The influencer culture of social media is explored, exposed and ripped part in Liann Zhang's debut Julie Chan Is Dead. Young influencer Chloe seems to have it all-beauty, friends, a glamorous social life, wealth and millions of adoring fans. Her twin sister Julie (both adopted by different families after their parents' car crash) is struggling financially, professionally and is decidedly alone. However, she has one thing Chloe doesn't-Julie is alive. When she receives a call from Chloe (a couple years after Chloe ambushed her for a social media post where she bought Chloe a house), Julie didn't even have her phone number. Chloe could only utter a few words and hung up. Not sitting right with Julie, she finds her way to NYC to check on Chloe and discovers her dead body in her apartment. Already mistaken for Chloe several times, including by the doorman, Julie decides she can change her life by stepping into Chloe's. Soon, Chloe's social following is skyrocketing even more with Julie at the helm and she becomes entrenched with Chloe's influencer friends-the Bella Donna's. While it's difficult keeping up the double life, Julie (as Chloe) scores a week=long trip with the Belladonna's to Bella Marie's private island for a chance to disconnect from technology and reconnect as leading influences. What follows is unhinged, satirical and twisty beyond belief. There are some jaw dropping moments readers won't see coming. Zhang's writing is fluid, with flushed out (if unlikeable characters) and the influencer lifestyle is well researched. I can't wait to see what she writes next!

4.5 stars for this strong debut!

I really wanted to love this one more than I did. I found the premise intriguing and wanted it to be more tongue and cheek like Yellowface. While it's compared to Yellowface, the tone of this one is different.

Thank you to Netgalley & Atria Books for this advanced copy!

This is a tricky one to review. I have heard this comped to Yellowface (which I haven't read yet) but for me I would say this is like if Cover Story and Nine Perfect Strangers had a really really weird and messed up baby.

I loved SO much about this book and if I was going off how I felt about this for the first 50% - this would be a five star book for sure!

I enjoyed every minute of this bonkers story that dealt with estranged twin sisters, family dynamics, stolen identity, class and influencer culture. It was biting, funny, dark and oh so much fun!

And then the second half...I just...I don't know. It just got bonkers in a way that didn't 100% work for me. I enjoyed the culty vibes of a bunch of social media influencers going to a retreat led by basically a fabulous cult leader but then it just got so weird from there. And trigger warning - there was a scene that dealt with mice that made me gag and made my skin crawl in the worst way.

It is so hard cause I flew through this book and couldn't stop reading but I just felt like it got bonkers (which normally I love) in a way that didn't totally work for me at the end. I am interested to see what the author does next. I did enjoy her writing and humor and social commentary. It's worth a read though and overall was a lot of fun but just left me feeling slight icky about the back half.

3.5/5 stars
Julie Chan is Dead is a delightfully entertaining thriller that blends mystery, dark humor, and social media savvy into a fresh, clever page-turner. Liann Zhang’s slick, immersive prose keeps the story zipping along, anchored by Julie’s sharp wit and a tension-filled journey from envy to empowerment. The eerie island retreat adds a deliciously sinister edge, heightening stakes while skewering influencer culture’s glossy artifice.

While the novel shines as a sly critique of curated internet identities and sisterly rivalry, it stumbles slightly in execution. Julie’s integration into Chloe’s elite inner circle, the Belladonnas, leans on archetypes over organic bonds, making their dynamic feel underdeveloped. The final act, though packed with drama, loses some pacing finesse, rushing twists that could’ve landed harder with deeper groundwork.

Still, Zhang delivers a propulsive, glittering tale of secrets and survival. A few bumps aside, this debut proves her knack for crafting addictive, modern suspense—a quick, escapist thrill with bite.

Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for the ARC!

Julie is dead broke working at a grocery store and hasn't seen her twin, Chloe, now an influencer that was raised by an affluent white couple, since they were orphaned at 4 years old. Well, except for when Chloe bought her a house in a video that viral years ago. So when Julie gets a distressed call from Chloe, she is unsettled and uses her last dollars to fly to NY and check on her, only to find her dead. Julie then decides to go on as Chloe and get the benefits of her fame while also solving the mystery of what happened to her sister.

This book got weird and unhinged. I thought the premise was very different and interesting, but by the end it devolved into something too offbeat. That said, I enjoyed the humor and the overarching elements of influencer culture and the shallow cult-like qualities of some of these circles.

Thank you NetGalley for an arc of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley and Atria for an eARC of this book.

How far would you go to live the life of fame, adoration, and wealth? Well, for Julie, she will go pretty far. It's an interesting and crazy ride!

Julie is given or takes the opportunity to leave her dull life behind. To bask in the glory of social media, wealth, adoration (so she believes) and be a part of the "In" crowd. Will it be everything she really wants?

This book is a wonderful look at social media influencers, their perceived power and the people who follow them. The writing is smart, biting and creative!

If you are a fan of Yellowface or Bunny, you will probably enjoy this book.
Add this to your TBR!

4-4.5⭐️

I swear this cover does NOT do this book any justice. What a fun, INSANE, twisty ride. I wasn’t expecting any of it. The first half was definitely a slow-burn with hilarious banter. It really set the tone for the unhinged second half. This was honestly like reading two different books but it worked.

