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Natural Beauty
Goodreads Choice Award
Nominee for Best Horror (2023)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.
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.
272 pages, Hardcover
First published April 4, 2023
About the author
Ling Ling Huang
1 book307 followersLing Ling Huang is a writer and violinist. She plays with several ensembles including the Music Kitchen, Washington Heights Chamber Orchestra, Urban Playground Chamber Orchestra, Shattered Glass, and Experiential Orchestra, with whom she won a Grammy award in 2020. Natural Beauty is her first novel.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,697 reviews
May 12, 2023
the real horror story is the shallow beauty culture we engaged in along the way.
this was an interesting fun story, perfect for anyone who thinks beauty culture is evil and goop is disturbing and gwyneth paltrow is probably a supervillain!
to be honest this felt like a debut in both the writing and the character construction, but it also had fun gross out body horror and weirdness.
so it evens out.
bottom line: consumption is wicked! and not in the massachusetts slang way.
(thanks to netgalley for the e-arc)
this was an interesting fun story, perfect for anyone who thinks beauty culture is evil and goop is disturbing and gwyneth paltrow is probably a supervillain!
to be honest this felt like a debut in both the writing and the character construction, but it also had fun gross out body horror and weirdness.
so it evens out.
bottom line: consumption is wicked! and not in the massachusetts slang way.
(thanks to netgalley for the e-arc)
May 31, 2024
Goodreads Choice Awards Opening Round - Best Horror
I don't love horror. I loved every second of this. As a woman that grew up in the celebrity obsessed culture of the United States, this depiction of the beauty industry hits quite close to home. What is in your beauty products? Do you care? How much will you pay to be young and beautiful?
📱 Thank you to NetGalley and Dutton
I don't love horror. I loved every second of this. As a woman that grew up in the celebrity obsessed culture of the United States, this depiction of the beauty industry hits quite close to home. What is in your beauty products? Do you care? How much will you pay to be young and beautiful?
📱 Thank you to NetGalley and Dutton
April 10, 2023
This body horror about beauty, capitalism, and cannibalism is such a fun romp, I applaud Constance Wu for securing the rights and turning it into a film spectacle, because the evocative settings and atmospheric scenes really ask for it. Ling Ling Huang's debut won me over from the start by refraining from telling me the obvious in a self-important tone (the wellness industry is feeding on people's insecurities by creating desirability and helps to sustain the status quo by keeping women in check via fear), she just assumes that her readers have more than five brain cells and extrapolates from our goop-y self-care hell to an alternative world in which an a-moral Elon Musk type tech investor dude packages his experimental science in a wellness cult and feeds it to the wealthy few. Hilarity ensues.
Our Chinese-American protagonist (of whom we never learn her real name, just that it means Lotus in Chinese and that her assumed name is Anna) is the daughter of two poor Chinese pianists who were incarcerated in a labor camp during the Cultural Revolution and then fled to the US - as the Cultural Revolution lasted until Mao's death in 1976 and we learn that our young and uber-talented narrator dropped out of the Conservatory after her parents got severely injured in a car accident, this means that the story mostly likely takes place ... in the past! Anyway, so in order to pay the bills for her parents' care facility, our desperate narrator takes a job at Holistik, which is part of a larger beauty enterprise run by ruthless Victor (the Elon Musk dude). As the story progresses, Anna gets to the bottom of what Holistik's treatments really mean, and how they are procured.
The novel is a real page turner, and the three-dimensional main character is great in her realness and messiness. Sure, the book discusses our obsession with beauty, the immigrant experience, capitalism and human cruelty, but without over-explaining these aspects or essayistic inserts, no, it's all there in the plot and woven into the characters, which helps to keep the speed up and hold the readers' interest. I was intrigued by the ruminations on aesthetics in music (the author is a renowned violinist) and physical aesthetics, because usually, one is considered high culture and worthwhile, while the other is perceived as superficial and cruel - but isn't there a deeper, more complex connection? (Plus, I'm all here for the explanation why Anna maintains that Schönberg is much more interesting than Mozart, and I agree.)
Also, let me point out that this novel, without apparent reason, features a dog named Goose. Who names their dog Goose?! Of course, Jesse Ball, and I count this as a nod to the great American surrealist badass, especially as Ling Ling Huang tends to blend horror and surrealism, and I'm here for it.
While there are some predictable aspects to the text, it's still great stuff, and I can't wait for the film version.
Our Chinese-American protagonist (of whom we never learn her real name, just that it means Lotus in Chinese and that her assumed name is Anna) is the daughter of two poor Chinese pianists who were incarcerated in a labor camp during the Cultural Revolution and then fled to the US - as the Cultural Revolution lasted until Mao's death in 1976 and we learn that our young and uber-talented narrator dropped out of the Conservatory after her parents got severely injured in a car accident, this means that the story mostly likely takes place ... in the past! Anyway, so in order to pay the bills for her parents' care facility, our desperate narrator takes a job at Holistik, which is part of a larger beauty enterprise run by ruthless Victor (the Elon Musk dude). As the story progresses, Anna gets to the bottom of what Holistik's treatments really mean, and how they are procured.
The novel is a real page turner, and the three-dimensional main character is great in her realness and messiness. Sure, the book discusses our obsession with beauty, the immigrant experience, capitalism and human cruelty, but without over-explaining these aspects or essayistic inserts, no, it's all there in the plot and woven into the characters, which helps to keep the speed up and hold the readers' interest. I was intrigued by the ruminations on aesthetics in music (the author is a renowned violinist) and physical aesthetics, because usually, one is considered high culture and worthwhile, while the other is perceived as superficial and cruel - but isn't there a deeper, more complex connection? (Plus, I'm all here for the explanation why Anna maintains that Schönberg is much more interesting than Mozart, and I agree.)
