Julie Chan is Dead follows Julie, a girl in her 20s stuck on a dead-end job who is fixated on her famous, successful influencer twin sister Chloe. When her sister unexpectedly dies, Julie takes the chance to take over Chloe’s life creating internet content. As she gets to know Chloe’s friends and goes on their annual, off-grid girls’ trip, Julie starts to see the ugly underbelly of influencing.

This book surprised me in so many ways. I loved the commentary on social media and influencing and Julie as an absolute anti-hero. I thought I knew how this story was going to play out (and I was excited for that option too!) but I could never have predicted the twists that the plot took! I’m obsessed with this one and can’t believe it’s a debut.

What a premise! Chinese-American twins separated at age 4 after their parents death: one adopted by a wealthy white family and one taken in by a cruel, abusive aunt. After a troubling phone call, the abused twin finds the wealthy twin -- who happens to be a famous influencer -- dead in her fancy NYC apartment and decides to step into her life amongst the top (white with one notable exception) influencers. On that note, the book's cover image is perfect.

Fantastic idea. And overall this was a good read. I didn't LOVE it though, I think in part due to the pacing -- the first half felt slow and the second half became a page-turner. And in part due to some disturbing scenes which are necessary for the story but just aren't something I want to read.

I do recommend it though! Liann Zhang's commentary on influencers and the toxicity of social media is spot on. That rush when you get likes and feel loved even though it is not real -- she captures it perfectly. This is her first book and I look forward to more from her.

Thank you Atria Books and NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you so much @atriabooks for my gifted copy of Julie Chan is Dead by Luann Zhang, a Mystery Thriller that will have you invested until that last page. Pub Date: April 29th 2025

I was thrilled when I received this early ARC as this was high on my “most anticipated” thrillers. Trust me, I was glued to my kindle because I NEEDED to know what too good to be true really is; that ending didn’t disappoint.

If you are looking for a book that will take you on a roller coaster ride with random humor, random horror and no predictions on what will be next, then you need to preorder this debut novel. Wow, what a wild ride that was!📚

When I picked this one up, I couldn't put it down...I stayed up WAY too late that first night eating it up! As a millennial who lived through the rise of social media, I'm a sucker for any thriller about influencers! I loved Julie's voice and development...definitely gave me big "Yellowface" vibes as some of the quotes in the forward mentioned. The allusions and snark toward actual influencers were witty and humorous without being TOO obvious and in your face.

Then we get to about the 60% mark. What. The. Heck.

I've never experienced such whiplash in my LIFE. I don't want to give too much away, but it turned down a road that was just too dark, gruesome, and strange for me. It felt out of place and a bit much compared to the beginning. I'm wondering if it was meant to be satirical, but it just didn't work for me.

3.5 rounded up to 4 stars for me. Thank you for the ARC!

Julie Chan and her twin sister Chloe have led very different lives since their parents were killed and they were separated. Chloe was adopted by a wealthy white couple and has led a life of luxury, continuing into her adulthood as a famous influencer. Julie was adopted by her temperamental aunt and works as a cashier at a supermarket. The sisters have barely interacted since childhood, so it is alarming in more ways than one when Julie discovers Chloe’s dead body. With her sister gone, Julie sees a perfect opportunity to finally have a nice life…Chloe’s life.

This is a fun albeit over-the-top look at the dark side of influencing and perpetuating the myth of the perfect life. There is a bit of a Midsommar feel to the book, especially when the influencers all get to their island retreat, with a bit of campiness thrown in. The book is fun in a darkly comedic way, and it is an interesting look at social media, influencing, and cultlike mentality. Julie herself is not the most likable character, making it hard to be invested in her outcome, but this is an entertaining read.

Julie Chan’s life is going nowhere. Chinese-American, orphaned at the age of four, she is living with her aunt and cousin, treated like Cinderella, spending her days as a cashier at a grocery store. In contrast, her identical twin sister Chloe was adopted by a rich white family and has become a glamorous influencer. That is, until the day Julie discovers Chloe’s dead body and realizes that no one knows. Who would it hurt if she just switched lives? Isn’t it her turn to enjoy the riches and fame that she never thought could be hers?

What follows is an over-the-top roller coaster ride of events that I couldn’t predict. There are strong elements of horror in this darkly comic social satire set in the world of influencers; this is probably not a novel for sensitive readers. It is, however, highly entertaining, with prose so assured that I am shocked this is a debut. Highly recommended for fans of satirical and morbid humor.

