Thank you to Luann Zhang, Atria Books and Simon audio for the ALC/ARC!

Julie Chan opens with a bang - Julia’s long lost twin, Chloe, a popular influencer, appears where she works in what she thinks is an attempt to reconnect but is really a publicity stunt. Not long after, Chloe winds up dead…but nobody except Julie knows that. They look identical, and Chloe has a seemingly perfect life…so why not trade places? Julie soon realizes that Chloe’s life is darker than it seems…which begs to ask the question, how do some influencers become as popular as they are? At what cost?

This story was dark and unhinged - and I loved every bit of it! Julie taking over Chloe’s life so easily, the circle of influencers being so perfect, a secluded influencer retreat (ie - locked room) and horror coming when I least expected it - all were so much fun. Although it was a slow burn to start, that pacing was perfect to lay the groundwork for what was to come. And once it picked up, it was nonstop craziness! Definitely the most unique book I have read so far this year.

”Julie Chan is Dead” releases April 29, 2025. This review will be shared to my instagram blog (@books_by_the_bottle) shortly :)

This book was ok. When it started, I was into it but about half way through I feel like it turned into the story Bunny by Mona Awad… very similar. The writing was average to me, I’m sure this will be a summer read.

Thank you Atria books for a copy of this ARC.

What would you do for fame and fortune? How far are you willing to go?

Julie Chan goes as far as stealing her dead twin's identity, effortlessly stepping into influencer Chloe Van Huusen's extravagent designer shoes shortly after discovering her dead body. Everything seems to be going well at first, aside from being blackmailed by her opportunistic aunt and feeling like the token Asian friend in her circle of white women. As Julie navigates a life of luxury, quickly adapting to her sister's routine of attending soul cycle classes, posting #vulnerable selfies, and accepting sponsorships left and right, she feels renewed and comforted by the outpouring of love she receives from her Chloe Crew aka her loyal fans. She becomes addicted to watching the number of likes and follows increase with each post and justifies her crime of identity theft by telling herself that it would have been a waste to let Chloe's platform and lifestyle die with her.

It isn't until Julie is invited to an event by Bella Marie, the leader of the Belladonnas and the woman responsible for Chloe and the other members' skyrocketing social media growth, that things start to get weird. With a mysterious annual trip looming ahead, which Julie can't find any information about, she begins to wonder what really happens on these "disconnect to reconnect" retreats and why they aren't allowed to post anything about them.

Now, the second half of this book is where things go from being a satirical drama about the vapid influencer lifestyle to something entirely more sinister. Without saying too much, what Julie thought was a nice getaway to take a break from social media (of which she has become addicted to) morphs into a disturbing fever dream that gets stranger as the week progresses. As Julie grapples with subtle brainwashing and indoctrination into the Belladonna family, she begins to uncover more of her sister's secrets and the events that led to her suspicious death. It is on this island that she slowly uncovers what sacrifices have been made for the lifestyles her and the Belladonnas live, and how Bella Marie is responsible for everyone's explosive social media growths.

This story is more than just a thriller about a woman down on her luck who steals her more fortunate twin's life. It is a humorous and ridiculous drama, a social commentary, and an utterly baffling thriller that genuinely left me feeling so unsettled and disgusted at times. This book made me want to crawl out of my skin, but I still couldn't put it down. If you're looking for a thriller that is just completely out of pocket and couldn't be more applicable to the modern social climate, this book will provide all that and more.

This stunning debut by Liann Zhang has captivated me, ensuring that I will keep an eye out for her future publications.

Julie Chan Is Dead has a really intriguing premise - what if you could step into someone else’s life? Would you do it? Unfortunately the execution didn’t work for me and I decided to dnf. Thank you to the publisher for the free ebook to review.

Let’s just start with the obvious: Julie Chan is dead. But don’t worry—she doesn’t let that stop her from being the center of attention. In fact, death may have only amplified her influence. This book is like if Pretty Little Liars got therapy, went to an elite private school, and picked up a sharper vocabulary along the way.

