This was a pretty quick read, and I appreciated many of the points it made. The influencers portrayed felt fairly real (though, and the support they supposedly get from each other felt real as well.

I liked Julie at points, and a couple of other characters had their moments of me caring about them as well. But sadly, overall I didn't get terribly invested in them or root for any of them after a certain point.

But, it was a decent debut and I am sure I will look for future books from Zhang.

This is a story about trading place.

Have you read the book Bunny? Do you want to read something that will give you the same fever dream vibe- but in a stealth way?! Well! This is the book for you. This book is a slow decent into oddly glamorous madness.

Then you so much @netgalley @atriabooks for this bizarre adventure.

I was drawn to the title and cover here, despite my generalized lack of interest in the world of influencers. I am not terribly interested in the social media world, but thought the concept of a twin taking over for her dead sister held enough promise to give the book a look. I found the beginning compelling. It was dark, and I liked that, but it got weird - and not in a good way. The interpersonal dynamics were bizarre and got on my nerves quickly. And the whole island thing lost me... Frankly. the story felt like it jumped the shark at that point, and things went all over the place from there. This one was odd and not a good fit for me.

I thought the premise of this is interesting. The book follows Julie Chan who was separated from her twin Chloe at a young age. Chloe was raised in a life of luxury while Julie was taken in by her biological aunt and had a hard time growing up.

Chloe becomes an influencer and buys Julie a house, using it for social media content. A few years later, Julie receives a weird call from Chloe and gets disconnected. She decides to go to Chloe and finds her dead. As the police come to the scene, Julie makes the choice to take over Chloe’s life and have everyone think she’s the one who died.

The book was very enjoyable for the most part, but I knocked a star off due to how bonkers I found the last third of the book to be.

Thanks as always to NetGalley for the ARC.

this was such an addicting story I think I finished it in under 24 hours?? my jaw was on the floor for the whole second half of the book. The writing was soo good and immersive and made this feel like a tv show, full of drama and gossip and twists….how far will an influencer go for followers………..I don’t want to say too much and spoil anything but this was SOO GOOD everyone please read this in April I need someone to talk to about it!! I can’t believe this was this author’s debut novel, it was so incredibly good. thank you netgalley for the early copy!!!!!

The book is well written and the plot kept me very entertained until about 80% of the book when it really derailed and twisted and I completely lost interest in the characters and the story line.

3 stars.

In this promising debut thriller identical twins Julie Chan and Chloe Van Huusen are separated at age 4 after their parents die. Chloe is adopted by a wealthy Long Island family, Julie is sent to live with a mercenary aunt. Julie becomes a grocery store cashier and Chloe is a popular influencer who once gave her sister a house, but only to use her for social media clicks; otherwise they have no relationship, though Julie would love one.

Then, one night Julie gets a mysterious phone message from Chloe and goes to NYC to find her. She discovers her body in the apartment and quickly decides to take over her incredible life; it shouldn’t go to waste, after all. And it’s easier than she thought. However, she finds that Chloe’s life isn’t as fab as she thought.

This book definitely tends young, and more mature young adults will like it. It’s really all about young people being influencers. Crazy, crazy influencers. It’s fine. 3 star fine. I liked it fine. I would recommend to some of my younger friends on here.

The cover of this book makes it seem like it's a silly women's fiction book, but this book has some of the most visceral body horror scenes I've ever read! And I'm a seasoned horror reader.
I laughed,I cried and I was thoroughly freaked out!

The gist of it is Julie Chan takes over her estranged twin sister Chloe's life after finding her dead. She thinks it can't be that hard--- Chloe is an influencer who posts a lot of pictures of herself just looking pretty. Julie envies her lifestyle and gets caught up in the instagram clique of gorgeous famous influencers that call these the Belladonnas. The Belladonnas have a yearly retreat on an island where they seem to broker brand deals and the like, but when Julie-as-Chloe goes she discovers it's anything but a fun carefree time.

Major 'Bunny' vibes! I loved this book and it's satirical cutting humor mixed with horror!

