A review by savvylit
Natural Beauty by Ling Ling Huang

dark emotional mysterious reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Natural Beauty is a novel with so much to love. It's an addictive page turner. It's deeply creepy and unsettling. It's culty as hell - in a believable slow burn, capitalist sort of way. It's about the dissonance between cultures as a first-generation American with Chinese immigrant parents. It's an examination of white, Western beauty standards. It's a tale of wlw obsession. It's an exploration of the innate sense of duty a daughter feels to her ailing parents. It's a glimpse into the pressures facing professional musicians. It's inherently anti-work, highlighting the ways that employers ask too much of employees facing precarity. It's a fucked up deep dive into our culture's obsession with physical "self-improvement."

I was so absolutely riveted by this novel. Each new horror that unfolded had me simultaneously surprised and disturbed. Natural Beauty is the perfect example of what I love about horror - it holds up a mirror to society's ills and forces us to look. This was an absolutely stunning debut from Ling Ling Huang and I eagerly anticipate her next work!
Expand filter menu Content Warnings