Very camp! At first I wasn’t sure how to feel about this book. The first half didn’t seem to have find its voice but by the second half it really leaned into its ridiculousness and made for a solid ending

I absolutely loved this book! It’s a mix of suspense, thriller, but also has a good amount of humor. It’s fun and imaginative.

Julie Chan works at a supermarket, scraping by paycheck to paycheck, her life stagnant and devoid of excitement. Her twin, Chloe, lives a completely different life than Julie and both of them rarely interact. The sisters were separated—Julie taken in by a greedy, unkind aunt, while Chloe was adopted by wealthy white parents who saw her as little more than a means to boost their image.

Chloe, blessed with privilege and natural charisma, rose to fame as a successful and affluent influencer, her life a stark contrast to Julie’s struggles. Julie’s life then takes a drastic turn when she goes to see her twin sister who she doesn’t have a relationship to whatsoever. Using Chloe’s social media connections and messages as her guide, Julie attempts to master the art of curated perfection. However, blending into this glamorous life is easier said than done, and the question looms—will she be discovered?

This story doesn’t just explore Julie’s transformation but also critiques the influencer culture itself. It examines the cult-like mentality of social media, where followers believe they know someone based on curated posts and idealized snapshots. The book pushes you to think deeply about how identity and reality connect in the digital age.

I will say the second half takes a dark turn. It definitely doesn’t have them same lighthearted feeling as the beginning, but it was so good! It’s does kind of go off the rails but stick with it! Honestly, my type of book- gripping and twisty.

This book comes out April 29. Thanks for @netgalley and @atriabooks for an

If you like psychological thrillers about influencers, this is a perfect book for you. It was interesting... and a little weird. Julie Chan is just a cashier at a local supermarket when her estranged twin sister Chloe finds her and puts their story on social media. The girls were split up when their parents died in a car accident - Julie stayed with her aunt and Chloe was adopted by a wealthy white family. They had very different lives. Julie never really went anywhere, while Chloe rose to social media fame and become "somebody". But then one night Chloe calls Julie with a cryptic message, and when she can't get hold of Chloe, she goes to visit her and unfortunately finds her dead. So, what is Julie to do? Since she's Chloe's twin, she takes over her life of course. Now she knows what being an influencer is really all about...

Things really take a turn in the second half of this book. It was dark, and not what I was expecting at all.

Thanks to Atria and NetGalley for this ARC. Julie Chan is Dead is an enticing and thought provoking dark debut novel by Liann Zhang. If you’ve read and/or loved Yellowface, you’ll eat this fast-paced suspenseful thriller up! Zhang does a stellar job at dissecting race and socio economic status within the influencer community while maintaining some dark humor to add just a tiny bit of levity. Overall, very well written and definitely an enjoyable read. Highly recommend.

I have to be honest- this book was a ton of fun. It went off the rails in the best kind of way. Everything that happened once they got to the island felt like a complete and utter fever dream. I could not look away. This was a refreshing new voice.

Julie was such a dynamic presence. Sometimes she disgusted me, sometimes she made me laugh, and sometimes she made me sad. I love that in a main character. Books with themes critiquing social media are some of my favorite reads as of late, but I loved how this one was more unique in its approach. There’s a “trope” if you will (I don’t want to spoil the fun) in this book that usually turns me off, but in this case it was perfectly done.

Julie Chan is a fun, snappy, satirical read with a heavy dose of pop-culture references. The novel keeps you on your toes from start to finish, though the pacing is a bit disjointed. Still, I'd definitely recommend.

A fairly basic thriller for fans of Yellowface. Super naive character, mysterious and toxic group of perfect female influencers, crazy cultish island retreat.

1/5 stars: This is Zhang's BIPOC Mystery Thriller stand-alone which follows a young woman as she steps into her deceased twin’s influencer life only to discover dark secrets hidden behind her social media facade. With nothing to lose, she finds herself thrust into the glamorous yet perilous world of influencers assuming her identical twin's identity. Transforming herself is easier than expected, at first. However, she soon realizes that everything's not as picture-perfect as it seems. Haunted by her twin's untimely death and struggling to fit in, she faces mounting challenges during a weeklong island retreat with an exclusive group of influencers. As events spiral out of control, she uncovers the sinister forces that led to her sister’s demise and realizes she just might be the next target. Zhang touches on some very sensitive topics; so take care and CWs. Zhang's writing and character work are well done. Unfortunately, this just wasn't a book for me; leading me to DNF it at 11%.

