Title: Immaculate Conception
Author: Ling Ling Huang
Themes: sci-fi, friendships, jealousy
Summary
This is a sci-fi novel about two best friends - Enka and Mathilde, who met in art school. The story is written in the perspective of Enka, who is hard-working, and had entered the prestigious art school through a scholarship for under-privileged students. There, she meets Mathilde, a prodigy in art and admired by many.
The two ended up bonding when Enka cared for Mathilde while she was emotionally vulnerable. On the surface level, they are best friends. But deep down, we see how Enka deals with her jealousy and obsession over Mathilde. Enka becomes envious and helpless over Mathilde’s success due to her natural talent in art, developing groundbreaking work over and over.
The story pivots when Enka breaks through the this cycle and contacts the sponsor of her scholarship program in hopes of getting a career opportunity. She ends up marrying the billionaire behind the company that sponsored her scholarship, which throws her to enter the wealthy elite circle and the technology it produces.
At this point, Enka’s life and all the decisions she made had been built based on her obsession over competing with Mathilde. Through the SCAFFOLD mind-melding procedure, Enka took the opportunity to invade and occupy Mathilde’s mind. The story unfolds through Enka’s guilt building up and Mathilde eventually finding out Enka’s intention since the beggining of their friendship.
Overall thoughts
If you love Black Mirror, this is the book for you. I have to admit that I wasn’t sure how I felt in the beginning, but as I went deeper, I found myself staying up late reading to find out what happens next. Finished the book (285 pages) just within a week.
I was drawn to this book due to the theme surrounding women friendships. The amount of thinking and feeling we do, is a double-edged sword. On one side, we are so caring and thoughtful, always preparing for what we think is about to happen. On the other, we end up wasting energy and spending time on things that don’t end up happening. My intention to read this book is to be inspired and be effective in managing my relationships with my friends.
Enka’s jealousy over Mathilde is fueled by her weak sense of self, which eventually destroys her friendship with Mathilde. What I learned is that self-esteem is so important in a friendship. A good friendship is when two people support each other and want the best for each other. To know if you have a healthy friendship, pay attention to how you feel when you spend time with them – Do you feel inspired and recharged after? Or do you feel drained and pessimistic?
Drawing boundaries can be difficult, but is absolutely necessary for your mental health. I see this type of scenarios like a bonsai - trimming off unhealthy branches and leaves are essential for the growth of the plant. There comes a point where you have to stop pleasing others and prioritize yourself! Perhaps by focusing on her own growth, Enka could have created a life that is both grounded, and authentically hers.