Natural Beauty

When does the pursuit of beauty cross the threshold into body horror? Why is female body horror often dismissed as innocuous? Is it because women spend their entire lives being told to contort and conform their bodies into a desired shape, no matter the personal cost? This novel is a biting examination of wellness culture, consumerism, otherness, and beauty standards. Huang takes on these topics in a wonderfully plotted, whirlwind of a nightmare that you can’t escape and won’t want to.   Recommended By Charlotte S., Powells.com

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 gives her 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.

"Precise, unflinching, and utterly unforgettable, Natural Beauty is both a razor-sharp critique of the beauty industry and a startlingly tender story of family and sacrifice. This book will swallow you whole." Grace D. Li, New York Times bestselling author of Portrait of a Thief

"A propulsive, captivating read, Natural Beauty pulled me into its world like a fever dream. A prescient look at the dirty underbelly of society's beauty standards, it also carries a moving reminder that true beauty is often found in the very things we've been taught to abandon." Constance Wu, star of Crazy Rich Asians and author of Making a Scene

"Ling Ling Huang amplifies and expands the future of horror fiction with a book so riveting it is impossible to put down." Rikki Ducornet, author of Phosphor in Dreamland

Ling Ling Huang is a writer and violinist. She plays with several ensembles, including the Oregon Symphony, Grand Teton Music Festival Orchestra, ProMusica, Chamber Orchestra, and the Experiential Orchestra, with whom she won a Grammy Award in 2021. Natural Beauty is her first novel.