womenvsthevoid's Reviews (244)

Immaculate Conception dazzled as much as Ling Ling Huang’s debut, Natural Beauty. Immaculate Conception could be described as a marriage between Rouge by Mona Awad and Yellowface by R.F. Kaung. The story is part horror, part thriller, part sci fi, and part literary fiction all in one. Because Huang embraces all of these elements so well, I feel like Immaculate Conception will satisfy an array of readers. Much like how Natural Beauty was a leader in books published about the wellness industry, Immaculate Conception will be a leader in books published about technology and artificial intelligence. Unsurprisingly, the writing was excellent and Huang’s characters were deeply layered and interesting. Thank you to Ling Ling Huang, Dutton, and Netgalley for advance access to Immaculate Conception.

Sugar was quite the page turner. I was on board for the first 70% of the story, but the final twist felt far reaching and rushed. I also feel like the characters’ queer identities were under explored and it felt like a plot device thrown in for shock value and no real meaning. Despite these issues, I found myself enjoying Sugar as a nice palette cleanser. Thank you Mia Ballard, Galaxy Press, and Netgalley for early access to Sugar!

Emily Austin’s ability to write from the perspective of tortured 20-somethings trying to figure out life’s next steps is unmatched. Austin demonstrates how small moments collect to make us feel like we’re descending into uncontrollable chaos. Her writing is a perfect example of how describing life’s peculiarities and circumstances creates as much weight as huge plot twists and turns. Life is unbelievable enough without adding inventive devices. We Could All Be Rats is subtle yet hugely impactful. Austin yet again delivers a masterpiece. Thank you to Emily Austin, Atria, and Netgalley for advance access to this story.