Julie Chan is Dead brings a light, funny, but also incredibly unhinged mystery for the social media obsessed age. Julie, bitter, broke, and long separated from her much luckier twin Chloe who was adopted by a wealthy family after their biological parents were killed in a car accident, decides to change her fate after discovering her influencer twin mysteriously dead. Julie steps into Chloe’s world, assuming the wealth, fame and glory Chloe had gained in her social media ventures. But soon, Julie discovers the life she was so envious of isn’t necessarily all it’s cracked up to be.

I enjoyed the fun, humorous spin on a mystery, while also making poignant social commentary on the world of social media, influencers, and race. Overall, this was a really fun read. What didn’t quite land for me was how predictable what I’m imagining was supposed to be a twist ended up being, and how quickly we went off the rails at the end felt a little rushed to me.

This was just not for me.
Initially, I was pretty drawn into it and I was even more curious after getting a blank email with a subject line about this book from this publisher (I'm assuming on accident, but it was funny enough to make me want to read the book). Around the second half, when the whole big trip aspect came more into play, the story sort of lost me. It felt tonally and semantically very far removed from the first half of the book. It was quite disjointed. Compared to the first half of the book, it felt like the second half was struggling with what it was supposed to be. Was it horror? Supernatural? A thriller? Who is to say? Certainly not Liann Zhang.
Overall I didn't hate this, but I was thrown enough by the sudden shift away from the tone and plot promises made in the first half that I just didn't really like it much after that.

What an absolutely weird sister relationship in a book that gives vibes very similar to "Blink Twice" and "Bunny."

Julie Chan and her sister Chloe are twins who are separated when their parents die and a white couple wants to adopt Chloe and ONLY Chloe. Chloe goes on to live a life of whiteness and privilege while Julie stays with their aunt who isn't exactly the image of a healthy parental figure. Chloe and Julie have no contact except for when Chloe surprises Julie with a new house, for a YouTube video, and then they're back to no contact.

One night, Julie gets a phone call from Chloe where Chloe says "I'm sorry," and then the phone call drops. After a few days, Julie goes to Chloe's NY apartment and finds her dead. When the police arrive, Julie somehow takes over her sister's identity- by accident at first but then definitely willingly. Julie now tries to fit herself into her sister's influencer life and bites off WAY MORE than she can chew.

This becomes EXTREMELY clear during an off the grid trip to a private island with Chloe's "closest friends," and no spoilers here but ish gets WEIRD.

This book was an absolute page turner and is full of morally gray characters and some real immoral characters full stop. Don't read this book and expect to root for anyone (except maybe one person). However, it's an intriguing read and brings up very interesting conversations about adoption, race, privilege, friendship, identity, wealth, truth, etc. It's a good book to read during this spring/summer season because it's really easy and fun to talk about. It would be perfect for a book club. I would love to hear people's reactions to some of the "plot twists" in this story.

Once I pass the 30% mark, I try to finish a book. Julie Chan is Dead was a supreme effort.

Almost from the beginning I disliked the characters but I thought they could still have some redeeming qualities. I was wrong. There is only one character that I somewhat liked for a while. Isla (Iz) tells it like it is and her observations are worth reading. Otherwise, these influencers were shallow, vapid, and vain, with lots of personal baggage that they used to justify their poor behaviors and attitudes. The plot goes off the rails about halfway through the story and the characters became even more irritating and the plot even more ludicrous and distasteful, with no remorse or contrition.

Maybe I’m just too old to appreciate influencers and what they do. Their world has never really interested me and they have always seemed somewhat silly and embarrassing. Julie Chan is Dead takes this world to an extreme (I hope) and paints an ugly picture.

Maybe this book is simply supposed to be a form of escapism. However, it’s not a place I liked escaping to. I so wish I hadn’t spent my time with these women. It was not enjoyable or entertaining for me. NetGalley provided an advance reader copy.

Julie Chan is Dead
Liann Zhang
4.29.25
320 pages
9H 39M
Yu-Li Alice Shen

A social media darling with an estranged twin who lacks everything her twin seems to have. This is the premise of this smart thriller/horror with a witty vibe that I found strangely satisfying despite its dark tone.

