This was such a wild ride of a read. Great debut, with both expected and unexpected twists (including where the novel ultimately lands while the Belladonnas are on a private island retreat, and the choices Zhang makes for the ending). Tackles influencer culture, racism, classism, and basic human nature in this story narrated by someone who moves from the outside to the inside and has to ultimately decide what she will do to stay there.

We all have an online persona—I’m using mine right now while writing this review. However, 'Julie Chan is Dead' brilliantly critiques the shallow, cult-like world of the influencers online personas on social media.
“Creators who are "down-to-earth" and reject capitalism are nothing more than hypocrites shilling out so-called socialist viewpoints from their mega-mansions or sky-high penthouses. They don't give a f*ck. If they did, they'd donate all their money and live in a sh*tty studio apartment instead of being professional grifters with golden egos.”

With influencers popping up on every app, it was refreshing to see a book that shines a light on the toxicity behind it all. It all takes a sharp turn in the second half, getting dark, disturbing, and a bit gag inducing. After finishing, I’ll be spending less time on social media and more time binge-reading, eagerly awaiting Liann Zhang’s next book.

What would you do if you were given a chance to change your life? Well, Julie Chan did this in the sickest way possible. After losing her twin sister unexpectedly, she becomes Chloe Van Huusen. Her twin sister, separated later in life due to adoption, lived an extravagant influencer life. She was given the opportunity to take over that life but found out there was a lot more darker things going on behind the YouTube videos and Instagram posts she put out.

This was not only a thriller but elements of horror as well! Zhang paced this book amazingly and truly knows how to keep a reader captivated! I can’t believe all the twists and turns that occurred, it was pleasantly unexpected!

Yellowface meets Bunny in a dark and twisted, unpredictable YA debut.
This was a solid read, I was entertained through the whole thing though for two very different reasons in the first and last half of the book. It almost felt like reading two different stories which was a bit shocking, though I preferred the narrative and voice change of the second, I wish it had been threaded through the beginning a little bit more. The fact there was an upcoming secret trip and other small details weren’t enough to stop the transition from being a little bit jarring.
I actually was talking to a friend who also read the arc when I was enjoying it but not enthralled by the first half and completely guessed the end of the book just by making an outrageous stab in the dark, so that was funny! I really enjoyed the writing style, it’s polished and distinct for the genre, it really evolves with Julie’s arc, especially in the second half.
I wish the Bunny style, speculative thriller-horror leaning aspects of this novel were more pronounced in the marketing and synopsis of the novel because I would have snapped it up quicker and worry that the pivot in the back end of the novel could be shocking for readers who are expecting a less intense thriller-mystery. Loved the social commentary and the approach to influencer culture, and the entire idea that influencers would go to that extent is… very believable and kind of dark comedy! The ambiguous end left me wanting but I don’t see another way to do it. All in all a great read and a great debut, I would read Liann Zhang’s future releases.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

🤍𝓙𝓾𝓵𝓲𝓮 𝓒𝓱𝓪𝓷 𝓲𝓼 𝓓𝓮𝓪𝓭🤍

Stars: 4 ⭐️

genre: DEBUT thriller

Publication date: April 29,2025


Blurb: We are introduced to Julie within the first paragraph where she is mistaken for a girl named Chloe, her twin. Both girls were separated after their parents died and looks like Chloe got the better end of the bargain.

One day Julie recieves a phone call from New York and she only knows one person who lives in New York : her twin Chloe when she answers its scratchy and she can only make out a couple words. Is her sister pranking her for a viral video or is something really wrong with her ?

Opinion: This debut novel hooked me in immediately and I had to keep reading to figure out what was happening. Liann did a good job of telling the story of the two girls. I was curious as to what exactly happened to Chloe but, all questions were answered at the end of the novel. Overall, it was a fantastic read for a debut novel! Her take on influencers had me cackling throughout the novel. I am definitely excited to see more of Liann’s work.


Read if you like:

🌸thriller mystery
🌸 horror
🌸 saitres of influencers

*thank you to NetGalley & Atria Books for allowing me to read this ARC*

What a fun debut! If you liked books like Yellowface, you'll enjoy this one. Twisty, funny, and a super fast read!

An absolutely WILD ride of a debut novel!!

First off: the premise is *fantastic*. I had my eyes on this book from the moment it was announced, and it absolutely did not disappoint. JULIE CHAN IS DEAD starts off at a breakneck pace that doesn't let up the entire novel. I devoured the book in one sitting - I was hooked by chapter one alone, and every single chapter got crazier and crazier.

Julie Chan is a main character that I hate that I relate to; Zhang does a brilliant job at exploring the underlying motivations of Julie's character, while at the same time moving the pace forward. Influencer culture, in particular, is always like catnip for me. It feels extra timely with the recent Tiktok ban (and subsequent un-ban) when a lot of influencers were posting their big "confessions", like building an account around creating #icetok content then admitting to never using the ice cubes they made. We get a lot of that with Julie and the Belladonnas, this insider look into the wild (and LUCRATIVE) world of social media stardom.

