a privilege. I loved the way she lifted Mathilde up when she clearly needed support.

The juxtaposition of this in the back half of the book is stark as Enka begins using Mathilde under the guise of lifting her up. This was such a difficult character development to witness, how Enka was no longer able to be satisfied in her own life and body alone.

Ling Ling Huang has once again written a story I’ll be thinking about long after finishing the book and I can’t wait to see what else she comes up with in the future. I’m a forever fan!

3.5 stars, rounded up to 4 stars.

This was a confusing book to me. First off, I went in blind, having no idea what to expect. And at about 20% in, I was pretty convinced this story was a parody about the inanities of the art world. Wrong. This is a science fiction story, written in a speculative future world much like ours, and as such, I enjoyed the tale about friendship from the future gone wrong.

The cover was striking. Would I read more from the author? Yes, but I'll read the blurbs a little closer first.

I received a complimentary copy of the book from the publisher and NetGalley, and my review is being left freely.

Thank you to Netgalley and Dutton for this ARC in exchange for feedback.

At literally zero point in this story did I have any idea where it was going. I caught myself frequently re-reading paragraphs to make sure that I understood what was happening correctly.

I read this book on my phone during a tattoo session, and completely locked in to the point that at times I didn’t even feel the needle going into my skin anymore.

It was unsettling, raw, and at times very frustrating. I was very upset with Enka over all as the story progressed, but at the same time it was a very well done metaphor for just how tight the confines of envy can be on a person.

Admittedly, I had no idea going into this novel that it was science fiction, and the science fiction, surrealist elements just continued to build and build until they swallowed up the story whole.

I think I will have to sit with my thoughts on this book for a while before I can properly assess. I am excited to read the author’s other work now. This was very different from what I usually read, and even though it had me utterly confused at parts and came off overly (and certainly intentionally) pretentious at parts, I enjoyed it.

even more intense and deeply felt than Natural Beauty. i can’t wait for more people to read this one.

many thanks to penguin, dutton, and netgalley for the advanced reader copy.

Summary: Enka is a fringe and Mathilde is an enclave, but class cannot keep these two apart. After meeting in art school, Enka develops an obsession with Mathilde’s creativity and mind. Even when their paths take them to different corners of the world, Enka and Mathilde reunite after tragedy occurs. Enka attempts to relieve Mathilde of the trauma in her life by using new technology developed by her husband’s family. However, neither Enka nor Mathilde are prepared for what this entails.

Review: The concept of this book is absolutely incredible. I was hooked on Enka’s envy and obsession with Mathilde. I am leaving out spoilers here, but Enka is exactly who I wanted her to be. This character is a true social climber, demonstrating the depth of human nature. Similarly, Mathilde is raw and real, and she serves as a reminder of the effects of trauma, especially in relation to art. Huang has created a masterpiece of a novel that sparks contemplation in the reader: who really are my friends? Does technology improve these relationships?

Themes: sci-fi/futuristic, toxic friendship, classism, art, technology

This was my first book from this author, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Immaculate Conception is a thought-provoking read that will appeal to fans of Black Mirror. (I say that, being a fan of Black Mirror.)

Its story centers Art and technology, following two artists as they navigate the art world, artificial intelligence, originality, greed, jealousy, and friendship.

Warning: The contents of the story are heavy and dark; most of the later half of the book centers around trauma.

Ling Ling Huang’s characters are who shine the brightest here. You have Mathilde, who many see as a prodigy artist, who is mysterious, alluring, and paving the way with new ideas in an area where originality is hard fought in a world of AI.

Then you have Enka. Mathilde’s best friend who has fought tooth and nail to prove to herself and to her parents that she has what it takes to be an artist. I found her character to be the most interesting, and I appreciated the subtle shift in character that Ling Ling Huang gives her.

Overall, this was a disturbing (in the best way) examination of envy, the fragility of self, societal greed, and friendship.


Rating: 3.5 stars
Days took to read: 2 days

I'm a new fan of Ling Ling Huang and totally in love with the surreal suspense her work creates! Natural Beauty was my first read, and I was immediately hungry for more. Immaculate Conception was just as good, contained lots of surprises, and I was all in. I loved this book and the eerie representation of the friendship. It felt so realistic and creepy at the same time. I can't wait to read more of Huang's work!

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

This novel masterfully crafts a narrative that is as thought-provoking as it is unsettling, delving into the intricacies of toxic friendship—where admiration blurs into envy, empathy mingles with fear, and betrayal is just a step away. The story's artistic backdrop is rendered in stunning detail, with descriptions so vivid that you feel immersed in the creative struggles and triumphs of the characters.

