This book was okay, I think it played off of Yellowface too much, it just had way too many similarities to it, so it felt like a copycat. I think the story was decent if it was original. Other than that the characters were good, I think the integration of social media and influencers was a good added perspective

Thank you to NetGalley, to the author, and to the publisher for this complementary ARC in exchange for my honest review!!!

A really stunning debut. I hope this book gets a few content warnings before going to print, as it gets extremely dark. It felt a bit more like horror than thriller to me, but damn can Liann Zhang write. I'll be eagerly following her career, this is a truly fantastic debut.

I just finished Julie Chan is Dead by Liann Zhang. I thought this was a great book.It gets five stars from me.

Influencers cult’s social media Julie Chan is Dead nails them perfectly.I had so much fun reading this gem of a book.I will be recommending this perfect way to start my 2025 list.#netgalley #atria

JULIE CHAN IS DEAD
RATING: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
GENRE: Fiction, Thriller, Mystery

We are all caught in the world of social media and influencers these days, but what if one day, you took over the life of a successful influencer who happened to be your dead twin? Julie Chan is Dead is the debut novel by Liann Zhang and it takes us on a wild ride on an inside look at what it means to be “a social media influencer”. However, our narrator, Julie falls into the trap of the glitz and glam of the world of rich and famous.

Initially I was captured by the idea of the commentary on how society views influencers and allow us to be part of this para-social relationship where they’re letting us look inside their glamorous lives as a “friend”. The book takes a dark turn though as Julie delves deeper into the elite influencer group, the Belladonas. How did Julie’s twin, Chloe, end up dead? And are these people so superficial that they did not notice ‘Chloe’ is now different as Julie takes on her life?

I won’t reveal too much on the twists and turns this book takes you through but it was such a fun and enjoyable read. I literally had no idea where it would end when certain events occurred. Read to find out for yourself if you enjoy twisted thrillers like Pretty Little Liars.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria books for this e-ARC of Julie Chan is Dead. Pick up your copy releasing 4/29/25! I can definitely seeing this becoming a Netflix series.

Julie Chan Is Dead is a riveting and fast-paced thriller that plunges deep into the dark underbelly of social media and influencer culture. The story centers around Julie Chan, who has led a life filled with struggles as she makes ends meet as a supermarket checkout person. What is unusual about her life is that she has an estranged identical twin sister, Chloe—a wildly successful social media influencer living the perfect life.

When Julie is contacted out of the blue by her sister and discovers that Chloe has died under mysterious circumstances, she makes an impulsive decision to assume her sister's identity. What begins as an escape from her own hardships quickly transforms into a twisted journey through the deceptive world of online fame. As Julie steps into Chloe's designer shoes, she uncovers unsettling secrets and realizes that her sister's glamorous life was anything but perfect.

Liann Zhang masterfully crafts a narrative that is both a thrilling page-turner and a sharp social commentary on the illusions of the digital age. The novel delves into themes of identity, ambition, and the high price of fame. The portrayal of influencer culture is both captivating and unsettling, highlighting how curated personas can mask disturbing realities. The characters are complex and well-developed, particularly Julie, whose transformation and internal conflicts drive the story forward.

Julie Chan Is Dead is a must-read for fans of psychological thrillers and contemporary fiction that explores the intersection of technology, identity, and morality. It's a thought-provoking novel that will leave you questioning the true cost of living behind a filtered lens. #atria #juliechanisdead #liannzhang

The easiest 5 stars. This book was perfect from the first page to the last. I gobbled it down. The definition of a compulsive read. A unicorn of a book. The kind that you come across once per year IF you're lucky. And indeed this might just be the best book I've read this year, which is ironic since it actually comes out next year. It made my December better. I laughed out loud. The niche internet culture was delicious. I was on the edge of my seat. Eyes glued to the screen. Absolutely incredible.

Thank you Atria Books for the copy of Julie Chan Is Dead by Liann Zhang. Julie is thrown into the life of an influencer, and if you’re as interested in reading about influencers as I am, this is the book for you. Even if you have read lots of influencer books, this one might surprise you. It started out as a light-hearted story of Julie’s impulsive choice to escape her terrible life and then turned into a dark tale of the abuse of power and privilege. This is certainly a book that will keep you glued to the pages to find out what happens and because the writing style is so engaging. 4.5 stars rounded up to 5.

I found this book to be a fun and interesting twist on the influencer book trend. Wholly unique and enjoyable. Read in two days.

The best thing about satire is when the satire is GOOD, and biting, but not over so the top. This book nails the balance. Along with propulsive language, emotional moments and genuinely eye-rolling characters (which I mean in a good way; looking at Chloe’s aunt), the cocktail is a heady one. The dialogue and narrative and characters are all snappy and I devoured it over a couple nights in bed. It’s the exact sort of thing I can see being adapted alongside books such as YOU, and though the comparisons to YELLOWFACE are apt, Liann’s novel is its own different animal, with its own sharp set of teeth 💃

Julie Chan is Dead is an excellent debut. I look forward to reading more novels by Liann Zhang. The premise is that Julie and her twin sister were separated after the deaths of their biological parents. The 4-year old twins did not end up being placed together. Fast forward to the present and one of the sisters has died. From that point this story spins a yarn about influencers. It is fast paced and has some twists and turns. Thanks to the publisher and Net Galley for allowing me to be an early reader in exchange for my review.