Also, let me point out that this novel, without apparent reason, features a dog named Goose. Who names their dog Goose?! Of course, Jesse Ball, and I count this as a nod to the great American surrealist badass, especially as Ling Ling Huang tends to blend horror and surrealism, and I'm here for it.
While there are some predictable aspects to the text, it's still great stuff, and I can't wait for the film version.
May 29, 2024
"My life, which had been so predictable before, was now stuck in that blank space between keys, treading silence."
The more time that has passed since I finished reading this book, the more it lingers in my mind, and the more I love it. This is an absolutely captivating exploration of themes surrounding beauty, ugliness, womanhood, family, belonging, grief and cultural identity. The author's skill in weaving together multiple layers of narrative, particularly the portrayal of a first-generation American child of Chinese immigrants and the intricate dynamics of a family deeply connected through music, was awe-inspiring, considering this is a debut novel.
I loved the creative use of body horror and monstrous transformation to peel back the many societally ingrained layers of unattainable Eurocentric beauty standards and wellness culture in a grotesque cautionary tale that had as much heart as it did guts.
Despite some unresolved plot threads and questionable character motivations, the eerie atmosphere that steadily built up the tension, the plentiful instances of gorgeous prose, and the many profound insights into the human experience more than made up for any deficiency.
I was deeply moved by the way Ling Ling Huang concluded this story, particularly the exploration of radical self-acceptance and freedom from societal beauty standards. This was a cathartic and heartbreaking read, and in the months since I read it, I haven't gone more than a day without thinking about it.
A glorious example of literary horror, Natural Beauty is a very valuable use of time, and I highly recommend it to just about everyone!
"I enjoy the immense freedom that comes with being safe from desire. And it is a kind of power to embrace ugliness and its possibility of expression, so much more imaginative than beauty."
Watch me read and review this book (& other nominees in the horror category!) here: https://youtu.be/dVOamSxBvnk
Representation: bisexual and lesbian characters, sapphic romance & sex
Trigger/Content Warnings: car accident, bullying, eating disorders, sexual assault, animal death, sexual harassment, animal cruelty, cannibalism, body horror, loss of parents, gore, fire injury, pedophilia, medical experimentation, forced medical procedures
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You can join our book club over on Patreon...
PBB Book Club
The more time that has passed since I finished reading this book, the more it lingers in my mind, and the more I love it. This is an absolutely captivating exploration of themes surrounding beauty, ugliness, womanhood, family, belonging, grief and cultural identity. The author's skill in weaving together multiple layers of narrative, particularly the portrayal of a first-generation American child of Chinese immigrants and the intricate dynamics of a family deeply connected through music, was awe-inspiring, considering this is a debut novel.
I loved the creative use of body horror and monstrous transformation to peel back the many societally ingrained layers of unattainable Eurocentric beauty standards and wellness culture in a grotesque cautionary tale that had as much heart as it did guts.
Despite some unresolved plot threads and questionable character motivations, the eerie atmosphere that steadily built up the tension, the plentiful instances of gorgeous prose, and the many profound insights into the human experience more than made up for any deficiency.
I was deeply moved by the way Ling Ling Huang concluded this story, particularly the exploration of radical self-acceptance and freedom from societal beauty standards. This was a cathartic and heartbreaking read, and in the months since I read it, I haven't gone more than a day without thinking about it.
A glorious example of literary horror, Natural Beauty is a very valuable use of time, and I highly recommend it to just about everyone!
"I enjoy the immense freedom that comes with being safe from desire. And it is a kind of power to embrace ugliness and its possibility of expression, so much more imaginative than beauty."
Watch me read and review this book (& other nominees in the horror category!) here: https://youtu.be/dVOamSxBvnk
Representation: bisexual and lesbian characters, sapphic romance & sex
Trigger/Content Warnings: car accident, bullying, eating disorders, sexual assault, animal death, sexual harassment, animal cruelty, cannibalism, body horror, loss of parents, gore, fire injury, pedophilia, medical experimentation, forced medical procedures
You can find me on...
Youtube | Instagram | TikTok
You can join our book club over on Patreon...
PBB Book Club
April 25, 2023
Beauty has always been one of the only ways women have been able to access power, and I can't fault any of them for wanting more of it."
This book was WILD. I couldn't put it down, and I wish it was longer! I can pretty much guarantee that at least a handful of the sinister Holistik reveals will surprise you. I think it is diminishing to just consider Natural Beauty a horror novel though. It straddles multiple genres, in my opinion. It managed to deliver a fresh (and frankly horrifying) take on the subjects of capitalism, racism and beauty standards.
Of course, the most significant topic is cultural identity-and the cost of complete assimilation. I wasn't expecting it to be so moving, but all of the parts with the protagonist's struggling parents who are trying desperately to make a living for their family as immigrants in America, and her fairly isolated childhood as a piano prodigy just gutted me. There were a lot of heartbreaking parts regarding protag and her parents, it's hard not to be emotionally invested in the poignant writing.
I also love classical music, so I really liked this aspect of the story and reading about the music.
I'll definitely have an eye out for more of Huang's work in the future, because this blew the horror/fiction books I've read recently right out of the water.
This book was WILD. I couldn't put it down, and I wish it was longer! I can pretty much guarantee that at least a handful of the sinister Holistik reveals will surprise you. I think it is diminishing to just consider Natural Beauty a horror novel though. It straddles multiple genres, in my opinion. It managed to deliver a fresh (and frankly horrifying) take on the subjects of capitalism, racism and beauty standards.