I loved Julie so much. She was a wild card but despite being practically brainwashed, she never lost her true sense of self. I l also loved the way the story ended. We never really know the cards that Julie was dealt and if she paid for her “crimes”. Man, I wish I could read this story again for the first time.

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
📱Debut
📱Influencers
📱Cult Vibes
📱Unlikeable Characters

Described to be for fans of Yellowface… which there was a little essence of that here, BUT I liked this one more than Yellowface personally.

Julie Chan is Dead was the antithesis of a slow-burn. Easy to binge and kept me engaged all the way through. I thought the pace was perfect, I felt there were some thought provoking moments, and for a debut I was impressed by what it was able to hit for me. Would look forward to reading more by Zhang in the future.

Narrated by Yu-Li Alice Shen whom I’ve heard from The Quiet Tenant and I’m Not Done With You Yet. She fit the bill well as Julie. 👏👏

I split this read between my Kindle and on audio. Both were awesome!

Thank you Netgalley & Liann Zhang for an arc in exchange for an ohonest review. I would give this 3.5 stars.

Julie Chan has nothing. Her estranged twin sister, Chloe, has everything, until she dies. Separated at a young age and raised in different homes, Julie has always watched Chloe’s glamorous influencer life from afar. But when she discovers Chloe’s lifeless body, Julie makes a bold decision: step into her sister’s shoes and take over her identity. After all, how hard could it be to be an influencer?

Julie was completely unhinged and I loved every second of it! She had nothing to lose, and her reckless choices made for a gripping read. I found the behind-the-scenes look at influencer culture fascinating; it felt chaotic, isolating, and surprisingly stressful. While I enjoyed most of the book, the ending didn’t land for me. The plot became increasingly far-fetched, and I was ready for it to wrap up. I wish the story had stuck with the influencer angle and delivered a more satisfying reveal or fallout

Fine Julie, I get that you were tired of being that forgotten sister who had nothing while the other twin is swimming in money and opportunities. But girl, you didn't have to turn into this annoying character.

I don't know how to say it without giving away a lot but I liked the things this story exposed about the influencer culture. It was meant to show all the good, the bad, and the ugly. (oh no! they cannot be ugly!!!!!!)

Between heavy books, I appreciated the laughter this book brought into my day and make me put away my phone down for a second.

I made it through about the first 30% before I just had to put it down for good. It came across as silly in tone, like a teen movie from the late 1990s/early 2000s, and I just couldn't stick it out to the end with reading like that.

Another 5 star read! This is an amazing debut book by Liann Zhang! I could not put this book down! This one isn’t so much of a need-to-turn-the-page-full-of-twists kind of thriller, but more of a study into the “influencer” lifestyle and just how dangerous it can be. I found myself very entertained and completely absorbed in this story. A bit off the rails at some points, but honestly that just added more to this book! I loved it and will be recommending the heck out of it!

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for an ARC of Julie Chan is Dead by Liann Zhang in exchange for my honest review.

Well, that was a wild ride! Julie Chan is Dead by debut author, Liann Zhang, was a banger of a thriller. Friends, I could not put this one down, and as much as there were moments when I wanted to look away, I just could not.

Julie and her identical twin, Chloe, separated as children following their parents’ death in a car crash, have grown up with two completely different families and lifestyles. Chloe was placed in a wealthy family and later became a famous social media influencer, whereas Julie was sent away to live with her aunt and cousin who find her to be nothing except a burden. But when Chloe suddenly and unexpectedly dies, Julie slides right into Chloe’s persona and lifestyle. Told from Julie’s perspective as she navigates through her newfound fame and fortune, we witness first-hand what someone will do to conceal their true self in order to embrace a false identity.

Julie Chan is Dead is a fast-paced page turner, intermingling the thriller and horror genres, resulting in some moments that I wish I could un-see, but will probably continue to live rent-free in my brain for the unforeseeable future. This book has a lot of snark and humor as well, especially in its commentary on influencer culture. Zhang did a fantastic job interweaving the comical with dark themes, leaving me entertained, with a lot to think about while devouring this book, and even after I turned the last page. I will definitely look forward to reading this author again.

Readers who loved exploring the themes in Yellowface by R.F Kuang, enjoy a snarky, yet dark thriller, want to deep dive into the murky waters of influencer culture, and have a strong stomach (don’t say I didn’t warn you!), might want to give Julie Chan is Dead by Liann Zhang a try.

This was totally off the rails and I loved it. I didn’t know this was a horror novel before I dove in and I might not have gone for it if I would have known, but I’m glad I did. Do not read this if you are squeamish! There is one shocking scene that is stolen straight from Orange is the New Black, and I’m wondering why the author was so blatant about that, but otherwise a crazy, wtf ride.

This book was so good. I hate the ambiguous ending because I felt so attached to the character and want to know what happened. Maybe she turned into an evil version of herself? She seemed worse than the villainous influencers that she tried to take down. Maybe this is the point that she morphs into what she hated the whole time. Love a good grifter narrative.

