I’ve been sitting on my thoughts on Julie Chan Is Dead for a few days and I still can’t figure out exactly how I feel about it.

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.

However, this book lacked emotional depth and I never felt connected to any of the characters. I wanted to care more about the main character Julie, but I simply didn’t. This made it hard for me to want to continue reading from her point of view.

Overall, I did have a fun time reading this book and I’m glad I picked it up, but the lack of connection I felt to the story and the characters makes it a bit forgettable in my mind.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Goodreads review posted on 12/29/24.

Brief review to be posted on Instagram the first week of January in my monthly reading wrap up, and a full review will be posted closer to the publication date.

Julie Chan is ordinary. A cashier with the most unglamorous life possible.
She has a twin. Adopted by another family. Chloe is an influencer. Yes, one of those people.

And now Chloe is dead and Julie is just sliding right into her slot.

Suspension of belief is one thing, however, this was so out there I just could not.



NetGalley/ Atria April 29, 2024

Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for the eARC.
Let me preface this review by admitting I'm not on Social Media unless NetGalley and Goodreads are considered so). Anyway, I was curious to learn more about influencers and how they became such popular and wealthy women, and thought this could be a fun read.
It started out as such, but soon I got tired of all the posturing and fake love expressed by the women. Then, towards the end it became so strange, I gave up. Sorry!

In Liann Zhang's debut novel we find Julie Chan, a cashier at a supermarket, heading to NYC because she received a strange call from her separated twin sister, Chloe VanHuusen, only to find her lifeless body. Chloe was an influencer and had a life that Julie wishes she could have...until Julie decides to pretend to be Chloe and enters her world. With an in inside of an influencer circle of friends, she slowly learns the secrets behind her sister's success and demise.

The thriller and mystery lured me from the start! I wanted to keep on reading until the truth about what happened to Chloe VanHuusen was revealed. It touches upon issues of family ties, class, race, what does it mean to be a social media star, and the idea of who has power in society. If you like a mystery set in the present day and/or want to read more from AAPI authors, read Liann Zhang's book.

Thank you so much to the publishers for this arc.

From the moment I read the synopsis, I knew that this book would be right up my alley. What I didn't know, was how many layers, twists and turn this book would have(I'm not complaining, I loved them all). I'll write a full review in a week or two(on Instagram, Goodreads, blogpost)

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this ARC.

This book couldn't really decide what it wanted to be- social commentary, mystery, horror. Nevertheless I found much of it interesting. The look into the world of influencers was fascinating, A microcosm of the "real world" replete with social injustice and our obsession with beauty. The main character, Julie, had some depth and struggled with fitting into that world of easy money and fake personal.
The mystery regarding who killed Chloe added spice.

About 3/4 of the way, the book took a strange turn morphing into a horror story. It was unexpected and jarring. The ending was rushed and didn't and jarring, as if the author was unsure of how to end.

I don't regret reading it. I just wish there was better plot continuity

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the E-ARC in exchange for my thoughts.

I really liked the pretense of this book, but it got real weird in the last 30%. The first half of the book was much more believable than the second half. I did like how the author pulled back the curtain of the world of influencing, reminding us that many influencers sell their lives for content. It is a great reminder/warning that not all parts of our lives have to be filmed or curated. The last 35-40% of the book really threw me and my feelings for the book changed. I did not like the ending in the slightest.

The book is a quick, easy read which is perfect for a beach or rainy day read!

4.25 stars!
"Social media is the biggest thief of time but it's also an impossibly addictive form of escape." - this is so true and I loved this quote.
Thank you to NetGalley, Simon & Schuster and Atria Books for sending me an arc of Julie Chan is Dead to be reviewed! Okay I don't even know where to start, the book had my mouth gaping open for about 6 chapters straight at having absolutely no clue what was going to happen and the twisted sickness of it all. I truly enjoyed this book so much, and could NOT put it down!!
I was genuinely hooked from the start and wanted to know who killed Chloe, and how Julie's life would now unfold as she stepped into Chloe's. I was extremely intrigued by the influencer aspect of it, as it is such a prevalent presence in our current lives, and thought this book did a really great job at exploring and twisting a story around it!! At no point in time did I know where the story was going once they were on the June trip, and thats a good thing as I don't like a predictable book, and let me tell you, this was NOT a predictable book by any means!! I was genuinely so present for the entire book and wanted all the answers. I thought the book was perfect paced and the perfect length as well, there was no point while reading where I was bored or thought anything was dragging on! I also usually find books to use modern day lingo or slang to be extremely cringey in books, but I have to say there was not a single time where I felt like that in this book. It was rather fitting and used properly where it made me laugh and it was entertaining to see bits of the modernized world in it, especially since the book is so heavily focused on social media, I enjoyed the accurate depiction of things as there were funny & relatable bits. I laughed out loud multiple times, even at the end there was a now very commonly used phrase of "I support women's rights and women's wrongs" and I thought it was so fitting and laughed pretty hard!
Overall thoroughly enjoyed this book so much and can't wait to secure myself a copy when it gets released! I have left a review on my goodreads & fable which are linked below, and will be posting a review on my tiktok and instragram account tomorrow as well, my accounts are linked for that as well! :)

This book followed Julie Chan as she took on the life of her dead, estranged twin sister Chloe. This was a book that analyzed the impact of class, race, beauty, and what social media “stars” mean. I loved it. It reminded me of Bunny by Mona Awad, with a twist. I think the ending was slightly rushed, but loved how it all circled back to the beginning. Truly well written, and love the new voice from Zhang! Will definitely keep looking for her work.

