Even though I feel that the target audience of this novel is more my daughter's generation - the 20 something Gen Zer w a better understanding of the social world and influencers in general - I was enthralled by this tale. My view of an influencer's job changed and can see it as a highly cut-throat profession that doesn't let you live a minute off the clock if you let it. Yeah the story got a bit silly with the whole Eto the God thing, but, in truth, I was smitten and highly recommend this book!

I enjoyed this book. It kept me on the edge my seat. Hope to read more books by her. I would definitely recommend it to people that want a easy/ comfortable read with a few parts that make you laugh out loud. I would give this 4⭐out of 5.

Really enjoyed this book up until the last third of the book. The island getaway was where I just lost interest in the book. I enjoyed the lighthearted beginning and the suspense of Julie getting caught. The ending just was too heavy for how lighthearted that most of the book was. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy. I had so much fun reading this book. It was a combined thriller and horror along with some funny moments. I think it’s best to go in with as little information as possible. I didn’t know about some aspects of the book and it definitely surprised me. The story follows Julie Chan, a grocery store cashier, as she discovers the body of her estranged influencer twin Chloe VanHuusen. Julie’s decides to switch places with twin, but the life of an influencer is much more complicated than Julie thought. It definitely earned 4.5 stars.

QUICK GLANCE-
My format: Ebook ARC
Other formats:🎧Audio (10 hours) and 📖Physical (320 pages)
Spice: 🌶️🌶️
Language: 🤐 🤐 moderate
Publication date: April 29, 2025

MY THOUGHTS-
What in the world did I just read?! This book had me hooked from the first page, and I couldn’t tear myself away! It offers a captivating behind-the-scenes look at the influencer world, which was utterly fascinating. But then—wow—it spirals into madness, turning dark and intense in ways I couldn’t have anticipated. I’ll be honest, rating this one was a real challenge because it stirred up such conflicting emotions. One thing is certain: I don’t think I’ll ever forget it. If you’re drawn to stories featuring influencers, cults, twins, and murder, this book is absolutely worth picking up.

Yellowface, White Ivy, and Nine Perfect Strangers vibes

Thank you to @netgalley and @atriabooks for the advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review.

3.5 ⭐️
This book hooked me from the very beginning, and I couldn’t put it down (even when it started to get....weird).

Julie and her twin sister, Chloe, were separated as kids after their parents died in a car accident; Chloe was adopted by an affluent family while Julie was taken in by a perfunctory aunt. Chloe goes on to become a successful influencer, and Julie, for lack of a better term, is pretty much a dead beat. One day, Julie receives an unexpected phone call from Chloe, who ends up dead. What does Julie do? She assumes Chloe’s identity, of course. Thus taking us on a darkly satirical journey through Julie’s experience embracing her influencer status and how addicting external validation can be.

This was honestly very similar to “Yellowface” with emphasis on a different social topic. I enjoyed the commentary on influencer culture, and I thought Zhang really nailed it with the subtext of how influencers are viewed today. The storyline kept me interested, and I particularly enjoyed the first half. Once they set off on the retreat, the mystery/thriller genre ends up leaning thriller/horror which I was not expecting. Nonetheless, I found myself in one of those “can’t look away” situations because I still needed to know what happened- even if it did get a *touch* absurd towards the end.

Horror is not my preferred genre which I think ultimately took away from some of my enjoyment- however, if you’re looking for a thought-provoking, captivating thriller, I’d consider picking this one up.

Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for the eARC!

Okay, this one got real weird. I enjoyed it, but I was not expecting the turn it took! Wow! I did like all the fun ridiculousness surrounding the influencer culture, and the ending was perfect. It matched the tone of the book perfectly. Overall, I enjoyed this one!

