4.75 ⭐️ This was such a wild ride of a debut novel, but I loved every second. From the first page, I was hooked and could not put this down. It was thrilling and horrific, while also being funny and sarcastic, which is truly a perfect combination of genres.

The ending was not entirely unexpected, but still very well executed. A pet peeve of mine is when loose ends are left untied, but that was not the case in this book and made for a satisfying ending. My only complaint is that the last act felt a little rushed and I would have liked more in depth endings for Isla and Angelique.

Probably my favorite aspect of this book were the pop culture references. Usually, when authors do this, it can easily come across as cringey or outdated. However, Zhang adds the perfect amount of quips to add humor and make Julie Chan feel like a real "character" that might exist in our time.

I'm really excited to read future releases by Liann Zhang! Thank you to Atria Books and Netgalley for the ARC.

A thrilling and dark story about wish fulfillment. I hoovered this down in one night. Super fun, super campy and over the top. Loved the horror elements. What a ride!

I am still trying to figure out the reason for this book. It's an odd story about influencers, identical twins, the power of wealth and influence, and becoming famous on social media. I'm not sure there is a straight forward message. If so, it's enmeshed in a tale that begins with a twin that takes over her dead sister's successful social identity.

This story morphs into the secrets of an influencer group that bands together in a bizarre cult having a strange god and unholy sacrifices required of the members. The pull of money to be made by social influencers online, the lengths people will go for this fame - this seems to be the basic theme. The story goes over and beyond the normal in order for this message to be heard. It kept my interest but almost lost it on that private island with crazily drugged women, high on the need for fame and influence.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this eARC.

Liann Zhang's debut novel, "Julie Chan Is Dead", is a thrillingly sinister read that brilliantly explores the double-edged sword of identity and fame. Zhang introduces us to Julie Chan, a cashier whose seemingly mundane life takes a shocking turn when she discovers the lifeless body of her twin sister, Chloe VanHuusen, a famous influencer. Julie's decision to step into Chloe's shoes and adopt her identity catapults her into a world of glittering facades and dark undercurrents.

The narrative is immediately addictive, blending psychological suspense with biting social commentary. As Julie navigates her new life amidst Chloe's entourage, readers are treated to a darkly humorous and revealing look at the influencer culture. Zhang's sharp prose and keen observations lend authenticity and depth to the story, making it a compelling read.

Julie’s journey is horrifying yet enthralling as she grapples with her sister's secrets and the intoxicating allure of fame. The novel deftly balances tension and wit, keeping readers captivated while providing thought-provoking insights into the nature of self and the performative aspects of modern life.

A must-read for thriller enthusiasts and anyone interested in the complexities of social media and identity. Liann Zhang has penned an impressive debut that promises more brilliant works to come.

** Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review **

4.25/5 stars

Julie Chan is actually dead, in a sense. The book opens with Julie living a somewhat average life separated from her twin sister through adoption. Chloe Van Huusen is a popular social media influencer with little interest in knowing her twin. When Julie finds Chloe dead, she takes over her sister's life, and passes off her sister's dead body as her own. In the midst of this new, lavish life, however, Julie learns more about her sister's life (and death) than she could've imagined.


This book had me enraptured. The characters were creepy and out of touch, yet so realistic. I was at different times angry, frustrated, disgusted, and even happy for Julie (a little). Julie is also an interesting main character, because she is so unlikable and so real. Her addiction to social media (and the fake love received through it) and growth as an influencer is written out so well, but also turns her from a sympathetic character into a vapid annoyance within the blink of an eye. The author carefully crafted themes of greed, isolation, and the corruption of love into obsession. Social media has changed our society, in both great and horrible ways, and this book does a great job showing how easy it is to succumb to the manipulations of filters and hashtags.

One thing I didn't like within the story though was the amount of social media statistics. Almost every character was introduced as having x amount of followers on YouTube, y on TikTok, and z on Instagram. The numbers quickly bled together and grew meaningless to me. The same point could have been made without repeating large numbers because a contemporary audience will, for the most part, understand social media and the followings of popular influencers.

All in all, though, I would highly recommend this book to anyone who loves thrillers, murder mysteries, and/or social commentaries.

This was an excellent thriller. The story gripped me for the start and I enjoyed the exploration of the dark side of social media. Julie was an interesting narrator and I liked seeing the progression of her mental state as the book went on and she became Chloe. There were so many twists in the book that I wasn’t sure what was going to happen but the ending was perfectly satisfying. Overall a flawless debut and I’m looking forward to seeing more from this author!

What did I just read? So much chaos that I couldn’t put down. Are social media influencers all cultists? So much to ponder now!

https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZT2RwDAj1/

This book was so well written and the characters were fully developed. I can’t believe this is Liann Zhang’s first book. I can’t wait to read more. I loved how Julie was slowly seduced by Chloe’s lifestyle and I thought the book was heading for a totally different place! However the ending was perfect and it left you feeling that you still don’t know what is real.

I’m glad I got to discover a new Canadian author with this debut novel. Liann Zhang did a great job for her first book! The story reminded me a bit of Yellowface, with its clever commentary and satire, which I loved last year—but it also has its own unique twists.

The plot follows twin sisters separated at the age of four after their parents die in a car crash. Julie grows up in a tough environment, raised by an unkind aunt and stuck working a low-paying grocery job. Meanwhile, Chloe is adopted by a wealthy couple, living a life of luxury, private schools, and millions of adoring followers on social media. Their lives reconnect years later when Chloe surprises Julie by gifting her a house during a livestream. Shortly after, Chloe dies under mysterious circumstances, and Julie, in a shocking move, decides to assume her sister’s identity, convinced she deserves the life Chloe had.