What sets Huang apart is her ability to keep readers guessing. The plot unfolds with a slow, deliberate build, drawing you deeper into its world before the final 20-30% bursts into an unrelenting, fast-paced crescendo that leaves you breathless. By the end, my jaw literally dropped.

At the heart of the story lies the SCAFOLD technology, a chillingly plausible invention that allows one person’s consciousness to be transferred into another’s mind. This concept raises profound ethical questions and adds a layer of tension and depth to the narrative.

This is more than just a story about art and ambition; it’s an exploration of identity, morality, and the lengths people will go to achieve their desires. Ling Ling Huang’s writing is gripping, haunting, and profoundly human—a testament to her ability to merge emotion and intellect seamlessly.

I recommend "Immaculate Conception" to anyone who loves stories that push boundaries and challenge conventional thinking. If you enjoy books that weave social commentary with compelling characters and unpredictable twists, this is one you can’t miss. An unforgettable five-star read that will linger in your mind long after the last page.

After falling in love with "Natural Beauty" by Ling Ling Huang earlier this year, I had high expectations for "Immaculate Conception" , and it did not disappoint. Huge thanks to the publishers, Dutton and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Immaculate Conception dazzled as much as Ling Ling Huang’s debut, Natural Beauty. Immaculate Conception could be described as a marriage between Rouge by Mona Awad and Yellowface by R.F. Kaung. The story is part horror, part thriller, part sci fi, and part literary fiction all in one. Because Huang embraces all of these elements so well, I feel like Immaculate Conception will satisfy an array of readers. Much like how Natural Beauty was a leader in books published about the wellness industry, Immaculate Conception will be a leader in books published about technology and artificial intelligence. Unsurprisingly, the writing was excellent and Huang’s characters were deeply layered and interesting. Thank you to Ling Ling Huang, Dutton, and Netgalley for advance access to Immaculate Conception.

Ling Ling Huang's debut, Natural Beauty, was so weird and original and one of my most memorable reads of 2023. Her sophomore novel, Immaculate Conception, is therefore one I was eagerly anticipating. I devoured it. I already want to discuss and maybe read again before its release date in May 2025.

Immaculate Conception doesn’t retread any old ground for readers of Natural Beauty; it’s set in the art world and concerns a friendship between two women who meet at art school: Enka, ambitiously striving to establish herself through her art focusing on human engagement with emerging technology, and Mathilde, withdrawn and eccentric but seemingly imbued with a natural vision and brilliant originality that brings her immediate fame. The plot follows their intertwined lives and experiences and goes to some definitely weird, and sometimes very dark, places.

Ling Ling Huang writes in a way that is absorbing and eerie, unsettling but beautiful like the literary equivalent of an A24 film. I really liked this one.

This is a fast, impactful novel, told in breathless bursts and divided into three sections. Like an artists's statement, the sections are Early Style, Middle Style and Late Style, followed by a Retrospective.

This book is the story of two artists, creating work in a world that is heavily divided between the have and have-nots. The rich have cordoned off the world using "buffers" - immense screens that keep the poor out and the wealthy protected. Those that are inside are "enclave" citizens and those outside are "fringe." Our two characters, Enka and Mathilde meet in art school. Enka is a fringe student, on scholarship, while Mathilde has been given every privilege, but has also lived a life of unspeakable tragedy. The two form a strange bond of envy and trust.

Enka rises to fame and power through the means of aligning herself with the wealthy, while Mathilde's fame creates art that is original and stunning. Their stories take us through a world where technology is shaping the art world, the greater world, and even our own consciousness. The book brings up questions about originality in a world with AI, plagiarism and empathy.

I found this book fascinating, and at time horrifying. Huang is a master of the futuristic macabre, similar to Natural Beauty, she uses body-horror to showcase the desperation humans have to avoid death. If you enjoy speculative fiction that explores feminism, art and the morals of technology, you'll love this one.

In Immaculate Conception we take ourselves into the art world. A world with haves and have nots and groundbreaking science. A place where jealously and greed are looked at through the lens of tethered friendships.

1000% yes. I loved this speculative science fiction novel. It was filled with the beautiful, haunting, lyrical writing that I’ve come to look forward to from Ling Ling Huang.

Thank you NetGalley and Dutton for the ARC!

I will start by saying I am a Ling Ling Huang STAN. Natural Beauty was a masterpiece. Her writing in this, her sophomore novel, is absolutely top tier -- the world in which she crafts her story? Detailed and at a risk of being punny, immaculate. Not a single thing slips through the cracks, and when considering the complexity of the technology she wrote about, this could have been entirely possible. That is where I am blown away. Not a single speck, not a rock was left unturned.