I was good with this until we got to the big event about halfway through. At that point, it got way too weird and frankly disgusting. There was one event that almost made me DNF but I forced myself to finish because I was almost done by the time it occurs. Definitely not for me.

If RF Kuang's *Yellowface* and the TV series *Yellowjackets* had a baby, it would be *Julie Chan is Dead* by Liann Zhang.

In this novel, Julie finds herself thrust into the spotlight when she discovers that her identical twin sister, Chloe—a popular social media influencer—is dead. Seizing the opportunity, Julie decides to assume Chloe's identity.

The sisters were separated at a young age after their parents' death and have lived completely different lives. Now, Julie has the chance to experience the glamorous lifestyle that Chloe led, but she must confront the question: is it worth the cost? Readers will be drawn in as they explore how far some are willing to go for fame and wealth.

I recommend this book; it serves as both a social commentary and a fun, engaging thriller. Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for the advance reader copy.

This was a pretty fun thriller.

It compares social media to being part of a cult.

As someone who doesn’t even have a Tik Tok or Instagram I can’t related to much to the obsession, but I still thought this was good.

3.75 ⭐️

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the eARC.

I could not put this book down. This was a fast read, dark twists and turns were on every page!!!

So, if you’ve ever found yourself scrolling through a social media influencer’s perfect life and thought, "They’ve got it all," this book will make you question everything. Julie Chan is Dead takes that idea and flips it on its head in the best way possible.

The story follows two twin sisters, Julie and Chloe, who were adopted by very different families. Julie’s life is a struggle much like all those in the US right now, living paycheck to paycheck, while Chloe’s is a highlight reel of wealth, fame, and perfection. And Julie? She’s obsessed, stalking Chloe’s social media, consumed with envy over her sister’s seemingly flawless life and well the fact that her sister had completely shunned her ever since their adoption.

Then Chloe dies. And Julie, seeing an opportunity, decides to become Chloe. How hard could it be to slip into those designer shoes and live a perfect happy life, right? Well... turns out it’s way harder and way darker than Julie could ever imagine.

What happens next is a rollercoaster. Julie dives headfirst into Chloe’s influencer lifestyle, and as she does, she uncovers some seriously disturbing secrets. Turns out, Chloe’s “perfect” life was anything but. As Julie uncovers the truth about what really happened to her sister, the line between admiration and danger blurs, and she realizes that living this life might cost her EVERYTHING.

This book takes that illusion of the “perfect life” we often see online and rips it apart, showing just how twisted things can get beneath the surface. Julie’s descent into Chloe’s world is equal parts thrilling and chilling. What was nice to see was how Julie quickly adapted to things she judged Chloe on from afar. It’s a powerful reminder that judgment can be a lot easier when we’re not the ones tempted by fame, fortune, and the “perfect” online persona

That said, there were a couple of moments where the pacing felt a little uneven, especially as Julie started settling into her new life. I would’ve loved a bit more depth with some of the other characters, who felt a little underdeveloped compared to Julie. But honestly, the twists and turns in the plot kept me hooked enough that I didn’t mind too much.

All in all, Julie Chan is Dead is a wild, dark ride that had me questioning everything about the way we view influencers and the curated lives they sell us. Love psychological thrillers? This one is a must-read!

This was so much fun!

Our main character, Julia Chan, decides to switch lives with her famous and beloved social media star of a twin sister when she finds her dead body...and as you can imagine, that gets complicated and chaotic.

Julia has to pretend to be her sister believably enough for her family and her sister's fans. She ends up going on social media-related trips with her sisters friends and posting as her sister online.

I really don't want to say too much because I think it is best to go into this knowing just the basic premise.

This almost reminds me of an episode of Black Mirror but with the brightly-colored façade of The White Lotus.

Thanks to NetGalley for the e-ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review! My Goodreads review is up and my TikTok (Zoe_Lipman) review will be up at the end of the month with my monthly reading wrap-up.

I think this book would make a pretty great movie actually. It has the right horror and humor elements that would captivate the audience. There are certain scenes I envisioned in my mind while reading that would perfectly suit a movie's atmosphere such as when *Julie* was eating the venison at one of the parties and the music was eerie and the room felt like it was spinning. This is an entertaining read diving into the world of influencers and contains very modern language. I think it does a great job portraying how some of these Tiktok influencers behave. Without spoiling much, I'll say the ending when everything was adding up, was creepy which adds to the thriller aspect.

Expertly plotted, JULIE CHAN IS DEAD grabbed my attention from page one and did not let go. I love stories like this where someone takes on another person's identity. Here, Zhang keeps things moving as one crazy thing after another happens to keep us in suspense. This is a terrifically entertaining and tension-filled story. The fast pacing fits well with the suspense/thriller genre. I know this one is being compared to some pretty well-known novels, but honestly, JULIE CHAN IS DEAD eclipses its comparison titles. I look forward to more from this author!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance e-galley; all opinions in my review are 100% my own.