Of course, the most significant topic is cultural identity-and the cost of complete assimilation. I wasn't expecting it to be so moving, but all of the parts with the protagonist's struggling parents who are trying desperately to make a living for their family as immigrants in America, and her fairly isolated childhood as a piano prodigy just gutted me. There were a lot of heartbreaking parts regarding protag and her parents, it's hard not to be emotionally invested in the poignant writing.
I also love classical music, so I really liked this aspect of the story and reading about the music.
I'll definitely have an eye out for more of Huang's work in the future, because this blew the horror/fiction books I've read recently right out of the water.
December 1, 2023
“It was the first time I thought about how strange it was that the thing I spent all my time doing belonged to a culture that wasn't mine. But my parents were the ones who taught me piano. It is just as much a part of my blood as it is hers.”
oh friends, i really thought this was going to be a five star at first! the writing is so atmospheric and enchanting and harrowing and just... it's perfect. and i still really enjoyed the story as well! the themes of connection and belonging in two different worlds constantly were so loud and heartfelt. i know a lot of younger diaspora people will find so much with these pages, both good and bad but very real and seen. there were multiple parts of this story that made me cry and feel so many things simultaneously.
the end was just too wild for me. maybe i'm too much of a horror new reader, but i just couldn't. i, very heartbreakingly, loved the metaphor at the end too, but i just ended up not loving the story as a whole as much as i hoped for when starting. i still highly recommend this debut with my whole heart and i am very happy that i was able to read it.
♡ buddy read with may!
trigger and content warnings (some of these could be plot spoilers so please use caution): suicidal thoughts, depression, ptsd, anxiety, grief, racism, colorism, talk of labor camps in past, extreme bullying in past, disordered eating and a lot of descriptions of disordered eating thoughts, hospitalization of loved ones, hospital setting, loss of parents, loss of a loved one, animal abuse, animal testing, animal deaths, human experimentations, sexual assault, sexual abuse, grooming, predatory behavior, drugging, forced impregnation, kind of bestiality maybe idk, cannibalism, lots of descriptions of worms and slugs and spiders and crabs, blood, death, seizures, and just lots of body horror things!
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March 20, 2024
”Beauty has always been one of the only ways women have been able to access power, and I can’t fault any of them for wanting more of it.”
i’ll attempt to keep this review short and vague since it’s a better reading experience that way.. but i honestly had no idea what to expect when i started this and can now confirm it was 100% WILD. the way the author chose to tackle capitalism, beauty standards, immigration and so much more through nasty body horror was genius. i found it so interesting that we never learn the narrators true name, just the generic one she’s given in order to “appeal to customers”. there’s a lot i liked about this but i’m picky with open endings (which this has), so i was left wishing it had a more direct conclusion on the situation the main character was left in and how she truly felt about it. either way, this was a very effective read full of trigger warnings. it was horrible.. and i just couldn’t stop reading.
i’ll attempt to keep this review short and vague since it’s a better reading experience that way.. but i honestly had no idea what to expect when i started this and can now confirm it was 100% WILD. the way the author chose to tackle capitalism, beauty standards, immigration and so much more through nasty body horror was genius. i found it so interesting that we never learn the narrators true name, just the generic one she’s given in order to “appeal to customers”. there’s a lot i liked about this but i’m picky with open endings (which this has), so i was left wishing it had a more direct conclusion on the situation the main character was left in and how she truly felt about it. either way, this was a very effective read full of trigger warnings. it was horrible.. and i just couldn’t stop reading.
July 1, 2023
who knew a book could be so eerie and horrifying to while still being so moving. and fun! what a feat omg
May 15, 2023
While recent years have seen no shortage of media addressing wellness, corporations, and toxic beauty standards, I was nevertheless intrigued by Natural Beauty. I’ll admit that once again I was taken in more by the eye-catching cover than the actual book summary. Sure, the premise itself did bring to mind several other titles, namely Lakewood by Megan Giddings, but I found the cover design so hypnotic that I decided to give Natural Beauty a try anyway. Alas, nothing about Natural Beauty really caught my attention or left me with a positive impression. The writing is flat, the characters are mere names on pages, and the tone is all over the place. It seemed that the narrative was trying to be this edgy satire that fails to actually delve deeper into the issues it is attempting to tackle. There are a lot of throwaway gratuitous scenes, there is a lack of logic both in the characters’ actions and motivations and the world-building itself. Our main narrator is given a traumatic backstory that seemed to exist only as a way of contextualizing her lack of personhood. While I understand that the characters’ shallowness could have been very much the point, given that they are focused or are made to be focus on superficial things, it just wasn’t convincing. And again, if the narrative had addressed with more depth the themes that are meant to be crucial to the story, maybe then I could have put up with shallow barely-there characters. I don’t mind books that focus on vibes, on the aesthetics, more than say plot or character-development, one of my favorite books Catherine House is very much all vibes, and I quite like the prose of authors like Megan Giddings and Nghi Vo, who are very much gifted when it comes creating and maintaining a mood…but here it all felt very…ham-fisted. The evil people are evil, the main character is chosen because of reasons, a sinister corporation is, in fact, sinister, so many convenient coincidences, and so on and so forth. We learn virtually nothing about the narrator’s job, which is a pity as I think it would have helped make Holistik more ‘credible’. In the last year, I have worked for 4 different companies in 6 different locations and I can safely say that the story’s depiction of the narrator’s hiring process and training seemed full of inconsistencies and plot holes.