Listen when I tell y’all I was not ready for this book lol I really had no idea what I was expecting when I requested it. I saw it was a thriller and I saw people were talking about it, so I got a mean case of FOMO. And let me just say I probably should have left this book there lol That one scene gave me the heebie-jeebies lol

Y’all, this was UNHINGED. She took the life of her deceased twin. I thought it was weird, but she seemed to justify it because they didn’t really know each other and they grew up separately. They both were jealous of the other, but they didn’t have to be. Both of them had it bad. But jealousy moves you to do some crazy things. However, Julie doesn’t find out how crazy they are until she’s already living as Julie.

I thought this put an interesting light on Influencers. This is definitely the scary side of it. I DO wish it went a bit more in-depth on some of the things like the algorithms and the way some people get so offended when people of color point it out. But I get it. She was made to seem brain washed. But I just wish it was discussed more. That always deserves a bigger conversation.

The only thing I didn’t care for was the pacing. It started with a BANG and then it was so slow. If I hadn’t been listening I think I would have skimmed it. But because I had it on audio I just sped it up a bit. And I’m so glad I did. Because when I made it to the end I sat there stunned like WTF. I still don’t know how we went from 0 to 60 so damn fast lol It was a lot in a short amount of time. I just wish it was spread more evenly throughout the book.

And let me just say, the ending is what made this book. If I had missed this because I skimmed or DNFed I would have been pissed. I almost woke my kid up when that ONE SCENE happened and I kept repeating OMG OMG OMG as soon as they got on that plane. Idk, this whole thing was a mess and I really enjoyed this mess lol

This was a crazy ass story that left me with my mouth open in shock. The first thing I said after I was finished was, “WTF.” This was a good time and I hope there’s more from Zhang to come. I can’t wait to see what her twisted mind comes up with lol

3.75 stars | This was a fun read, but also a little all over the place for me! I enjoyed the beginning and was interested to see where it was going to go, but about 40% - 50% in, it kind of started going in a weird direction. Things started to get a little unhinged, which don't get me wrong -- I ENJOY -- but here, it just veered a little too far off the path and <spoiler>went a little too Lottie Matthews for my taste (Yellowjackets IYKYK)... </spoiler>Things got weird in a way that I wasn't expecting and it took me out of the book for a little while.

I was also hoping for a smidge more humor in this "dark humor" thriller. It did have some funny moments and commentary from main character Julie, but I was hoping for a couple more laugh out loud moments. When promising "dark humor", I really expect it to be a bit funnier and not just a little smirk, but maybe that's just my taste! It definitely does have some lighter moments, poking fun at a few things, and while things do get dark, it's not as wildly suspenseful and tense as some other thrillers.

I LOVED some of the ending, and that really brought me back in the story. I was listening to the audiobook in my car with my jaw dropped, and I loved how wild things got! The pacing after all of the crazy action got a little slow, though. I don't love when books take too long to wrap up after the big climactic moment, so this one took just a little too long for me and then... it was over! I could have used just a touch more closure, but I can also appreciate why the author left it the way she did.

Without that "OMG moment" in the end, I probably would have rated it a touch lower just because things went a little more off course for my tastes, but it will definitely appeal to others!

AUDIOBOOK THOUGHTS: Yu-Li Alice Shen was the narrator for this audiobook and this was the first I've listened to her. I really enjoyed her narration! I liked her voice and performance for this audiobook and thought it really fit. Considering at one point that Julie was with 7 other women, I think she did a really good job at making them sound different and unique! I never had the thought that they all blended together (even though I didn't really pick some of them apart), but I really thought she did a great job and would definitely listen to more from her!

This was a really interesting book. It was quite unique and I like how it used modern technology to move the plot along. This one is sure to be talked about!

When struggling cashier Julie Chan discovers her estranged influencer twin sister Chloe dead, she steps into her glamorous life. But as Julie takes Chloe’s place during a luxurious island retreat, she realizes her sister’s world was full of secrets.

First things first, I did not expect the sinister turn this book took. What starts as a story about identity and envy slowly morphs into something much darker.
It felt like a more twisted, more dangerous take on R.F. Kuangs Yellowface, full of commentary on ambition and social classes, but with a deadly edge that made it truly unsettling.
It was an eerie look into the "Influencers world" and a chilling look at how far someone will go to claim a life they think they deserve, but once the curtain is pulled back, nothing is what it seemed, and the truth behind the perfect image is dark and dangerous.

"Julie Chan Is Dead" by Liann Zhang kicks off with a fascinating premise: a woman steps into her deceased influencer twin's life and starts to uncover some seriously dark secrets. I read an ARC of this, and the initial setup, contrasting Julie's ordinary world with Chloe's glamorous online facade, was really intriguing and had me hooked.

However, the direction the book takes in its second half, especially when Julie joins the influencer group on their private island getaway, was… unexpected, to say the least. It felt like the story took a sharp left turn into territory that was quite different from the initial mystery. Elements started creeping in that involved things like drug use, some really strange group dynamics that felt almost cult-like, animal sacrifice and maybe something supernatural? The shift was so jarring that it felt like two completely different stories awkwardly stitched together.

★★★☆☆

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