Julie is a bit of an opportunist but only because she has to be; a stolen meal from the store she works at is worth the inevitable scolding she’ll get from the manager but scraping and scraping to barely get by has gotten old. Especially when she watches her highly successful twin from afar, her twin, who was adopted by a rich family and had all the privileges that wealth can provide plus an adoring social media fan base. Meanwhile, Julie, was left with her conniving thieving aunt. It’s a hard pill to swallow. So, when opportunity presents itself, Julie takes it.

Posing as her twin, Chloe, is a challenge but one that Julie is willing to take on but what ensues isn’t all glamour and glitz, and Julie will find this out the hard way.

That’s it on this one! I don’t want to spoil the outcome but I really liked that there’s a mix of genres that had me laughing at Julie’s sense of humor one moment and gasping at the predicaments she was in the next. I had a sense of horror, urgency, and ‘what the hecks’ pretty much the whole time I was reading/listening and couldn’t help but shake my head at Julie’s antics. Like, girl, put the diet tea down!

I think Zhang really captured the depth of desperation that some will go to be accepted in a fake world made of perfect lives, pictures and set-ups while also capturing the behind-the-scenes reality of it all.

Beautifully narrated by Yu-Li Alice Shen! Well done and a delight to listen to!

My thanks to @Simon.Audio for this ALC and to @AtriaBooks for this gifted DRC!

Stay bookish, my friends!

Now I’ll be the first to say that the trend (or perhaps it’s now a trope) of using a social media influencer as a main character is starting to feel a bit overused…and yet in Julie Chan Is Dead, author Liann Zhang flips the notion o it’s head. You see Chloe isn’t a social media darling, but her twin is…or was. Twins separated early in life, with Julie going to live with her disagreeable aunt and Chloe going to live with a rich family, their lives couldn’t have been any different. Early on we learn the girls have at best an estranged relationship or if we are honest hardly any relationship at all. When Julie receives a bizarre partial message from Chloe and isn’t able to get in contact with her again, she worries, then she sets out to find. Only it’s too late. Sure Chloe is gone, but since Julie is her identical twin…why not see what it’s like to be her. But is the grass really greener on the other side of the fence. And is it possible Chloe;s demise wasn’t an accident? This being Zhang’s first novel, I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I must say I got drawn in right from the start and absolute loved the twisted humor. While I will say I enjoyed the first half of the book more than the back end, overall I still thought it was a lot of fun and well worth the time. Thanks so much to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/julie-chan-is-dead-liann-zhang/1146385106?ean=9781668067895&bvnotificationId=b93017ed-2530-11f0-b49d-0eff2892eb85&bvmessageType=REVIEW_APPROVED&bvrecipientDomain=gmail.com#review/344782315

First, thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for an ARC of this book.
I absolutely loved this book! The premise in and of itself is intriguing, but then the story goes in an entirely different direction than I had expected! It did not take long at all for me to be drawn in and engrossed in the story. The story remained interesting throughout the book--I never felt bored or like I had to slog through any part of it. Truly a unique book and I highly recommend.

Twins, Julie and Chloe were separated from each other, after a tragic accident left them orphaned. Now living in different tax brackets - Chloe, upper class and Julie, middle class - they have absolutely nothing in common but their faces. When Julie receives a mysterious call from Chloe, she rushes to New York to help. When she finds Chloe is dead, Julie does the unimaginable and takes over Chloe's life. Does this work out for her? How far is she willing to go to get away from her own "miserable" life?

This book kept me hooked from page one.. It was immersive, hilarious, and intriguing. It was completely unhinged and Julie sense of humor had me giggling a lot. The commentary on influencer culture rings true and it's interesting to see how Julie navigates that lifestyle as not only an everyday person but a "fake" as well. I will definitely be picking up Zhang's future books!

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria books for this arc. All opinions posted are my own.