Twins Julie Chan and Chloe VanHuusen were separated at a young following the death of their parents. They had very different upbringings. Julie is a supermarket cashier while Chloe is a social media influencer. After a mysterious phone call from her estranged sister, Chloe, Julie travels to NY only to discover Chloe’s dead body. Julie decides to become Chloe and claims the dead body is Julie Chan. Julie was always envious of Chloe’s lifestyle as an influencer but soon realized it is not as glamorous as she thought it would be. The book takes a turn when Julie travels with a group of influencers known as the Belladonnas to the private island of Bella, queen bee of social influencers.
This book has it all: plot twist, cult behavior, jealousy and the power of social media. I very much enjoyed the first part of the book but was surprised by the turn it took at the end. In my opinion, Liann Zhang’s still of writing is engaging and she brings her characters to life.
3.75 rounded to 4 stars
Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for the Advanced Reader Copy.

I love new to me POC writers who can deliver snarky, interesting stories that transcend subgenres. Julie Chan Is Dead clutches your interest from the first pages and Liann Zhang crafts such delicious prose and dialogue.

Thank you to Net Galley and Atria Books for the ARC. This was a really fun, fast paced, and thrilling read. I was constantly worried about whether Julie would be able to get away with what she was doing. I liked the first half more than the second half, the first half gave a really interesting look into the life of an influencer, but the second half, was interesting, but had the potential to do more. But overall, this is a really fun read.

3.5

This book is a wild ride ride, the story line was so unique and crazy, I loved every minute of it. The dislike and anger you feel at the characters as the book goes on is such an intense and interesting way to keep readers engaged! Can’t wait to recommend this book to my friends!

This is literally Yellowface meets Bunny, and I ate it up. 👏🏻

This is beyond unhinged. Julie is living a lousy life, working as a cashier at a supermarket and constantly being mistaken for her successful, famous influencer twin sister, Chloe. The two were separated as children when their parents died and were adopted into different families—Chloe by a wealthy couple who only wanted one child, and Julie by their nasty, low-life aunt. Julie got the rough end of the stick and missed Chloe desperately, but she never got the chance to rekindle their relationship as she had hoped.

One day, she gets a freaky call from Chloe, which is bizarre since they have no contact. When Julie goes to check on her, she finds Chloe dead in her apartment. And just like that, she finally sees her chance to get everything she ever deserved—by taking over Chloe’s identity.

This has all the cringe and discomfort of Yellowface, with its sharp critique of racism and the way society treats women of color versus white women (especially in influencer culture), blended with a heavy infusion of Bunny-style magic (iykyk), only with Belladonnas instead of Bunnies.

Dark, twisted, and completely bingeable, this book is sure to get mixed reviews—but it was a wild ride, and I am looking forward to seeing what this author writes!

Thank you NetGalley & Atria for this gifted ARC!

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC of this book. This book was so bizarre but I loved it. I could not put it down. The premise is really unique and the execution was full of twists. If you liked Yellowface, this book is similar but even better.

Thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for my ARC in exchange for my honest review. This book will be published April 29, 2025.

The premise sounded good: one twin (Chloe) who is a successful influencer dies and the other (Julie) pretends to be her.

Obviously Julie can’t step into Chloe’s life seamlessly without any one noticing so you have to take that at face value. What follows is Julie’s exposure to the Belladonnas - a group of successful social influencers - while she tries to solve the mystery of who killed her sister. The Belladonnas get together once a year for a top secret retreat which quickly turns into some crazy, mice-eating, cult-like following. The clique is as shallow as can be, repeating affirmations to each other like a group of lemmings.

The best (but saddest) part was seeing life through the eyes of an influencer: how addicting their likes are, what they are willing to post for increased views and brand sponsorships.

The plot becomes really far-fetched. While it started off strong and held my interest it just got too weird and unbelievable. In the second half. Cannot recommend.

Dark secrets. The dark side of social media. Twists that will make your jaw drop. I absolutely loved this debut thriller! I will be looking for her next book!

This was such a fun read that I just couldn't put it down and finished in a few hours!