I received a very pleasant diversion from the genre of books which I normally read and enjoy.

Thank you to Atria for the Arc of this debut novel written by Liann Zhang. Thank you also to who ever it was at NetGally customer service who gave me a hand by making sure that this book was received by my Kindle after I was having trouble.

I ate this book up quickly and in spite of my advanced age, stayed up until the early morning hours reading it. It is quite the thriller of a wild ride for me, however I enjoyed every word. I do have to say, though that the ended seemed rushed and as I expected, but still a very unique and enjoyable read.

I will be looking forward to the author’s next addition to my electronic library.

I'm not the usual demographic for mystery/thriller books, but I saw Atria's post offering this book to try for free and decided to give it a chance.

The plot was engaging. I was interested to see what happened next. The character development was interesting. I felt a little back and forth though when trying to understand what motivated the main character and what she was hoping to accomplish with the choices she made.

I will rate this book a 3, which to me means I'm not upset at the time spent reading it and I liked it enough to converse about it with others positively.

I devoured this book!!! dark and twisty in all the right places. it was absolutely ridiculous and I loved every minute of it! and you bet i’ll be watching this influencer trips more carefully now!!!

thank you netgalley and atria for the arc!!!

This was a thrill to read from start to finish.

While it reminded me of “Yellowface” for most of the story, it took a darker turn toward the end that felt more like “youthjuice”.

The writing and pace conveyed all of the bundled emotions of imposter syndrome and the lengths a person is willing to go for validation and inclusion.

Great debut!

Thank you to Net Galley and Atria for the ARC!

This book is incredibly fun to read, and it’s fast paced. I read most of it on a red eye flight where I was unable to sleep, and it kept me entertained until I reached my destination. It’s a silly goofy time full of influencer antics and I would recommend it to readers based on that alone — if you’re in a reading slump, this will propel you right out of it.

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

This book is a wild ride and I have VERY mixed emotions about it.

Did I like it? Kind of.

Was it good? MAYBE??

Still, I read it in just a couple sittings and I couldn't put it down.

What worked for me:

* The mystery and tension surrounding Chloe and her life really kept me glued to the (digital) pages.
* Despite everything, I couldn't help but root for Julie and kind of want her to pull things off.
* This book is funny. It's tense and at times unsettling, but it's also pretty darn funny and the satire surrounding (primarily white) influencer culture was great.

What didn't work for me:
* The writing wasn't my favorite - it felt very stilted and almost too simple at times and the tonal dissonance between this and the freaky things happening was sometimes too much? And yet, maybe this was commentary on the shallowness of influencer life? Regardless, it didn't flow well for me.
* The characters feel very shallow. They are very flat for most of the story and really no one but Julie goes through any changes or growth.
* Sometimes I did want to shake Julie and remind her that her sister did in fact die under strange circumstances and maybe she should be a LITTLE more suspicious of situations she gets into where she has no way to contact or access the outside world....

One thing to note is that the last third of the book shifts drastically in tone. I felt like we entered the lost pages of Bunny by Mona Awad for a while before pivoting to a legal thriller.

And yet....I kind of still liked it. It was such an absurd, wild ride and yet I felt the book knew it was being absolutely unhinged with the plot. I feel like when this is published, it's going to be a very polarizing read - some are going to be buckled in and others will want to get off of Julie Chan's Wild Ride. There were times I questioned what we were all doing here, but I'm glad I stuck it out.

I think if you liked Bunny (as previously mentioned) or Midsommar (the A24 movie), you'll enjoy this one.

4.75 ⭐️ This was such a wild ride of a debut novel, but I loved every second. From the first page, I was hooked and could not put this down. It was thrilling and horrific, while also being funny and sarcastic, which is truly a perfect combination of genres.

The ending was not entirely unexpected, but still very well executed. A pet peeve of mine is when loose ends are left untied, but that was not the case in this book and made for a satisfying ending. My only complaint is that the last act felt a little rushed and I would have liked more in depth endings for Isla and Angelique.