It’s a pity but ultimately the narrative merely seems to rehash ideas and plot points from things like Black Mirror, Get Out, and even The Stepford Wives. The author throws in a lot of supposedly shocking scenes that come across as fairly predictable twists and/or unnecessary. I wish more time had been dedicated to the portrayal of Western beauty standards, the pervasiveness and elevation of whiteness, bodily autonomy, economic inequity, and the demands of modern workplaces, than to attempting, and failing, to set a mysterious mood.
As you know, YMMV, so if you are in the mood for a speculative read you should give this novel a shot. Hopefully, you'll end up finding it a more rewarding read than I was able to.
It’s a pity but ultimately the narrative merely seems to rehash ideas and plot points from things like Black Mirror, Get Out, and even The Stepford Wives. The author throws in a lot of supposedly shocking scenes that come across as fairly predictable twists and/or unnecessary. I wish more time had been dedicated to the portrayal of Western beauty standards, the pervasiveness and elevation of whiteness, bodily autonomy, economic inequity, and the demands of modern workplaces, than to attempting, and failing, to set a mysterious mood.
As you know, YMMV, so if you are in the mood for a speculative read you should give this novel a shot. Hopefully, you'll end up finding it a more rewarding read than I was able to.
March 27, 2023
At Holistik , they teach me what I need to be afraid of to become beautiful.
For centuries women have endured weird, expensive, and occasionally painful treatments and procedures in their search for beauty.
And, frequently we never even question what we put in our bodies or rub on our skin . . . as long as it results in a flawless complexion, and longer eyelashes.
Huang's young narrator needs cash fast, so she begins working at Holistik, a high-end retailer of natural beauty products. The store wants their representatives to look their best, so the salesgirls are required to sample the wares.
There is no longer any way to deny it. I am becoming my best self.
But, soon it becomes apparent that the owners of this beauty business have some pretty ugly plans for their employees, and the buying public.
There's a wonderfully creepy Stepford Wives vibe to this one. The author kept me guessing, AND turning the pages. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm late for my bird poop facial. I bet you won't even recognize the new me!
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read this.
For centuries women have endured weird, expensive, and occasionally painful treatments and procedures in their search for beauty.
And, frequently we never even question what we put in our bodies or rub on our skin . . . as long as it results in a flawless complexion, and longer eyelashes.
Huang's young narrator needs cash fast, so she begins working at Holistik, a high-end retailer of natural beauty products. The store wants their representatives to look their best, so the salesgirls are required to sample the wares.
There is no longer any way to deny it. I am becoming my best self.
But, soon it becomes apparent that the owners of this beauty business have some pretty ugly plans for their employees, and the buying public.
There's a wonderfully creepy Stepford Wives vibe to this one. The author kept me guessing, AND turning the pages. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm late for my bird poop facial. I bet you won't even recognize the new me!
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read this.
December 11, 2022
If you took SEVERANCE and swapped the zombie apocalypse vibes for beauty cult vibes, you wouldn't be that far off from NATURAL BEAUTY. Both are "literary" genre novels with a satirical bent. Though this is a lot more plot-heavy and very willing to lean into body horror and surrealism, which I think is absolutely the right call.
Striving for beauty is its own version of body horror, with strange contraptions and tools, with an effort to transform, to turn one thing into something else. Huang is particularly interested in exploring the current wellness culture where the quest for beauty is also framed as self-care, rather than one where beauty is about being attractive to men. It is beauty as identity, as wholeness, but there is also a whiteness, a thinness, and a sameness to it that can be disturbing. There's also a clear class divide, with the wealthy able to indulge in any treatment they'd like. All these elements are interesting to Huang and she's created a novel that is very readable and very menacing.
Our unnamed narrator is the child of immigrants and a former piano prodigy whose life has fallen apart after her parents are in a terrible accident. She is discovered by the founder of Holistik, a singular beauty and wellness brand, and invited to work for them. It's an invitation they don't give to just anyone. The workers there are renowned for their unique looks and our narrator doesn't exactly fit in. But she is relieved to find a better job and something to focus on outside of caring for her parents.
Though the marketing copy doesn't sound very horror like outside of the word "sinister," this is definitely a horror novel complete with a big third act climax and some horrifying reveals. It is also a queer novel where, happily, our protagonist's desire for another woman doesn't spend the entire novel as just subtext.
It's an impressive novel, grappling with a lot of big themes while also giving a very satisfying and creepy plot.
Striving for beauty is its own version of body horror, with strange contraptions and tools, with an effort to transform, to turn one thing into something else. Huang is particularly interested in exploring the current wellness culture where the quest for beauty is also framed as self-care, rather than one where beauty is about being attractive to men. It is beauty as identity, as wholeness, but there is also a whiteness, a thinness, and a sameness to it that can be disturbing. There's also a clear class divide, with the wealthy able to indulge in any treatment they'd like. All these elements are interesting to Huang and she's created a novel that is very readable and very menacing.
Our unnamed narrator is the child of immigrants and a former piano prodigy whose life has fallen apart after her parents are in a terrible accident. She is discovered by the founder of Holistik, a singular beauty and wellness brand, and invited to work for them. It's an invitation they don't give to just anyone. The workers there are renowned for their unique looks and our narrator doesn't exactly fit in. But she is relieved to find a better job and something to focus on outside of caring for her parents.
Though the marketing copy doesn't sound very horror like outside of the word "sinister," this is definitely a horror novel complete with a big third act climax and some horrifying reveals. It is also a queer novel where, happily, our protagonist's desire for another woman doesn't spend the entire novel as just subtext.