Told with biting wit and a narrative voice that feels like your best friend spilling tea at 2am, Julie Chan Is Dead pulls you into a web of high-stakes secrets, competitive friendships, and the kind of plot twists that make you wonder if your Kindle needs a seatbelt. The characters are delightfully complicated—half the time I wanted to hug them, the other half I wanted to shake them. Which, to be fair, is exactly how I felt about my friends in high school.

The pacing is razor-sharp, the dialogue has a real pulse, and the mystery? Let’s just say I went in thinking I was the smart one, and left humbled. The author knows exactly when to play it cool and when to twist the knife—and she twists with flair.

Why not five stars? There’s one reveal that felt a little too TV-drama-convenient, like the literary equivalent of "I was evil all along!" But even that was forgivable because it was delivered with such self-aware panache.

In the end, Julie Chan Is Dead is a book that knows exactly what it’s doing: it’s clever without being smug, dramatic without being ridiculous, and emotional without drowning you in sap. If you like your mysteries with a side of social commentary, and your characters morally gray with great outfits, go ahead and RSVP to Julie’s posthumous party.

She might be gone, but this book? It slays.

I definitely see the comp to Yellowface; a little less fun, not as well-written, and off the rails in a different unexpected way. Still very good; I ate it right up!

I absolutely could not put down Julie Chan Is Dead. Liann Zhang’s debut is a blistering, funny, relevant, whirlwind of a novel. When Julie Chan happens upon the body of her estranged influencer twin, the authorities mistake them for each other — surely the beloved Chloe VanHuuesen wouldn’t be dead from an apparent overdose, it must be her deadbeat sister Julie.

Julie initially fails to correct the misunderstanding out of shock, but then grows more and more attached to the idea of assuming Chloe’s life. She could make up for the time she lost working in a supermarket to earn enough to escape her Aunt’s abuse, not to mention actually do some good in the world with Chloe’s platform.

Make no mistake, Julie is not an entirely sympathetic protagonist. She’s bitter, and quickly becomes addicted to the influencer fame she found so distasteful when her sister was living it. But she’s also so real, and honest, and you root for her to find her footing and gain the life and family she never had.

The first half of the novel is a really interesting exploration of Julie’s assimilation into Chloe’s life, and sets up a fantastic mystery around the truth of Chloe’s life and death. Then, around the halfway point, Julie departs for an unplugged retreat with Chloe’s influencer friends and things go completely off the rails. Admittedly, I did miss the slow burn investigation that the first half teed up, but I wasn’t upset at the full-blown cultish insanity that occupied the second half.

[Minor Spoilers] My only complaint is that the magnitude of the escalation in the back half of the novel means that some of the finer details of Chloe’s life never get revealed to us. Once readers learn the truth about Chloe’s death, I wish we had a way to learn how she’d felt leading up it — perhaps through the journalist resurfacing or a discovery of the rest of her journals. How did her adoptive parents truly treat her and how did that lead to her seeking internet community? What was the full conversation she had with Fiona about the retreat and how did she plan to step back from Bella Marie’s grasp? I understand that the whole conceit of the novel is that we’ll only ever see Chloe through Julie’s eyes, but I would kill to learn more about the real Chloe.

All the same, Julie Chan Is Dead is a tremendously satisfying and entertaining novel from beginning to end, and one I wish I could read for the first time again. 5*.

Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for providing this e-arc.

What would you do to escape the monotony of life? What would you do to have people love and adore you?
What would you do to live the “perfect” life of an influencer?
The answer, for Julie Chan, is pretty simple - she’d do anything.

Julie and Chloe are twins who were separated, at the age of four, after their parents died in a car crash. Julie was taken in by an aunt while Chloe was adopted by affluent white parents who were trying to recover from some bad press regarding racist remarks they’d made.

Despite being separated, they had a couple of interactions but it wasn’t for a sisterly reunion. It was for views and likes that would make Chloe’s “influencer” label soar even higher. Feeling rejected, Julie continues with her life as usual, feeling trapped by life with her aunt.

But then, Julie gets a call from Chloe. All she can make out is some gurgling and what sounded like “I’m sorry.” Calling Chloe back repeatedly without an answer and seeing no new social media posts, Julie gets concerned and travels to find Chloe. And what she finds will forever change her life.

