I loved this book so much! I was gripped from the first page. I loved all the twists and turns. A lot of which I was not expecting at all! I can't believe this is a debut novel. I cant wait for Liann Zhang's next novel.

Thank you much for the early read! I absolutely devoured JULIE CHAN IS DEAD. It’s always fun to peek behind the curtain to see the secret lives of influencers— especially when they’re off making terrible deals with the supernatural! The plot and pacing were fantastic and there was one moment in particular that had me actually squirming away from the horror playing out on page.

Líann Zhang the woman that you are...I could not put this book down. It was so unbelievably wonderful. I have seen a lot of comparisons to "Yelloface" but, in all honesty this was a much better and more gripping read. It was so easy to get absorbed into the world of Julie Chan as Chloe and the cult of social media influencers. I enjoyed the small nods to real stories seen on social media like tiktok and think that this will easily be a cult classic. An absolutely fantastic debut. I am very excited to see what else Zhang writes in the future.

What a wild ride, weird books are BACK. Avoiding spoilers, this absolutely did not go where I expected it to and my jaw was on the floor during the last third. I was hooked from start to finish, but the first and second halves felt like different books and I am still not sure what the focus was meant to be. There was a lot going on and it wrapped up very abruptly, leaving me unsatisfied and wanting more. I thought the twists and turns were well-planned and campily unbelievable in a great way, yet I don't think everything that was happening here quite fit together as it should've. Still, this was a very fun and unexpectedly strange read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of this book! This was an interesting read, and very similar to last year's big hit Yellowface, in a lot of ways.

Our story follows Julie Chan, who was separated from her identical twin at the age of 4, when their parents died and they were split up during the adoption process. While Julie now works at a grocery store and lives with a verbally abusive aunt and cousin, Chloe has become a mega YouTuber star and influencer. One day Julie gets a cryptic phone call from Chloe and finds her dead in her New York city apartment. From there, Julie takes on Chloe's identity and life, learning more than she bargained for about what it means to be an influencer and run in the circle of the Belladonnas, a group of influencers led by the famous influence, Bella Marie.

This book was engaging, fast paced, and funny. I think the spot where the plot lost me was around the 70% mark, where a bunch of weird things begin to happen. I don't want to spoil anything for other reads, but it gets hella weird. I kind of predicted that some of this would happen, but some of what was described, there was no way to predict, haha. I really enjoyed the way this story wrapped up and how it all ended, albeit it a little clean. The end also really highlights how appealing power, attention, and popularity can be.

Overall a great read and anyone who liked Yellowface would probably eat this one up too! 3.5 stars!

Julie Chan is dead is a compulsively readable contemporary thriller. I could not put this down, it made my couple of hours on the train fly by! I'll admit I did like the first half better, since the ending got a bit weird, but overall I still enjoyed this. It reminded me a lot of Bunny by Mona Awad and a bit like Yellowface by R.F Kuang. The commentary it provided on influencer culture was also very interesting. There are aspects of this book i will be thinking about for a long time!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me a complimentary ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a fun read similar to Yellowface in it's subject matter, but with some twists and turns that made the first half and second half of the book almost like reading two different stories. The first half was really was well executed, while the second half became something like an absurd fever dream of events that turned almost comedic. Overall, this was highly readable and kept me engaged in the story throughout as Julie navigates taking over her twin sister's identity after finding her dead to figure out what really happened to her twin. It veered into some commentary on influencer culture and how we as a society value attention and validation. It deserves the buzz it's getting, and is well worth the read despite its shortcomings.

3.5 stars. Flew through this one- fast-paced and I read it in one sitting. Felt similar (in a good way) to Yellowface but 10x better. As a creator myself the first half of the book came at no surprise, however if you aren't a creator I can see how it would be fascinating.

It did feel like 2 different books and the turn it took was surprising but I'm all for twists and turns. I think it's one of those thrillers with a darker theme, comparing social media to a cult.

Thank you to Netgalley and Atria books for providing me with an ARC.

3.75 stars. That was a wild ride!! Very entertaining but I think the commentary could have been scaled back a little bit. Overall it was a solid read that kept me interested. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

What a premise! Chinese-American twins separated at age 4 after their parents death: one adopted by a wealthy white family and one taken in by a cruel, abusive aunt. After a troubling phone call, the abused twin finds the wealthy twin -- who happens to be a famous influencer -- dead in her fancy NYC apartment and decides to step into her life amongst the top (white with one notable exception) influencers. On that note, the book's cover image is perfect.

Julie Chan is Dead follows a young woman who steals her mega-influencer twin’s identity after she mysteriously dies, only to discover that her twin’s picture-perfect life is more sinister than it appeared on social media.
I think this book is pretty fun. But maybe I'm a bit biased haha. xx

Julie Chan Is Dead by Liann Zhang is a rollercoaster of suspense, glamour, and razor-sharp commentary on fame and identity. From the first page, it pulls you into a world that feels glossy and alluring on the surface but hides something darker just underneath. It’s one of those books that keeps you guessing at every turn, and even when you think you know where it’s headed, it veers sharply in another direction.

The protagonist, Julie, is a fascinatingly flawed character whose journey feels both shocking and unsettlingly real. Zhang doesn’t shy away from exploring the murky waters of morality, and readers are left questioning the characters’ choices.

What stood out most to me was how the book subtly but effectively explores the power of perception - how easily narratives can be twisted and truths reshaped in the court of public opinion. It’s a light, binge-able read with moments of genuine suspense and just the right touch of eeriness.