It's an impressive novel, grappling with a lot of big themes while also giving a very satisfying and creepy plot.
April 11, 2024
read for my patreon book club: https://www.patreon.com/megwithbooks
I-- I don't even know if I have words for what i just experienced... but I think I enjoyed it???
I-- I don't even know if I have words for what i just experienced... but I think I enjoyed it???
May 29, 2023
thrilling, biting, and tear-inducing. the writing style is fantastic, the story absolutely entrapping. LOVED. thanks to PRH audio for the ARC
April 9, 2023
The nameless protagonist of Natural Beauty used to be a very special, very gifted piano player who was classically trained at a conservatory on a stipend after her parents escaped the Cultural Revolution. Being bullied throughout her school life and made to feel she has no right to be as good as she is in an area of culture that “is not her own”, she does her best to adapt to other girls and survive. After an accident she finds herself in need of earning money and earning it fast, so she accepts a job at the spa Holistik, where you can get the latest “self-care” treatments to look your best, as long as you can afford it. It doesn't last long until she also takes on a side gig as a sex worker at Apothecare, which provides hygienic and safe sexual services. And that's where things get really freaky.
Natural Beauty gives a lot to think about. The wish and efforts to look beautiful or good is probably both a source of longing as well as a source of horror for most, especially combined with medical procedures. In this sense, the conversations between our protagonist and her crush, Holistik's owner's niece Helen, and her coworker Lilith were really insightful as it contemplated the concept of beauty from as many different angles as possible; socioeconomic, racial, social... Although Huang explores the limits to this kind of striving for good looks by ridiculously stretching the lengths at which companies and people will go to provide this service, sometimes in ridiculously comedic ways, there never was any judgment for people's desires (maybe a little critically eyeing, but no judgment) since the source of such desire, or such power, and the exploitation thereof, was explored in-depth.
This was a smashing read for me.
Natural Beauty gives a lot to think about. The wish and efforts to look beautiful or good is probably both a source of longing as well as a source of horror for most, especially combined with medical procedures. In this sense, the conversations between our protagonist and her crush, Holistik's owner's niece Helen, and her coworker Lilith were really insightful as it contemplated the concept of beauty from as many different angles as possible; socioeconomic, racial, social... Although Huang explores the limits to this kind of striving for good looks by ridiculously stretching the lengths at which companies and people will go to provide this service, sometimes in ridiculously comedic ways, there never was any judgment for people's desires (maybe a little critically eyeing, but no judgment) since the source of such desire, or such power, and the exploitation thereof, was explored in-depth.
This was a smashing read for me.
April 14, 2023
Where are the weird book girlies? I have a recommendation for y'all.
I forget the exact way that this title first came to my attention, just that I have been anticipating it for a while now. It's also the second time a book from the Dutton imprint over at Penguin has gagged me a little.
I also think it's worth noting that while at some point in my life I read the synopsis, but by the time I started to actually read the book whatever information the synopsis contained had been lost to the dark corners of my mind. All I knew going in was that at one point a past version of me had been looking forward to this story.
As I started to read I thought that I might be getting a book about identity, about the way that the version of you that exists as a child and makes plans can be upended. A former piano player the narrator is now in a place in life where they no longer play and instead find themselves employed at the most cutting edge beauty company. It's hard to really describe the corporation, because likening it to anything that currently exists I think undercuts the weirdness that occurs the longer the reader spends time in this world. It's a book that takes a look at the seductive nature of the beauty industry, and while on it's face it could be read as that it really does feel more allegorical than something meant to be taken just at face value.
The more time the reader spends in this the world the wilder the ride gets; all juxtaposed against the seemingly mundane existence that the narrator had growing up.
There was a quality to the writing that was a little rough around the edges. I know myself and what I look for in books that shoot to be included in what I categorize as literary fictions as a opposed to aspirational lit fic that sits solidly in the general fiction category, this certianly straddles that arbitrary border.
To a degree all books have to be experienced to really matter discussing, but here that's doubly true. No matter what you expect to find on this journey I can almost guarantee that you'll be surprised at the destination and how just a series of small choices can lead to some of the most unhinged outcomes imaginable.
Run don't walk to get a copy of this for yourself.
I forget the exact way that this title first came to my attention, just that I have been anticipating it for a while now. It's also the second time a book from the Dutton imprint over at Penguin has gagged me a little.
I also think it's worth noting that while at some point in my life I read the synopsis, but by the time I started to actually read the book whatever information the synopsis contained had been lost to the dark corners of my mind. All I knew going in was that at one point a past version of me had been looking forward to this story.
As I started to read I thought that I might be getting a book about identity, about the way that the version of you that exists as a child and makes plans can be upended. A former piano player the narrator is now in a place in life where they no longer play and instead find themselves employed at the most cutting edge beauty company. It's hard to really describe the corporation, because likening it to anything that currently exists I think undercuts the weirdness that occurs the longer the reader spends time in this world. It's a book that takes a look at the seductive nature of the beauty industry, and while on it's face it could be read as that it really does feel more allegorical than something meant to be taken just at face value.
The more time the reader spends in this the world the wilder the ride gets; all juxtaposed against the seemingly mundane existence that the narrator had growing up.
There was a quality to the writing that was a little rough around the edges. I know myself and what I look for in books that shoot to be included in what I categorize as literary fictions as a opposed to aspirational lit fic that sits solidly in the general fiction category, this certianly straddles that arbitrary border.
