J U L I E chan is D E A D .
⭐️⭐️⭐️.✨️

"Will my tower of excessive consumption crush me today?"

Humorous. Can't look away. Thrilling. Good time! You have two sisters separated and adopted separately at a young age. Growing up in two completely opposite circumstances. (Rich vs. Poor)

One sister suddenly passes away, and the other takes over her life as a famous influencer. 👀

Was her sister's life as perfect as it seemed online?
Can she pretend to be her sister at exclusive events?

This was relatable as a consumer of influencers' content, but also a believable insider look of an influencers life. The good, the B A D , and the u g l y .

You can look forward to a fun, cult inspired thriller debut novel.

Released on APRIL 29, 2025

Thank you to @simonschusterca and @netgalley

🌸🐁🍸🧉📱👭

The first half of the book was a little slower than I expected, but the last half really made up for it.
I would definitely read another book by Liann Zhang.

If you enjoyed blink twice movie, you'll love this!

#simonandschuster #netgalley #netgalleyarc

This was an amazing read. How do I know a book is great? Easy, when I’m up until the wee hours of the morning because I have to know what’s next.

Julie’s life is thrown for a loop when she discovers the body of her estranged identical twin, Chloe, a mega famous influencer. When Julie decides to impersonate her dead sister, all chaos breaks loose.
Our novel comes to a head when Julie and an elite group of influencers spend a week at their queen bee’s private island - where nothing is as it seems. And everyone is just as insane as you feared.

The novel delves into the fabricated world of social media, fame, race, and the dark side of what people are willing to do to stay in the public eye.
This was like Yellowface if it had crime and FaceTune. And also so much its very own unique perspective, unlike anything I’ve read.
It’s a page turner. I enjoy novels in which there aren’t really any likeable characters, and a morally ambiguous narrator is always fun to read.

If you are someone who loves a good thriller or likes very current on-the-pulse narratives, you will like this one.
PSA: definitely have an understanding of Instagram if you pick this up, lol.

A big thank you to Simon and Schuster for sending me this ARC! It is such a treat to read new books, especially from a Canadian author.
I really think this one will be a hit.

I received this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. ARC provided by Simon & Schuster Canada.

Julie Chan has nothing. Her twin sister has everything. Except a pulse.

Julie Chan, a supermarket cashier with nothing to lose, finds herself thrust into the glamorous yet perilous world of her late twin sister, Chloe VanHuusen, a popular influencer. Separated at a young age, the identical twins were polar opposites and rarely spoke, except for one viral video that Chloe initiated (Finding My Long-Lost Twin And Buying Her A House #EMOTIONAL). When Julie discovers Chloe’s lifeless body under mysterious circumstances, she seizes the chance to live the life she has always envied.

Transforming into Chloe is easier than expected. Julie effortlessly adopts Chloe’s luxurious influencer life, complete with designer clothes, a meticulous skincare routine, and millions of adoring followers. However, Julie soon realizes that Chloe’s seemingly picture-perfect life was anything but.

Haunted by Chloe’s untimely death and struggling to fit into the privileged influencer circle, Julie faces mounting challenges during a weeklong island retreat with Chloe’s exclusive group of influencer friends. As events spiral out of control, Julie uncovers the sinister forces that may have led to her sister’s demise and realizes she might be the next target.

I would of never thought I would love a debut this much. What a wild ride. From the very first page, I was hooked and had such a hard time putting this one down. It starts as an entertaining story of stolen identity and influencer culture, then takes a sharp turn and I just enjoyed all of it. At times, I found myself questioning reality alongside Julie, wondering what was truly happening. This story was just the perfect balance of unsettling and upbeat. Zhang also offers a sharp commentary on the dark side of social media and influencer culture. It is a solid reminder to take a step back and remember what is real outside of those screens. Julie Chan is Dead will be a wildly discussed release imo, and I can not wait to see how other readers interpret its twists and turns. I still can not believe this is a debut novel and will be on the lookout for the next book by Zhang. Will be recommending everyone to read this one.

I know so many people who loved this one but I have such mixed feelings about it.

