Julie Chan is Dead is a twisty, binge-worthy read that had me hooked from the start. Julie, the “down on her luck” twin, was adopted by her aunt while her sister was taken in by a wealthy family and grew up to be a high-profile influencer. Their paths couldn’t be more different—until tragedy strikes and Julie decides to step into her sister’s seemingly perfect life.

I wasn’t sure what to expect going in, and I’m so glad I didn’t read too much beforehand—this book is packed with surprises. Every time I thought I had a handle on what was happening, another twist hit. Despite the dark premise of assuming her dead sister’s identity, Julie remains a surprisingly sympathetic and complex main character. You can't help but root for her, even as the lies stack up.

If you're into messy family dynamics, identity swaps, and stories that keep you guessing until the end, definitely add this one to your TBR!

I loved the first half of this book! Very Yellowface by Kuang vibes with someone stealing the life/fame of another person which is such a great premise for an amazing unlikable narrator. Lost me in the second half, unfortunately; I wish it had stayed more grounded in realism and not gone in the kind of odd direction it did. Still a decent read!

6.5/10 i didn’t know where this book was going to go, and i wasn’t expecting cult?? the book was good, but i thought the building of who killed chloe should have been much much more climactic. it felt like the book built well 50% of the way through, because you didn’t know where it was going to go, but then it went off the rails. i think it wanted a touch of mystery, touch of horror, touch of modern comedy, but it just kind of went balls to the walls everything at the end. the introspective aspect of social media and influencers was good, talking about how much and how quickly you can lose your soul and your grip with reality. but it definitely went too far into unbelievable territory. the development wasn’t super throughout, it started with developing julie really well, but then it fell off.

This was such a fun ride of a read. Everytime I thought I knew what was going on, I didn’t and I loved every page of it. If you liked the storytelling style of Yellowface but wanted higher stakes, then by god this is the book for you. Because, the stakes have never been higher for impersonating a dead woman like it is in Julie Chan is Dead.

I picked this up as an ARC because the cover and the premise of a twin stealing her rich influencer twin’s life after discovering her dead sounded like the kind of thrilling fun I needed. And I did need it. With everything going on in the world, this is such a fun exploration into the lives of influencers. It both meets and challenges the reader’s expectations of what they think goes into the life of an influencer, while at the same time challenging it’s own narrative of how we should think before we consume and the dangers of parasocial relationships.

I actually really enjoyed the economics on the waste of mass consumption and the sheer volume of stuff that is sent to influencers for brand deals and sponsored posts. I came into this book expecting to absolutely throw away all of the supposed ‘struggles’ of rich influencers. But I really enjoyed how this subtly and slyly tackles the issue of our need for mass consumption and validation through marketing. I did enjoy the way this discusses the ways in which people become completely addicted and reliant upon social media for their validation and how a person may fall victim to very unsavory things if they’re not careful all in the sake of belonging and stability. The strongest portions of this book were definitely in the addressing of social media as another footsoldier for white supremacy and white beauty standards, as in the way algorithms intentionally suppress and ignore BIPOC content creators in favor of rich white women who don’t actually add any value into other’s days beyond mindless consumption of the fantasy of being wealthy.

The voice and narrative style is extremely engaging and down to earth. Normally I don’t enjoy such laid-back styles of addressing a reader and using conversational writing styles as a narrative, but I found Zhang’s tone to be engaging and witty. It made this a hilarious and nail-biting read at the same time. The only reason this book does not get a 5/5 is because it used unalive as serious dialogue where a character is having an offline 1:1 discussion with another character. Petty hill to die on, but, I hate it even offline and I have someone say it to me with their chest. Please. Don’t censor yourself offline. You won’t be demonetized. Just. Say the words. You’re killin me smalls.

Anyways I think you should read this because it is a great and lighthearted read. So if you need a laugh and you’re stressed out pick up Julie Chan is Dead and have yourself a lighthearted laugh.

When you define your worth by the number of followers you have, what wouldn’t you do to continue making that number grow?

