When your sister dies, you grieve. When she’s famous—and your twin—you have a choice: mourn or become her. Julie chose both.


📚 Reasons to Read Julie Chan is Dead
Twin Swap Gone Wrong – Julie steps into her dead twin's influencer life thinking it’ll be glamorous… but it quickly becomes dangerous.


Dark Side of Influencer Culture – Behind the filters and PR-perfect friendships is a world full of secrets, lies, and people willing to kill to stay relevant.


Murder Mystery with a Luxury Aesthetic – There’s a body, a designer wardrobe, and a creepy island retreat full of suspects.


Social Commentary with Thrills – It explores fame, identity, and grief while keeping you glued to the page with every juicy twist.


This book was highly intriguing to me because it wasn’t just the murder mystery aspect, but also one twin taking another one’s place. It was quite a fun read, especially because you kept wondering how Julie never gets found out by anyone for awhile. However, this book isn’t as much a murder mystery as it is the commentary of being sucked into an influencer world and what people will do to stay there. It’s hard to say that I wished the characters had more depth when the whole point is that they are kinda shallow anyway. But it was fun to read and the ending was a little unsettling.

What a wild ride! The insights on influencer culture & the court of popular opinion via social media are biting while also satirical and darkly humorous. With shades of Yellowface, Blink Twice, Ready or Not, and even Bunny - this book really feels like a nod to old school media you grow up with where we're asked to suspend disbelief as a twin takes her sisters place - while also really cranking the messaging of agency, complicitness, manipulation, the dangers of power, and deep familial wounds until it sizzles with page turning intensity. Loved it so much. What a great novel, eager for anything Liann Zhang will be writing from here on out!

4.5/5
Thank you Netgalley and Atria Books for the ARC.

Julie and Chloe are identical twins, orphaned at a young age. While Chloe gets adopted by rich white parents, and goes on to become a social media influencer with millions of followers, Julie is raised by her aunt in poverty. Eventually they lose touch with one another, with Julie bitterly acknowledging her twin’s success online. When Chloe dies mysteriously, Julie sort of grabs the opportunity to step in and live Chloe’s life. What ensues is a dark tale exposing the seedy underbelly of fast fame and the influencer life. Julie also takes up the task of investigating her sister’s death, which leads her to some bizarre encounters.

The writing is full of tongue-in cheek satire, often delivering golden monologues and dealing with the themes of race, privilege and power. 

The first half of this book made me want to go on a digital detox. It throws a light on the consumerist, exploitative nature of online life, and the quick hits of dopamine these likes and comments offer people. The second half was a different book in itself. It was eerie, absurd, and at one point, even disgusting? To call it sinister would be an understatement. 
It’s a commentary on how people are becoming more and more dehumanized, losing their individual identity and obsessing over the most materialistic things in the pursuit of ‘vibe’ and ‘aesthetics’.

This book was unputdownable for me, and I finished it within 2 days!

This was alright. A look into the “crazy” life of influencers, so maybe outside of my scope (I’m 36). A fun concept but ultimately I didn’t connect with it

I don’t even know what to say about this book. I think it was supposed to be satire about the influencing world, but it just came off as ridiculous. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy, but I absolutely cannot recommend this one.

Julie Chan Is Dead
By Liann Zhang
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I loved this book from beginning to end! Not only is this a totally propulsive premise with shocking twists, the writing is crisp and engaging and the themes run much deeper and darker than I expected.

Julie Chan Is Dead is a total binge-read with super short chapters and non-stop intensity and drama. The characters feel so real, you’ll be able to picture them and hear their distinct voices. The plot took a turn I didn’t predict AT ALL and it felt like a creepy fever dream. I was squirming with discomfort (in the best way).

Zhang achieves pure entertainment and a story with depth all wrapped into one. I enjoyed the insights into the addictive nature of social media and the loneliness and dopamine spikes that can come with the world of influencing. If you want a fun read that’s impossible to put down, look no further. Julie Chan Is Dead should be your next read!

Thank you Atria Books for the complimentary e-book ARC!

In this gripping debut thriller, a young woman named Julie Chan steps into the world of her deceased twin sister, Chloe VanHuusen, who was a popular influencer. Julie discovers dark secrets hidden behind Chloe's social media persona and must navigate the dangerous world of influencers while uncovering the truth about her sister's death. As Julie struggles to fit in and faces mounting challenges, she uncovers sinister forces that may have led to her sister's demise and realizes she could be the next target.