I really wasn’t a fan of the first half of the book. I liked the comedic moments and fresh twist on the twin trope, but the plot felt slow-moving, light on twists and lacked the depth I craved. The main character, Julie, also drove me bonkers. I felt like she was vindictive, immature and made the worst decisions ever.

However, I loved the majority of the second half of the book. The storyline was exciting and unpredictable, the twists were insane and I even started to warm up to Julie a little bit.

I wasn’t a fan of the ending but I will say that it packed a good punch and kept me guessing.

Thank you so much to Simon & Schuster Canada and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this e-ARC!

This was very Bunny by Mona Awad coded but I enjoyed this one a lot more than that.

Julie Chan is separated from her twin sister as a child when their parents die and she goes to her miserable aunt and her twin Chloe goes to an affluent white couple. Fast forward to her early twenties and Chloe is a famous influencer and Julie is struggling to find purpose in a dead end job, no friends, no goals. When her twin contacts her out of the blue curiosity pulls her back into her orbit only for her to turn up dead… but why should a NYC penthouse and amazing life go to waste when Julie could just…. Step right in?

Julie becomes Chloe, and it seems like trading up… but is everything about Chloe as it seems?

This darkly comic debut is a completely unhinged spiral behind the scenes of what it takes to live your life online. So much fun, Julie Chan is Dead is super propulsive and tense with a wild mystery and antihero main character you love to root for.

While some of the way the friend group the Belladonnas talked and acted felt a little too similar to Bunny I didn’t mind that much because I enjoyed this one so much more. I’m not really sure if all the plot lines fully came together cohesively in the end but who cares because I had the best time getting there.

My thanks to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for the review eARC in exchange for my honest review. Pub date April 29, 2025.

This book was unhinged in the best way. I am impressed that this was a debut novel! I couldn’t put it down, l loved the satirical exploration of the dark side of social media. It was both smart and funny.

Julie’s downward spiral is dark and she’s kind of a sociopath, yet I still cheered for her and wanted her to get away with sliding into her twins life. Anytime there is a cult aspect in a story my interest peaks too.

This book had me hook, line, and sinker and it refused to let go!

The premise alone was already exceptional.
An unknown, struggling twin takes over her rich and famous sister’s life after discovering her dead body, only to uncover how terrifying the influencer lifestyle truly is behind the scenes. But the actual story? Phenomenal!! I found myself on the edge of my seat the entire time. There was never a dull moment. The main character’s thoughts were incredibly relatable, often making me laugh or say “what the-“

It was a quick and easy read (if you ignore the anxiety-inducing scenes, which happened every two lines or so) but once I picked it up, I couldn’t put it down. It was engaging and absolutely mind blowing in how it emphasized the dark side of influencer culture and the sacrifices people make for fame and power.

I loved this book so much! Huge thanks to Simon and Schuster for the ARC! I’m genuinely grateful!

I really enjoyed this book, and was pleasantly surprised by it! I loved how unhinged it got, as if pretending to be your dead, rich, estranged twin sister wasn't enough, it got a whole lot worse... and by worse I mean better! I look forward to more from this author.

This book was so fast paced - it had me turning pages rapidly as soon as I started it. The set up was done cleanly and had me instantly hooked. I almost didn’t want to like Julie, but in some instances I did… was a fantastic read that had me wanting to cleanse my Instagram of random people I followed. 😊

Thank you to Simon & Schuster Canada and NetGalley for providing me with this ARC to review.

Julie Chan is working a tedious job at a supermarket and is quite unhappy with the life she’s living. From afar, she watches her estranged twin, Chloe, live the glamorous life of an influencer. Separated at a young age after losing their parents, Chloe has only made one appearance in Julie’s life—and that was just to use her in a video to make Chloe look like an angel and Julie look like a charity case.

But, soon after Julie gets a cryptic phone call from Chloe that she just can’t shake, she finds Chloe dead in her upscale condo. Spying an opportunity to turn her life around, Julie assumes Chloe’s identity and transforms herself into the popular influencer by studying old journals, social media posts, and group chats.

As Julie begins to question the perfect facade of Chloe’s life, she’s invited to attend an annual week-long island retreat with Chloe’s circle of wealthy influencer friends. As the week unfolds, strange events and bizarre rituals have Julie questioning everything—including the real cause of her twin’s death.