Probably my favorite aspect of this book were the pop culture references. Usually, when authors do this, it can easily come across as cringey or outdated. However, Zhang adds the perfect amount of quips to add humor and make Julie Chan feel like a real "character" that might exist in our time.

I'm really excited to read future releases by Liann Zhang! Thank you to Atria Books and Netgalley for the ARC.

A thrilling and dark story about wish fulfillment. I hoovered this down in one night. Super fun, super campy and over the top. Loved the horror elements. What a ride!

I am still trying to figure out the reason for this book. It's an odd story about influencers, identical twins, the power of wealth and influence, and becoming famous on social media. I'm not sure there is a straight forward message. If so, it's enmeshed in a tale that begins with a twin that takes over her dead sister's successful social identity.

This story morphs into the secrets of an influencer group that bands together in a bizarre cult having a strange god and unholy sacrifices required of the members. The pull of money to be made by social influencers online, the lengths people will go for this fame - this seems to be the basic theme. The story goes over and beyond the normal in order for this message to be heard. It kept my interest but almost lost it on that private island with crazily drugged women, high on the need for fame and influence.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this eARC.

Liann Zhang's debut novel, "Julie Chan Is Dead", is a thrillingly sinister read that brilliantly explores the double-edged sword of identity and fame. Zhang introduces us to Julie Chan, a cashier whose seemingly mundane life takes a shocking turn when she discovers the lifeless body of her twin sister, Chloe VanHuusen, a famous influencer. Julie's decision to step into Chloe's shoes and adopt her identity catapults her into a world of glittering facades and dark undercurrents.

The narrative is immediately addictive, blending psychological suspense with biting social commentary. As Julie navigates her new life amidst Chloe's entourage, readers are treated to a darkly humorous and revealing look at the influencer culture. Zhang's sharp prose and keen observations lend authenticity and depth to the story, making it a compelling read.

Julie’s journey is horrifying yet enthralling as she grapples with her sister's secrets and the intoxicating allure of fame. The novel deftly balances tension and wit, keeping readers captivated while providing thought-provoking insights into the nature of self and the performative aspects of modern life.

A must-read for thriller enthusiasts and anyone interested in the complexities of social media and identity. Liann Zhang has penned an impressive debut that promises more brilliant works to come.

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

4.25/5 stars

Julie Chan is actually dead, in a sense. The book opens with Julie living a somewhat average life separated from her twin sister through adoption. Chloe Van Huusen is a popular social media influencer with little interest in knowing her twin. When Julie finds Chloe dead, she takes over her sister's life, and passes off her sister's dead body as her own. In the midst of this new, lavish life, however, Julie learns more about her sister's life (and death) than she could've imagined.


This book had me enraptured. The characters were creepy and out of touch, yet so realistic. I was at different times angry, frustrated, disgusted, and even happy for Julie (a little). Julie is also an interesting main character, because she is so unlikable and so real. Her addiction to social media (and the fake love received through it) and growth as an influencer is written out so well, but also turns her from a sympathetic character into a vapid annoyance within the blink of an eye. The author carefully crafted themes of greed, isolation, and the corruption of love into obsession. Social media has changed our society, in both great and horrible ways, and this book does a great job showing how easy it is to succumb to the manipulations of filters and hashtags.

One thing I didn't like within the story though was the amount of social media statistics. Almost every character was introduced as having x amount of followers on YouTube, y on TikTok, and z on Instagram. The numbers quickly bled together and grew meaningless to me. The same point could have been made without repeating large numbers because a contemporary audience will, for the most part, understand social media and the followings of popular influencers.

All in all, though, I would highly recommend this book to anyone who loves thrillers, murder mysteries, and/or social commentaries.

This was an excellent thriller. The story gripped me for the start and I enjoyed the exploration of the dark side of social media. Julie was an interesting narrator and I liked seeing the progression of her mental state as the book went on and she became Chloe. There were so many twists in the book that I wasn’t sure what was going to happen but the ending was perfectly satisfying. Overall a flawless debut and I’m looking forward to seeing more from this author!