Every once in a while, I have a tough time rating a book. There are elements I loved (the first half of the book fell into this category), and elements I despised. I really don’t like where the author took the story in the second half of the book. It wrapped up nicely, I just wish the plot would have developed in a completely different way.

NetGalley Read

This was a weird book. It started strong, and I enjoyed seeing how Julie and Chloe's lives diverged. The themes around social media influencing, authenticity, and priorities were solid. I didn't find it too unbelievable when Julie took over Chloe's life - it did seem like her friends were pretty superficial. But then the second half of the book just got... well, weird. This one fully jumped the shark for me, and I think the second half kind of ruined the first half. I think this is a book that people will find a bit polarizing.

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

Unhinged is the best way to describe it. I didn’t enjoy it that much.

1) the first half felt like a knock off Yellowface (I’m sorry but I loved that book & it was more well done with the stealing identity plot line)
2) this book legit made me want to throw up, congrats for that being the first time it’s ever happened while reading. I skipped multiple pages completely.

Slogged through to finish it thinking there would be some kind of crazy twist but there was not. Idk I think people will love it but 10% of the book was explaining how many followers these characters had across their social medias

Julie Chan is Dead is a completely unhinged off the rails look at the Influencer world. The first half was somewhat entertaining but once I passed about the 65% mark it was just too ludicrous for me and ventured into disturbing. This is one I wish I hadn't finished and had just put it down.
Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

Make thrillers fun and unhinged again!

Julie Chan receives a mysterious phone call from her estranged twin sister (Chloe) that quickly cuts off. After not speaking for years, Julie decides to go do a well fare check on her sister and finds her.... very much dead. What's the next SUPER logical (completely illogical) step? Assume Chloe's influencer personality and step into the spotlight. Questions remain though: What happened to Chloe? Will Chloe's influencer friends recognize the fraud amongst them? Well, you'll have to read to find out!

I had so much fun reading this. It was satirical, dark, and (dare I say) funny. I had no idea what to expect when I dove head first into this novel and was pleasantly surprised. There were even moments that I caught myself saying "What in the Blink Twice is this s---?!" I LOVED IT.

Liann Zhang, where do I even begin? This debut novel was *chef's kiss* and I'm ecstatic to have been chosen to read this ahead of its publication.

If you want to step out of the normal thrillers, I highly recommend picking this up. You will not be disappointed.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for providing me with a digital reviewer copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.

Julie Chan Is Dead, the debut novel by Liann Zhang is a darkly satirical thriller about identity, fame, and the cost of reinvention. Julie, a disillusioned supermarket cashier, discovers her estranged twin sister, Chloe VanHuusen—a glamorous and successful influencer—is dead. Julie seizes the opportunity to reinvent herself by assuming Chloe’s identity. As she steps into a world of curated perfection, luxury, and hidden threats, Julie realizes that behind the influencer persona lies a web of manipulation, secrets, and danger. Her transformation comes at a price, and someone may be watching—waiting for her to slip.

The writing is fast-paced, and the twists and turns are interesting to say the least. As writers of social commentary do, Zhang explores the dark sides of her main topic, the world of influencers. As “Chloe,” Julie gets first-hand experience and learns just how quickly someone can get sucked into the rabbit hole of content, comments, and likes and equally how quickly those endorphins help you forget about the truths in your own world. As the book progresses, the thriller becomes even darker. Zhang juxtaposes the darkness with humor, the unhinged with new possibilities, and the acceptance with loss.

This book may not be for everyone, but it gripped me. I enjoyed its commentary, its quirkiness, and even a perceived inside look at influencers. Parts made me laugh out loud, and others made me glad I wasn’t eating while I was reading. Good books make you think, and this one did that. I do look forward to future works by Zheng, but I do hope the next one skips the gory parts.

Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for providing this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

Liann Zhang’s debut novel, Julie Chan is Dead is an interesting look at society. Specifically she highlights “social media influencers”, their shallow existence of fishing for likes, followers, monetized websites and sponsorships, along with the tightrope they walk with their ardent followers.