I received this eARC thanks to Atria Books in exchange for an honest review. Publishing dates are subject to change.

Julie Chan is Dead takes a look at how easy it would be to slip into someone else’s skin and not be recognized as an imposter as long as you look like them. The superficiality of parasocial relationships means no one truly knows who you are underneath. It’s a wild, over-the-top ride, which is a statement all in itself. My feelings on the story are mixed, but I cannot deny its impactfulness.

I can’t tell you whether or not the author presented the big name influencer world accurately. It all felt so extreme, but as an outsider looking in and often feeling grated by inauthenticity, I comprehend what contributed to the birth of these notions.

This book required patience on my part, not because it is slow or tedious. It’s quite propulsive, actually. But the main character made one terrible choice after another, and I had to keep reminding myself that she’d been raised by an unscrupulous aunt, so good decision making was never modeled for her.

Eventually the novel morphs into something that may leave readers incredulous. It’s dark and absurd, but I think as an emblem, it serves its duty well. Zhang poked fun at how ridiculous one can be in a quest for love and acceptance through social media status, and how equally ridiculous we can be in our support of someone we don’t even truly know. I didn’t love the path it followed, but I can see how its creation made sense to the author.

I am immensely grateful to Atria Books and NetGalley for my copy. All opinions are my own.

It's not often that a book can make me cackle out loud, cringe, AND dry heave a little. This book was so much fun to read and an awesome debut.

Julie, our main character, is clearly different from her estranged twin Chloe. Unlike Chloe who grew up in an affluent family, became an influencer in her adult life and easily made money hand over fist from brand deals - Julie was stuck growing up with her mean, greedy, aunt who begrudged her existence, worked as a clerk at a grocery store, and struggled to make ends meet. The only thing these twins had in common is the fact that they were both craving love and acceptance, which ironically, is what they could have given to each other if they were not separated at an early age. When Chloe dies, Julie oopsies her way into stealing Chloe's identity and she is finally living the life she feels she deserves. On the surface, this works wonderfully most of the time, but she can't seem to fool her closest influencer frenemies. Julie stumbles upon the answer to how Chloe's became an internet sensation and unfortunately, the answer to Chloe's enviable lifestyle and success was not something Julie could ever have anticipated. Horror ensues.

Julie's internal commentary and monologues had me laughing out loud ("SoulCycle lied. I am not a warrior legend."), but Julie is also undoubtedly dealing with some real horror. It's hard to effortlessly mix those two together without being cheesy, but this book does it.

This book checked all my favorite boxes: it was clever, witty, fast paced, horrifying, suspenseful, a little gross (ahem... mouse), very "eat the rich," poked fun at influencers who take themselves too seriously, but also the feelings she is feeling are... somehow oddly relatable? It was giving major cult vibes meets White Lotus meets Youthjuice by E.K. Sathue. One of my favorite WTF moments in this book was the discovery of a hunky, wood chopping, island servant/sex slave who is obsessed with the Olympics. This had me rolling. The Olympics. Why. So random and unnecessary but also necessary... because... what. The ending was also extremely satisfying, which isn't always the case with horror.

Thank you, NetGalley and Atria Books for the eARC!!

Julie Chan Is Dead by Liann Zhang is a darkly thrilling exploration of identity, privilege, and the toxic allure of social media fame. When Julie assumes her influencer twin’s life, she’s drawn into a sinister world where reality blurs. Zhang’s writing is sharp and unsettling, delivering twists that keep you hooked. Perfect for fans of Yellowface and Bunny, this debut is both gripping and thought-provoking.

Julie Chen is Dead was absolutely fantastic! The author wrote a story that was so well written I found myself flying through the pages, unable to put the book down, pondering what would happen next. My favorite piece of this entire story was how believable the characters were.

The writing is clear and clean, and very immersive. The book hums along at a good clip, but the pacing makes sure we're given time to breathe between plot-intensifying moments. The story was absolutely engaging and the work that went into the settings was noticeable and superb. I felt absolutely transported and I'm so incredibly glad I was able to read an arc of this story.