I can’t say this was an enjoyable book to read. All of the characters are unlikeable and say and do so many cringy things. What kept me reading was the mystery of what was going on at the island retreat, but I felt disappointed by the reveal. It’s hard to describe without spoiling anything, but I wish the author had spent more time building out the beliefs and motivations of the influencer group.

Many reviews I’ve seen say the book feels like two completely different books sandwiched together. That actually didn’t bother me and I thought it was an interesting turn of events. Julie had no idea what her sister’s life was like, so we were along for the ride with her as she got to know the women in Chloe’s orbit and experienced the island retreat for the first time, pretending to be her twin.

The mystery kept me reading, but the commentary on influencers wasn’t as powerful as it could have been, and the reveal and ending missed the mark for me.

Thank you Netgalley and Simon and Schuster Canada for the ARC of Julie Chan us dead.

This review contains spoilers!

Julie Chan has nothing. Her twin sister has everything. Except a pulse.

Julie Chan, a supermarket cashier with nothing to lose, finds herself thrust into the glamorous yet perilous world of her late twin sister, Chloe VanHuusen, a popular influencer. Separated at a young age, the identical twins were polar opposites and rarely spoke, except for one viral video that Chloe initiated (Finding My Long-Lost Twin And Buying Her A House #EMOTIONAL). When Julie discovers Chloe’s lifeless body under mysterious circumstances, she seizes the chance to live the life she’s always envied.

Transforming into Chloe is easier than expected. Julie effortlessly adopts Chloe’s luxurious influencer life, complete with designer clothes, a meticulous skincare routine, and millions of adoring followers. However, Julie soon realizes that Chloe’s seemingly picture-perfect life was anything but.

Haunted by Chloe’s untimely death and struggling to fit into the privileged influencer circle, Julie faces mounting challenges during a weeklong island retreat with Chloe’s exclusive group of influencer friends. As events spiral out of control, Julie uncovers the sinister forces that may have led to her sister’s demise and realizes she might be the next target.

I liked the premise of this book when i read the blurb. Julie's twin Chloe is a social media influencer. When she finds Chloé dead, Julie assumes her life, for better or worse. This was a quick read. I found the last quarter of the book to be a little over the top once the cult like trip takes place. The Belladonnas seem zombie like in their speech. The entire sacrifices to Eto thing is disturbing. It was a little too far-fetched for me. The ending was jokingly unrealistic in my opinion. 2.5 out of 5 ⭐️

Gifted ARC copy provided by Simon & Schuster Canada and NetGalley.

This book was like a well written TV drama that I couldn’t look away from. The hits just kept on coming and I loved every second of it. We got to peel back what it’s like to be an influencer in the best and worst ways. This book is one part thriller one part mystery.

I didn’t know if I loved or hated Julie, her morals were questionable at best. I didn’t know if I wanted to root for her or root against her. And that to me is an example of great writing.

This book takes a more sinister tone at around halfway through. I would check the trigger warnings for this one, but honestly, this book had so many good WTF moments.

I feel like ending of this will have people talking, do you agree with what happened to the character? Did she get off easy? Get what she deserved?

A Canadian debut author, Julie Chan is Dead releases April 29, 2025.

** spoiler alert ** Thank you to Simon and Schuster Canada and Netgalley for the ARC copy of this novel!

When Julie Chan's sister Chloe dies she has a choice: go back to her minimum wage job and terrible family or become Chloe, a popular influencer with a seemingly perfect life.

This tense thriller, in the same vein as Yellowface follows a character who ends up taking another lively hood because of a convenient death. Where Yellowface stays grounded in reality, the second half of Julie Chan is Dead goes off on so many twists it seems almost unbelievable (in a way that could almost be believable).

There are many important themes in the novel, such as guilt, unresolved childhood trauma, jealousy, and the nuances of social media. While going to the extremes of what life is like as an influencer, Zhang models how this so-called perfect life can have detrimental effects on a person and community. The Belladonna group reminds me of the old days of YouTube when there would be the groups of YouTubers that post similar content and live in similar areas, all supporting each other and posting collabs.