This was the third book I read about twins this month! However, I must say that this book was quite dark and comical at times, and overall, a great, relaxing read. Despite hearing mixed reviews, I typically don't read the blurb but am drawn in by the book cover. I'm glad I decided to pick up this one!

The main character is slowly developed, with a few other side characters that all fit well and are easy to keep up with. If only the whole situation were as simple as taking on someone else's identity. It was a clever idea that was well executed.

Things took a dark turn rather quickly as Julie delved deeper into Chloe's past. Julie was invited to an annual retreat in an undisclosed location with no cell signal, creating an eerie atmosphere where everyone was secretive. This book was hard to put down.

If you enjoy drama with a secluded, almost cult-like feel, then this book is perfect for you. It was twisted, and the ending was unpredictable. I thoroughly enjoyed this read and finished it in just one day.

Thank you, Atria Books, for the digital ARC copy. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Julie Chan Is Dead is about a young woman named Julie who jumps at an opportunity to become rich and famous after her estranged twin's sudden death. Upon an impulsive decision to take over her twin's life, Julie is now thrown into the world of influencers and haunted by her dead twin, Chloe. Julie quickly learns that Chloe's life wasn't as glamourous as she had made it out to be. Many secrets quickly become apparent to Julie as she navigates her way through fully becoming Chloe. As Julie uncovers more secrets about Chloe's life and her death, she learns that her death could be next.

For the positives: I think the writer did a great job with the imagery. There were times Julie couldn't stop envisioning her dead twin and I felt like I was seeing it too and being haunted by it. Very unsettling! There were also other moments throughout the novel that I could completely picture thanks to the author's way of writing, I really appreciated that! I also think the dive into influencer culture was so interesting and is definitely an important conversational piece nowadays with how prevalent social media is.

The negatives: I did not like being in Julie's mind. At. All. She was a horribly bratty character with so much self loathing at the beginning and looking down on the influencer life style. How quickly her mind changes after the thousands and thousands of dollars she receives from taking over Chloe's influencer lifestyle. Not to mention, and I know this is probably super nit picky and I tried to look past, her reasoning to not call the cops for a wellness check on her sister were absolutely silly, made more so by the fact that she says she could barely afford a dress earlier in the book and then can suddenly afford a plane ticket to New York to check on Chloe herself? Huh? But whatever, we wouldn't have a novel if Julie never went to the apartment. I just feel a better reason should have been given so I didn't feel taken out of the story. While there were some gripes with the first half (it doesn't feel like a thriller at all, just a social commentary being beaten over my head time and time again) the second half went completely off the rails into a territory I could see coming but not to that extent. It was so over the top and at times just downright distasteful in my opinion.

I do appreciate some of the social commentary though. Being addicted to social media and taking advice from all these influencers, is just insane. I know I struggle with my own screen addiction. It's so easy to just turn the brain off and doom scroll TikTok!

Overall, this book was not for me. I give this a 2/5. I had too many issues and did not care for the second half of this novel at all. I've seen people compare this to Yellowface and Bunny, so if you're into those two, definitely check this out and hopefully you have a better time with this than I did!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review!

So I really love books about influencers, it’s one of my favorite sub genres. So a book about a twin who pretends to be her famous influencer sister? Sign me up! I loved the first half of the book as Julie slides right into her sister’s life….and NO ONE NOTICES. The second half of the book really went off the rails with a lot of crazy, but in the most fun way. And that ending???? Perfect.

I never flip pages so fast like when I was devouring this book! Julie Chan is Dead is one of my most anticipated books to read in 2025 and it did not disappoint.

Julie and Chloe were once lived together as twin sisters, but a tragedy separated them when they were only 4-years-old. Years later, Chloe became a popular influencer and Julie... well she was poor and worked as a grocery store cashier lady. Julie felt exploited when Chloe bought a house for her and used her for one of her viral videos to show that Chloe genuinely cared about her and really wanting to connect after being separated for years. When in reality, Chloe abandoned her after that event.

One day Julie received a weird call from Chloe, and when the line cuts off, Julie went to New York to check up on Chloe only to find that Chloe is dead. Thinking how wasteful Chloe's wealth would be, Julie decided to switch identity and became Chloe. That's when she gets rope into this influencer circle of girls who's also famous and wealthy. They were all planning and are excited for a weeklong retreat on an island the leader of this circle owns.

