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.
Child death, child sexual abuse (off-page).
Enka meets Mathilde in art school and is instantly drawn to her. Mathilde makes art that feels truly original, and Enka—trying hard to prove herself in this fiercely competitive world—pours everything into their friendship. But when Mathilde’s fame and success cause her to begin drifting away, Enka becomes desperate to keep her close.
Enter SCAFFOLD. Purported to enhance empathy, this cutting-edge technology could allow Enka to inhabit Mathilde’s mind and access her memories, artistic inspirations, and deep-seated trauma. Undergoing this procedure would link Enka and Mathilde forever. But at what cost?
Blisteringly smart, thought-provoking, and shocking, Immaculate Conception offers us a portrait of close friendship—achingly tender and twisted—that captures the tenuous line between love and possession that will haunt you long after you turn the final page.
Don't just take our word for it...
“Through these rich characters, Ling Ling Huang raises important questions about not only the boundaries between art and tech but also the blurred lines between originality, autonomy, and possession.”
– Harper’s Bazaar, “Best Books of Spring”
“A good friend is hard to find, but how close is too close? Ling Ling Huang’s Immaculate Conception details the unsettling unraveling of a codependent friendship between two artists… This explosive new book release explores themes of jealousy, greed, classism and toxic female friendships in a modern dystopia.”
– Reader’s Digest, “Most-Anticipated New Book Releases of 2025”
“Brilliant and unsettling… Driven by Huang’s compelling, flowing prose, the novel is an examination of a friendship that turns toxic in the most terrifying way. Huang is a master of mixing the speculative with the contemporary, harnessing near-future possibilities to show us just how far humanity will go to achieve the impossible while ignoring very real consequences.”
– Booklist (starred review) 🌟
Taste the very first page
I will have to leave the bathroom eventually. I’ve already been here too long reading the same alert over and over again. People are likely whispering already, wondering where I am. Five more minutes, and I’ll go back to the gala. Submit myself to the hands gripping my elbow in concern, and the pitying eyes hungrily searching for signs of distress in mine. I just saw . . . Are you OK? As if the answer isn’t written all over my face. A low wail escapes my throat and my chin wobbles dangerously. I turn the lock and step out of the stall before I can start to cry again. In the mirror, I prepare a smile, ratcheting it wider until I believe my own happiness. I will stay for the duration of the evening, not out of gratitude or courtesy, but out of obligation. The entire art world is here tonight to celebrate the new atrium named in my honor. Everyone except Mathilde, who is still missing. Presumed dead. My eyes keep snagging on those last two words. Among the many guests, there must be someone who knows where she is, and I need to find her before the presumption becomes truth.
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