This might be the best book I’ve read in a long time. Fans of Mona Awad’s 'Bunny' will devour it—dark, hypnotic, and utterly unhinged. Think 'The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives' meets 'Yellowjackets', a gripping blend of cultish intrigue and raw survivalism. I couldn’t put it down. Plus, I always appreciate when a story includes endometriosis—it’s so important to see it represented.

I received this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The gripping story follows Julie, an struggling Chinese- American orphaned cashier who steps into the unpredictable, glamourous life of her influencer twin sister who Chloe who was adopted by wealthy, white parents- after finding her dead. After Julie takes over Chloe's life, by pretending Julie was the one who overdosed, she learns learns behind her sister's luxury and fame, lies dark secrets that could put her in danger. Twists, secrets, suspense kept me hooked.

Yellowface by by R.F. Khuang mixed with Bunny by Mona Awad with a smattering of the Glass Onion.

Julie Chan and her identical twin sister, Chloe were separated at the age of 4 following a car accident that killed their parents. Chloe was adopted by an affluent white couple from NYC and has spent her adult life as a #influencer. While Julie was sent to live with her greedy, vile aunt. Julie has always been aware of Julie and save for one horrifying in-person meeting, Julie has spent her life vying with envy watching Chloe glow through her phone’s screen. One day, Julie receives a disturbing phone call from Chloe and races to nyc to find Chloe dead of an apparent overdose. Julie (of course) switches identities with Chloe and settles into the influencer life- brand deals, GRWM’s, designer clothes, and Chloe’s friend group of fellow influencers. As she spends more time living Chloe’s life, the mysterious circumstances around her death unfold and my #jaw was on the #floor. This was a f****** whirlwind!

Thank you NetGalley, Liann Zhang, and Atria books for the ARC. I’ll probably be reading this again before it comes out in April.

Wow, what a debut from Liann Zhang! She got me hooked pretty early on and I enjoyed her fresh voice - biting, funny and witty - had me giggling a few times in the earlier parts of the story and I liked her take on social media culture, racism, and classism. Zhang takes us into an intoxicating and perplexing world of elite social influencers and the obsession with growing an audience. About 1/3 through I was like okay, curious to see where this story is going to go. There was increasing build up of mystery and suspense. "What the heck is going on?" Then I don't know, maybe halfway through things take a turn into crazy town. Lots of "wtf" moments - cult-y stuff, some graphic bits that turned my stomach. Like a crazy stew of Yellowface, Nine Perfect Strangers, Gossip Girl... I saw some others reference Bunny (I haven't read that one so can't comment on that). I really enjoyed the first half of this a lot (5 stars worthy), but the latter part went in a direction that left me feeling unsettled and a bit icky. I can't wait to hear what others think of this one! Congrats on your debut, Liann!!

I’m not entirely sure what I just read. Julie Chan is Dead starts off as an incredible whirlwind of a book. The first 75% was fantastic—easily a five-star read that I couldn’t put down. It had the same vibe as Yellowface, which I loved. However, things took a bizarre turn once the story moved to the island. Without giving away spoilers, the plot completely derailed. I lost interest and became uncomfortable with the direction the story took—not in the fun, edgy way that had been present earlier, but in a much darker, unsettling way. The main character started making decisions that were completely out of character based on earlier pages. Additionally, the shift to focusing on a deity, rather than continuing the exploration of influencers like before, felt unnecessary. By the end, I was left with an icky feeling. While the final chapters returned to a bit more of the tone from earlier in the book and felt slightly more focused, by then, I was already done with the main character and the story as a whole. I really think that had the author taken the story in a different direction after the 75% mark, it could’ve been a great read. But as it stands, the shift felt inappropriate for the narrative. Despite my issues with the ending, I’d still be interested in reading more from the author.

If you loved “Bunny”, you’ll love this. The beginning starts off when the boring, normal life of Julie Chan takes a huge turn after a phone call from her twin sister. Suddenly, Julie’s life is turned upside down as she takes over her social influencer sisters life. Cue hilarity. Cue deep dive into social media monetization.
I didn’t expect to like this as much as I did. I was a wild ride with nothing predictable happening! It’s funny, creepy and horrifying with a hint of a lesson for us all. Well done.

This was such a wild ride of a read. Great debut, with both expected and unexpected twists (including where the novel ultimately lands while the Belladonnas are on a private island retreat, and the choices Zhang makes for the ending). Tackles influencer culture, racism, classism, and basic human nature in this story narrated by someone who moves from the outside to the inside and has to ultimately decide what she will do to stay there.