I really enjoyed Liann Zhang's very original and uniquely creepy "Julie Chan Is Dead". The premise of a twin taking over her dead influencer sister's life is already compelling, but where Zhang goes with the story is so unexpected! There were a few too many interchangeable characters for my taste, but otherwise, this book was a delightful surprise.

As a Stephen King fan, I'd definitely recommend this book to his readers. (And let that be a warning to folks who aren't into the creepy and weird!)

Many thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

3.75/5

did i just get off an acid trip????????

before reading this book i read some other early reviews just to see what some people were thinking and i was not prepared for the ride this book would take me on. in the beginning, julie, is very down on her luck and lives a normal, boring life in comparison to her estranged twin chloe. chloe is a very famous influencer who used julie's for brand deals. chloe ends up dying and julie takes her place which leads us down one of the most insane stories of all time.

at first i kind of understood julie but the beginning of her influencer era took away all her relatability. i was annoyed watching her blend with these women who were obviously creeping and rude and just all the bad thing. the commentary on influencers compared to average people is nothing new to me but i did appreciate the way this author brought it into the story. once we got to the island the story goes off the rails and i am honestly quite unsure how i felt about it. like it took me for a loop but the writing was so addicting so i didn't even mind what i didn't understand. i think the evolution of julie's is the most interesting part of this book. she starts off like any other person but a venom takes over her by the end. even if she's out of the cult like girl group, she has been overtaken by the internet and the power of being "famous." that was very interesting to me and i would yap about it with people when this book is released in april.

*thank you net galley and atria for the arc*

I received a free DRC of this book through Netgalley. I quickly was out of my league in terms of the type of book this is. I did not care for the grosser parts (not the best book for a vegetarian). If you like true crime stories (this is not one that I'm aware of) and the hidden world of online influencers, this might be more appealing to you. I liked the first third or so of the book. I also did not like how Julie fell so quickly into the cult of social media. The author did a good job of creating a bunch of characters that I hated as people.

The cover of this book really drew me in immediately, it's something I would see on the shelves at a store and gravitate towards right away. The premise of this book was fun and refreshing and I loved the way they added a mystery element into what otherwise could have worked as a stand alone story in and of itself; the act of Julie taking over the life of her estranged twin, Chloe. I thought the book was well written and the storyline was interesting enough that I found myself looking for moments to sit down and read just a few more pages in between everyday tasks. However, I do wish that there was more time for the story once they arrived on their annual June trip. It felt a bit rushed for me and I was looking for more background information about each of the Belladonna's. The premise of the book was different than any others I have read, but it fell a bit flat for me as I kept reading on.

The first half of this was amazing. It absolutely gripped me. The second half was bizarre as all hell! Not sure how I feel about the ending. An interesting read nonetheless.

I loved the theme of this book. I absolutely enjoyed every minute of this book that it took me a few hours to get through it. The theme of family, the social media influencer obsession, and the cult like following of influencers really was interesting to read about. Touching on the racism nowadays, the struggles POC endure online (as POC myself), but also how easy persons will sell their soul to be accepted in a social media community were VERY insightful . The author knew how to keep the audience interested and get the message without making it too boring.

Julie is a complex character. you’ll either hate her or love and there are definitely times in the book where you can’t stand her. I mean, she did STEAL her twin’s life.

The first half of this books grips you, I loved the first half and the pacing but the second half is where things just sent crazyyy and dark. There was a lot of characters which I get why they’re there but did we really need so much? no. There were definitely parts of the second half I felt myself beginning to feel uncomfortable of how creepy it got. I didn’t really know how it was going to end but I am not mad or happy about the ending.

I will definitely be picking up more from this author for sure!

Thank you Netgalley and Atria Book for an advanced copy read in exchange for my honest review!

3.5 stars. This book was near impossible to put down. Gripping, twisting, and twisted, Julie Chan is Dead was a crazy read. The first half of the book was more believable than the 2nd half. I knocked 1.5 stars off for the outlandishness of the second half of the story. But it was riveting.

TW: cult behavior

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for letting me read on exchange for my honest review.

Holy moly. What a crazy whirlwind of a tale. I had to read this in one day just to find out what the hell was going on in this crazy world that Liann Zhang has created. It's a deep dive into the intricacies of being an influencer and maintaining that edge of fame while ensuring that you're still trending on all the socials. You know instinctively that there's something wrong with all that's going on but you can't help but marvel at what Chloe has built. Poor Julie makes you feel uber-sympathetic for the crap hand she's been dealt in life and you find yourself cheering for her as the story progresses. All in all, an amazing story that I couldn't out down!!