Described as Yellowface meets Bunny, which is a spot on description, this book is a critique on influencer culture. How fake social media can be, how white privilege plays into internet fame, and how fleeting it can all be. But add in a mystery with some mistaken identity, and it’s a stand out thriller.

I really enjoyed this. It was fast paced with interesting characters and a fun premise. Julie Chan might not be dead, but someone is. And it will change Julie’s life forever.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria for the arc in exchange for an honest review!

PS even though his description was very much the opposite, I pictured Mr Milchick from Severance for Victor

Julie Chan is Dead by Liann Zhang
Advanced readers copy provided by NetGalley
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
OH, Julie, Julie, Julie !
This book kicks off with our main character Julie, who has a calm life, working in a supermarket. One night, after work, her twin sister Chloe, who she’s only seen once since they were separated at four years old, calls her saying cryptic things, making Julie worried, so worried, she decides to go to New York, where her sister lives to see what’s going on. Thus kicking off our plot.
When Julie gets to Chloe’s apartment, she find her *SHOCK*, dead. When a reasonable person would just tell the police everything as it is, Julie decides to swap with her sister and simply steal her life, because she won’t need it anymore, right? Quickly, Julie settles into Chloe’s life, being sucked into the influencer lifestyle and getting addicted to views and peoples opinions of her.
Julie finds out she’s part of a group called the Belladonnas, run by the most famous influencer, Bella Marie. Julie is a fan of Bella Marie, and is keen to assure she likes her, now that she’s stepped into her sisters shoes. She is pleased when she’s invited to the Belladonnas annual trip to a private island.
Once on the island, Julie quickly realises things are not as they seem.
I have to say, this book really grabs you at the 40% mark. The beginning is slower, settling the reader into a false sense of comprehension. It really picks up it’s pace when the girlies are on their island trip.
This book really wasn’t what I thought it would be. The beginning was very reminiscent of Yellowface by R.F Kuang. But again, at the 40% mark, things took a dark turn that I really was not expecting. The pace picked up and we were brought into a world that felt very cultish, it felt like I was in a dreamlike state while reading.
You want to empathise with Julie, but dang, does she make it hard! Our main character is very unhinged and truly believes she’s doing the right thing by stealing her sisters life. At every turn, when she doubts herself for making the right choice, something happens that makes her believe that she did. She believes she’s a better Chloe, than Cloe herself. She soon finds out that she knows nothing about her sister, her life and her surroundings. That really made me feel a sense of unease through the whole reading experience, I never knew what to expect from someone so unpredictable. Although she made me nervous, I literally could not look away.
I think the thing I liked the least about this book was the ending. I felt like I needed more. More gore, something more visceral. I wanted one more final twist that would have had me shaking the house down boots.
Overall, I liked this read! It felt like a fresh take on the steal your life trope. I just wanted more from the ending.

Ohhhh this was all kinds of nuts, and I loved it! It definitely caught me by surprise. It hooked me immediately and I just couldn’t put it down. The last half was unhinged, and lost me a little, but overall a super fun ride. Liann Zhang is now on my radar, for sure. 💕

Influence, Perfect Little Monsters
Avail: April 29
Rating: 🌕🌕🌕🌕
Genre: Thriller
Violence: 🪓🪓🪓
Spice: 🚫
TR: Death of parents, overdose/drug use, indoctrination

Premise: Separated at age 4, Julie was raised by a neglectful aunt & is barely making ends meet while her twin Chloe was adopted by a wealthy couple & became a successful influencer. When Chloe dies & Julie steps into her life, she discovers dark secrets behind the glittering social media facade.

Thoughts: Julie’s twin dies in a clearly suspicious way. She steals her sister’s identity & wealth. She’s sucked into the influencer lifestyle & becomes addicted to the constant positive reinforcement. Add in that she’s one of only 2 POC in a clique of oblivious white women, and you know the author’s building to a Get Out kinda reckoning. Even with that set up, I did not anticipate the third act’s dark turn. Be prepared for a slide toward horror. The story arc & plot twists keep this a page-turner. But a deeper message creeps through, at times reading like a cautionary tale. While the forces at work among Julie’s influencer besties are fictional, the book’s exploration of influencer culture & toxicity is all too real. The speed with which Julie devolves from a critic of the influencer lifestyle to an addict of her online world is chilling in its plausibility. Prepare to read through slitted fingers. And maybe don’t read while eating. But the ending of this book? Brilliant.