We all have an online persona—I’m using mine right now while writing this review. However, 'Julie Chan is Dead' brilliantly critiques the shallow, cult-like world of the influencers online personas on social media.
“Creators who are "down-to-earth" and reject capitalism are nothing more than hypocrites shilling out so-called socialist viewpoints from their mega-mansions or sky-high penthouses. They don't give a f*ck. If they did, they'd donate all their money and live in a sh*tty studio apartment instead of being professional grifters with golden egos.”

With influencers popping up on every app, it was refreshing to see a book that shines a light on the toxicity behind it all. It all takes a sharp turn in the second half, getting dark, disturbing, and a bit gag inducing. After finishing, I’ll be spending less time on social media and more time binge-reading, eagerly awaiting Liann Zhang’s next book.

What would you do if you were given a chance to change your life? Well, Julie Chan did this in the sickest way possible. After losing her twin sister unexpectedly, she becomes Chloe Van Huusen. Her twin sister, separated later in life due to adoption, lived an extravagant influencer life. She was given the opportunity to take over that life but found out there was a lot more darker things going on behind the YouTube videos and Instagram posts she put out.

This was not only a thriller but elements of horror as well! Zhang paced this book amazingly and truly knows how to keep a reader captivated! I can’t believe all the twists and turns that occurred, it was pleasantly unexpected!

Yellowface meets Bunny in a dark and twisted, unpredictable YA debut.
This was a solid read, I was entertained through the whole thing though for two very different reasons in the first and last half of the book. It almost felt like reading two different stories which was a bit shocking, though I preferred the narrative and voice change of the second, I wish it had been threaded through the beginning a little bit more. The fact there was an upcoming secret trip and other small details weren’t enough to stop the transition from being a little bit jarring.
I actually was talking to a friend who also read the arc when I was enjoying it but not enthralled by the first half and completely guessed the end of the book just by making an outrageous stab in the dark, so that was funny! I really enjoyed the writing style, it’s polished and distinct for the genre, it really evolves with Julie’s arc, especially in the second half.
I wish the Bunny style, speculative thriller-horror leaning aspects of this novel were more pronounced in the marketing and synopsis of the novel because I would have snapped it up quicker and worry that the pivot in the back end of the novel could be shocking for readers who are expecting a less intense thriller-mystery. Loved the social commentary and the approach to influencer culture, and the entire idea that influencers would go to that extent is… very believable and kind of dark comedy! The ambiguous end left me wanting but I don’t see another way to do it. All in all a great read and a great debut, I would read Liann Zhang’s future releases.

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

🤍𝓙𝓾𝓵𝓲𝓮 𝓒𝓱𝓪𝓷 𝓲𝓼 𝓓𝓮𝓪𝓭🤍

Stars: 4 ⭐️

genre: DEBUT thriller

Publication date: April 29,2025


Blurb: We are introduced to Julie within the first paragraph where she is mistaken for a girl named Chloe, her twin. Both girls were separated after their parents died and looks like Chloe got the better end of the bargain.

One day Julie recieves a phone call from New York and she only knows one person who lives in New York : her twin Chloe when she answers its scratchy and she can only make out a couple words. Is her sister pranking her for a viral video or is something really wrong with her ?

Opinion: This debut novel hooked me in immediately and I had to keep reading to figure out what was happening. Liann did a good job of telling the story of the two girls. I was curious as to what exactly happened to Chloe but, all questions were answered at the end of the novel. Overall, it was a fantastic read for a debut novel! Her take on influencers had me cackling throughout the novel. I am definitely excited to see more of Liann’s work.


Read if you like:

🌸thriller mystery
🌸 horror
🌸 saitres of influencers

*thank you to NetGalley & Atria Books for allowing me to read this ARC*

What a fun debut! If you liked books like Yellowface, you'll enjoy this one. Twisty, funny, and a super fast read!

An absolutely WILD ride of a debut novel!!

First off: the premise is *fantastic*. I had my eyes on this book from the moment it was announced, and it absolutely did not disappoint. JULIE CHAN IS DEAD starts off at a breakneck pace that doesn't let up the entire novel. I devoured the book in one sitting - I was hooked by chapter one alone, and every single chapter got crazier and crazier.