5/🐭🩸🐭🩸🐭
I love any book that uses the word c*nt in it! Julie Chan is Dead is enthralling, laugh-out-loud funny, horrific, and spot-on about our relationship to social media and one another. If you like The Craft, Ingrid Goes West, Blink Twice and Black Mirror, this is the book for you!

Julie Chan has an identical twin, an internet-famous influencer named Chloe. They're estranged, but an unsettling phone call from Chloe won't leave Julie's mind. Visiting her apartment, she finds Chloe dead on the floor. Julie attempts to call for help but her phone is dead, and the notifications on her sister's phone are unavoidable. She reads emails disclosing how much money Chloe's made via her socials, and she's furious. Julie has struggled for so long and at the very least, she deserves a cut from the viral video Chloe made about her. The police arrive, but they assume she's Chloe. She seizes the moment to experience her sister's “glittery” lifestyle. So Julie is dead. She fully steps into Chloe's life, and shit gets dark!! We're all walking contradictions, but two things can also be true. Good and bad exist in overlapping spheres for everyone, and Julie discovers this quickly when she goes on a girl's trip with Chloe's influencer "friend" group, The Belladonnas.

I love a meditation on self-absorption and the desire to be seen and accepted even though we carry resentment toward the seen and accepted (the gag is we all want to be seen and accepted), and the cold hard truth is that we're all lurkers, choosing to love or hate a person's curated and commodified personality/platform. Exploitation (of us all) runs rampant but as long as we benefit in some way, what’s so wrong with it? That is sarcasm, and the answer is that two things can be true. We can benefit (worthy), but we can also implode (not worthy). Scary stuff!

Fun little note: There is a line halfway through about actually working and not complaining all the time and I squealed because never forget, Kim K, never forget.

Julie Chan is Dead is an extremely readable and relatable novel! I need all the stories from Liann Zhang!! Pick it up on April 29th. Thank you so much to Netgalley and Atria Books for the arc!

Julie Chan is Dead is a compulsive page-turner—you find yourself racing through chapters about characters who are deeply flawed yet impossible to stop reading about. The novel also explores the tension between being white and the “model minority” Asian identity, which, while not the central focus, adds significant complexity to the dynamics between the main character and her influencer friends.

The first half of the book had me completely hooked. The second half takes a wild turn, and I’m still processing how I feel about it. It veers into a more grotesque and exaggerated tone, which, in my opinion, distracted a bit from the sharp commentary on influencers and social media that made the first half so compelling. That said, it does shift into a tense, closed-room thriller vibe, which some readers might find thrilling.

Overall, Julie Chan is Dead is a gripping, thought-provoking read that kept me engaged from start to finish. It’s a fascinating exploration of identity, ambition, and the darker sides of social media.

This was a really fun book to read! I loved the situations that Julie got herself into, and it was fun to get immersed into her new lifestyle. A very fast paced page turner that I enjoyed getting into.

ARC provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I have been craving a book exactly like this. It was done so so so so well. I need 20 physical copies immediately. I do not even have words to describe how much I love this book yet. UGH.

I think if you go into this book knowing it’s a “WTF did I just read” anti-hero with dark humor that flashes a mirror on toxic influencer behavior, you will LOVE this one.

I am so incredibly grateful to have received this ARC! I am leaving this review voluntarily, as my honest opinion. I received this ARC through Net Galley! This is a free Ebook for me. What a treat this was.

3.75 stars
This was a pretty fun and quick read! I liked the commentary and themes (influencer culture, privilege, etc) discussed in this book, and the plot kept me hooked. I didn't love where the story veered towards in the second half, but it was still entertaining, especially with Julie's inner monologue.
Overall, I liked it! Some aspects definitely reminded me of Yellowface, so I think people who enjoyed it would have fun with Julie Chan Is Dead.

This was an entertaining read that I finished in just 1.5 days. In the beginning, the book offers a glimpse into the logistical side of an influencer's life. As the story progresses, things take a darker, disturbing turn (content warning: gore). The novel reminded me of a more twisted version of Yellowface, where instead of rooting for the protagonist, you're judging her morally questionable actions but can't help but watch what she does next. The latter half of the book was definitely unexpected, and kept me hooked.
Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.