📚 #BOOKREVIEW 📚
Julie Chan Is Dead by Liann Zhang
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / Pages: 320
Genre: Psychological Thriller
Release Date: April 29, 2025

Separated after their parents died in a car crash, twin sisters Julie and Chloe were adopted separately. Julie went to live with an abusive aunt and Chloe went to an affluent family. Julie went on to struggle to stay afloat working as a supermarket cashier, while Chloe became a famous social media influencer. Fast forward to Chloe dying and Julie switching identities so she now lives the lucrative influencer lifestyle. This new world plunges her into a situation so bizarre, so insane, each page is crazier than the next.

Wow, so much going on in this book: social media satire, racial issues, witchcraft, cults! This one was a page-turner for with surprises you’ll never see coming.

Thank you, @TheLiannZ and @AtriaBooks for my advanced copy. #AtriaPartner

Julie Chan is Dead is maybe one of the most bizarre books that I have ever read, but I think I kind of liked it? Julie is a down-on-her-luck girl who is struggling to get by every day. She was adopted as a child after her parents died, splitting her and her twin sister, Chloe, apart. Chloe was adopted by rich white people and is now an instagram influencer who has the life that Julie could only dream of. When Julie received a mysterious phone call from Chloe prompting her to go and look for her in NYC, she was shocked to find Chloe dead in her apartment. What is the natural next thing to do? Julie decides it is to step into Chloe’s life acting as though she is her. From there, things REALLY get weird. I don’t want to give too much away, but just know that it really hits the fan, and begins to get a bit cultish.

I thought this book was an incredibly interesting examination of influencer culture. I was hooked from the beginning of the story, and the end was different than what I thought it would be when I first started the book. While it did feel like two completely separate books from the first half and the second half, I honestly had a great time reading and I really enjoyed the “cultish” portion of the book. I could easily believe that some influencers in today’s society have done such things that are outlined on the island, and it really got me thinking. I loved it, and I haven’t stopped thinking about it since I finished the book. Highly recommend this book if you enjoy stories about influencers behaving badly and cult vibes.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Atria for an advanced reading copy of this book. All opinions within this review are my own.

This was just an ok read for me. I honestly didn't want to finish it, but I did. There were some good moments, but this one just didn't hit the mark for me.

This is truly a unique book. It is dark and twisted, and I couldn't look away. It is off the walls absurd, making it great summer reading! Will have you guessing and cringing til the end.

This one started out really strong for me! I loved it and the concept. I was flying through it and overall enjoyed it. I will say that the second half kind of went a bit wild for me. It just seemed a bit crazy. Would have enjoyed it more if it had stayed more on track.

This darker comedy was not was I was expecting and honestly I wasn't sure how id like it. But there's lots of murder, obsession, drugs, strange rituals and mantras, and mass brainwashing, which is always intriguing and slightly addictive.

Not really sure what to say about this one. Probably one of the most unique books I’ve ever read, which is great! The concept was really interesting, and the beginning felt well executed. I enjoyed the commentary about identity and influencer culture, but the parts on the island weren’t for me, and that’s ok! Overall a really interesting debut.

Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC (that I just got around to reading)

Thank you to NetGalley and to Atria for this e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

What on earth did I read!? I am still trying to decipher this and am not sure I ever will be able to properly review this book. It was a WILD ride!

The twists kept getting twistier, the suspense is good however the latter half was more cultish-thriller and I struggled with staying interested. The Belladonna's were intense and the whole island... 'adventures' made me feel ill (iykyk).

Very very unhinged! I would still say read it - especially if you love thrillers!

Synopsis:
In this razor-sharp, diabolical debut thriller, a young woman steps into her deceased twin’s influencer life, only to discover dark secrets hidden behind her social media façade.

Julie Chan has nothing. Her twin sister has everything. Except a pulse.

Julie Chan, a supermarket cashier with nothing to lose, finds herself thrust into the glamorous yet perilous world of her late twin sister, Chloe VanHuusen, a popular influencer. Separated at a young age, the identical twins were polar opposites and rarely spoke, except for one viral video that Chloe initiated (Finding My Long-Lost Twin And Buying Her A House #EMOTIONAL). When Julie discovers Chloe’s lifeless body under mysterious circumstances, she seizes the chance to live the life she’s always envied.


Thoughts:
This book felt like an episode of black mirror. It was honestly a little weird to read a book about influencers from an inside perspective. But it was so interesting at the same time. Honestly in the end I think Julie became what she you to mock. I highly recommend it has great commentary on influencers!

Intimate, heartfelt drama - Julie Chan Is Dead by Liann Zhang explores identity, family secrets, and grief with emotional nuance and lyrical prose. Zhang’s quiet storytelling leaves a lasting, poignant impact.

Such a quick, enjoyable read! I loved the first half of the story but the second half turned a little weird for me.
I liked the premise of the twin taking over her sister’s life and poking fun of influencer culture but it took a turn for the very unexpected and it almost left like 2 different stories. It was giving Yellowface meets Bunny? I loved Yellowface and hated Bunny.
I’d be interested in reading more from this author in the future. Solid debut overall.

