This was a very interesting debut novel from Liann Zhang. The first half felt a lot like a standard thriller, but the second half evolved into a culty, Bunny-like acid trip. The reveal of what actually happened to Chloe and the secret of these influencers did shock me, but I appreciated how the craziness of it played into the satirical commentary of modern social media influencers. While I did feel like this book was a bit too long and slower-paced, it has a lot of merit for its content and commentary.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria for the arc

Fast paced and utterly addictive I couldn't put this down, loved the commentry on influencer culture, the twists and turns, i honestly loved this it's everything I look for in a thriller!

Thank you to Atria Books, Netgallery, and Liann Zhang for an advanced reader's copy in exchange for my honest review.

Synopsis: Separated from her twin following the death of their biological parents, Chloe and Julie lived very different lives. While Julie grew up with her aunt, Chloe was adopted to an affluent couple. Chloe reenters Julie's life briefly for what appears to be a ploy to gain followers and just as quickly disappears from her life again. When Julie receives a distressing call from Chloe and finds her dead in her apartment, Julie does the unthinkable and assumes her dead twins' identity. Because who could turn down the fame and the money? Assuming Chloe's identity is more complicated than Julie anticipates and soon she finds herself in moral and physical peril.

What I liked: I really appreciated that ambiguity surrounding Julie's assumption of Chloe's identity and was not surprised to learn that Zhang has a background in psychology. This book is an unflinching look at the influencer lifestyle and the lengths people could (it's fiction, after all) go to in order to achieve their deepest desires. The narrative around society's obsession with social media is what drew me in and the moral complexity is what kept me reading on.

Themes: Morality, Interpersonal Relationships, Trauma, Culture, Modern Society

Gripes: None.

Overall: This book is so good.
So good.
So good.
So good. (You'll get it when you read the book)
I really liked this book and would recommend to anyone who has likes caustic, psychological thrillers!

Rating: 4/5

Thank you Atria and NetGalley for this digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

First thing’s first, Julie Chan absolutely did not kill her twin sister.

Julie and her identical twin Chloe live very different lives. After they were separated following their parents’ deaths, Chloe was adopted by an affluent white couple in NYC and Julie was left with her callus and calculating aunt. Julie is now the cashier at the local supermarket swiping sandwiches for her meals and Chloe is one of the hottest influencers around rolling in big sponsorship money. The two girls haven’t spoken to each other in years when suddenly Julie receives a mysterious call from her sister. When Julie goes to NY suspecting something might be wrong she finds Chloe dead in her apartment. Before she can fully think, the police have assumed she is Chloe and the dead girl is actually Julie, the sister. As Julie steps into Chloe’s life she soon discovers that internet fame comes with a hefty price tag.

Wow this book was something else. I quite literally could not put it down. Each chapter got wilder and wilder. This story is a mix of Yellowface and The Other Black Girl, possibly even more disturbing. If you enjoyed those books then I absolutely recommend this one. There were a couple of loose ends for me at the end and it felt a little rushed to tie it all up which is why I am giving it 4/5 stars.

Julie Chan is Dead comes out April 29th so add it to your TBR list now.

This book was super fun!! Julie Chan takes over her estranged twin’s life when she finds her dead in her apartment. I loved all the elements in this book and loved how crazy it got!

Thank you, NetGalley, for this awesome ARC!

3.75 ⭐️ whew what a wild ride 🤣 this book is pretty insane (esp the ending), but it was an addictive and very fun read. It really reminded me of Yellowface - the highly unlikeable main character & the constant worry and stress that she’ll get found out (in this case, for taking over her twins influencer life). Also reminded me a lot of Bunny & the creepy cult vibes with beautiful women. Overall very entertaining, but I think the ending was a tad ridiculous. Also H A T E D the mouse scene.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

Julie Chan is Dead is a fast-paced, addictive read that pulls you into the chaotic world of influencer culture, internet obsession, and the search for validation. Julie and Chloe, identical twins separated at birth, grew up in vastly different circumstances—Julie with a manipulative aunt, Chloe in an affluent family. While Julie struggled in isolation, Chloe built a massive online presence. But after Chloe’s sudden death, Julie is thrust into her sister’s world, navigating the highs and lows of influencer fame, cult-like followings, and the lengths people will go to for relevance.