Thanks to Atria & NetGalley for the gifted book in exchange for an honest review.

Received an ARC via NetGalley.

This was wild. I’ve had Yellowface on my list for a while but now I’ll have to bump it up.

This is the kind of story that sucks you in from the beginning and is impossible to put down. There was one scene in particular I did wish to put it down, bc it was pretty gruesome. But it’s definitely a wild ride while also being a critique on influencer culture and social media. While also being full of tension, it also was very funny.

Highly recommend.

I’m so disappointed bc I was sooo into this story for the first half as we follow Julie taking over Chloe’s life and then it unexpectedly completely shifts into a cult trope which is just so overdone recently and i literally groaned when i figured out that was the direction the story was going in. I’m so tired of ‘surprise’ cult stories and this was a missed opportunity for me!

Thank you Atria books for my gifted copy!

“I know I’m fucked up, but these people are a whole new level of fucked.”

Julie Chan is Dead is unhinged. I was sucked in from the start and this book truly went off the rails - in the best way - toward the end. I had nightmares about it last night. In it, I was in a daze, faces of my longtime friends looming and chanting over me. 🤐 I’ll say no more. The quote sums it up enough.

Liann Zhang is brilliant. This book was hilarious. It’s hard to find my type of humor in media, unless it’s a ridiculous meme, so it was refreshing to laugh along with the dark absurdity that is social media.

We get this wonderful glimpse of the dark underbelly of what it means to be an influencer. I can safely say I never thought it would be an easy thing. Can you imagine being on ALL DAY? Forcing a painful fake smile for brand deals? Cultivating perfection at every turn? Engaging constantly? The burnout must be brutal.

We see such flash and glimmer on our side of the screens, but I don’t think many of us really sit and think about how much work goes into being an online personality. And the internet is full of mean and horrible people. I truly could not make it.

But Julie Chan is Dead takes this darkness to another level. It makes the rumors of the Illuminati and fame seem real lol.

I really cannot recommend this book enough, especially if you’re looking for a rollercoaster to steadily take you to the top and then plummet you so hard your stomach pops into your throat.

The lesson learned … never steal your twins identity??
I’m thankful for lethally and the publishers at Simon & Shuesters Atria for this ARC copy. HOWEVER, my honest review is WHAT DID I JUST READ? The reviews are not wrong it does give Yellow Face by R.F Kuang but almost too similar , minus the whole I’m going on a cult killing spree of influencers!
The intrigue for me is I am a twin and was like how cool I’ll read this book as a co read and we can chat about … I’m not sure the whole twin aspect really stuck for me as much as identity theft, woe is me influencer ranting and just generally writing flaming brain mush the last 60% whatever was thought of made it on the page I guess.
I really wanted to like this book truly it just took toooooo far if a turn for me to appreciate it any more than 2 stars.

This was an interesting one! I was so into it and thought it was such a fun read. Julie's experience entering the influencer world, her commentary on the euphoria she felt getting paid and feeling loved after having the complete opposite childhood was interesting and I wish we stayed in that territory. HOWEVER, it does take a pretty stark turn halfway through the book and while I didn't dislike it, there were other themes and dynamics that I would have enjoyed better if they were explored instead. But God forbid a girl take a risk and put herself out there creatively!! The plot was kind of mix of Blink Twice and Ingrid Goes West so if you're into those wacky stories you'll really like this!