That being said, it didn't hit the way I hoped it would. The ending was a tad disappointing to me personally -- perhaps I had too high of expectations when considering the leaps she made with Natural Beauty as a body horror. This was spooky and shocking, don't get me wrong, but it didn't accomplish the feeling of unease I was hoping for with the subject matter. The theme of bodily autonomy and Mathilde though.... wow, yeah. Scary.

Anyway, I love Ling Ling. Her writing will never disappoint. Only this story's conclusion.

“But no matter what I said, or how much I embellished, I couldn’t shake the feeling that our lives had already been determined.”

Huang has done it again. After reading Natural Beauty, I was ecstatic to see Huang’s latest work, Immaculate Conception, and it did not disappoint.

The story explores the friendship of Enka and Mathilde, young art school students and covers themes of class, accessibility, jealousy, technology in the art world and the aspects of how trauma produces art.

Similar to Natural Beauty, Huang places readers in a world that is futuristic technology-wise, but is also easy to picture because at times it seems it is where our world and society could end up.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC.

Science fiction is far from my favorite genre but Huang still manages to amaze me. Immaculate Conception is a remarkable piece that is enjoyable to read and will get the wheels of your brain turning.

Meditations on greed, AI and technology, digital identity, friendship, ownership over art, the wealth divide, bodily autonomy, and so much more. One of the more fascinating parts of Immaculate Conception (to me) was its focus on something that I have questioned a lot lately: what qualifies as original? Is there still such a thing as an original thought, an original idea, an original piece of work? Or are we all just regurgitating each others’ thoughts and words and feelings in various forms?

The writing in this book is superb and exactly what I expected having read and loved Huang’s previous work. Something about this one though feels superficial; connections between characters and the rise of certain technologies grew at an alarming rate or occurred mostly off-page. Initially I enjoyed this style—the way it seemed like Huang was cutting through all the bullshit and unnecessary fluff in order to break through to the real story—but by the end, I found myself wishing for more depth and excavation.
Even still, that didn’t steal too much enjoyment away from me and seems minor when compared to the quality of the rest of the book.

Thank you Dutton Books for the early copy in exchange for an honest review! Available May 13 2025

incredible, imaginative, beautifully written. ling ling huang is a language genius, consistently crafting such beautiful prose to describe the relationships we have not only with ourselves but with others and with technology. i really enjoyed what this novel had to say about technology in the arts, especially at a time where AI generated images are widely shared and sometimes widely viewed as "real art" and manipulated for profit. how would this impact art? how does this impact the lifes of artists? of culture? i really, really loved this.

4.5 rounded up to 5, and easily one of my favorite books this year. Huang's ability to tackle such a wide swath of themes is astounding & I especially appreciated her commentary on the biotech industry, body ethics, & art snobbery.

To start simply, I think this book was really great.

I liked Natural Beauty, and that's why I wanted to read Immaculate Conception (thank you Netgalley) and it was even better than I expected. The theme of bodily autonomy and the question of 'Who controls your life/body?' is one that is relevant for all of us, not just public figures. It reminded me of The Vegetarian in that way.

I also really like the depiction of the art world. Usually when characters are this pretentious I find it really annoying, but somehow Huang made it come across as just an interesting plot aspect.

Enka and Mathilde are both so interesting as characters. At first I felt that Enka was boring, and the real story is about Mathilde, but as the story progresses I understood the choice to have Enka as the narrator. I don't want to spoil anything so I wont say more. .

I think Immaculate Conception is the type of book that makes you think critically, and that is always good.

I wanted to love this book and did find the concepts very interesting. Ling Ling Huang introduces a future world heavily influenced by AI and uses it to ask how art will keep up with and be affected by technology. She clearly makes the case for art and creativity being necessary for the human experience, and she supposes that as technology advances, humans will start to chase art as a means of interacting with the natural world. If this isn’t enough to cover in one book, she also discusses how human relationships will change as we become more reliant on technology.

I loved how much Huang wants her characters and the story to make us as readers think, but I can’t ignore how incomplete this book felt. I wish there was a little more introduction to this technologically-advanced world. Instead, each time a new piece of technology is introduced, it feels too jarring and underexplained. The characters also lacked depth. I wished there was even more backstory to Enka’s character and why she felt so inadequate. I would have loved to see more of her and Mathilde’s budding friendship.

Overall, Immaculate Conception has so much potential, but it needs more – more world building and more character depth. I would happily read another 100+ pages within this world if it meant that the characters and their relationships felt more real.


Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!