this was a very much so #weird and #unhinged but #kindoffuntoread thriller! i didn't absolutely hate it!

julie chan is broke, bitter, and quite anonymous—the antithesis of her twin chloe van huusen, an affluent social media influencer who was adopted by a rich family while julie was left with her aunt. they stopped being close after they split, and julie's resentment and envy towards her twin grows continuously, understandably so. chloe was quite patronizing towards julie, and the only time she bothered to talk to her out of the blue was to buy her a house to milk the internet's sympathy for profit. ultimately, she never bothered to genuinely rekindle her relationship with her sister. so, once chloe mysteriously died of a drug overdose, julie took her life. good for her, i guess!

i started this thinking it would be strikingly similar to yellowface, and it was for the first 40%— a commentary on identity, influencers, and internet fame. once the influencer retreat started on a secluded island, everything spiraled. can't say i don't love a bit of capitalist culty horror/insanity and deranged women moment, though. i don't doubt rich people can be this diabolical in reality.

to me, this book kind of exuded scientology, bunny by mona awad (from what i've heard, i haven't read it yet but i will update this when i do), and midsommar. that ending was something!

while this is no yellowface (which i personally prefer), if you like weird books and need a quick pick-me-up with absurd yet somewhat entertaining women, then this isn't a bad option! there's lots of murder, obsession, drugs, strange rituals and mantras, and mass brainwashing, which is always intriguing and slightly addictive.

thank you to the publishers for the e-arc!

This book was wild and took a turn I didn’t see coming and I was here for every minute of it. I found myself hooked from the start with this book and laughing out loud at Julia’s quips. I was constantly turning the page needing to know more and the short chapters definitely helped with that. I had an idea on who the killer was but it was still a fun ride seeing it all play out. Towards the end it took a turn that I didn’t see coming and it gave me Bunny vibes, which I was here for.

Overall, I definitely recommend this fun thriller filled with funny characters, influencer culture, and culty vibes!

Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Let me just say that Asian Female authors freaking kill it!!! So many of my favorite as of late have been written by Asian women and this one is no different. This book is a cross between Mona Awad’s Bunny and Zoe Kravitz’s Blink Twice, and this did NOT AT ALL go the way I thought it would. The way it spiraled was mesmerizing, and I was pretty surprised at the gorier parts. I absolutely ate this up. My complaints are that the killer reveal was kinda predictable and the last couple chapters felt very thrown together. Other than that this was a knockout debut. Song pairing is Toxic by Britney Spears 📲🏝️👯‍♀️

PUB DATE: APRIL 28TH 2025 🥳

In the best way possible when I finished this book my first thought was what in the hell did I just read!! This is the story of Julie and her twin sister Chloe. Their parents died when they were little and they were separated and grew up completely different. Chloe grew up in a prestigious white family while Julie grew up with her a-hole auntie. What transpires next is truly crazy. I loved how I really didn’t like Julie and wasn’t cheering for her but then I was cheering for her but still didn’t like her!! What I did like was the story of the Belladonna’s.

This story makes you really think about the appeal and relevance of social media. As someone who grew up without it but now has children growing up with it- invading their life, it’s too much! This story was wild and I loved it!!

This was a super fun and engaging read. The story sucked to me in right away, and I love stories about influencers, as well as people posing as other people. So this had me hooked. However, once we got to the island and the second part of the story started I was a little thrown, but it was still fun. I thought the ending was a bit too tidy and conveniently wrapped up, but overall a good read.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author, for an ARC of this book, in exchange for an honest review.
"Julie Chan is Dead" by Liann Zhang
was a crazy & unique story.
This was the author's debut novel & I can't wait to read what she decides to write next.

You know what this was wild and I really liked it. Read this is you love an assumed identity, unhinged wellness influencer cult vibes, or just effed up rich people stories.

Julie Chan and her twin sister, Chloe, were separated as young children after the death of their parents. Chloe was adopted by a wealthy family and is now a popular social media influencer, while Julie, who went to live with their aunt, is a supermarket cashier. After receiving a strange call from Chloe, Julie goes to Chloe's house and finds her lifeless body. Julie makes the decision to step into Chloe's influencer life, only to discover dark secrets hidden behind Chloe's social media façade.

This book was absolutely, undeniably bonkers...but I loved it? It was such a gripping and unique story. I was hooked from the start and devoured it. It did remind me a little of "Yellowface," but this is a completely different book. The first half of the story focuses on Julie's transformation into Chloe, while the second half involves Julie traveling to a private island for an influencer retreat. I absolutely loved the first half and binged it in one sitting. I was intrigued by the mystery surrounding Chloe's death and the intricacies of the influencer world. The second half of the story is where things get wild—in a good way? Some of it is a little over the top, but I loved the dark humor, the cult vibes, and our amazingly unhinged FMC. This was a crazy good debut, and Liann Zhang is definitely one to watch.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a very solid thriller that reads like a cross between Yellowface by R.F. Kuang and Bunny by Mona Awad. I thought the story was riveting and excellent- I’m a sucker for any dark novels about influencer culture. I felt like the ending was a bit too drawn out, and some of the events dragged a little bit. But honestly, the pacing was my only real issue with the book. I would LOVE to read a sequel about the Belladonnas and their various crimes! I can’t wait to read whatever Liann Zhang puts out next!

I love that the FMC (Julie) is morally grey and somewhat terrible. Her inner dialogue is a hoot. Somewhere along the line though, the plot got lost or I got lost in the plot and it just didn’t round out all the way for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the opportunity to read this book!

Obsessed is an understatement

This is my perfect kind of book. Unhinged from the get-go and doesn't let up through to the very end. For the chronically online, the weird girls, and the billionaire haters.