And when they were at this island, a lot of freakish events unravel. This is the part where "unhinge" is the word other reviewers use to describe the book, and I agree with them - in a good way. As I read through the last 40%-ish of the book, my mouth kept gaping because the truths revealed are insane. I keep on reading to find out what the resolution is and it was totally insane, crazy, nuts - you named it!

I'm so happy I get to read this book early and I highly recommend this book! If you're someone who grow up with Youtube and are aware at some of the drama of real-life influencers, this book actually touch on those things. It's kinda fun to read as I was trying to remember who the characters in the book are based of.

I hope Liann Zhang write more books and I'm looking forward to read more of the work in the future.

3.5⭐️ Julie Chan is Dead took me for a wild ride and never let up. It took me at least the first 10% of the book to really become invested in the main character,Julie. While I felt sympathy for her, she was also quite unhinged. But I couldn’t put this one down once I got to the heart of the story. I see why this book is being compared to Bunny and Yellowface. I did like what it had to say about class, POC, social media influencers, and more. But I don’t think the book said as much as it thought it was. The way these themes were presented felt rushed and pretty surface level. Also the ending lost me. But I did enjoy reading it and look forward to whatever else this author writes.

This book was unhinged and I absolutely could not put it down. I loved the first half of the book - the second half was... wild. There were parts I couldn't help but laugh out loud (literally) at the ridiculousness of it. But somehow, it all worked? It's funny I started this book almost immediately after I had decided to step away from my Bookstagram account. If anything, this book further showed me that a life in social media is not my story.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for an advanced copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

This darkly comic suspense story is one part Yellowface (the skewering of the influencer industry and white privilege) and one part unhinged twin swap mystery (I was such a fan of The Parent Trap and The Lying Game back in the day). When a tired checkout girl is found by her secret twin, she's elated. When she realizes her twin was just using her for YouTube content, she's upset. When she arrives at her twin's lavish NYC apartment and finds her dead, she sees an opportunity. This book gets a little out there, but was so much fun to read!

My review on JenRyland.com goes live on April 28

This was a crazy book. I felt like I was on an acid trip but in the best way. I laughed and said “wtf” a bunch of times. These girls would do anything to be famous and they did… do… crazy things. Social media is addicting and in many ways, is like a cult. In the end, Julie became what she was trying to get away from. All in all, all these characters are crazy and I loved every second of it!



Thank you to the publishers for the opportunity of reading this as an E-arc <3

Thank you NetGalley for providing a free e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

I'm very stressed right now. The economy and politics are ripped straight from a dystopian novel so I really really needed a tight immersive novel about a topic that doesn't directly affect my life, yet exists constantly at its periphery. And I have to admit "Julie Chan Is Dead" was mostly that novel. The first three quarters of the book were tight, engaging, the chapters followed each other in perfect logical order, the character motivations and needs were clear. Our story follows Julie Chan, a young woman whose parents were killed in a car crash when she was only 4 years old. Her sister Chloe was adopted by a rich white family who only wanted one Chinese child, while Julie was raised by a bitter and toxic aunt. Chloe became a famous influencer, who only contacted Julie once to film a tear-jerking video of their reunion, bestow a home on Julie, and ghost her sister. So now Julie, stuck in a dead-end job as a clerk, and part time kleptomaniac, wants nothing to do with Chloe. That is until Chloe calls her in distress in the middle of the night, leading Julie to travel to New York where she discovers Chloe, dead in her luxury apartment from an apparent overdose. A series of small misunderstandings and small lies lead people to believe Julie is the one who died; and Julie feels like she's gone to far to extricate herself from this lie. A bewildered Julie attempts to become the famous Chloe Van Hussen, and slowly 'return' to normal influencer life in the presence of Chloe's famous friends--the Belladonas, a group of women as toxic as the eponymous flower. As the Belladona's yearly secretive retreat approaches, and a new influencer (the only other woman of color) is about to be initiated into the group Julie learns to despise, mimic, and ultimately become addicted to the glamorous and superficial life we all love to hate or hate to love from our screens. What fallows is an extravagant retreat on an isolated tropical island that slowly turns into a cultish nightmare.

