"Julie Chan is Dead" by Liann Zhang is a sensational debut that completely swept me off my feet! What an explosive start !
Zhang delivers a thrilling, twisty story with all the suspense, intrigue, and drama that had me hooked from page one. I couldn’t put this book down, and now I’m eager for more!
Julie Chan, a supermarket cashier, is thrust into the glamorous yet dangerous life of her late twin sister, Chloe VanHuusen, a famous influencer. Julie’s transformation from an ordinary woman to someone living in a world of luxury, designer clothes, and millions of adoring followers was both exciting and chilling to watch. Liann Zhang does an incredible job of balancing the allure of fame with the dark secrets lurking underneath.
The mystery of Chloe’s untimely death is layered with tension and suspense, and the way Julie unravels the truth behind it kept me on the edge of my seat.
What makes this book even more engaging is Julie’s emotional journey. Struggling with living in her sister’s shadow and trying to maintain the illusion of being someone she’s not was both heartbreaking and captivating. The exploration of identity, the pressures of living in the influencer world, and the sinister forces at play made this story so much more than just a mystery. It was a deep, gripping tale of fame, betrayal, and the consequences of pretending to be someone you’re not.
Thanks to Netgalley and the author for this book, this opinion is my own.

SYNOPSIS
-Julie Chan’s life is going nowhere fast—she works at a grocery store and barely scrapes by.
-Her identical twin sister, Chloe, on the other hand? Mega-famous influencer, adopted into wealth, living that curated, camera-ready life.
-When Julie gets a weird call from Chloe and rushes to her apartment, she finds her dead.
-The police mistake Julie for Chloe… and she runs with it. But stepping into her sister’s world means more than skincare sponsorships and fan DMs. Chloe was hiding something dark.
-Cue a creepy influencer retreat on a private island, a lot of secrets, and some serious cult energy.
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MY THOUGHTS
-This was such a sharp, twisty debut—part dark comedy, part thriller, all vibes.
-Short chapters = flew through it. Could not stop.
-Julie is the definition of morally gray and I loved that about her. You’re rooting for her even when you’re like, “girl, please don’t do that.”
-The influencer stuff was spot on. Shallow, addictive, performative, and low-key terrifying.
-Also loved the way the author explored identity and race—especially how that plays out online.
-The retreat section? Wow. Absolutely unhinged in the best way. Had serious Midsommar vibes, but make it rich girl aesthetic.
-The second half went totally off the rails (in a good way).
-I thought the ending stuck the landing—satisfying & worth the read.
-Side note for fellow animal lovers: there’s a brief scene involving fictional harm to a baby mouse that’s hard to read.
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TL;DR: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️Loved this. Sharp, bingeable, and just the right amount of creepy. Super quick read with a twisty plot, a main character who’s a mess, and a weird island retreat that got dark.
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Thanks: Thanks to Atria Books and Netgalley for this digital ARC in exchange for an honest review. This book will be published on April 29, 2025.

WOW. Just—WOW. I’ve never read anything like this before! At first, I wasn’t sure—I felt a bit detached, surrounded by all these dull, Instagram-perfect, cookie-cutter characters. But if you’ve spent a questionable amount of time online (like me), you’ll recognize the vibes: think Dramageddon-level chaos, the Stauffer adoption controversy, and that weird magnetic pull of crime podcasts you can’t stop listening to. This book has all of that energy... and then goes completely nuclear.

This is the definition of a slow burn that rewards your patience. And when it finally takes off? OH. MY. GOD. At 72%, I was in full meltdown mode — gasping, shrieking, gagging (yes, gagging — and when you get there, you’ll know). From that moment on, I could not put it down.