I'd recommend going into this book as blind as you can, but if you love unapologetically unhinged women, you need to read this book.

This book was just a really fun time, Julie finds her estranged twin sister dead and decides to take the opportunity to steal her identity as an influencer, not knowing what she was in for.

Me: Alexa, define unhinged.
Alexa: Julie Chan is Dead by Liann Zhang.
SHEWWWW 😮‍💨 this was a great fkn read. Writing style kept my attention. Plot line kept me "GIRL WUT"-ing left and right. I still can't figure out where I stand with the end.. 😅 and I. love. that. Enjoyed this one a lot!


Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. Date of publication expected April 29th, 2025.

Book Review: Julie Chan Is Dead by Liann Zhang

This book had me. I was completely hooked—immersed, entertained, and happily strapped in for a ride that felt equal parts edgy and addictive. The story is bold and twisty, with sharp commentary on influencer culture, identity, and the performative nature of social media. I loved the twin angle (always juicy), the influencer cult vibes (deeply unsettling in the best way), and the smart, satirical tone that made everything feel fresh and compelling.

For about 75% of the book, I was all in.

But then… the story took a sharp turn—and not the good kind. The plot started veering too far off the rails, to the point where I found myself blinking at the page like, Wait, what? And not long after that, I hit my one hard stop: animal cruelty. It came out of nowhere and overwhelmed me emotionally. I know some readers can push through things like that, but for me, it’s an immediate disconnect. From that point on, I had to speed read just to make it to the end, but the magic was gone. My whole perception of the book shifted.

It’s frustrating, because there is so much to appreciate here. Zhang’s voice is sharp, the concept is original, and the first three-quarters had me completely enthralled. But that turning point changed the experience for me—and not in a way I can shake off easily.

So would I recommend it? With caution. If you’re okay with darker turns and can stomach graphic content involving animals, there’s a lot here to dig into. But if that’s a trigger for you like it is for me, I’d say proceed carefully or maybe steer clear.

Overall, the book is 4/5. I enjoyed the premise and felt that the story had a strong start. There are a lot of social media references, which is to be expected. Most of the references are for the current social media climate, with a few throwback references. I do worry that this will pigeonhole this book and make rereading or future reading difficult. I do wish that more time was spent under the cult's influence. I feel like Julie breaks out of it too quickly. The reason it is not a 5-star read is because the story just ends. I wanted to see what happened with the trial.

This was one of those books that sucked me in almost immediately, and kept me intrigued down to the last page.

Julia Chan is a 24-year-old grocery cashier. Raised by her borderline abusive aunt after her parents died in an accident as a small child, she is broke and longs for a different life. But it’s not hard for her to imagine what that life could look like - her identical twin sister is living it. Following their parents death, while Julie was adopted by their aunt, Chloe was adopted by a wealthy family in New York. In recent years, Chloe has achieved fame as a social media influencer, leaving her sister behind without a second thought or contact - except, of course, for a single performative “reunion” video on her YouTube channel.

When Julie receives a concerning out of the blue call from Chloe and then is unable to reach her, she heads to New York to make sure she’s okay - only to discover that Chloe is in fact dead. What then begins as a case of mistaken identity turns into an opportunity - what if Julie was the one who “died” and Julie goes on living Chloe’s life?

As Julie slides into Chloe’s world of content creating, personal assistants, sponsorships, and a glamorous group of friends, she begins to realize that something isn’t quite right. She is thrilled to be invited to join a group of fellow influencers for a top secret week long trip to a private island - but something is “off”. Are these women who they seem to be? And was Chloe? And what is the price of their fame?

I flew through this book (for me - any time I finish a Kindle book in less than a month it is a testament to my enjoyment of it, and I read this one in a week) and absolutely loved the first half of this book. Watching Julie navigate the contrast between her new world and old one, while trying to maintain her cover as Chloe, was entertaining and eye opening. It lost me a little once they got to the island - things took a bit of a weird turn (and there was a particularly horrifying scene involving mice) but I still couldn’t wait to see what happened next. The ending, though unsurprising, was satisfying and I truly enjoyed the entire book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I LOVE this book! Highly recommend for a book club pick and would make a very interesting discussion. I loved the characters and thought it was comical while also deep and enlightening.

2.5

Oh my! This one went from good to bad quickly. A bit much with the horrific things the story dove into.

Just not for me. I had to quit before I finished.

But I do appreciate the e-book from Net Galley and Atria Books.

I devoured this book in a day—it’s that fun. The voice is fresh, modern, and addictive, with a story that feels like scrolling through Instagram in the best way possible. It gives the exact dopamine hit as doomscrolling. Yes, the plot is absolutely silly, but sometimes, that’s exactly what you need: a juicy, escapist read.

Julie and Chloe are twins who were separated when their parents died. They live wildly different lives—Julie stocking shelves in a supermarket, Chloe as a popular influencer. Growing up, they didn't have any communication until Chloe decided to reunite with Julie for content. When Julie gets a strange call from Chloe, she hops on a bus to check on her… only to find Chloe dead. What follows is a whirlwind decision to step into her sister’s very curated shoes. And somehow, she pulls it off.

Of course, it’s a stretch to believe a regular person could convincingly become a very polished social media star overnight, but the fun of this book lies in suspending reality.

So glad I got to read it before the hype hits!

Twins and Belladonnas and Viktor and Eto, oh my!

Think book is bonks in all of the best ways and I was there for it.

What if you and your twin were both adopted to different families at age 4 because your parents died horrifically ? Your sister went to an affluent family and you went to a hideous aunt and as such your lives turned out as predicted. Then your twin dies and you are the only one who knows. Would you slip into her life? What if her life is a bigger cluster than yours? This was GLORIOUS.

Thank you to Atria for gifting me a copy. It is my pleasure to write an honest review.