Thank you so much to Liann Zhang and Atria Books for the e-ARC! Most unexpected endometriosis rep I’ve ever seen tbh

In all seriousness, this had me hooked, and I was struggling to have to put this down! The comparisons to Yellowface are definitely fair. When Julie’s estranged twin calls her mysteriously and she discovers her body, she takes the opportunity to assume her identity. With it comes her privilege, wealth, audience, adoration and built-in friend group by taking on Chloe’s life as an influencer… but it also comes with sinister, unexpected secrets.

Julie had me so anxious, and as her choices stressed me out and she spiraled toward more and more chaos, I was so curious to know how this would end. Without giving anything away, it didn’t go where I thought it would, but I still really enjoyed it.

I enjoyed Zhang’s social commentary about privilege and attention in social media, and I look forward to reading what she writes next!

I received an eARC of this book via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

I normally read books quite divorced from the real world. That being said, I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this! I guessed at the first big secret, but I never could have predicted the climax. And yet it didn't seem so far fetched considering the current state of the internet and social media, and even of Hollywood. The final chapters were quite satisfying as well.

You will enjoy this book if you like real world settings, lots of modern internet language and concepts, that unnerving sense of something slightly wrong, a flawed main character flying by the seat of her pants, and a significant amount of "What the fuck!"

Julie Chan is Dead is a gripping and emotionally charged novel that explores themes of identity, grief, and the complexities of personal relationships. With a unique blend of suspense and poignant introspection, The author weaves a narrative that keeps readers hooked from the first page. The MC's journey of self-discovery amidst the haunting mystery of Julie Chan's death is both captivating and thought-provoking. The writing is sharp, evocative, and deeply empathetic, making this book a must-read for fans of literary suspense and character-driven stories.

Ok what a mind f*** this book is, but in the best way possible. I loooooved it. I loved the twists and turns this author weaved and the look at how much our society values social media and the superficial fame that can come with it. The strive to “appear” perfect, meanwhile your life is a disaster and you’re an awful person, but we as “followers” eat that up and worship these internet strangers anyways. It got a little far fetched and gross for me (the mouse I will never get out of my head), so that is the only reason it wasn’t a 5 star read for me. I cannot wait to read more by this author!!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

Thank you to the Netgalley and the publisher for the review copy in exchange for an honest review.

I wanted to like the main character, but I found her insufferable. That left little interest in the story. The premise is great, but I found it didn't deliver.

Such a good book, I loved the twists and turns! There were parts of the story that I did not see coming and it kept me eagerly flipping forward and reading so I would know what is going on.

***Arc provided to me by publisher in exchange for review***

I have the spoilers turned on because books like these are best knowing as little as possible going in.

Julie Chan is Dead is a wild portrayal of BTS of being an influencer. The book is a mix of horror and comedy, reminding me of Blink Twice mixed with a sprinkle of Bunny by Mona Awad (especially with the “group synergy” hoopla).

I will be honest by saying it took me a little bit to get into the book. I think the pacing could have been improved, and that’s why I have rated it as a 3/5 stars. The beginning, while a bit boring, does well to set the stage for the events to come- Julie finds her twin sister dead inside her Manhattan apartment and impulsively decides to take her identity when an officer mistakes her for her sister. From there, Julie becomes consumed with her sister’s life and begins to interact with this group of fellow influencers known as the Belladonnas.

The lead up to the island trip could have been condensed a bit in my opinion to allow for more tension building on the island. The book rapidly picks up pace once the trip has started. The once bubbly, materialistic, and phony sweetness of the group of influencers turns creepy and sinister within the last 100 pages. As the reader, you see Julie begin to be brain-washed into the groupthink culture of the Belladonnas. She starts to notice that things seem off…but wants to be accepted by this group so much that she brushes the red flags off. That is…until something occurs that she can’t ignore.

While the pacing could be improved, I see a promising career for this author and her story-telling. As a debut, the satirical undertone of the novel impressed me and I wouldn’t hesitate to read this author’s future works.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC to review!
Rating (on a scale of 1 to 5, 5 being excellent)
Quality of writing: 5
Pace: 5
Plot development: 5
Characters: 5
Enjoyability: 5
Ease of Reading: 5

Overall rating: 5 out of 5