The second half of this novel, which I won't go too much into because it is best to go in unknown, takes the narrative to a whole new level. Full of twists, the dark side of the internet gets a whole lot darker.

I was really intrigued by the premise of this book! It follows Chloe and Julie, twins who were separated after their parents died in an accident. Chloe is adopted by a wealthy family, while Julie is sent to live with her aunt. The two end up living very different lives. Chloe becomes a famous influencer and enjoys a life of luxury, while Julie leads a much simpler life. Chloe eventually decides to reconnect with Julie for some content, and things take a dark turn when Chloe dies. Julie then steals her sister’s life, but the real question is: how long can she keep up the deception?

Overall, I found the book enjoyable, though I did feel that the second part dragged a bit, especially with all the details surrounding the cult, which didn’t really hold my interest. It also became somewhat predictable after a point, and I could easily see where things were heading. While it’s an easy, entertaining read at times, it doesn’t offer anything truly groundbreaking. Still, it was a fun read if you’re looking for something light.

I am willing to bet that when you start reading this book, you will NEVER be able to guess where the story goes… it is such a wild ride.

Julie Chan and Chloe Van Huusen are twin sisters, but they were not raised together. Their parents died when they were very young and Chloe was adopted by a very wealthy couple while Julie was taken in by her (horrible) aunt. Fast forward 20 years and Julie is working at a supermarket, going nowhere fast. Chloe, however, is a very famous influencer. Julie is extremely jealous of Chloe’s life and resentful of her success, so when Chloe suddenly dies, Julie decides to just… take over her life. Suddenly she is thrust into the spotlight as Chloe, and let’s just say she has absolutely no idea what that will bring.

While some parts of this book venture into the entirely unbelievable, the meat of the story is really an incredibly timely and realistic look into the world of influencers and our social media obsessed culture. It also takes a very dark look at the price of fame, and the toll it takes when someone chases it at all costs.

This book was so addicting, I did not want it to end. If you love a fast paced read that will keep you guessing I highly recommend picking this one up when it comes out on April 29. Thank you so much @simonschusterca for the early access to this book via @netgalley.

A fun, unputdownable, and compelling story! I enjoyed reading this book and though the direction change towards the end of the story took me by surprise (and was little disappointing) I still enjoyed the story.
The influencer confrontation by IZ was extremely well-written! I'm definitely going to read whatever this author writes next!
Also, I read this book through Edelweiss as the new NetGalley update has made it impossible for me to read this book on my Kobo.

Thank you to the publisher for this ARC!

Where to begin.. this book had me absolutely hooked! Missing hours of sleep kind of hooked, and honestly thank god because I was dealing with anxiety and this book distracted me sooo hard I forgot to be anxious 😂😂

“Razor sharp” is definitely an accurate description, the main plot of the book follows the every day life of social media influencers but I promise it isn’t shallow, there’s lots of deeper subtext and relevant / truthful subject matter in here, And it’s also just a lot of fun to read!

The ending had me nervous, I wanted to have faith in Julie and Eto because I’m rooting for her to succeed but it is left to the interpretation of the reader and I’m
Just going to leave it with positive vibes and wishful thinking 😂

Thank you to Atria Books, Simon & Schuster Canada and Liann Zhang for the EARC! I’ll definitely look forward to more from this author

Publish date : April 29th 2025

ARC Review

Julie Chan is dead
By Liann zhang
Publish Date: April 29, 2025

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you @simonschusterca for sending me a copy to review.

This is Liann Debut thriller novel. I enjoyed every minute of this book. From stolen identity to a cult nightmare. I was hooked from the first page.

I absolutely loved how unhinged the characters were throughout this book. I enjoyed the unreliable narrator, I found myself questioning reality throughout.

The twist and turns left me with so many questions. This really shows how far people will go for fame and popularity.

I highly recommend this book if you like dark horror/mystery.

Based on the cover, I imagined this book would be a fun romp based on the premise of a down-on-her-luck woman seamlessly taking over her twin sisters life. Boy, was I pleasantly surprised when this took a twist on the darker side. Julie must navigate the world of social media influencers, taking over her sisters accounts, sponsorships and friendships. But can anyone really transition to a new life without consequences? I would definitely be interested in reading more from this author!