Ling Ling Huang

Sly, surprising, and razor-sharp, Natural Beauty follows a young musician into an elite, beauty-obsessed world where perfection comes at a staggering cost.

Our narrator produces a sound from the piano no one else at the Conservatory can. She employs a technique she learned from her parents—also talented musicians—who fled China in the wake of the Cultural Revolution. But when an accident leaves her parents debilitated, she abandons her future for a job at a high-end beauty and wellness store in New York City.

Holistik is known for its remarkable products and procedures—from remoras that suck out cheap Botox to eyelash extensions made of spider silk—and her new job affords her entry into a world of privilege and a long-awaited sense of belonging. She becomes transfixed by Helen, the niece of Holistik’s charismatic owner, and the two strike up a friendship that hazily veers into more. All the while, our narrator is plied with products that slim her thighs, smooth her skin, and lighten her hair. But beneath these creams and tinctures lies something sinister.

A piercing, darkly funny debut, Natural Beauty explores questions of consumerism, self-worth, race, and identity—and leaves readers with a shocking and unsettling truth.

A Novel

Natural Beauty

Immaculate Conception

Sly, surprising, and razor-sharp, Natural Beauty follows a young musician into an elite, beauty-obsessed world where perfection comes at a staggering cost. Our narrator produces a sound from the piano no one else at the Conservatory can. She employs a technique she learned from her parents—also talented musicians—who fled China in the wake of the Cultural Revolution. But when an accident leaves her parents debilitated, she abandons her future for a job at a high-end beauty and wellness store in New York City. Holistik is known for its remarkable products and procedures—from remoras that suck out cheap Botox to eyelash extensions made of spider silk—and her new job affords her entry into a world of privilege and gives her a long-awaited sense of belonging. She becomes transfixed by Helen, the niece of Holistik’s charismatic owner, and the two strike up a friendship that hazily veers into more. All the while, our narrator is plied with products that slim her thighs, smooth her skin, and lighten her hair. But beneath these creams and tinctures lies something sinister. A piercing, darkly funny debut, Natural Beauty explores questions of consumerism, self-worth, race, and identity—and leaves readers with a shocking and unsettling truth.

A portrait of companionship - achingly tender and twisted - that captures the tenuous line between love and possession. What if you could enter the mind of the person you love the most? Mathilde is a dizzyingly talented, tortured artist whose star is on the rise - and Enka, struggling to create art that feels original, is immediately drawn to her. The two strike up a close friendship, but when Mathilde's fame reaches new heights, her work becoming more and more extreme, Enka becomes desperate to keep her close - no matter the cost. Enka falls in love with and marries a billionaire whose family's company is funding new technology purported to enhance empathy, and which could allow someone else to inhabit Mathilde's mind and absorb the trauma infecting her brain. But as their codependency deepens, the boundaries between Mathilde and Enka begin to blur, setting in motion a haunting series of events that will forever change their lives. Blisteringly smart, thought-provoking, and eerily timely, Immaculate Conception deftly navigates big questions of art, technology, authorship, and what makes us human. Its answers will haunt you long after you turn the final page. Praise Named a Most Anticipated Title by Book Riot, The Nerd Daily, Gold House, Read or Dead, and Bookish "Immaculate Conception is one of those twisty, nail-biting books you fall into and don't emerge from until you're done. I loved it." --Kelly Link, author of The Book of Love "In Huang's Immaculate Conception, the desire to be close to the flame of genius leads to catastrophic obsession. Huang, the real-life genius holding the palette, deftly weaves competition, longing, fantastical technology, and gobsmacking imagery into an unforgettable tale. I found this portrait of artist friends utterly gripping: an immersive, transformative read, just the way true art should be." --Sierra Greer, author of Annie Bot "In Ling Ling Huang's Immaculate Conception, all-too-plausible exploitative, extractive technologies force new questions about who is allowed to make great art and who gets denied the same shot--and about what price some might pay to reclaim what they've been denied. A gorgeous and frequently shocking novel, whose dark, envy-driven obsessions will quickly become your own." --Matt Bell, author of Appleseed "Huang's brilliant, imaginative, and ambitious novel about an obsessive friendship between two artists gripped me from beginning to end. Immaculate Conception is dark but, at the same time, filled with tenderness. I loved every moment of it." --Monika Kim, author of The Eyes Are the Best Part

Ling Ling Huang

Books

Your next favorite book is out there