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A review by _darbi_
Natural Beauty by Ling Ling Huang
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-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? It's complicated
4.75
self-care and hunger meet body horror with explorations of race, class, and consumption within the "wellness" space. decadent and dreamy descriptions contrast lines woven of grit and fatigue from an unnamed protagonist.
my only critique is that i felt like there was so much more to explore!what happened to lilith? what were all of the experiments at apothecare? what was life really like in the gunks? why didn't we have a confrontation between our mc and amelia, esp. after the docuseries? the ending felt too abrupt in relationship to the rest of the plot — i'm hungry for more!
(such a miniscule part of the plot, but intrigued by our human desire to immediately understand how such a horrible thing could happen and ultimately "necessitate" the production of a documentary. this need to sanitize experiences into entertainment for consumption by the masses so that viewers can choose sides or excuse their conscience by saying, "we suspected all along." it's bizarre.)
if you like weird books that will simultaneously horrify you with their realities while grounding you in social commentary, akin to tender is the flesh by agustina bazterrica and little eyes by samanta schweblin, natural beauty by ling ling huang is for you!
my only critique is that i felt like there was so much more to explore!
if you like weird books that will simultaneously horrify you with their realities while grounding you in social commentary, akin to tender is the flesh by agustina bazterrica and little eyes by samanta schweblin, natural beauty by ling ling huang is for you!