Julie Chan is Dead
By Liann Zhang
Chloe and Julie are twins that were separated after being orphaned. Their lives could not have been more different- Chloe a successful influencer and Julie, a supermarket cashier. When Julie gets a troublesome call from Chloe, she finds Chloe dead. Julie, coveting how the other half lives, decides to take on Chloe’s life, telling police that Julie is the one that died. Is the influencer life all that it cracks up to be? When Julie is invited to an exclusive influencer island retreat, is Julie in over her head? What really happened to Chloe?
Right from the beginning, the book sucked me into the influencer world, the need for validation with likes and money, and the underlying mystery of how Chloe died. Dark and twisty!
Thank you to @netgalley @atriabooks for the dark and twisty debut novel by @liannzhang coming out April 29, 2025.

What a fun, bonkers book!

The premise was great and the first chapter hooked me immediately by immersing the reader right in the story. I love Zhang’s writing - it was really funny and set the tone for the story well. I loved how most of the characters were deeply messed up because it kept me on my toes as to what was going on and who to root for. And, without getting into specifics, this gave me mega Bunny vibes with how it went to the truly weird side and fully leaned in. Definitely check this out!

Thank you to Atria and Netgalley for this ARC. Julie Chan is Dead is out today!

4.5/5 stars

3.75 stars
Definitely a wtf kind of book. It went in a direction I wasn’t expecting but in a good way. It kept me reading page after page.

JULIE CHAN IS DEAD
Liann Zhang


JULIE CHAN IS DEAD is about Julie. Well, it’s about Chloe. Chloe and Julie are twins. Julie works at the local grocery store, subsisting on reality TV and meal breaks. Chloe is an influencer with a massive following, an impressive bank account, and contracts to die for.

One day, she gets a call from her twin Chloe, which worries her. She decides to go over there and see what is going on, only to find Chloe dead on the bathroom floor. There really is only one thing to do. Julie will take over Chloe’s influential life. She will step into her sister’s comped shoes and become a person she’s always hated but secretly wanted to be.

That is not a spoiler. I double-checked.



My Audiobook: “There was once a girl who met a boy. She thought her dreams had come true in him, and in her, he thought he could become a man.”

My brain: “JULIE CHAN IS DEAD!”

My Audiobook: …”and then one day…”

My Brain: “Hey, did you know JULIE CHAN IS DEAD.

I picked up JULIE CHAN IS DEAD, thinking I could add it to my rotation. I was reading GREAT BIG BEAUTIFUL LIFE and SAY YOU’LL REMEMBER ME. I thought, felt, I needed a change-up. I was disappointed in GREAT BIG BEAUTIFUL LIFE and let down by SAY YOU’LL REMEMBER ME. I needed a palate cleanser, and I needed it fast.

Julie Chan has entered the chat.

Plans are spoiled, but before I know it, I’m 50 pages in, and I’m hooked. I tried to go back to buttholes and belly buttons, but Julie kept calling to me.

So, I put the other two down and read the entirety of JULIE CHAN IS DEAD in one sitting. It was the best time in a long time that I’ve had with a book. It was over before I knew it, and boy, was it too fast.


Can’t wait to read Zhang’s next book!

Thanks to Netgalley and Atria Books for the advanced copy!

JULIE CHAN IS DEAD…⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

3.5 rounded up

This debut thriller started off strong when Julie, the grocery store clerk getting a cryptic call from her estranged, famous influencer twin sister Chloe. Worried Chloe might be in trouble, Julie catches a bus to NYC, talks her way into Chloe's apartment and stumbles upon her dead body. Then when the police arrive, she doesn't correct them when they think she's Chloe. Deciding to shed her boring, paycheck to paycheck life and assume Chloe's more glamorous one has dire consequences though when she's whisked off to a remote island with some of Chloe's other influencer friends. Once on the island, the other women start sharing the secrets behind their rise to fame and uncover Julie's true identity. Things get bloody and go from bad to worse. I liked the audio narration and am always up for a good thriller about the darker side of influencer/celebrity life but this one got a bit too weird for me to truly bump it into 4-5 star territory. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review!