The premise is insane and right up my alley. Julie is funny as hell - and honestly, who wouldn't do what she did in her situation? She's a little terrible, but in a relatable way.

The second half of the book may be divisive, but it was weird and disturbing in the best way. (I won't say more than that, I don't want to spoil it!)

Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!

Thank you Net Galley for the E Arc!! Did I stay up utill 12 am to finish this gem of a book? Why yes I did. I quite literally could not put it down. This story follows Julie Chan who is down on her luck working at a grocery story when her long lost twin Chloe walks in and starts filming a Youtube video titled reunion with my long lost twin. Chloe is very much that girl on social media! Rich, beautiful...she has it all. After meeting Chloe, being ghosted by Chloe and receiving a strange call from Chloe, Julie decides to go to New York to her twin's apartment to check on her when she finds Chloe dead!!! What happens atter that is absolutely unhinged in the best way.
Julie steals Chloe's life and gets involved in crazy situations while pretending to be her that had my jaw on the floor! The ending of this story was absolutely bonkers and I couldn't stop reading. Also if you love a story about unhinged social media stars this hit. Highly recommend this thrilling, horrifying, funny story.

The premise of this book is what drew me in. A girl who steals the identity of her long lost twin and becomes an influence? What’s not to like.
As much as I did enjoy the book (had so much trouble putting it down), the beginning was a little slow for me.

Wow! What did I just read?

The premise of a twin accused of murdering her sister immediately pulled me in. I expected an innovative whodunit against the backdrop of social media's chaotic energy. Instead, I was confronted with a surreal mix of a murder mystery, an exposé on the dark side of social media ( which I appreciated), and an unsettling vibe reminiscent of Midsommar combined with the intentions of Black Mirror.

We are introduced to Julie, who is stuck in a dead-end job at a supermarket, while her identical twin, Chloe, basks in the limelight of social media fame and fortune. Their lives took a dramatic turn as toddlers when they lost their parents in a tragic car accident. In a cruel twist of fate, Chloe was adopted by a wealthy couple in New York City, while Julie was forced to grow up under the shadow of her resentful aunt.

Years later, Chloe's motives for reaching out to her long-lost twin are transparently self-serving; she seeks Julie solely to enhance her own social media presence. This leaves Julie grappling with feelings of invisibility and abandonment. One day, out of the blue, Julie receives a phone call from Chloe, which leads her to the shocking discovery of Chloe's death. This revelation thrusts her into the glitzy yet perilous world of social media influencers, where she is irresistibly drawn and gradually sinks into the whirlpool of fame and fortune, all while attempting to unravel the mystery of her sister's death and find her own identity.

Liann Zhang's writing is powerful and evocative, serving as the driving force that kept me engaged despite the story's lack of structure. The initial concept is intriguing, yet many plot gaps remain unaddressed, with an overwhelming number of elaborate descriptions of extravagant influencer parties that often detract from the main storyline.

Drawing from her own experience as a content creator, Liann effectively exposes the lucrative and often absurd world of social media. She skillfully incorporates real-life controversies, grounding the narrative in relatable reality. She candidly reveals the vapid nature of social media and its various personalities.

However, the book's second half left me baffled and scratching my head. The conclusion came too quickly and without the resolution I expected. It could serve as an allegory for the notion that all the extravagant portrayals of social media are merely a façade, hiding a deluge of superficiality, politics, and lies.

Overall, I would rate this book 2.75 to 3 stars, with an additional star awarded for Liann's impressive writing style. I look forward to reading more of her work in the future.

Thank you, NetGalley, for this opportunity, as I discovered a new author. Thank you Atria Books for giving me this arc

Thank you to NetGalley, Liann Zhang, and Atria Books for allowing me to read this book in exchange for an honest review (Unpaid).

Julie Chan is Dead is a intoxicating tale of mental illness, the costs of fame, and mystery. I was immediately sucked in by Zhang's writing, almost as if I was becoming a Belladonna myself. And the ending! Oh my god, the ending. It was perfect.