Julie Chan Is Dead is the book that FINALLY got me out of my reading slump. (Now to make sure I stay out of it ... ) The author does such a good job of blending family relationships with humor, mystery, and just the right amount of satire. From the first page, I was absolutely hooked.

I don't want to spoil anything, but I'll say that the story overall was not what I was expecting. It still gripped my attention and made me laugh, so I'm not too mad. My only (minor) grievance is I would have loved for Julie (and therefore the reader) to get to know the other influencers better before the retreat. Nevertheless, I LOVED this book and am already excited for Liann Zhang's next one.

It’s the age old question: WHO HAS IT HARDER?!? STREAMERS OR MCDONALDS WORKERS???

One thing is certain: Julie Chan did not kill her twin sister, Chloe. Interesting phrasing of the sentence, as things start to get murky after that. Adopted separately, identical twins Julie and Chloe grew up with different families and experiences. Julie lived with an emotionally abusive and manipulate aunt while Chloe lived with an affluent shire family. In her loneliest hours, Chloe turns to the internet, and after some years becomes a powerhouse influencer. After Chloe’s death, Julie is thrown into the world of influencers, cults, and the obsessive and addiction validation that comes with internet fame.

I really liked this book and jt grabbed my attention from the beginning. I liked the commentary on “influencers” and how ridiculous they all are and how “hard” their jobs are and how “others just don’t get it” and to be accepted into this world, how far are you willing to go and give up?

In accordance with FTC guidelines, please note that this ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

The first half of the book really had me hooked. The second half kind of felt like it suddenly took a weird shift, not exactly in a bad way but not what I was expecting. Overall a fun read.

Why is Chloe dead? Julie finds her twin dead. And she decides to take over Chloe's life of an influencer. The book covers the thrills and chills of that world. Friendships are made but why exactly would she become close friends with her competition? Why would the group listen to one rich gal? A good thriller.

Julie Chan Is Dead by Liann Zhang completely blew my mind! Julie stepping into her sister Chloe’s influencer-perfect life after her death was such a bold, messy move, and I couldn’t stop rooting for her even when things spiraled out of control. The tension and twists made my heart race, and I loved how it explored the darker sides of fame and family.

This book had me hooked from the start with its juicy drama and shocking reveals. If you’re into thrillers with complicated characters and a story that keeps you guessing, you’ll love this one. I couldn’t put it down—it’s one of those reads that stays with you long after you’re done. ★★★★☆

This was a damn roller coaster!

I loved all of it! I’m a huge fan of cult horror or suspense and this one is top tier. Nothing was over the top, it felt like everything flowed well and honestly, that ending was perfect- I had a feeling it was going to end similar to that.

10/10

4.5 stars rounded up. This was my dream love child of 'Bunny' and 'Yellowface'. I was gripped from the start, and enjoyed all of the twists and turns. I love books that spiral wildly out of control.
Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for the eARC!

If you had a twin who was a mega influencer and you had the opportunity to take over her life after her death, would you? I would! This was a sparkling debut that has an over the top, satirical take on the influencer world and how desensitized we’ve become to the perfect cookie cutter world that is presented to us so readily. It was laugh out loud hilarious, eye rolling relatable and lots of fun with a major twist that I didn’t see coming.

I am obsessed with this book. The quintessential "perfect influencer life" and a twisty mystery thriller pulled me in. It definitely hit home that what you see online is just a show, a mask that hides someone real life. As the book went on there was so much suspense I couldn't put the book down. I found myself so immersed in this story I was actually losing time from being so invested. The darkness that came along with this story was just perfection for a thriller. I hope this book ends up with the praise it deserves.

The first 70% of this book was amazing; great plot, fast paced, I couldn’t read it fast enough. The last 30% lost me; it seemed like it was written by a completely different person, it became completely unhinged and I just wanted it to end. Thank you, Liann Zhang and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this advanced copy of ‘Julie Chan Is Dead’.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for providing this book, with my honest review below.

Julie Chan Is Dead actually starts out determining Julie isn’t really dead but rather her influencer sister Chloe is. That said Julie has had a rough upbringing while her golden twin was adopted by an affluent family, seeing herself killing the influencer game while Julie is a lackluster grocery store checker. The easy solution for Julie, who carries a lot of resentment for her twin, is to slip into Chloe’s life and make some money during her time as Chloe. It’s all champagne and free PR until Julie starts to get closer to Chloe’s influencer circle and realize that the life she and many others envied from afar is as cult like as it can appear to the skeptical eye.

I enjoyed the suspense and premise in this story and the rather scathing take on social media and influencers, as well as us the sheeple who follow. I thought Julie might just have enough wits about her to keep her head above water but that ending, which was fantastic, disproved it. Great book!