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Review:
A hilariously deranged satire that cuts with a glitter-coated knife, "Julie Chan Is Dead" by Liann Zhang is both a laugh-out-loud take on influencer culture and an important critique of privilege, power, and perception.

When Julie Chan stumbles upon her estranged twin sister’s lifeless body, she doesn’t call the police—she picks up the ring light. Stepping into Chloe VanHuusen’s picture-perfect influencer life, Julie trades in grocery store name tags for sponsored skincare, retreat invites, and a built-in following. But beneath the curated content and perfect aesthetics lies a festering pit of secrets, and Julie quickly learns that in this world, influence can be deadly. No spoilers but the climax drama is enough to fuel a whole new Bravo franchise.

This book is unhinged in the best way with the exception of one particular scene and you'll know it when you get to it...I almost crawled out of my skin but I still loved every moment of it. It’s quirky, devilish, hilarious, and reads like a dark comedy that wandered into a true crime series and refused to leave. Julie Chan is absolutely criminal—literally and figuratively—but somehow you still find yourself rooting for her. Maybe it’s the biting social commentary on race, power, and money, or maybe it’s the fact that someone's called a Hard C (which made me HOWL with laughter)—either way, I'm enamored with this novel. Zhang's satirical approach is prickly with a sprinkling of absurdity in a way that feels all too real, painting the influencer industry as the gloriously ridiculous beast it is.

Brass tacks—I came for the synopsis and stayed for the writing. Zhang crafts clever lines about fiery assholes (literal assholes) and zingy wordplay about supporting women's rights AND WRONGS. I spent the entire novel chuckling to myself, often laughing audibly, and living in a constant state of prose praise.

"Julie Chan Is Dead" is a rollercoaster of ridiculousness, revenge, and relevance, all wrapped in a designer robe and delivered with a wink.

Thank you to Liann Zhang, Atria Books, & NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my authentic review.

Crazy and semi-creepy, fast paced and tension filled. I was pulled in immediately to this story and eagerly moved through. When the "big trip" occurred, given the oddity of the plot line, I continued to finish the book just to see what happened, but at that point I realized this was just not for me. I understood the irony of the plot which I suppose was the point of the book but then ending was just too much. Thanks to NetGalley and publisher for this ARC.

Julie Chan Is Dead by Liann Zhang is such a fantastic debut!! A mix of thriller, mystery, and dark humor, this book will take the reader into a deep dive of privilege, perception, and influencer culture.

Julie and Chloe Chan are twins that have lived very different lives. When they were four years old their parents were tragically killed in a car accident. While Chloe was adopted by a rich family in New York City, Julie was raised by their always scheming aunt. Julie has watched her sister's meteoric rise as an influencer on her social media feeds but they haven't talked in a long time. So when Chloe calls Julie one night distressed, at first Julie thinks it might be another PR stunt. But when all calls and texts to Chloe go unanswered, Julie grows concerned. Deciding on an impromptu trip to Chloe's apartment, Julie drops everything to check on her twin. When Julie finds Chloe dead, one thing leads to another and Julie sees this as an opportunity to live the life that she should have had. But Chloe's life is not as picturesque and zen as it appears on social media..

Just based on the synopsis of this book I knew that I had to read it! And what a wild ride it was! I am so impressed that this was a debut. I love the premise and the dark humor along with the way that the plot unfolds. I know that the whole concept of taking over an identity has been done before but with this novel, it was so unique. The look into the influencer culture was also a highlight! Even though some of the influencers were unlikable it really was interesting to see that type of toxicity in social media portrayed. This was definitely a book that I am going to recommend to anyone who loves thriller / mysteries with dark humor and a narrative that will have you hooked!!

Thank you to NetGalley, Liann Zhang, and Atria Books for this ARC! Publication date is April 29th 2025.