To a degree all books have to be experienced to really matter discussing, but here that's doubly true. No matter what you expect to find on this journey I can almost guarantee that you'll be surprised at the destination and how just a series of small choices can lead to some of the most unhinged outcomes imaginable.
Run don't walk to get a copy of this for yourself.
March 13, 2024
i like the idea of this and enjoyed overall but i feel like this would have worked best as a short story. once i finished it i found myself wondering why the first half of book covered what it did & to that extent, considering how fast paced the final chapters are.
i just found this thematically pretty unsatisfying and heavyyy on the telling-not-showing. felt like more of a surface level horror reimagining of goop than an actual exploration of beauty/class/sexism/racism through the trials and tribulations of a dystopian wellness group. very “imagine if all this stuff was happening” then going “this would be bad” lol
which isnt a bad thing per say, it’s a quick read! but i just wanted to see the ideas brought up in here grappled with a bit more instead of being quickly moved on from in favour of unveiling the ~next big twist~
i just found this thematically pretty unsatisfying and heavyyy on the telling-not-showing. felt like more of a surface level horror reimagining of goop than an actual exploration of beauty/class/sexism/racism through the trials and tribulations of a dystopian wellness group. very “imagine if all this stuff was happening” then going “this would be bad” lol
which isnt a bad thing per say, it’s a quick read! but i just wanted to see the ideas brought up in here grappled with a bit more instead of being quickly moved on from in favour of unveiling the ~next big twist~
August 21, 2023
This book was beyond anything I could’ve hoped for. As refreshing as a sheet mask. As stripping as a salt scrub.
Body horror. Eviscerating critique of America’s unregulated naturopathy, homeopathy, and holistics problem. A look at the insidiousness and slyness of corporate and cultural whitewashing. A tactful commentary on science & medicine’s continued exploitation of non-white bodies for wealthy white gain. A warning of the sacrifice required in pursuit of beauty, especially considering the racist basis for how we measure it. A tightly building mystery with sci-fi and horror punches.
And utterly, agonizingly beautiful, musical language throughout.
Highly recommended.
Body horror. Eviscerating critique of America’s unregulated naturopathy, homeopathy, and holistics problem. A look at the insidiousness and slyness of corporate and cultural whitewashing. A tactful commentary on science & medicine’s continued exploitation of non-white bodies for wealthy white gain. A warning of the sacrifice required in pursuit of beauty, especially considering the racist basis for how we measure it. A tightly building mystery with sci-fi and horror punches.
And utterly, agonizingly beautiful, musical language throughout.
Highly recommended.
March 11, 2024
I listened to the audiobook on Libby.
After careful consideration and writing up my review this morning for Patreon
https://www.patreon.com/posts/book-re...
I've updated my rating from 4 stars to 5.
After careful consideration and writing up my review this morning for Patreon
https://www.patreon.com/posts/book-re...
I've updated my rating from 4 stars to 5.
February 7, 2024
LOVED THE LAST 50 PAGES SO MUCH. this book has two of my favorite things to read & my jaw was in helllll.
I, of course, also appreciated the various discussions and commentary about racism, being a woman of color, beauty standards, female autonomy, classism, the extent people would go for money regardless of ethics, etc.
There was A LOT packed into 250 pages.
for fans of The Centre, Bloom, Catherine House, Black Mirror, Ex Machina, & others I'll refrain from stating because of possible spoilers.
TW: death of a parent
I, of course, also appreciated the various discussions and commentary about racism, being a woman of color, beauty standards, female autonomy, classism, the extent people would go for money regardless of ethics, etc.
There was A LOT packed into 250 pages.
for fans of The Centre, Bloom, Catherine House, Black Mirror, Ex Machina, & others I'll refrain from stating because of possible spoilers.
TW: death of a parent
April 9, 2023
When I took notice of this book I must not have paid close enough attention because I mistook it for a memoir. While the author is a violinist in real life, this novel is about a child prodigy pianist and is a work of fiction. And what a work of fiction it was, because as I kept reading I kept saying in my mind, "This is wild!!" over and over again.
This is a first person narration from an only child, a daughter of Chinese immigrants who were both pianists. They live very simple lives and struggle to exist in America, and give piano lessons in their New Jersey home for a living. The daughter's talent as a pianist is so exquisite that her YouTube practice sessions catapult her to a full ride at a NYC Conservatory. This all comes to a halt after a tragic incident one evening after a concert. Now the young woman (we never learn her actual name) is washing dishes in a restaurant for a living, piano playing abandoned, when she is tapped to work at Holistik, an elite wellness center/spa.
What unfolds is much more than meets the eye as she first starts working at this facility. How far will people go to project and achieve beauty? I marveled at the creativity of this author as she gradually lured you into this world of organic oddities. The breadth of the imagination seemed limitless with carnal acts and manipulation that were shocking. I don't want to give any more detail away, but this was one wild ride!
June 27, 2023
Oh wow, this book is Disturbing. And Horrifying. And Heartbreaking.
A young woman is just getting by. She’s a gifted pianist but now due to heartbreaking circumstances and a whole lot of guilt gets her hands boiled at a dishwashing job each day. When she’s offered a dream job at a holistic spa/supplement company out of the blue she begins to think her luck may just be turning around. But Holistik has some secrets. And boy are they ever doozies.
Why does everyone look the same? Blonde, beautiful, and flawless. She feels like an oddball with her dark hair and eyes but not for long . . . I don’t want to say any more than this as this is a book definitely best read cold. Just know that the reveals keep coming and each is more sinister than the last.