I loved many of the conversations on overconsumption, the intrinsic racism of influencer spaces, and privilege that the author managed to perfectly fold into the story. As the story progressed further and further into the unreal, I couldn't help but admit that...it feels legit considering our current online environment. It was all campy and great until the 75% mark for me, when things started to happen without making sense. Characters who shouldn't have been fooled were all of a sudden incapacitated so that the story could progress. I still flew through those last chapters, but my enjoyment decreased drastically. Sadly, there were easy solutions for fixing the plot holes created, and we really didn't need to have the big villain exposit their master plan at the end to wrap everything up. I also wished the author would have explored in more depth Julie's descent from a person still anchored in reality to one converted to the God of the Belladonas. As it was though, we sped ran trough the ending and I think the story (up until that point a 5 star for me), suffered. Overall I did really enjoy this over-the-top drama and got lost in this world of both low and high stakes. I just wish the ending was as tight as the beginning and that it made more sense. 3.5 stars overall.

I really enjoyed this thriller. Julie and Chloe are identical twins, but they were separated at birth after the death of their parents. Chloe goes to live with rich, white parents and Julie goes to live with her belittling, and manipulative aunt. They never cross paths again aside from when Chloe, even wealthier from her lucrative influencer role, buys a run down home for Julie as a social media ploy. When Chloe dies as a result of a suspected overdose, Julie decides she will step into her sister's role. This book is BONKERS! It was a fun read and very twisted in the end. Solid 🌟🌟🌟🌟

Julie Chen is Dead by Liann Zhang is a bold, genre bending novel that starts with a razor sharp premise and then takes a wild left turn you won’t see coming. The first half delivers exactly what the synopsis promises: an intriguing, unsettling exploration of identity, media culture, and social expectation, packed with biting commentary and unlikable (but fascinating) characters.

Then comes part two, and it feels like stepping into an entirely different book. The narrative veers off the rails in a way that’s both jarring and disorienting. While the themes remain thought provoking and the social critique stays sharp, the sudden shift in tone and storyline might leave some readers wondering what exactly they just read.

That said, Zhang’s voice is fresh and fearless. The chaos of the second half, while unexpected, adds a layer of unpredictability that some will find exhilarating and others frustrating. It’s not a tidy or conventional read, but it is an ambitious and memorable one. If you’re into stories that challenge expectations and blur boundaries, this one will definitely leave a mark.

This book is YELLOWFACE meets A SPECIAL PLACE FOR WOMEN. A super interesting premise and one that I was excited to dive into. I think that it took on a bit too much and left me wishing we dove more deeply into one issue. Super entertaining and easy to read!

WHOA, what a debut! My head is still spinning!

When we first meet Julie Chan, she’s alive. But she’s going nowhere fast, a dead end job in a grocery store, no friends, nothing to look forward to. She’d gotten the short end of the stick when she and her identical twin Chloe were separated as young girls, getting stuck with a mean aunt while Chloe got adopted by the wealthy VanHuusen family. Now Chloe is an uber-popular social media influencer with millions of followers and a fancy lifestyle. Well… she was, anyway. Until she wound up dead on her kitchen floor.

When Julie finds her dead twin, does she do the right thing and call the police? She does! But when emergency responders mistake her for Chloe, does she correct them? NO she does not! She lets everyone think that Julie Chan is the dead twin and just like that, slips right into Chloe’s glamorous shoes and completely takes over her identity. But she soon finds out that something far darker was lurking under the glittering façade of Chloe’s seemingly perfect life.

This book is absolutely BONKERS and I loved every minute of it! Julie goes from morally questionable to completely unhinged, and it was fascinating to watch her assimilate into Chloe’s life and spiral into being exactly what she had previously disdained. The cult vibes of the influencer retreat are spot on, and the social media satire is scorching. The plot is a deliciously bizarre roller coaster ride, and I binged the entire audiobook in a single day. Narrator Yu-Li Alice Shen does a phenomenal job bringing Julie to life with dark humor, and I could NOT stop listening!

Many thanks to NetGalley, Atria Books, and Simon Audio for providing me an advance copy of this book.

This book was hilarious and exactly what I needed to pick up my April mood. Its a fresh and clever take on the idea of people will do what it takes to get what they want. It makes you ponder what your own limits would be in the same situation. I cant wait to read more by Liann Zhang. Thank you Net Galley for this early copy to read!