Julie Chan Is Dead
A Novel by Liann Zhang

#thirtyeighthbookof2025
#arc #juliechanisdead #influencerhorror

CW: death, murder, drug use, miscarriage, animal cruelty, influencers, arson, cults

Julie Chan is a supermarket clerk who is suddenly thrust into the world of social media influencing. Her estranged twin Chloe is living the dream, and when Chloe unexpectedly dies, Julie makes a split second decision. She secretly assumes her twin’s name and social media brand, but quickly learns that the life she’s always dreamed of isn’t what she thought it would be. While on a secret retreat with the Belladonnas, a group of influencers led by Bella Marie, Julie realizes that she is in grave danger and the only person she can trust is herself.

This was a truly wild ride. As much as I hate the concept of social media influencers in general, this was a fun book to read. You need to suspend disbelief at some of the legal stuff at the end but that’s a minor quibble. A larger issue is how most of the Belladonnas are one note. I had a hard time keeping track of who each of them was. They were basically a first name only, and there was no differentiation between them. Perhaps intentional but who knows. That said, the story was enjoyable and I really liked it. I would happily read another from this author.

Thank you to @Atriabooks and @netgalley for the advance copy. (Pub date 04/29/25)

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for a digital review copy of Julie Chan Is Dead in exchange for an honest review.

I originally requested this book because I had just finished This Girl's a Killer and the premise seemed similar but oh how wrong I was. Julie Chan Is Dead was a completly different adventure altogether. It is a cautionary tale of parasocial relationships and gives a glimpse of the real faces behind the world of content creation.

Julie Chan (our 'dead' protagonist) decides to dabble in a bit of identity theft after finding her twin sister dead. She continues her sisters life and her brand while learning more about what was really happening behind the scenes. As she is whisked away on a yearly trip with her sister's closest influencer friends, the rose colored glasses finally slip off and she is shown the dark secrets that happen when they all disconnect to reconnect.

I was surprised by this book as I saw nothing coming. When I zigged, it zagged.

This whitty fun read will not disappoint, it’s been everywhere and there is a reason for it. Don’t waste time and get this one asap!

Welcome to a world of manufactured authenticity

Once upon a time a pair of four year old twin Chinese-American girls, Chloe and Julie Chan, were orphaned when their parents died in an automobile accident. They were separated when a wealthy white couple from New York who wanted to adopt a child insisted on taking only one. Chloe became a VanHuusen and had a privileged upbringing, while Julie remained a Chan and was raised by an aunt who resented having to take on an additional burden. Chloe has since become a popular social media influencer while Julie ekes out a living as a supermarket cashier. Chloe reached out to Julie once a few years earlier when they were 21, using Julie as a prop for a feel-good post as it turned out. How is it fair that one sister is living a dream life while the other has nothing? When out of the blue Julie gets a strange, incoherent call from Chloe one night, she feels compelled to hop a bus and head to New York to make sure that Chloe is OK...but arrives to find her dead on her apartment floor. People assume that Julie is actually Chloe, and on impulse she decides to assume Chloe's life (which is by any objective standard far superior to her own). She finds herself sucked into the influencer world, which despite the free clothes and makeup and all of the other perks is actually a pretty dark place. When she attends the annual weeklong summer retreat hosted by the wealthy Bella she begins to realize just how dark and dangerous an existence she has entered....and becoming Chloe may prove to have been a fatal mistake
A dark and at times comedic thriller, Julie Chan Is Dead touches on a fair number of cultural issues, from the insane world of influencers and overall toxic nature of social media to questions of class and race. Julie's resentment of Chloe's successes are understandable....why did Chloe get a life of privilege while Julie dealt with an unpleasant and abusive upbringing? The impulse to change identities is understandable (to a point) under the circumstances, and given the superficial nature of Chloe's life and relationships Julie is able to pull it off. It is an intriguing premise and with its sharp and insightful commentary on social media and the superficial culture that thrives within it there is much to appreciate within the pages. That said, I found myself not liking Julie very much at all, and the initial quick pace of the story strayed into some odd places in the latter part of the book. Overall I would rate the book as a 3.5 ⭐️ read rounded up to a 4. Readers of Sophie Wan, R. F. Kuang and Kiley Reid might find this story to be appealing, My thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for allowing me access to a copy of Julie Chan Is Dead in exchange for my honest review.