Be warned it contains pages and pages of triggering content. Body horror, loss of bodily autonomy, animal harm, and lack of consent for all of it. It’s a dark and highly disturbing look at the elite vs. the broke, race, acceptance, and the beauty industry that feeds and fuels insecurities and values only money.
4 1/2 Stars
A young woman is just getting by. She’s a gifted pianist but now due to heartbreaking circumstances and a whole lot of guilt gets her hands boiled at a dishwashing job each day. When she’s offered a dream job at a holistic spa/supplement company out of the blue she begins to think her luck may just be turning around. But Holistik has some secrets. And boy are they ever doozies.
Why does everyone look the same? Blonde, beautiful, and flawless. She feels like an oddball with her dark hair and eyes but not for long . . . I don’t want to say any more than this as this is a book definitely best read cold. Just know that the reveals keep coming and each is more sinister than the last.
Be warned it contains pages and pages of triggering content. Body horror, loss of bodily autonomy, animal harm, and lack of consent for all of it. It’s a dark and highly disturbing look at the elite vs. the broke, race, acceptance, and the beauty industry that feeds and fuels insecurities and values only money.
4 1/2 Stars
Shelved as 'wishlist'
March 27, 2023omg I hate scaring myself with horror but this sounds so good and I keep stupidly reading horror anyway so why not something like THIS
November 26, 2023
4 stars
A ferocious, visionary debut about the dark side of beauty industry, Natural Beauty is a hallucinatory, wild trip; clearly inspired by real life company like Goop, whose practice in commercializing feminine well-being, and over-indulging in pseudo science (jade eggs for vaginas, anyone?) has been put into scrutiny. Ling Ling Huang also tackles additional themes throughout its narrative, from beauty standard, race, to immigrant generations; while insightful and well intended, some materials feel shoehorned-in, ending up dampening the dramatic tension (the fate for a couple critical characters were anticlimactic when they should've been emotional), or leaving me with distracting, unresolved questions (particularly in the last few chapters).
The Neon Demon, a 2016 film from Nicolas Winding Refn. immediately comes to mind while reading Natural Beauty, both explore the inner working of a glamorous profession (modeling vs. wellness), through a lens that's extremely stylish, sexual and fantastical. Even with some of its debut flaws, I would still highly recommend checking this out—it's definitely a subject matter not often seen explored in such manner prior.
**This ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Much appreciated!**
A ferocious, visionary debut about the dark side of beauty industry, Natural Beauty is a hallucinatory, wild trip; clearly inspired by real life company like Goop, whose practice in commercializing feminine well-being, and over-indulging in pseudo science (jade eggs for vaginas, anyone?) has been put into scrutiny. Ling Ling Huang also tackles additional themes throughout its narrative, from beauty standard, race, to immigrant generations; while insightful and well intended, some materials feel shoehorned-in, ending up dampening the dramatic tension (the fate for a couple critical characters were anticlimactic when they should've been emotional), or leaving me with distracting, unresolved questions (particularly in the last few chapters).
The Neon Demon, a 2016 film from Nicolas Winding Refn. immediately comes to mind while reading Natural Beauty, both explore the inner working of a glamorous profession (modeling vs. wellness), through a lens that's extremely stylish, sexual and fantastical. Even with some of its debut flaws, I would still highly recommend checking this out—it's definitely a subject matter not often seen explored in such manner prior.
**This ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Much appreciated!**
October 18, 2022
3.5
read if you enjoy:
*midsommar
*persistent feelings of nausea
*anything written by ottessa moshfegh
literally. what the fuck.
read if you enjoy:
*midsommar
*persistent feelings of nausea
*anything written by ottessa moshfegh
literally. what the fuck.
February 20, 2024
Well, that was excellent and a little bit gross
February 10, 2024
"And there a lot of people who just want to be beautiful. Should they be doing better things with their time? Maybe. Could they? For sure. But many of them are young women. They don't necessarily have much money, but they spend what they can bettering themselves. Maybe what we're doing is manipulative, but maybe it's important, too. I can't see where that difference begins or ends. Beauty has always been one of the only ways women have been able to access power, and I can't fault any of them for wanting more of it."
4.5 stars, rounded up.
This was a wild horror story with a sci-fi element. It was a really cool (and super gross) spin on the health/wellness/beauty industry on an extreme level. What lengths people are willing to go to in order to look young and what depths corporations are willing to sink to in order to keep turning a profit is not that farfetched. If folks 50 years ago heard that people would be injecting botulism into their faces to smooth out wrinkles, would they have believed it? This was insightful as well with commentary on race, class, and beauty standards. I had a difficult time putting it down, and I won't soon forget it this unique story.
4.5 stars, rounded up.
This was a wild horror story with a sci-fi element. It was a really cool (and super gross) spin on the health/wellness/beauty industry on an extreme level. What lengths people are willing to go to in order to look young and what depths corporations are willing to sink to in order to keep turning a profit is not that farfetched. If folks 50 years ago heard that people would be injecting botulism into their faces to smooth out wrinkles, would they have believed it? This was insightful as well with commentary on race, class, and beauty standards. I had a difficult time putting it down, and I won't soon forget it this unique story.
February 20, 2023
3.5 stars rounded down.
This was a very readable page-turner that ultimately left me wanting a little bit more. I never really connected emotionally with any of the characters, so I found it hard to care about their ultimate fate. I was fascinated by the grotesque nature of this book, both in detail and generally speaking, and I feel like it's making some good statements/points about the pursuit of youth and beauty. However, they were almost too obvious to be meaningful to me as a reader. In addition, the more out-there descriptions of many of the procedures seemed to be aiming for shock value and were almost too silly to take seriously, which took away much of the impact I think the author was waiting for.