Julie Chan is, in fact, not dead, but she is willing to ditch her meager existence and take over her successful influencer twin’s life after she finds her body on the floor of her apartment. This discovery is the first oddity of this book. Julie and her twin Chloe have been adopted by different families and have virtually no contact, so why does Julie go searching for Chloe? From the time Julie finds Chloe to the end of the book, Ms. Zhang’s story is horrifically bizarre. She paints the picture of an influencer cult whose participants seem like the programmed clones from The Stepford Wives.

I was intrigued by the story premise even though I am not sure that I can say I liked the story. I could not relate to any of Julie’s decisions or actions. I enjoyed the dark humor, but the influencer group was unhinged and their annual trip read more like a horror story than I anticipated. Another reviewer described (in a good way) the book as absurd, unbelievable and unhinged, but I think I’d describe it as being like a kitschy 1970s horror film.

Wow. This book was a wild ride.

Julie Chan, unsatisfied grocery cashier, assumes the identify of her estranged socialite twin when she finds her dead in her New York apt. Great premise! I highly enjoyed the first half of this book, but felt the second half took a weird turn for me. I would say this book is definitely written more for the twentysomething age group, so I was not the target audience.

It was a fun, fast read. If you are a fan of the influencer scene and want a dark view of what it takes in Julie's world to make it big, I would definitely recommend checking this one out.

Thank you Atria Books for providing this book for an honest review via NetGalley. All opinions expressed are my own.

Publication Date: 29 April 2025

I was very excited for this thriller, and it did not disappoint! I love books that show the dark side of influencer culture, and this definitely does that. It takes an almost satirical turn to show how influencers will do anything hang onto fame and money. I also liked the mystery aspect of this book, and trying to figure out what happened to Chloe kept me guessing until the end was revealed. I also loved Julie, and even when she was doing some totally sketchy things, I was still rooting for her. The plot twist in this book will be divisive; people will either love it or hate it. I personally really liked it, and thought this was a very fun read.

When Julie and Chloe's parents die in a car accident, the young twins are split up. They never see each other, except when Chloe gifts Julie with a house and posts it on her social media. And she never hears from her again, until she receives a call from Chloe, saying she's sorry and that it was a "mistake" over and over. Julie has no relationship with Chloe, but goes to her aid...and finds her dead. Then casually assumes her life when people keep mistaking her for Chloe.

This story is a thriller, but also has humorous moments. Julie is very clearly not Chloe, and she's immediately thrust into fame, wealth, and the downsides that can come with that. She doesn't know who anyone is and spends hours researching people that she, as Chloe, should already know and be well acquainted with. Then the influencer trip arrives, and while she's excited, she can't help but feel nervous being on an island for a week with no communication with the outside world.

The big reason I enjoyed this story was that it was addictive. I literally could not put my Kindle down. Julie's character also undergoes a lot of growth: she starts out sad and resentful of Chloe. But once she takes over Chloe's life, she realizes things aren't exactly as they seemed. She's worried someone will know she's not Chloe, but then she realizes people aren't really her friends anyway, so it doesn't truly matter.

The last 30% of this book was absolutely insane. The action and creepiness just kept ramping up, and my jaw was on the floor several times. The author did a nice job of bringing the reader into the story, where you're like... "am I bought into this or is this nuts?" and we see Julie feeling the same way.

Overall, I loved this book. I thought it looked good, and it far exceeded my expectations. I would recommend this wholeheartedly.

Julie Chan was separated from her twin at a young age. Julie got sent to an aunt who was poor and mistreated her. Her sister Chloe was adopted by a wealthy family. Their lives could not have been more different. Then Chloe is found dead and Julie takes the chance to be Chloe to get the life she has missed out on.
Julie quickly learns to adapt in this new life but sees the cracks in the facade Chloe had built. Then Chloe/Julie is invited on a week long Island retreat for influencers and this is where the book takes some crazy turns. The twists were weird, dark and unexpected. I definitely was not ready for it!
If you love surprising twists then this book is for you.
Thank you @atria for the copy!