At the same time, the back half of the book transforms into a hazy, cult-like experience that, while veers much towards the darker side, still feels like a natural progression of the plot. There are so many stakes at play, from Julie's new "friends" to her old life, that the tension just ratchets higher and higher. The comp to Yellowface made perfect sense, and the prose was utterly captivating and aggressively readable.

Stunning debut, and I can't WAIT to see what Zhang writes next.

One of the most bizarre and engrossing books I’ve read recently. Good read for when you want something dramatic and messy.

Julie Chan and Chloe Van Huusen are twins separated after the death of their parents and live very different lives. While Julie lives a humble life working at a supermarket, Chloe lives a charmed life as an influencer. When Julie discovers Chloe’s body in her apartment, she steps into her sister’s place.

Not by design but this is the second or third new release I’ve read on someone stepping into another person’s life who they are envious of, so trying to keep my expectations tempered. Julie is such a whiny, acrimonious, and vindictive narrator, and reading from the perspective of someone who is seething from jealousy, anger and entitlement is not easy. Somehow, it totally works for this book and it makes more sense considering the author Liann Zhang, has a background in criminology and psychology.

Special thanks to Atria Books and NetGalley for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest, independent review.

very classic style thriller about influencers and how power corrupts. felt like it had a significant hint of Rouge by Mona Awad in there, as well as some Glass Onion type themees. 4 stars. tysm for the arc.

JULIE CHAN IS DEAD joins a group of eerily surreal (and yet, utterly familiar) books about stolen identity and influencer culture that has grown over the past couple of years, with titles like YELLOWFACE, YOU WILL NEVER BE ME, and A SPECIAL PLACE FOR WOMEN just to name a few. Where some of these titles are hugely successful at the undertaking, weaving the dark underbelly of clout chasing with the spookier, more horror-infused elements of fiction (YELLOWFACE) there are some that fall just a bit flat. Unfortunately, JULIE CHAN IS DEAD falls in the latter category for me. While the first half of the novel is full of intriguing backstory, and page-turning thrills as Julie's machinations begin to unfold and uber-influencer Bella Marie and her cohort are revealed, the second half really flies entirely off the deep end into territory that is neither rooted in reality nor seems truly committed to embracing the insanity of its wildest plot twists, leaving the reader adrift. As a result, the novel feels bloated, never quite settling into a pace one way or the other and cleaved in half by the unexpected tone shift. There are enjoyable elements in this one, to be sure, but it just never quite comes together cohesively, and by the end there are so few answers and yet, so little desire to even as the questions.

OH MY GOSH!!! What did I just read????? This book goes from 0-1000 in like, 30 short chapters. I was hooked from the beginning and I could not believe how much I loved it through the end. I was trying to read it faster and faster so I could know what happened. This is the best book, I cannot wait for its release! Thank you NetGalley for this advanced copy!

Thank you the advanced copy.

The first half of the book was excellent then fell a little flat for me. Not sure what made me feel this way. Overall, the book was okay.

I'm so grateful to NetGalley and the author for this ARC! Wow. I don't even know where to start.

I saw an instagram ad from the publisher for this book, and the premise immediately sounded so appealing. I was invested in Julie's story from the first sentence of the book. I grew up reading stories like Pretty Little Liars and the Lying Game, and this was a thrilling yet fun way to return to the books I enjoyed as a child, with a darker and sinister twist to the plot. I devoured this story in two days and I wish there was another one! If you love tv shows like Yellowjackets and White Lotus, I would highly recommend this book. I would also be so interested in having a current relevant influencer pick up this book and read it. Not all of us are influencers, unfortunately, but the tasks and activities Julie describes in her day to day were believable, and can only make you wonder what goes on behind the scenes.

Endless stars

I liked the first half to two-thirds of the book, despite having to suspend my disbelief that so many people could be fooled by Julie. It made sense later, but the last part of the book on the island was just to crazy and far-fetched for me and diminished my overall enjoyment of the book. The ending was a little quick - a great lawyer to make everything Ok. Thanks for the ARC of this book.

What if you could step into someone else’s life—like, fully become them? Liann Zhang takes that "what if" and runs with it in Julie Chan Is Dead , delivering a thrilling story that explores identity, envy, and the consequences of social media.

Julie, our main character, uses her identity as an identical twin to, quite literally, steal her sister's life. While the mechanics of this are wild, what truly shines is Zhang’s ability to tap into a universal feeling—the curiosity (and sometimes envy) of walking in someone else’s shoes. Julie is as layered as they come, and her inner monologue is a testament to Zhang’s skillful writing. Julie’s mix of pride and guilt is palpable, making her both fascinating and frustrating in the best possible way. You’ll root for her and judge her simultaneously—a tricky balance Zhang nails in her writing.