Rating this a 3.5 bumped up to a 4 because while the ending felt rushed and not super satisfying and I kind of hated Julie by the end, it was wild and fun and weird and felt super ~of the times~ in its snarky but accurate social commentary, which I liked. And also she's Canadian :)

Wow, this was amazing and so well done. I was hooked from the beginning and but the end on was on the edge of my seat. Twin stories can be so hit or miss for me but this was fantastic and the cult vibes added SO MUCH to the story

3.75 rounded up

thank you to netgalley for this ARC!! it was so exciting to read a vancouver author <3

this was a ride and a half and i had a great time lmfao i was hooked from the beginning and then it took a wild almost 'ready or not' left turn that excited me!!! was a little jarring at times how recent and modern this was though and wonder if you need a certain level of internet brain rot (as i do) to fully engage with it because not gonna lie reading 'unalived' in a book was not on my bingo card (though appreciate the author acknowledging how crazy it is that the character said it lmfao)

anyways this will be a great movie or hbo limited series one day

I was completely invested and had this at a 4.5 to 5 star book for the first 50% of this novel… It went a bit off the rails at the end and now I’m putting it at maybe 3.75 stars? The writing was so engaging and the premise was so good but I really can’t get on board with the ending. The short chapters kept me turning pages well past my bedtime, and I will continue to look for future books by Liann Zhang!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Julie Chan works as a supermarket cashier and can barely afford food. She is miserable. Her bright spots of excitement involve stealing gum or sandwiches from her store.

Julie Chan is also a twin. Her sister, Chloe VanHuusen, is a popular influencer. They were separated at age 4 when their parents tragically died and Chloe was adopted into a wealthy white family, and Julie was sent to live with an aunt.

Julie resents Chloe and her shiny, beautiful life so much that she blocks her on social media until one day after work, when Chloe calls. She's hard to hear, and it sounds like she's struggling. Julie frantically calls her back repeatedly, and when she doesn't get a response, she books a bus ticket to New York.

Arriving at Chloe's apartment, Julie is horrified to see Chloe dead on the kitchen floor. Very quickly, she changes her life and starts living as Chloe. They are twins, after all. When she is invited on an exclusive trip by a leading influencer, Julie is excited to see if she can get to know these women better, but what she finds is much darker than the shiny veneer they all portray online.
-----
This book is WILD. Many books have been written about the world of influencers, but none have captured the absolute insanity quite like this story.

This is a deeply funny and dark book, and I loved every word.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this book.

I started out thinking this was going to be kind of unique and then it got weird and a bit dark. The characters were kind of zany. Maybe just not for me. Thanks to the publisher and netgalley for this copy for read and review

The first half of this book was a page-turner and really enjoyable. Then the second half was a mess. Also, this book should be listed as Horror - if you know, you know and THAT was not a great part of the story.

I totally get the reasoning for the political themes and references but it became too many and eye-rolling. As I say in fictional books with political jabs or themes - the preaching has become cliche. Trashing the country is all the rage in a lot of 2025 fiction and it's unnecessary and boring.

I recently DNF'd an influencer-set mystery and that one was impossible to read with all the hashtags, jargons and wording that amounted to a different language for those of us over the age of 30. So, bravo to this story! I at least made it through this book.

Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for an e-copy of JULIE CHAN IS DEAD to review.

I rate JULIE CHAN IS DEAD three out of five stars.

Julie Chan is Dead is a propulsive thriller that I could not put down. Although the basic premise is unbelievable, it is plausible as the superficial connections of the social media/influencer world become clear.

Julie Chan and her twin sister Chloe Van Huusen were separated as toddlers when their parents died. Julie stayed with a crotchety aunt and Chloe was adopted by a rich family. To say they led different lives is an understatement. They did not grow up together and don't really know each other. Their most recent connection was a YouTube stunt that the very popular social media star Chloe aired on her channel. But that was years ago, so Julie is surprised to get a cryptic phone call from Chloe. Impulsively, she sets off to figure out what is going on, but when she arrives, finds Chloe dead. When Julie is mistaken for Chloe, she just rolls with it and states that the dead woman is Julie Chan and she is Chloe Van Huusen.

Initially, she loves living the high life, rubbing elbows with social media stars and having money and nice things for the first time in her life. When the newness wears off, she realizes that the friends that she now has may not be friends at all.

I enjoyed the novel until the last ridiculous plot element and the fact that Julie never once worried or concerned herself with how Julie died. Definitely a good read.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.