"Natural Beauty" wasn't a bad book, and it's one that I actually enjoyed reading. However, it ultimately didn't do a good enough job of selling me characters or a plot that will stick in my memory for very long.
Thanks to NetGalley as per for the ARC.
This was a very readable page-turner that ultimately left me wanting a little bit more. I never really connected emotionally with any of the characters, so I found it hard to care about their ultimate fate. I was fascinated by the grotesque nature of this book, both in detail and generally speaking, and I feel like it's making some good statements/points about the pursuit of youth and beauty. However, they were almost too obvious to be meaningful to me as a reader. In addition, the more out-there descriptions of many of the procedures seemed to be aiming for shock value and were almost too silly to take seriously, which took away much of the impact I think the author was waiting for.
"Natural Beauty" wasn't a bad book, and it's one that I actually enjoyed reading. However, it ultimately didn't do a good enough job of selling me characters or a plot that will stick in my memory for very long.
Thanks to NetGalley as per for the ARC.
April 11, 2023
This is honestly more of a 2.5 rounded up. I had a bizarre experience with this one. It was short and a breeze to read, so I did go ahead and finish, but it was kind of a mess.
I really enjoyed the writing style in general. The descriptions were evocative for me, and I'm someone who generally has a hard time caring about description. I also thought a lot of this was grotesquely creative. The disgusting imagery and the types of "spa treatments" Huang came up with got pretty wild.
Ultimately, though, it had too many problems for me. There was too much going on - between the narrator's past with the piano and her parents, the farm, the spa, the sex work, the pregnancy fix, Helen, Lilith, the cannibalism, Victor's attachment to the Conservatory - for such a short book, I needed more focus.
My other main problem was the narrator herself. I get being desperate for money - I get her going through all of this in order to help her parents. I even get a slow build of weird things making her less clear-eyed. But she came across as very dumb and passive. There often wasn't a slow build at all, so I needed her to react more than she was. For example, when she's told to see Imogen and then has to have an orgasm one way or another to be able to get back to work. That was a very sudden, weird thing but afterward our narrator is like "Well anyway!" I wanted to see her fully acknowledge how bizarre and uncomfortable it was, but come to a decision to stick to it for her parents. *Or* for her to feel it's all very strange but convince herself it's fine because the other women are acting like its normal. I wanted to see those thoughts play out in order to believe her as a character. Her "love" for Helen was also quite shallow (maybe intentionally? not sure), so I didn't care about that at all.
I do like how Huang ended the story for the narrator as a "monster." That was imaginative to me. I'm still interested in reading more from Huang because while I didn't think this execution worked, I do love this *type* of story. I hope she writes more like this.
I really enjoyed the writing style in general. The descriptions were evocative for me, and I'm someone who generally has a hard time caring about description. I also thought a lot of this was grotesquely creative. The disgusting imagery and the types of "spa treatments" Huang came up with got pretty wild.
Ultimately, though, it had too many problems for me. There was too much going on - between the narrator's past with the piano and her parents, the farm, the spa, the sex work, the pregnancy fix, Helen, Lilith, the cannibalism, Victor's attachment to the Conservatory - for such a short book, I needed more focus.
My other main problem was the narrator herself. I get being desperate for money - I get her going through all of this in order to help her parents. I even get a slow build of weird things making her less clear-eyed. But she came across as very dumb and passive. There often wasn't a slow build at all, so I needed her to react more than she was. For example, when she's told to see Imogen and then has to have an orgasm one way or another to be able to get back to work. That was a very sudden, weird thing but afterward our narrator is like "Well anyway!" I wanted to see her fully acknowledge how bizarre and uncomfortable it was, but come to a decision to stick to it for her parents. *Or* for her to feel it's all very strange but convince herself it's fine because the other women are acting like its normal. I wanted to see those thoughts play out in order to believe her as a character. Her "love" for Helen was also quite shallow (maybe intentionally? not sure), so I didn't care about that at all.
I do like how Huang ended the story for the narrator as a "monster." That was imaginative to me. I'm still interested in reading more from Huang because while I didn't think this execution worked, I do love this *type* of story. I hope she writes more like this.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 4, 2023
*HAPPY PUB DAY TO THIS INCREDIBLE NOVEL. GO BUY IT NOW*
I’ve really been a roll lately with choosing some really great reads, and this was just the newest addition to a slew of incredible 5-star books
Natural Beauty is a stunningly unique story following our Asian-American narrator, a former prodigious musician, who suddenly accepts a job at a sketchy new beauty company - the way this story was constructed was beautiful and brilliant, as we learn about her past and why she quit music, this beauty company becomes more and more sinister. It blends coming-of-age literary fiction with humor and horror, and Huang, herself a trained pianist, adds a personal touch to the story. the writing is SO visual, this absolutely needs to be adapted into a movie.
I’ve really been a roll lately with choosing some really great reads, and this was just the newest addition to a slew of incredible 5-star books
Natural Beauty is a stunningly unique story following our Asian-American narrator, a former prodigious musician, who suddenly accepts a job at a sketchy new beauty company - the way this story was constructed was beautiful and brilliant, as we learn about her past and why she quit music, this beauty company becomes more and more sinister. It blends coming-of-age literary fiction with humor and horror, and Huang, herself a trained pianist, adds a personal touch to the story. the writing is SO visual, this absolutely needs to be adapted into a movie.
December 19, 2023
3.5 stars rtc
love when i can tell a character is gay from her description of a woman in the second chapter
love when i can tell a character is gay from her description of a woman in the second chapter
// buddy read with melanie!
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