OMFG, Julie Chan! Julie Chan Is Dead is an outrageously absurd, disturbing, satirical, twisted cautionary tale of the dark side of social media and influencer culture. Julie and Chloe are twins who were raised separately after their parents died in a tragic accident. Julie Chan is a supermarket cashier living a pretty normal mundane life. Chloe VanHuusen her estranged twin seemingly has it all. Chloe was adopted by a rich family, has social media fame, adoring fans, friends, money, beauty and lives a charmed life. When Julie finds Chloe dead she seizes the opportunity to step in and take over Julie's glamorous life. This story was unhinged. I loved being in Julie's head. She was so chaotic and unpredictable. The author does a great job shinning a spotlight on race, class, privilege, identity, ambition and the lengths a person will go to for social media fame. It very much gave cult. This was a thrilling ride. I gasped and laughed out loud at these characters antics.

"I know I'm fucked up but these people are a whole new level of fucked!" but are they though Julie because you became one of them real quick and I still cannot say you actually learned anything in the end.

This is definitely my type of dark humor. Unpredictable at every turn. If you love a dark, twisted story that'll keep you on the edge of your seat then this is the one. It definitely gave Yellowface x R.F. Kuang as blurbed and I'll add Natural Beauty x Ling Ling Huang vibes. Definitely recommend!

Thank you to Atria, Atria Marketing Team and Netgalley for the eARC!

The ARC of Julie Chan Is Dead by Liann Zhang got me thinking about what I would do if my life turned upside down and I took over the life of my dead, influencer twin. Tbhhhh I don’t think I’d be a good enough actress to pull it off 😬

But Julie Chan is. 👯‍♀️ Julie and her identical twin Chloe were separated young after the tragic death of their parents and their lives took on entirely different trajectories. Chloe had been adopted by the affluent VanHuusens while Julie had been taken in by their aunt. While Julie works as a supermarket cashier, Chloe lives a luxurious life as an influencer. When Julie does a wellness check on her twin only to find her dead, she ends up taking the opportunity to switch lives with her sister and get a taste of the lifestyle she’s always wanted.

This book is definitely one for the Yellowface and Bunny fans. 🤳🏽🐇 I know that sounds like an INSAANE combo but that’s exactly what this story is. I breezed through this ARC so quick because every chapter had me hooked. I wanted to keep watching the train wreck that had become Julie’s life and all her lies and couldn’t look away even when things began to spiral. And it definitely SPIRALLED. Even the “regular” lives of the influencers felt like a fever dream in this book and I ATE IT UPPPP!!

An amazing debut book by Liann Zhang and so so excited for its publication in a week’s time. 🫶🏼 thank you @netgalley @atriabooks and @theliannz for this e-ARC.

Wow what a fantastic debut! I was so intrigued by the summary and description of this thriller that described it as a razor-sharp, diabolical thriller and that is 100% accurate! I love reading books where the main character or characters are unhinged and this did not disappoint. The plot was all over the place and out of control but in a good way. There were twists and turns I didn’t see coming and I felt so engaged in this story that I had to keep reading well into the night. I love how this was a different type of thriller than what I’m used to reading as it reveals the darker side of social media and the influencer life. I highly recommend reading this one and I will for sure be on the lookout for more books by this author in the future. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with this ARC in exchange for my honest review and feedback.

This book was such a twisty mash up of things I love! I'm always down for commentary on the social media life of our current culture and "seeing behind the curtain" of influencers so that part alone was great but then it really turned a different direction - almost into a horror novel there for a few pages - and ended with a bang. I will definitely be recommending this book and reading more from this author!

This thriller was addicting and funny at the same time. The plot was unique and engaging!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this arc in exchange for an honest review!

A dark yet humorous commentary on the world of social media and influencers. I love a story that involves cults as they always fascinate me while of course simultaneously spook me out. This story is definitely a quick and twisty mystery and could be the perfect one to add to your summer reading list.

The book is centered around Julie who takes over her glamorous twin sister's life as influencer after finding her dead. As Julie adopts her life, her friends, and her following, she soon finds herself questioning the life her sister was really and how much she really knew about her. And when she is invited on an influencer trip that spirals out of control, she begins to piece her sister's past together.