Julie Chan is a main character that I hate that I relate to; Zhang does a brilliant job at exploring the underlying motivations of Julie's character, while at the same time moving the pace forward. Influencer culture, in particular, is always like catnip for me. It feels extra timely with the recent Tiktok ban (and subsequent un-ban) when a lot of influencers were posting their big "confessions", like building an account around creating #icetok content then admitting to never using the ice cubes they made. We get a lot of that with Julie and the Belladonnas, this insider look into the wild (and LUCRATIVE) world of social media stardom.

At the same time, the back half of the book transforms into a hazy, cult-like experience that, while veers much towards the darker side, still feels like a natural progression of the plot. There are so many stakes at play, from Julie's new "friends" to her old life, that the tension just ratchets higher and higher. The comp to Yellowface made perfect sense, and the prose was utterly captivating and aggressively readable.

Stunning debut, and I can't WAIT to see what Zhang writes next.

One of the most bizarre and engrossing books I’ve read recently. Good read for when you want something dramatic and messy.

Julie Chan and Chloe Van Huusen are twins separated after the death of their parents and live very different lives. While Julie lives a humble life working at a supermarket, Chloe lives a charmed life as an influencer. When Julie discovers Chloe’s body in her apartment, she steps into her sister’s place.

Not by design but this is the second or third new release I’ve read on someone stepping into another person’s life who they are envious of, so trying to keep my expectations tempered. Julie is such a whiny, acrimonious, and vindictive narrator, and reading from the perspective of someone who is seething from jealousy, anger and entitlement is not easy. Somehow, it totally works for this book and it makes more sense considering the author Liann Zhang, has a background in criminology and psychology.

Special thanks to Atria Books and NetGalley for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest, independent review.

very classic style thriller about influencers and how power corrupts. felt like it had a significant hint of Rouge by Mona Awad in there, as well as some Glass Onion type themees. 4 stars. tysm for the arc.

JULIE CHAN IS DEAD joins a group of eerily surreal (and yet, utterly familiar) books about stolen identity and influencer culture that has grown over the past couple of years, with titles like YELLOWFACE, YOU WILL NEVER BE ME, and A SPECIAL PLACE FOR WOMEN just to name a few. Where some of these titles are hugely successful at the undertaking, weaving the dark underbelly of clout chasing with the spookier, more horror-infused elements of fiction (YELLOWFACE) there are some that fall just a bit flat. Unfortunately, JULIE CHAN IS DEAD falls in the latter category for me. While the first half of the novel is full of intriguing backstory, and page-turning thrills as Julie's machinations begin to unfold and uber-influencer Bella Marie and her cohort are revealed, the second half really flies entirely off the deep end into territory that is neither rooted in reality nor seems truly committed to embracing the insanity of its wildest plot twists, leaving the reader adrift. As a result, the novel feels bloated, never quite settling into a pace one way or the other and cleaved in half by the unexpected tone shift. There are enjoyable elements in this one, to be sure, but it just never quite comes together cohesively, and by the end there are so few answers and yet, so little desire to even as the questions.

OH MY GOSH!!! What did I just read????? This book goes from 0-1000 in like, 30 short chapters. I was hooked from the beginning and I could not believe how much I loved it through the end. I was trying to read it faster and faster so I could know what happened. This is the best book, I cannot wait for its release! Thank you NetGalley for this advanced copy!

Thank you the advanced copy.

The first half of the book was excellent then fell a little flat for me. Not sure what made me feel this way. Overall, the book was okay.

I'm so grateful to NetGalley and the author for this ARC! Wow. I don't even know where to start.

I saw an instagram ad from the publisher for this book, and the premise immediately sounded so appealing. I was invested in Julie's story from the first sentence of the book. I grew up reading stories like Pretty Little Liars and the Lying Game, and this was a thrilling yet fun way to return to the books I enjoyed as a child, with a darker and sinister twist to the plot. I devoured this story in two days and I wish there was another one! If you love tv shows like Yellowjackets and White Lotus, I would highly recommend this book. I would also be so interested in having a current relevant influencer pick up this book and read it. Not all of us are influencers, unfortunately, but the tasks and activities Julie describes in her day to day were believable, and can only make you wonder what goes on behind the scenes.

Endless stars

I liked the first half to two-thirds of the book, despite having to suspend my disbelief that so many people could be fooled by Julie. It made sense later, but the last part of the book on the island was just to crazy and far-fetched for me and diminished my overall enjoyment of the book. The ending was a little quick - a great lawyer to make everything Ok. Thanks for the ARC of this book.