This book scorched me in the best way possible. If you love twisty, pitch-black stories that sneak up on you and then explode, this is it. Stick with it — the payoff is absolutely worth every second. 🔥✨

I don’t even know where to begin. The book starts off showing Julie’s life before her twin, Chloe, dies. And when she does, Julie takes over her life. We see her develop her influencer life posing as Chloe which I thought was funny and the most enjoyable part of this book. But then things take a bizarre turn…

You get hints that something isn’t right and as the story progresses into the height, it felt like I was reading a completely different story. I was surprised by the direction it went in - I didn’t hate it but it felt like I was reading many different genres blended together and that was odd to me. The ending was unexpected and left me feeling conflicted and confused. Julie at the end as a character didn’t make sense to me and overall, I’m not entirely sure how I feel about this book. This book does give similar vibes to Yellowface in the beginning, but the story progression feels more strange.

Overall, this book was bizarre to me but definitely there were points that had my jaw dropped.


Thank you NetGalley for the e-ARC in exchange for this honest review.

Oooh, this was a crazy one! I went in thinking it was a psychological thriller about a young woman who assumers her recently deceased, mega-influencer, twin sister’s identity. It IS that, but there are definitely some horror elements I was not expecting (if you’re squeamish about mice, be forewarned). And about mid-way through, the novel also switches settings from NYC to a private island. (Think like, the Tarte influencer trips but wayyyy higher and more murder-y stakes.) The ending did feel somewhat rushed and a little too implausible to me, but I went with it for the sake of enjoying the story.

Thanks so much to Atria Books and NetGalley for providing me with a review copy!

Release date: April 29, 2025 🗓️

This book was so captivating and kept me invested from start to finish. There were some grotesque scenes that I had a bit of a hard time with, but overall I really loved this book. I will be keeping an eye out for future work by Liann Zhang! Thank you NetGalley, Liann Zhang, and Atria Books for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you #NetGalley for the eARC of #JulieChanisDead by Liann Zhang

Well... that was a wild ride. I can't say I've ever read anything like Julie Chan is Dead, and I don't know if I ever want to again, but it was the easiest five stars I've given this year. In fact, it is my first official 6 star read.

Julie Chan Is Dead is what happens when social satire, psychological suspense, influencer culture, and mice get tossed in a blender—and the result is somehow addictive, disturbing, funny, and completely unhinged. Liann Zhang doesn’t just push the envelope—she rips that shit wide open, and lights it on fire (just wait...).

If you think you know where it’s going—spoiler alert: you don’t. I had to sit in stunned silence after finishing. Would I recommend this to everyone? Absolutely. Will I lose friends over it? Absolutely. But sometimes you have to read a book that pushes the boundaries.

Influencer culture gone haywire.
Do you like tornados? This is a tornado.
It starts out wild, everything’s crazy and you think to yourself “no wayyyyy it can’t possibly be heading in the direction I think it’s going?!”
CRASHHHHHHHH

oh wait … it’s kinda normal again, kinda wholesome… or not??

WHOOOOOOOSHHHHHHHHHHHH

JUST KIDDING!!!!!! it’s a total shit storm 🌀

BANG BANG BANG BANG ‼️
End Scene.

This book is bat shit crazy. And I can’t help, but think it could come out to be closer to reality than we know.

Terrifying.
God, I hate social media.

This was good though, if you like tornadoes.
🌪️

3.5 🌟

Thanks to NetGalley for the e-arc

Twins separated when they were young when their parents were killed. One was adopted into a wealthy family, the other went to their aunt and lived a rougher life. Now that they are adults, 1 is an influencer and the other, cast aside after 1 video for influencer views.

Julie misses her sister Chloe. She watches her through her social media influencer videos and updates. In equal parts she's jealous and envious of Chloe's success. She wonders, as she works at a grocery store with horrible hours and pay, would she have turned out the same if she'd been raised surrounded by wealth. Even though she knows Chloe used her once for a video for views and money, Julie still wishes they could be friends - even in the midst of her anger at her. So when Chloe calls her randomly, mumbling and apologizing, Julie takes a few days off and jumps on a plane to see if she's okay. When she arrives though, she finds Chloe already gone - and when the police arrive and assume she's Chloe and the body is Julie (not Chloe), Julie decides to go with it. As twins, can she doe it? Can she live Chloe's influencer life?

This one was so fun. It was a fast read, quick and easy to roll with Julie as she finds Chloe and then is rushed into this confusing life of influencers, brands, videos & photos - noting everything, trying to keep it authentic while also lying, hiding and trying to keep this life. As the world slowly starts to tip, you can feel the moment things are going to change. I loved the shocking story as the twists and turns started! I even guessed some of the parts but I never guessed where the story was going. A dark, wild ride - I love when mysteries completely surprise me and this one did!

A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

I received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. I LOVED this book! Such a fun concept with storylines drawing you in from left and right. The relatability of this new age of influencers and the lengths they're willing to go for content makes this all the better.

thank you to netgalley for the e-arc. while this book was focused on exploring the life of an influencer, this was done really well and not at all cheesy. i liked the depiction of julie/chloe and how she had to be careful to separate the two personalities until she no longer could. i thought the drama was a little over the top but understood why, and the addition of the cult-like group added to the suspense.

Julie Chan and Chloe VanHuusen are twin sisters who were separated at a young age by the death of their parents and were raised by different people in very different circumstances. While Chloe was adopted and brought up by white, affluent parents, Julie was left in the care of her cold and resentful aunt, barely making ends meet. When Julie reconnects with her twin sister, she finds her dead in Chloe's apartment and makes a decision to take the life that she's always wanted. Chloe lives an enviable life of an influencer and Julie quickly learns that alot of the things you see online are mostly smoke and mirrors.
This was one of those stories where you HATE every single one of the characters and you LOVE it! What a ride this story turned out to be! Perfect beach read.

Thank you to Netgalley and Atria Books for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I loved this book and read it in one sitting. I loved all the characters and the storyline. I loved following along with the characters and their growth. I would definitely recommend this book.

As a chronically online girlie who spends way too much time on YouTube, TikTok, and Tumblr, this book is hilarious.

More of a dark comedy/thriller about a twin who takes the identity of her estranged influencer socialite sister after discovering her corpse. In her new role as Chloe Van Huusen, Julie starts to learn about her sister's life and learns that not everything is as picture perfect as it seems.

To me this feels like Yellowface meets Bunny. Conversations about how identity and race are presented in social media spaces and fame, and critiques about the two-faced clique-y nature of social media personalities. It was laugh out funny at times (the amount of references I understood was kind of concerning but they made me laugh) and the mystery element, albeit a little predictable, was engaging enough to keep me going through the whole story.

3.75/5 stars - Welcome to the world of social media influencers, readers, a world for which you are just not ready!

Julie Chan is a twin, separated at 4 years old when her parents die in a car accident. At first it appears Julie got the worst deal, living with her mean, selfish aunt and cousin while her twin Chloe was adopted by a wealthy white family and is a social media beauty and fashion influencer with a growing following and connections with iconic influencers.

Out of the blue, Julie gets a mysterious, nonsensical phone call from Chloe, but when Julie shows up to check on her sister, she finds her lifeless body. In minutes, Julie makes a decision that changes everything. She becomes Chloe. From that moment, Liann Zhang leads readers through an increasingly bizarre series of events, including brazen blackmailing, an exclusive weekend on a private island where a group of influencers more resemble a coven of witches with a brainwashed staff, and the question of whether Chloe’s murder will be the only crime committed.

Zhang’s debut is a good one and a poignant commentary on the lengths influencers go to for likes and follows with hashtags galore and sponsorship mentions throughout. I generally like quirky, slightly unhinged stories, but this one had a few issues I struggled to get past early on. I assumed the twins were identical since they appeared interchangeable, but being raised apart surely meant there were significant tells to the closest people in Chloe’s life that Chloe was not Chloe – mannerisms, way of speaking, reactions, sayings, artistic differences in posts and videos, and history. It is a far stretch that a personal assistant, stylists, a million viewers, colleagues, and mentors wouldn’t raise more flags to Julie’s behavior as Chloe. (“Remind me what my parents’ address is” is just one awkward example.) This early disconnect made believing in the arc of this story difficult. It also made relating to or empathizing with the characters difficult.