This was a four star read for me meaning I was super engrossed, didn’t want to stop reading, but also didn’t want the book to end!

This book has already released so I highly recommend getting a copy and clearing your calendar!

Thank you NetGalley, Liann Zhang, and Atria books for the opportunity to enjoy this darkly creepy tale of the downside of social media in exchange for a review.

What an unexpected fantastic read! It started out almost like a fun little reality TV show about the lives of social media influencers. With your typical egotistical, fake, too nice characters. I was enjoying the read, even though it isn't my typical genre choice. However, suddenly it took a quick turn into a weird cult-like vibe, which I was not expecting at all! Then progressively got worse, in the best way. It became a weird, horrifying, cult story that reminded me of the movie Midsommar (I love that movie). I got even more into it, the level of excitement intensified and I could not stop reading. Then it took an ever darker turn! Everything started unraveling and surprising me further. Holy crap! It was so good, I read it in one sitting. I loved almost everything about it, I only wish I got a little more from the ending. I need to know what happens to Julie! An enthralling read though, highly, highly recommend!!!

Thank you to Atria Books publishing for providing me an ARC via Netgalley in exchange for my review.

3.5 stars

Well that was something…

This book started out great, very Yellowface-esque, but the last 40% kinda went off the deep end. Very very off the deep end.

I mean it was entertaining but I couldn’t get past the tone shift, it felt like I was reading two entirely different books. Also these was some animal cruelty involved so check trigger warnings

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this arc in exchange for my honest review

Julie Chan is Dead is such a fun, compulsive read with themes around race and class in the online influencer space. Julie Chan has nothing. She's a struggling young woman, frequently stealing from her retail job (and getting caught) because there's just not enough money to get by.

Julie has a twin whom she was separated from at four years old. Chloe has become a wealthy and famous influencer with many followers. When Julie misses a call from Chloe, who is she practically estranged from, Julie decides to look into it.

What follows is a whirlwind of bizarre and out there events. The pages will keep you turning. If you liked Bunny or Yellowface, this one is for you. It gave me big Bunny vibes but with more concrete plot points and resolution. I loved this and I think it will appeal to many readers that want a wild ride with a bit to say.

After their parents die in a tragic accident, twins Chloe and Julie are separated and raised in two different worlds. Wealthy people adopt Chloe, who becomes a famous social media influencer. Julie is stuck with a conniving aunt and works at the local supermarket. Everything changes the night Julie receives a mysterious call from Chloe and is transported into her life.

A fun debut novel full of suspense and social media algorithms. A wild ride through the world of influences and the behind-the-scenes work that makes it happen, all the while exposing the addiction of the spotlight and the yearning for likes. I say all of this while posting a review for likes, irony! The story goes off on wild tangents, but it's a good bit of fun.

Advanced reader copy provided by Netgalley and Atria Books. All opinions are my own.

Julie Chan is Dead is a look into the world of social media. A woman discovers that her estranged twin, a major influencer, has died and steps into her place, fooling everyone. The book details the PR packages and free trips and parties but also the dark side of the pressure to post, the fakeness of all of it. It was such a good, deep dive into the social media world, loaded with pop culture references. And all with an even darker twist. This book had me laughing out loud, gasping when it took a major turn that I did not see coming and also made me really think about my time on social media. I was sucked in until the very last page.

Julie Chan Is Dead… and I Saw It Coming

Julie might be dead, but so is the element of surprise in this twist-light thriller. While the premise hooks you early, the plot unfolds like a paint-by-numbers mystery—each clue landing exactly where you expect it. The writing is solid, and the characters have some spark, but seasoned readers of the genre will likely be two steps ahead of every "reveal." Still, it's a breezy read with just enough bite to keep you turning pages… even if you can see the ending from chapter five.

Recommended if you're in the mood for crime-lite and don't mind a plot that plays it safe.

Thank you @atriabooks for my complimentary copy. All opinions expressed are my own.

I wavered between giving this book 4 or 5 stars! While it definitely kept me fully engaged, some parts were not my cup of tea! Read on!