The plot itself? Buckle up. About halfway through, the story swerves into uncharted territory, with turns that some other reviewers have compared to "being on an acid trip." While that description might be a bit extreme, it does capture the unpredictable nature of the book. You’ll definitely want to keep reading, if only to figure out what on earth is going to happen next. That said, the ending left me a bit underwhelmed. It wasn’t bad, per se—I didn’t see it coming—but it didn’t deliver the explosive “WOW” moment I had hoped for after such a wild ride. Still, the journey to get there makes up for it.

The writing style deserves a mention too—Zhang keeps things snappy with perfectly timed chapter lengths that encourage just one more chapter (and then one more). However, the frequent use of internet slang and Gen Z lingo felt a little overdone at times. While it added a layer of realism for some readers, it might alienate those who simply aren’t Gen Z.

Overall, the novel is a captivating and fresh take on the “grass is greener” trope. It’s not perfect, but it’s certainly worth a read for its unique concept, compelling main character, and the sheer audacity of its plot. If you’re looking for a book that’s as entertaining and fun, this one’s a solid 4-star pick.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

I tore through this in the span of a day - fast-paced and engagingly written, it was tough to put down! Zhang's strong suits are the descriptive, poignant writing, the biting commentary on social media, and the sense of unease as the MC is trying to navigate her newly stolen life as a high-profile influencer while trying not to get caught.

At about 60% the book did start to loose me a bit as it leaned into some horror aspects, which, again, were extremely well-written, but just isn't my cup of tea and I wasn't prepared for how far it would go (tw for animal death). But I did enjoy how bendy and chaotic the plot got and would definitely say this is a great read for fans of Yellowface and The Other Black Girl!

When I picked up this book, I was hoping for something like YELLOWFACE mixed with MY FRIEND ANNA - a classic scammer story with themes around race, privilege, and fame.

But what we got instead was a bit of a cheesy, all-over-the-place story that glosses over the most interesting part of the plot (the identity switch) and abruptly moves the characters to a remote island and turns the story into a cult-y BLINK TWICE rip-off. There are so many directions the author could have gone in with this narrative, and I'm bummed that she chose this one.

That being said, I think Zhang's writing is strong - she can write horror really well. Where she lacks nuance and depth is in her characters - so many of the secondary parts were pure caricatures, wholly undifferentiated from one another and serving very little purpose in the story. I also seemed to lose the thread of Julie as a main character about halfway through - her personality became fuzzier, and the decisions I thought she would make change substantially over time. Perhaps that's the point? But it felt like more of a lack of strong characterization than a deliberate plot choice.

Thank you to Atria for the ARC!

What a rollercoaster! What started off as tame tale of identity theft, turned into a dark and extremely fcked up story of how far we'll go for power and fame. I loved this book and the insane antics of both our FMC and the belladonnas. And her debut thriller? Amazing. Can't wait to read more!

Combining the brilliance of Yellowface, the horror of Bat Eater, and the oppressive underlying cultish power of those at the top - Julie Chan is Dead is a fast-paced and climatic powerhouse of a novel that doesn’t let up until the last page.

Julie Chan isn’t anything special - that is, until her twin sister dies and she’s the only one to find her. With everyone around her assuming it was Julie who died, she decides to take Chloe’s place and embrace the life of a rich influencer and to leave her old life behind. However, when she begins to get too close to the top of the food chain, she discovers there are much more nefarious things controlling her new life than simply just a bad brand deal.

I especially loved how the life of influencers was portrayed in this novel - with only Julie (as Chloe) being aware of how ridiculous it is that everyone around her is complaining about how “hard” their jobs are - while also taking advantage of every bit of emotional clout she can and monetizing it for her own gain. I thought the knock-off name brands were also hilarious (especially “BetterTherapy” as opposed to “BetterHelp”). And it was fascinating to see how shallow the “friendships” Julie/Chloe had as influencers truly was - and the climax ultimately making her choose her morality or this new rich life that fell into her lap.

This book was a rollercoaster, and I could never be certain where exactly Julie would end up at the end.

A huge thank you to the author, NetGalley, and Atria Books for providing this e-ARC.

This book was a wild ride and I never expected those plot twists. I loved how weird the storyline got but I almost felt like this needs to have a sequel. There were still a lot of unanswered questions at the end. I think the writing fell flat at some parts where it explained too much? Whenever parentheses were added for context it just felt like explaining a joke.
Other than some small writing quirks, the book was very entertaining and kept me on the edge of my seat.
It was definitely a unique story and l'm excited to see what else the author releases soon.
Thanks to NetGalley and Atria books for recommending this arc to me. I am grateful that I got to be one of the first people to read this work.