I will say, this whole story was a bit unhinged & of course not realistic, but still entertaining nonetheless. There were a few things that happened at the end that I was really not loving and found myself saying, "Okay really?" but this could definitely be a quick read to binge by the pool or beach this summer.

3-3.5 stars for me!

Thank you to Atria Books for the chance to read and review this ARC

I had heard this book described as "Yellowface but set in the social media world instead of publishing," which was a significant reason I decided to pick it up. I loved that book, and I agree that this one shares a similar vibe, given its comparable plotline. Julie Chan discovers her estranged twin sister dead in her apartment and decides to assume her identity and take over her life.

The story then follows Julie as she navigates the world of an "influencer." Despite some missteps, she seems to adapt quite easily. However, the first half of the book and the latter half felt like two completely different novels. Once Chloe/Julie goes on a trip with her fellow influencer family, the Belladonnas, the tone of the novel shifts dramatically. This change is where I started to feel a bit bored, and the pacing lagged for me.

Overall, while this book was interesting and a quick read, it was just okay for me.

“We’ve all sacrificed. But some people sacrifice less and get more. And other people work themselves to the bone and get scraps. That’s the nature of life and social media is not an exception.” 📱🏝️

a special thank you to Net Galley, Simon & Schuster CA and Atria Thrillers for allowing me access to an Advanced Reader’s Copy of Julie Chen is Dead by Liann Zhang!! it’s an absolute privilege to receive an ARC & i’m so honored to be able to share a honest review in exchange.

📸 publication date: april 29th, 2025
review: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ (04/27/25)
an insane, horrifying, cult(y) thriller. if you support women’s (rights and) wrongs, this is for you!!!

as someone who enjoyed “the menu”, this felt so alluring!! i can’t get this book off my mind. julie is such a dynamic character (& a gaslighter) but iz is my favorite. i also loved looking into the true reality of influencers & their mindset, which can be so so tempting that anyone might want to pull a ‘julie’.

i could also tell how informed the author was writing this, like i could see the nature vs nurture on twins so clearly!

the book’s context are internet heavy which makes me it easy for me to follow but i can see it feeling cringe for others! i’d say the same thing with the pop culture references too!

📚 E-ARC BOOK REVIEW 📚

Julie Chan Is Dead By Liann Zhang
Publication Date: April 29, 2025
Publisher: Atria Books

📚MY RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
(3.75⭐ Rounded Up)

Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for this #gifted e-ARC in exchange for my honest review!

📚MY REVIEW:

Happy Pub Week to Liann Zhang and Julie Chan Is Dead! This off-the-rails thriller is an absolutely wild ride of twists and turns that will have your jaw on the floor. If you enjoy unexpected plot twists and unhinged storylines, don't miss this one -- and buckle up!

When I say this book was crazy, I mean it was bat-sh*t crazy. There were some jaw-dropping moments in this read that had me shook! And even though I finished this book a few weeks ago, I'm STILL thinking about some of those jaw-dropping moments.

Julie Chan, a supermarket cashier with nothing to lose, decides to take over the glamorous influencer world of her twin sister, Chloe, after she discovers Chloe’s lifeless body under mysterious circumstances. Julie and Chloe were identical twins separated as kids and grew up with polar opposite lives. So Julie seizes the chance to live the life she’s always envied. At first, the transformation into Chloe is fairly easy. However, Julie soon realizes that Chloe’s seemingly picture-perfect life was anything but...and things start spiraling out of control.

Out of control is definitely a perfect way to describe the plotline in this one! It took a twisted and dark turn I didn't expect and there were some storylines that I had trouble stomaching. However, this was an unhinged thriller that definitely had me reading quickly to find out what would happen next. Influencer thrillers seem to be popular right now, and Julie Chan definitely reveals the darker side of influencer life.

If you're a fan of unexpected and unhinged, enjoy twists you just won't see coming, and like CRAZY storylines, this one is for you! Available Now!

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