This book is an absolute page-turner. I found myself completely absorbed in Julie’s downward spiral, even when her choices made me cringe. The satire on influencer culture is spot-on—both ridiculous and unsettlingly real. The book doesn’t just explore the glamorous side of internet fame but also its toxicity, the relentless need for validation, and the blurred lines between performance and reality.

While the pacing kept me hooked, I did find myself wanting more emotional depth. Julie’s character is fascinating but hard to connect with, which made certain moments feel distant rather than gut-wrenching. That said, I still had a great time reading it. It’s the kind of book that keeps you thinking even when you’re not reading, with twists that left me genuinely shocked. If you’re looking for a gripping, dramatic read—especially one to snap you out of a reading slump—this is it. I’ll definitely be picking up whatever Liann Zhang writes next.

Wow wow wow!!! This book had me on the edge of my seat the whole time. It started as a Yellowface meets Ingrid Goes West and shifted into a very unnerving Midsommar. As I was reading this, I recommended it to many friends and they have it on their lists to purchase when it comes out. Thank you so much for this incredibly fun and wild ARC!!

3.5 stars

I enjoyed this novel, but I do think a younger reader would be the perfect audience for this book. I loved the inside look at star influencers and the social commentary on what it means to be internet famous. An entertaining read.

My thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

This was a creative premise and the first half of the book had me laughing and fully engaged. I did not enjoy the second half of the book as much as the first, but it was still a quick and easy read. I’d recommend that others try this book and see for themselves

This book, oh my gosh. I started reading it thinking I'd be in for a relaxing/cozy thriller: something I'm familiar with but with fresh spin on it like the social media/influencer world. From page one, Julie's narration style had me by the throat. I could feel her emotions, and watching her enter the influencer world—Chloe's life—was like watching a disaster in slow motion, but I couldn't look away. No spoilers, but I could barely get up to eat or drink water as the book spiraled out of control in the second half. I really recommend this to anyone—but especially people who're getting out of a reading slump.

I was beyond excited for this read even from the time that I saw the blurbs for it. Loving so far and more review to come!

✨Book Review ✨

Julie Chan is Dead by Liann Zhang
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Julie Chan is living in a frustrating cycle of going to a job she hates, trying to survive in the world and having nothing, except for her twin Chloe. Chloe has everything, she’s an influencer with lots of adoring fans and sponsorships. One day Julie gets an odd call from Chloe and decides to check on her. Julie finds Chloe in her apartment but Chloe does not have a pulse. Julie sees everything Chloe has and remembers they are twins…who would know the difference if Julie were to live as Chloe?

THIS. BOOK. IS. A. WILD. RIDE!!!

I loved how unhinged the influencer world is depicted and Julie’s internal monologue when interacting with that world was perfection!

I loved the relationships Julie formed, the perspective Julie had on the influencer world and its depiction of how easy it is to get trapped in the cycle of validation from social media. The twists and turns and ending of the book was so wild I had to pick my jaw up from the floor after I finished it!

I highly recommend for a fast paced unhinged thriller!


✨ OUT TODAY!!!! ✨


*Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for the eARC in exchange for an honest review 💌





Review will be posted on pub day 4/29 on Goodreads and instagram

Just when I thought this was going to be a little ole' story about an influencer and her problems, this became UNHINGED and went all culty and I was SO happy. That's it. That's the review. I'm just happy this book exists.

Julie Chan did not kill her sister.

Julie, our narrator, is the disillusioned twin sister of influencer Chloe VanHuusen. Julie and Chloe have been separated since they were 4 years old and have lived vastly different lives in the time since. Chloe calls Julie one night, scaring Julie into believing something is wrong, prompting her to drop everything and head straight to New York City to check on Julie. Unfortunately, when Julie arrives, Chloe is dead, and Julie makes a split second decision to impersonate Chloe and tell everyone that the body is Julie, quickly plunging Julie head first into Chloe's world of fashion, exercise classes, and influencer events. But, bit by bit, Julie begins to question if Chloe's life was really as perfect as she had believed, and she starts to wonder, what really happened to Chloe.

This book was an incredible read from a debut author. At times, Julie's narration is cuttingly humorous, and I found myself laughing at decidedly not funny situations simply because of how Julie described the situation. I was absolutely engrossed in this book, desperate to find out what would happen next and how Julie would approach each situation. I thoroughly enjoyed this read, and am hesitant to share too much so as not to ruin it for readers.

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

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!!!!!