Natural Beauty
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Author: Ling Ling Huang
Published by: Canelo
Pages: 235
Format: Kindle e-book
My Rating: ★★★1/2
Published by: Canelo
Pages: 235
Format: Kindle e-book
My Rating: ★★★1/2
Our narrator produces a wondrous sound from the piano learned from her mother and father, 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.
Holistik is known for its remarkable products and procedures, and her new job affords her entry into an unimagined world of privilege. 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 much darker...
Holistik is known for its remarkable products and procedures, and her new job affords her entry into an unimagined world of privilege. 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 much darker...
My thoughts:
Natural Beauty is an original and unsettling novel that blends psychological thriller, body horror, and dystopian themes into something distinctly strange and gripping. But while I enjoyed it overall, I came away feeling that the premise was ultimately stronger than the execution.
What gripped me most was the opening section of the novel, which explores the narrator’s childhood and the intense discipline of her life as a gifted pianist. I found these early chapters fascinating. The pressure, sacrifice, and sheer commitment required to master her instrument gave the character real depth, and I was especially interested in how her identity had been shaped by talent and ambition from such a young age.
As the story shifts and she begins working for a mysterious beauty company, the novel takes a darker and increasingly surreal turn. The central ideas are compelling, and there is plenty here to admire in terms of originality. The beauty industry is used cleverly as a vehicle for themes of exploitation, perfection, and bodily control, which made for an intriguing and in many ways disturbing reading experience.
That said, I did feel some of the most interesting earlier elements, particularly the protagonist’s musical background, were largely abandoned as the plot progressed. I would have loved those threads to remain more present throughout the story, as I felt they added richness to both the character and the wider themes of obsession and performance.
My other main reservation was the ending, which felt somewhat hurried. After so much careful build-up and atmosphere, it seemed eager to explain itself too neatly and answer questions that may have been better left partially unresolved. For me, the strongest and creepiest moments were the ones where the reader was left to piece things together themselves.
Overall, Natural Beauty is inventive, atmospheric, and undeniably thought-provoking. It did not leave a huge lasting impression on me, but I’m glad I read it and admired its ambition. It certainly made for a very interesting book club discussion. The novel has a fascinating concept with some genuinely eerie moments, even if it did not quite fulfil all its potential.
Overall reaction:
Natural Beauty is an original and unsettling novel that blends psychological thriller, body horror, and dystopian themes into something distinctly strange and gripping. But while I enjoyed it overall, I came away feeling that the premise was ultimately stronger than the execution.
What gripped me most was the opening section of the novel, which explores the narrator’s childhood and the intense discipline of her life as a gifted pianist. I found these early chapters fascinating. The pressure, sacrifice, and sheer commitment required to master her instrument gave the character real depth, and I was especially interested in how her identity had been shaped by talent and ambition from such a young age.
As the story shifts and she begins working for a mysterious beauty company, the novel takes a darker and increasingly surreal turn. The central ideas are compelling, and there is plenty here to admire in terms of originality. The beauty industry is used cleverly as a vehicle for themes of exploitation, perfection, and bodily control, which made for an intriguing and in many ways disturbing reading experience.
That said, I did feel some of the most interesting earlier elements, particularly the protagonist’s musical background, were largely abandoned as the plot progressed. I would have loved those threads to remain more present throughout the story, as I felt they added richness to both the character and the wider themes of obsession and performance.
My other main reservation was the ending, which felt somewhat hurried. After so much careful build-up and atmosphere, it seemed eager to explain itself too neatly and answer questions that may have been better left partially unresolved. For me, the strongest and creepiest moments were the ones where the reader was left to piece things together themselves.
Overall, Natural Beauty is inventive, atmospheric, and undeniably thought-provoking. It did not leave a huge lasting impression on me, but I’m glad I read it and admired its ambition. It certainly made for a very interesting book club discussion. The novel has a fascinating concept with some genuinely eerie moments, even if it did not quite fulfil all its potential.
Overall reaction:
