Book to Screen? Let’s Talk Julie Chan Is Dead.

Julie Chan Is Dead by Liann Zhang
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

A supermarket cashier steps into her dead twin’s influencer life. And let’s just say, the ring light casts long shadows. This razor-sharp thriller is packed with dark comedy, eerie glamour, and social commentary that bites. If it were a limited series, think Swarm meets Gone Girl with a White Lotus-style influencer retreat from hell.

Julie’s story dives into the slippery identity of online fame, the ugly side of “aspirational” aesthetics, and what it really costs to go viral. There’s sibling jealousy, dead girls with secrets, and followers who turn on a dime. Honestly, I’d binge it.

📸 Influencer culture? Check.
💰 Rich people behaving badly? Check.
🖤 Dark humor, culty vibes, and a killer twist? Check, check, check.

Would love to see this twisted debut on screen. Bonus points if they keep the open-ended finale just to keep us guessing.

Would you watch Julie’s story unfold or swipe left?

3.75 stars.

This book is kind of bonkers, but I thought it was fun if you're looking for an unhinged influencer world summer read with a bit of social commentary.

The story is that the eponymous character and her twin, Chloe are separated after their their parents die in a car crash. Julie goes to live with an abusive aunt and her sister is adopted by an affluent white couple. The twins don't interact a lot after that, but Chloe becomes a well-known influencer and after various circumstances, Julie goes to Chloe's apartment in New York, finds her dead and decides to take her place. From there she takes on her twin's life. There are some mysteries and a group of influencer mean girls who are all kinds of messed up. Can't say much else without getting into spoiler mode but there were certainly a lot of surprises and it felt like a great dishy kind of summer thriller.

A lot of suspending disbelief has to happen for this book to work, but it was fun and twisty and I devoured it. If it sounds good, get into it.

Thank you to Atria Books for an advance review copy for unbiased review.

Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for this ARC of Julie Chan is Dead. Julie Chan is just trying to survive life when she learns she has a twin, Chloe VanHuusen. Chloe is a super famous influencer who once used Julie for clout. But when Julie finds Chloe’s dead body in her lavish apartment after a strange call, she quickly takes her identity. What starts as a rash decision spirals into a full descent into the elite world of curated perfection, viral fame, and the ultra exclusive Belladonnas. Sticking with the Belladonnas as if they are her life support, she starts to uncover the dark truths. This book is a murder mystery with sharp critique of influencer culture and the shallow love of followers. It explores how easy it is to get addicted to validation, to lose yourself in a filtered life that isn’t really yours. I was screaming at some of the plot twists and unhinged moments. I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

Julie Chan and her sister Chloe were separated when their parents died. Chloe was adopted by a well-to-do family and Julie was left with her angry aunt. Julie flounders in life while Chloe flourishes and becomes a big social influencer. Julie gets a strange call from her sister, who she hasn't talked to or seen in a long time, and it bothers her enough to go to see her in New York. When she arrives, she finds Chloe dead in her apartment. Her mind moving a mile a minute, she steps into Chloe's place and becomes her, acting as if Julie is dead. She is swept up into the world of influencing. When she goes on a weeklong trip with the Bellas, that is where things went crazy! We are in a world of demon worshipping and sacrifice.

Talk about going off the rails! I was not expecting that at all! It is an interesting look inside social media and influencing. Their world revolves around likes and views. Crazy.

Thanks to Netgalley and Atria for a copy for review.

"Julie Chan is Dead" by Liann Zhang is not what I expected at all. Though I'm definitely older than the target audience, at 45 and sans TikTok I know virtually nothing about internet influencers, I was quickly drawn into this story about one twin assuming the other twin's identity. The story is clever and original and Zhang was able to make a highly unlikely scenario seem like it could really happen. Its between-the-lines social commentary regarding influencer culture creates a plethora of discussion worthy topics for book clubs and yes, BookTok. Though I found the story to be a bit over the top, especially during the second half of the book, which got really weird really fast, I was quite entertained throughout the whole book. "Julie Chan" is not mind-blowing literature by any stretch of the imagination, but it is a creative and easily readable thriller, perfect for a day at the beach.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advanced digital copy of this sure-to-be popular book.

Zhang’s debut novel is a twisty thriller with a wackiness that highlights the absurdities of modern influencer culture. It’s satirical, dark, funny and fast-moving. The main character is unlikeable and the story is unbelievable, but that’s not the point. Zhang is exploring the lengths we go to for love and acceptance and the power of social media. I had both the audio and ebook version and found that I preferred reading; the narrator’s voice didn’t click for me. This one is a completely ridiculous and entertaining ride!

Thank you, Atria Books and NetGalley, for my eARC of Julie Chan Is Dead by Liann Zhang. All opinions expressed are solely my own.

Holy moly, this had me on a roller coaster!

We follow Julie Chan, twin sister of Chloe VanHuusen, who has had a rough life. After getting a cryptic phone call from Chloe, Julie heads to New York to check on her sister, only to find her dead. Julie decides to take over Chloe's life, but what Julie doesn't realize is that behind Chloe's glamorous influencer life hides sinister secrets.

I absolutely loved this one. Zhang did a great job with the mistaken identity trope. There were so many times that made me think "what the..." and then other times I was empathizing with a character or scene. It was written well and though there were some characters that I kept mixing up, they were recognizable and I loved to hate them.

If you're into reading about mistaken identities, cults, or satire, Julie Chan Is Dead is for you.

Thanks, Atria!

**Originally posted on Instagram**

JULIE CHAN IS DEAD is a debut thriller about a woman who steps into her deceased sister's life. It's fast-paced and chock full of secrets. It gives some nods to YELLOWFACE with the main character's personality and taking something that isn't hers.

I always find myself gravitating towards books about influencers. I love how they poke fun at influencer culture while also feeling not too far from reality.

JULIE CHAN IS DEAD is full of unhinged characters and truly SHOCKING moments. I needed a lot of time to process some of the events that took place!!

✌🏼Two for Tuesday✌🏼
*
There are so many beauties coming out this month! I’m doubling down on reviews to squeeze them all in! I loved both of these ones and highly recommend them!
*
Julie Chan is Dead- ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. This was such a fun debut thriller! Totally unique and loved the twin swap, I was rooting for Julie so hard throughout this whole book! Throughly enjoyed the toxic character, it was a great commentary of the lives of influencers outside of the internet. This was SO much fun, can’t recommend it enough. Thank you @netgalley and @atriabooks
*
QOTD- what are you currently reading ?! I’m reading Summer in the City and listening to What Happens in Amsterdam !

Julie Chan lives a very mediocre life as a grocery store clerk. One day she gets a phone call from her estranged sister who is a well-known influencer. The call was unclear, but Julie was able to hear the word “mistake”. Concerned for her sister, Julie travels to NYC to find her sister dead. The paramedics mistake Julie for her sister and the situation spirals. Julie takes on her sister’s identity to find out what happened to her.
I really enjoyed this book! Julie’s character development portrayed the skepticism and addiction people have to social media. She showed how easy it is to get caught up in the likes and instant gratification of the influencer world. I found this book to be relatable because it is so relevant in today’s world.
The book was well-written, but I felt that the pacing was a little off with all the excitement packed at the end of the book. So this thriller was more of a slow burn for me, but the short(er) chapters allowed me to fly through it. Thank you Atria Books and NetGalley for the e-arc!

I found this book to be a very interesting commentary on influencer culture. As an identical twin myself, the concept of stealing your identical twin's identity after her death drew me in right from the start, and the first half of the book did not disappoint. Watching Julie navigate life as Chloe was so interesting - the way she studied her old videos and relied on other people. She was such a sociopath in everything she chose to do, but I found myself fascinated by her - almost like I was a psychologist studying her,

The first half of this book was definitely the strongest. I thought that the beginnings of Julie's influencer life with the events and meeting the Belladonnas was so interesting. The plot kind of instantly lost me when they went off to the island for the annual trip and it turned more cult-y. I know that it was social commentary on how cultish influencers can be, but it felt like it came out of nowhere and it didn't really match the rest of the tone of the book in my opinion.

This thriller is explosive and throws influencer culture under the microscope with a Midsommar flair! There isn't a single book influencer who won't find this enthralling to read. Julie Chan is relatable in the most embarrassing of ways because she reflects the selfish parts of ourselves we cannot deny but hate to own up to.

Julie and Chloe are twins who were separated in the foster system after their parent's death. Julie went to live with her strict (borderline abusive) Aunt while Chloe was adopted by a wealthy white couple in need of a PR miracle. All grown up, Julie agrees to reconnect with Chloe but her sister is a mega influencer now and turns the reunion into a youtube sensation. As Chloe's star rises, Julie's life continues to fall apart. But when she gets a distressing call from her twin, Julie comes running only to find her sister dead.

Julie makes the bizarre choice to take up Chloe's identity, claiming that the dead girl is her instead. Reading as Julie hacks her way into the influencer realm was fascinating! She mimics Chloe's aesthetic and brand deals and starts raking in the cash. The author did not shy away from the nitty gritty mechanics of it all and I loved it! She nails the feeling of instant adoration as Julie leans on the love from Chloe's fans.

But there's darker corners of Chloe's life that begin to emerge and launches the thriller into another stratosphere. Chloe is a part of an elite friend group of influencers and their super secret annual getaway is a lot more than selfies and strategies. You're terrified that Julie's secret will get out, and even more terrified by what she would do to keep it safe. It had the eeriness and delusional behavior of "White Lotus" with the freaky cult mentality of "Midsommar". Aka absolutely fantastic!

I don't remember the last time I was this addicted to a book. I literally didn't want to do anything but read this. This book is such a fun ride, and at no point did I know where it was going. Highly recommend.

Thank you to Atria books for the early copy to review!

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7089882131

Debut energy and influencer chaos incoming…

Julie Chan is stuck in a dead-end job, living a life worlds away from her estranged, glamorous twin sister Chloe VanHuusen—an influencer with millions of followers. When Chloe is found dead under mysterious circumstances, Julie makes a split-second decision to step into her sister’s shoes and take over her curated life. At first, it's surprisingly easy—designer wardrobes, sponsored posts, and influencer trips included. But as she settles into Chloe’s world and joins her elite group of influencer “friends” on a luxury island retreat, it becomes clear that something darker is at play. Secrets unravel, alliances shift, and Julie quickly realizes that the price of perfection might just be her life.

I really enjoyed this debut—it’s sharp, unsettling, and wildly entertaining. That said, the pacing dragged in a few places, and I found myself wishing we could have reached the June timeline reveal a bit faster. The influencer satire was spot-on and full of biting humor; Julie’s inner commentary had me shaking my head at her increasingly chaotic choices (seriously, someone take the detox tea away). The introduction of light sci-fi/fantasy elements left me a bit conflicted—not bad, just unexpected—but I appreciated the genre-bending risk. This book has all the messy energy of Bunny, and while it never reaches full “fever dream,” it leans into the same absurdity-meets-reality lane in a fresh way. The mystery surrounding Chloe kept me hooked, and the deeper commentary on online identity and desperate validation felt all too real. It's a dark, stylish, and thought-provoking read—perfect if you're craving something different that’ll leave you questioning everything behind the filtered screen.


Julie Chan is Dead is out now. Huge thank you to Atria for my advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion. If you liked this review, please let me know either by commenting below or by visiting my Instagram @speakingof.books.
Tiktok @speakingof.books
Website: SPEAKINGOF.ORG

Just published!
3.5

Identical twins Julie and Chloe's parents died when they were 4, and when nobody came forward to take them both, they were split up, with Chloe being adopted by an affluent couple and Julie reluctantly taken by an aunt.
Chloe has become a famous social media influencer, while Julie has worked at odd jobs to scrape by.
When Chloe abruptly dies, Julie decides to take the bull by the horns and become Chloe.
This had some great underlying social commentary, but as a person who is frankly disinterested in the lives of influencers, quite a few parts became skimmable as Julie dives further into Chloe's life and heads right off the rails.
Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for an ARC of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

I really enjoyed the first half of this book. The second half was a little unhinged. In this story we follow Julie Chan who is down on her luck and her recently deceased twin sister, Chloe, who is a popular social media influencer. When Chloe dies, Julie assumes her identify and finds out that Chloe's life isn't as picture perfect as she portrays. Zhang does a great job of capturing the superficiality and dangers of living online. The pacing is intense at times. If you enjoy unreliable narrators, themes of identity, envy, and survival then I would recommend that you pick this up. For me, I knew that I might struggle, because I am not a huge fan of present day technology in books.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the advance readers copy in exchange for an honest review. These thoughts are my own.

Julie Chan has nothing. Meanwhile her estranged twin sister Chloe is a very successful influencer. When she gets a call that freaks her out and shows up at her sisters home, she find Chloe dead. Very quickly Julie makes the decision to become Chloe. Now she is living the life of influence, but stepping into her sister’s shoes may be harder than she expected.

I went into this book blind and it was so much fun! I was not expecting the whole take your sister’s life aspect, but this book was so well done! The second half threw me for a loop and the twists kept me entertained and on my toes the entire time! This is a fast paced story that is so unique and enjoyable! I don’t want to say too much but if you need a slump buster this book fits the bill!

Thank you to @atriabooks for my gifted copy of this book!

Julie, a simple grocery store worker, leads an ordinary life. But her quiet existence is disrupted by a series of events that throw her into a world she never imagined.
As she delves deeper into the mystery of Chloe, she uncovers secrets that threaten her perception of her own life.
So many twists and turns you don’t see coming. Read this so fast, it was hard to put down. Highly recommend.

Julie Chan Is Dead is a wildly inventive and sharply observant debut by Liann Zhang. Blending satire, mystery, and social commentary, this novel dives into influencer culture, identity, and the dark side of internet fame with biting wit and surprising heart.

The plot follows a mysterious death—and the unraveling chaos that ensues—as one woman questions not only what happened to Julie Chan, but who she herself really is in a sea of curated identities and digital masks. It’s clever, twisty, and often laugh-out-loud funny, while also raising deep questions about performative culture and the price of being seen.

Liann Zhang has a distinct, engaging voice, and while some parts felt a bit over-the-top or intentionally surreal, it fit the tone and themes well. The pacing kept me hooked, and the ending left me thinking long after I closed the book.

I instantly liked this debut author’s writing. Her snark, sarcasm and inner voice make Julie Chan a very interesting main character.

This book takes on social media and how fickle it is. You’re only good as your last post. LOL

Julie has a social media influencer twin, Chloe. They did not grow up together or have the same upbringing. Chloe was adopted by a wealthy family while Julie was raised by her aunt. (Who eventually stole from her)

When Julie finds Chloe unalive in her apartment, she impulsively decides to trade her boring life for Chloe’s. But soon Julie will find out that the grass isn’t always greener on the other side.

Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for an advanced readers copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.