Julie Chan Is Dead is a gripping, emotional read that blends mystery with a raw, personal look at grief and identity. Liann Zhang’s writing is sharp and haunting, with a tone that feels both intimate and unsettling. As the story unfolds, it keeps you questioning what’s real and what’s being remembered—or rewritten. It’s part slow-burn thriller, part character study, and it hits hard in all the right ways. If you like stories that are as much about feelings as they are about plot twists, this one will stick with you.

This book was so completely different from what I was expecting based on the summary. All of the women were absolutely unhinged and the dark comedy was a perfect addition to the horror/thriller aspects. Dare I say it was camp?

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for an eARC in exchange for my honest review!

The concept had so much potential—twin-switch thriller meets influencer culture with a dark edge—but it just didn’t hold my attention. While the setup is juicy and the social commentary sharp, the pacing dragged for me and I couldn’t bring myself to finish. A clever premise that ultimately didn’t live up to its promise.

Thanks to #NetGalley and #AtriaBooks for the book #JulieChanIsDead by #LiannZhang. Julie and her sister, Chloe are twins and were separated when their parents died at a young age. Julie grew up with her aunt and Chloe was adopted by a well to do family. When Chloe reaches out to Julie one night and seems upset, Julie decides to go visit her. What she finds is Chloe’s dead body. Chloe was an influencer and had lots of money, so when Julie decides to pose as her dead sister, what can go wrong? I really enjoyed this thrilling book!

This is so good. I just bought the audible version so I could share it with the family. I love how it is just unhinged and weird. It gave me anxiety. Absolute perfection.

Thank you to Atria Books and Simon Audio for the copies to review.

WTF did I just read?! Books like these always give me anxiety, but this took a turn like I could never ever see coming. And while it was out there for sure, I kind of didn’t mind it and in fact enjoyed it? But let’s back up. Julie is a twin, and her sister Chloe was adopted into a rich family and never really saw her birth family again. She became a famous influencer, leaving Julie to work as a supermarket cashier. Later on, Chloe dies and Julie finds herself inhabiting her life as Chloe, as one does. She realizes this is the life to be living, that the privileged inner circle is not to be missed. Or is it? From here it takes the turn I mentioned, and you need to read this for yourself. I could not get through it fast enough that’s for sure, it was UNHINGED.

I started with the audio and enjoyed it, but really just wanted to be on the couch with a book and so I finished it out that way. I do have to note there is a scene with mice that I did turn the pages on, but that was just me. I could not believe this was a debut and cannot wait to read what Zhang writes next!

What a wild ride! Sort of a blend of "Yellowface," "Nine Perfect Strangers," and "Ingrid Goes West" and with all of creepy and grey area morality that makes a story fun. I really enjoyed it!

🍿 𝘍𝘪𝘳𝘴𝘵 𝘐𝘮𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴: I will be honest, I found Julie Chan Is Dead by Liann Zhang to be a very strange book. Original definitely, and very weird by the time I got to the end. The baby mice!! 🤮😱 However, I loved it, and it gave me serious cult vibes while also showing a dark and dirty side of social media influencers.

🤩 𝚃͏𝚑͏𝚎͏ 𝙱͏𝚎͏𝚜͏𝚝͏ 𝙱͏𝚒͏𝚝͏𝚜͏: The pacing for this one is nonstop, and we really get thrown into the action which I loved. I wouldn’t say I actually liked Julie all that much, though she grew on me as the book went on, but she was certainly an interesting and well-thought-out character which I have to give the author props for. The story ends with a bang, and I was thoroughly satisfied with the conclusion.

🎧 𝒜𝓊𝒹𝒾𝑜𝒷𝑜𝑜𝓀 𝒩𝒶𝓇𝓇𝒶𝓉𝒾𝑜𝓃: I loved my time listening to the audiobook and Yu-Li Alice Shen slayed. She was the perfect narrator for Julie and her narration added so much to the book for me. She expertly got every moment and emotion across, and I can’t recommend the audio enough.

💭 𝘊𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘛𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴: While Julie Chan Is Dead is being marketed as a thriller, I’m not sure I actually got that vibe from it. I did, however, get dark comedy as well what ended up being a twisty little mystery added in. This is not going to be a book for everyone, but if you are looking for unique, unhinged, and bingeable – this is a perfect pick!

T͏h͏i͏s͏ B͏o͏o͏k͏ i͏n͏ 5͏ E͏m͏o͏j͏i͏’s͏ o͏r͏ L͏e͏s͏s͏: 🐭🤳🏼🌴👯‍♀️

𝙱𝚘𝚘𝚔 𝚁𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
𝙰𝚞𝚍𝚒𝚘𝚋𝚘𝚘𝚔 𝚁𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

I thoroughly enjoyed this debut. It was trendy set in the world of influencers with a twisty life swap aspect that turns dark. Very unique and eye opening. Loved the satire. A great debut!