After the sudden and suspicious death of her estranged influencer twin, Chloe, Julie slips seamlessly into her sister’s carefully curated life. But beneath the filters and brand deals lies something far darker than Julie (or I) could ever imagine!

I was intrigued by this premise from the very beginning: twins separated at a young age, raised in starkly different worlds, until fate intervenes in a strange way. Julie’s impulsive decision to take over Chloe’s identity may seem far-fetched at first, but her desperation and vulnerability are deeply human—and that’s what makes her such a compelling character. She's insecure, flawed, and utterly real, making her the perfect conduit for navigating this unsettling world.

The novel excels in its behind-the-scenes portrayal of influencer culture—glamorous on the surface, but vicious and hollow underneath. The Belladonnas, Chloe’s inner circle of elite influencers, are as fascinating as they are terrifying, and the secluded island retreat setting adds a delicious sense of claustrophobia to the story’s second half.

That said, a few elements didn’t sit well with me. Certain references to God and Christianity felt off-putting and even lcrude, and a disturbing scene involving mice was especially hard to stomach. The cult-like rituals of the Belladonnas added a chilling twist, though they may be too unsettling for some readers.

While this book delivers a unique and unsettling commentary on the lengths people will go for fame, it won’t be for everyone. Still, if you’re drawn to stories that blend identity, deception, and the dark side of internet fame, this one is worth picking up. Just be prepared to squirm.

Julie Chan Is Dead by Liann Zhang is such a wonderful debut!! A mix of mystery and dark humor.
This whitty fun read will not disappoint.
The mystery and twists had me absolutely gasping for more.

Julie Chan Is Dead by Liann Zhang is a razor-sharp debut thriller that dives headfirst into the intoxicating and treacherous world of influencer culture, delivering a darkly funny and unsettling satire. The story follows Julie Chan, a struggling supermarket cashier who seizes the chance to escape her dreary life by assuming the glamorous identity of her deceased twin sister, Chloe, a mega-popular influencer. Zhang’s witty prose and keen insight, drawn from her own experience as a former content creator, expose the absurdities and dangers of chasing digital fame, with the first half of the book gripping readers through Julie’s navigation of privilege and deception. While the second half takes a wild, grotesque turn that may feel jarring or overly bizarre for some, the novel remains a compulsive page-turner, blending social commentary on identity, envy, and online facades with a thrilling, if unhinged, mystery that lingers long after the final page.

This novel felt like a fever dream. I really enjoyed the first half of the book and then things got really weird and culty. An excellent and entertaining novel for sure, but it got graphic and unhinged, and then it was all downhill from there. Overall this was a wild ride!


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

📱 Book Review 📱

Thank you to Netgalley and Atria Books for an arc in exchange for my honest opinion.

Publication: April 29, 2025

Rating: I liked it!

For a debut, I found myself staying up late to finish just one more chapter! I loved that the chapters were short because I felt like I was flying through the book.

The first half was your predictable identity theft/ revenge from Julie. I definitely ate this up! The second half was a little more unhinged and I couldn’t settle in.

Overall, I liked it but wished we picked one avenue for the thrilling aspect. Was it a thriller or mystery?

For fans of:
📱 First person POV
💄 Linear timeline
📱 Debut
💄 Popcorn chapters
📱 Separated twins
💄 Hot mess FMC (Julie)
📱 Social media mogul FMC (Chloe)
💄 Dark side of influencers
📱 Remote island
💄 “Stepford Wives” vibes

🛑 Trigger Warnings 🛑
⚠️ Drug overdose
⚠️ Death of family member

✨ What to read next? ✨
🌟 The Last Housewife by Ashley Winstead
🌟 The Breakdown by BA Paris

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for an advanced reader copy of Julie Chan is Dead in exchange for my honest review.

This story of a twin assuming her dead sister's identity had so much promise but was only trending 3 stars for me for much of the book.

But then chapter 50 hit with animal cruelty which is a BIG FAT NO for me. This added absolutely nothing to the story and could have been substituted with something equally crazy that did not involve animals.

Hence the 2 star rating.