At first, Julie’s transition into Chloe’s glamorous influencer lifestyle is fascinating. She struggles with the beauty routines, fitness regimens, and maintaining relationships but eventually finds her footing. However, things take a sharp turn when she attends an exclusive social media retreat, where the story descends into darker, disturbing territory with cult-like and satanic themes.

Unfortunately, the final part of the book lost me. The sinister elements felt out of place, overly shocking, and difficult to believe, which made it hard to stay engaged. While the first 75% was an enjoyable, light read that offered an intriguing look into influencer culture, the ending was too far-fetched and dark for my taste.

Although it didn’t fully align with my tastes, I’m eager to see what the author creates next.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. This book comes out on April 29, 2025

I honestly really liked this book!! I was on my TOES the whole book... I flew through this book so fast it was super entertaining. I loved the creepy/thriller vibe of it! Always had you guessing what was truly going on. Def would recommend this!!
Thank you to NetGalley & Liann Zhang for allowing me to read this & give my honest review!!

'd say this was a much less successful blend of two of my favorite books: Yellowface and Cover Story. Julie is living with her miserable aunt and working at a grocery store, watching her long lost twin Chloe, over social media as she rakes in the money and followers as an influencer. When they reconnect, Julie goes to visit Chloe in New York, but finds her dead in her apartment. When Julie decides to take her twin's place and live her cushy dream life, she learns that all is not as it seemed. I did read this in two sittings, but it really went off the rails at the end. There were also some clunky sentences, like Julie's phone's "batteries" being dead early on in the book. Who says that? A few instances like that, I think the book just might another pass by an editor.

I loved this book so much! I was gripped from the first page. I loved all the twists and turns. A lot of which I was not expecting at all! I can't believe this is a debut novel. I cant wait for Liann Zhang's next novel.

Thank you much for the early read! I absolutely devoured JULIE CHAN IS DEAD. It’s always fun to peek behind the curtain to see the secret lives of influencers— especially when they’re off making terrible deals with the supernatural! The plot and pacing were fantastic and there was one moment in particular that had me actually squirming away from the horror playing out on page.

Líann Zhang the woman that you are...I could not put this book down. It was so unbelievably wonderful. I have seen a lot of comparisons to "Yelloface" but, in all honesty this was a much better and more gripping read. It was so easy to get absorbed into the world of Julie Chan as Chloe and the cult of social media influencers. I enjoyed the small nods to real stories seen on social media like tiktok and think that this will easily be a cult classic. An absolutely fantastic debut. I am very excited to see what else Zhang writes in the future.

What a wild ride, weird books are BACK. Avoiding spoilers, this absolutely did not go where I expected it to and my jaw was on the floor during the last third. I was hooked from start to finish, but the first and second halves felt like different books and I am still not sure what the focus was meant to be. There was a lot going on and it wrapped up very abruptly, leaving me unsatisfied and wanting more. I thought the twists and turns were well-planned and campily unbelievable in a great way, yet I don't think everything that was happening here quite fit together as it should've. Still, this was a very fun and unexpectedly strange read.

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

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of this book! This was an interesting read, and very similar to last year's big hit Yellowface, in a lot of ways.

Our story follows Julie Chan, who was separated from her identical twin at the age of 4, when their parents died and they were split up during the adoption process. While Julie now works at a grocery store and lives with a verbally abusive aunt and cousin, Chloe has become a mega YouTuber star and influencer. One day Julie gets a cryptic phone call from Chloe and finds her dead in her New York city apartment. From there, Julie takes on Chloe's identity and life, learning more than she bargained for about what it means to be an influencer and run in the circle of the Belladonnas, a group of influencers led by the famous influence, Bella Marie.

This book was engaging, fast paced, and funny. I think the spot where the plot lost me was around the 70% mark, where a bunch of weird things begin to happen. I don't want to spoil anything for other reads, but it gets hella weird. I kind of predicted that some of this would happen, but some of what was described, there was no way to predict, haha. I really enjoyed the way this story wrapped up and how it all ended, albeit it a little clean. The end also really highlights how appealing power, attention, and popularity can be.

Overall a great read and anyone who liked Yellowface would probably eat this one up too! 3.5 stars!

Julie Chan is dead is a compulsively readable contemporary thriller. I could not put this down, it made my couple of hours on the train fly by! I'll admit I did like the first half better, since the ending got a bit weird, but overall I still enjoyed this. It reminded me a lot of Bunny by Mona Awad and a bit like Yellowface by R.F Kuang. The commentary it provided on influencer culture was also very interesting. There are aspects of this book i will be thinking about for a long time!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me a complimentary ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a fun read similar to Yellowface in it's subject matter, but with some twists and turns that made the first half and second half of the book almost like reading two different stories. The first half was really was well executed, while the second half became something like an absurd fever dream of events that turned almost comedic. Overall, this was highly readable and kept me engaged in the story throughout as Julie navigates taking over her twin sister's identity after finding her dead to figure out what really happened to her twin. It veered into some commentary on influencer culture and how we as a society value attention and validation. It deserves the buzz it's getting, and is well worth the read despite its shortcomings.

3.5 stars. Flew through this one- fast-paced and I read it in one sitting. Felt similar (in a good way) to Yellowface but 10x better. As a creator myself the first half of the book came at no surprise, however if you aren't a creator I can see how it would be fascinating.

It did feel like 2 different books and the turn it took was surprising but I'm all for twists and turns. I think it's one of those thrillers with a darker theme, comparing social media to a cult.

Thank you to Netgalley and Atria books for providing me with an ARC.

3.75 stars. That was a wild ride!! Very entertaining but I think the commentary could have been scaled back a little bit. Overall it was a solid read that kept me interested. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.