The story was too muddied to have a distinct personality. Is it a commentary of the self-absorbed, pandering influencers? Is it a statement on how interchangeable all influencers are in general? Is it meant to be an absurdist murder mystery while educating readers on those working in social media professionally? I just can’t make the jump to four whole stars but want its rating also to reflect the enjoyment I got out of seeing where this whole trippy journey was going to end up. Julie Chan is Dead did not lack in originality.

Thank you to Atria Books for the e-ARC of this book through NetGalley, which I received for my honest review. This book will be available to the public on April 29, 2025.

#JulieChanisDead #NetGalley #LiannZhang #books #bookreview #bookreviewer #bookstagram #nerdventureswithbooks

If you like family drama, influencer drama and taking over of ones life, then this book is for you. This book is overall a messy ride but oh so much fun. It's like living in a real life soap opera but much more fun. This had a few twists and turns and was a really fast read. I highly enjoyed this and will recommend to other when its published. Thanks NetGalley for the ARC.

What the heck did I just read?! Ha! That was for sure one of the must bizarre rides I have taken on a book...but I didn't hate it? In a twisted turn of events, Julie Chan switches lives with her twin who is a well-known social media influencer while everyone else assumes that she, Julie, is dead. The story builds off of Julies desire for acceptance and approval and explores those themes of the good and evil of social media culture and how easily we can get swept away in it. I don't want to spoil anything, but the second half of the book is dealing with psycho characters, cults, and murder. If you are in to thrillers and love influencer tropes, this one is for you. It. Is. Wild.

Thanks to Netgalley and Atria books for this ARC!

I… am not sure what I just read. What a weird and wild ride. I’m still wrapping my head around it but here’s what I’ve got so far while trying to be as spoiler-free as possible.

The strengths: I enjoy having characters that are sort of just generally unlikable. It makes the dynamics so much more interesting and is a nice change from stories where I’m rooting for everyone. I like a weird cult story and influencer culture is fascinating so this checked a lot of boxes for me. It was also surprisingly funny for an otherwise dark story.

The challenges: The island retreat felt like it was a completely different book by a completely different author which I think was the point but the transition in writing style was jarring. Much of the novel felt unbelievable but again that’s probably the point so I don’t know that that was even a negative. I did feel like the ending was too abrupt and I wanted a clearer resolution.

The weird: the entire island retreat. Just all of it. Didn’t absolutely hate it, was effectively creeped out by it, will have nightmares for sure.

All in all, this was not what I was expecting and I’m still not entirely sure what I thought of it but I’d definitely read this author again because she kept me guessing the whole time. I think I’d recommend it mostly just so I have other people to talk to about it but also if you read it and hate it, you’re probably just more well-adjusted than I am so sorry about that (or maybe congrats?). Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

One sister, Julie is impersonating her deceased sister, Chloe who was a rich influencer. This will lead to some issues for sure. It’s Luann Zhang’s debut novel, and so far this is Really Good….like staying up way too late, good.

Creepy Vibes. Bella Marie and her Belladonna’s are on a Super Exclusive Island Vacation. It’s all About Love and Hugs and Kindness, until of course it isn’t. This is definitely a Wild Story, but I just got so into it. I kept reading until I finished in the middle of the night.

———👇🏼
👩🏼👩🏼👩🏼👩🏻👩🏼👩🏼👩🏼

You are Beautiful, You are Worthy, You are Special, You are Loved 💕 🥰 🤗 unless of course You are Dead ☠️!

Think this will be a Book that’s Talked About. Whether you Love it or are a Hater 😥

I liked the Look at Influencing and Social Media and All the Discussions that can Bring Up. This book did it in a way that was Funny and Also Completely Over the Top. I Loved It 💖

Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for a copy of this. I always leave reviews of books I read.

I’ve been chewing on how to rate & review this book since I finished it two weeks ago. I absolutely loved the first half, but the second half was truly unhinged with some disturbing parts. On one hand, I think it certainly provides some commentary on current social media culture and would make for some interesting book club conversations - but mostly it felt like I was asked to suspend more disbelief than I found possible. This was 3.5 stars for me but I think there are going to be a lot of differing opinions on this one!