If you’re a fan of stories that balance intrigue and thought-provoking social commentary, Julie Chan Is Dead is one you won’t want to miss. It’s clever, chilling, and so much fun.

Julie had had a rough life thus far. Her and her twin are separated. Chloe getting adopted into a rich and glamorous life and going on to being a popular influencer while Julie is raised by a bitter Aunt and stuck in a dead end job with no real prospects. When she discovers her twin has died she makes a decision. Why should this all go to waste? Chloe can’t use all that money and fame anymore anyway right? Turns out that the influencer life might be A LOT more than she bargained for.

WOOOOOOW this was a wild and binge worthy ride. Julie makes some let’s say questionable choices, but she remains in my opinion a likable character. You really want her to win. I did feel like this was only two books in one with two completely different vibes. Almost like at some point, but you’re not sure when you’ve fallen down the rabbit hole and woke up elsewhere with no recollection of how. The first 2/3 was more my usual “type” but the entire book kept me guessing. I definitely didn’t see one single part of it coming which is refreshing in the thriller universe!

Thank you Atria books via NetGalley for the eARC! All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I am not even sure where to start or how to write this review without giving anything away. First things first, I loved it! This book starts as a light I’m going to steal my sister’s identity to a whoa, where is this going, to a damn this is absolutely bonkers. What a wild ride! Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

Julie Chan is Dead follows Julie, a girl in her 20s stuck on a dead-end job who is fixated on her famous, successful influencer twin sister Chloe. When her sister unexpectedly dies, Julie takes the chance to take over Chloe’s life creating internet content. As she gets to know Chloe’s friends and goes on their annual, off-grid girls’ trip, Julie starts to see the ugly underbelly of influencing.

This book surprised me in so many ways. I loved the commentary on social media and influencing and Julie as an absolute anti-hero. I thought I knew how this story was going to play out (and I was excited for that option too!) but I could never have predicted the twists that the plot took! I’m obsessed with this one and can’t believe it’s a debut.

What a premise! Chinese-American twins separated at age 4 after their parents death: one adopted by a wealthy white family and one taken in by a cruel, abusive aunt. After a troubling phone call, the abused twin finds the wealthy twin -- who happens to be a famous influencer -- dead in her fancy NYC apartment and decides to step into her life amongst the top (white with one notable exception) influencers. On that note, the book's cover image is perfect.

Fantastic idea. And overall this was a good read. I didn't LOVE it though, I think in part due to the pacing -- the first half felt slow and the second half became a page-turner. And in part due to some disturbing scenes which are necessary for the story but just aren't something I want to read.

I do recommend it though! Liann Zhang's commentary on influencers and the toxicity of social media is spot on. That rush when you get likes and feel loved even though it is not real -- she captures it perfectly. This is her first book and I look forward to more from her.

Thank you Atria Books and NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you so much @atriabooks for my gifted copy of Julie Chan is Dead by Luann Zhang, a Mystery Thriller that will have you invested until that last page. Pub Date: April 29th 2025

I was thrilled when I received this early ARC as this was high on my “most anticipated” thrillers. Trust me, I was glued to my kindle because I NEEDED to know what too good to be true really is; that ending didn’t disappoint.

If you are looking for a book that will take you on a roller coaster ride with random humor, random horror and no predictions on what will be next, then you need to preorder this debut novel. Wow, what a wild ride that was!📚

When I picked this one up, I couldn't put it down...I stayed up WAY too late that first night eating it up! As a millennial who lived through the rise of social media, I'm a sucker for any thriller about influencers! I loved Julie's voice and development...definitely gave me big "Yellowface" vibes as some of the quotes in the forward mentioned. The allusions and snark toward actual influencers were witty and humorous without being TOO obvious and in your face.

Then we get to about the 60% mark. What. The. Heck.

I've never experienced such whiplash in my LIFE. I don't want to give too much away, but it turned down a road that was just too dark, gruesome, and strange for me. It felt out of place and a bit much compared to the beginning. I'm wondering if it was meant to be satirical, but it just didn't work for me.

3.5 rounded up to 4 stars for me. Thank you for the ARC!

Julie Chan and her twin sister Chloe have led very different lives since their parents were killed and they were separated. Chloe was adopted by a wealthy white couple and has led a life of luxury, continuing into her adulthood as a famous influencer. Julie was adopted by her temperamental aunt and works as a cashier at a supermarket. The sisters have barely interacted since childhood, so it is alarming in more ways than one when Julie discovers Chloe’s dead body. With her sister gone, Julie sees a perfect opportunity to finally have a nice life…Chloe’s life.

This is a fun albeit over-the-top look at the dark side of influencing and perpetuating the myth of the perfect life. There is a bit of a Midsommar feel to the book, especially when the influencers all get to their island retreat, with a bit of campiness thrown in. The book is fun in a darkly comedic way, and it is an interesting look at social media, influencing, and cultlike mentality. Julie herself is not the most likable character, making it hard to be invested in her outcome, but this is an entertaining read.

Julie Chan’s life is going nowhere. Chinese-American, orphaned at the age of four, she is living with her aunt and cousin, treated like Cinderella, spending her days as a cashier at a grocery store. In contrast, her identical twin sister Chloe was adopted by a rich white family and has become a glamorous influencer. That is, until the day Julie discovers Chloe’s dead body and realizes that no one knows. Who would it hurt if she just switched lives? Isn’t it her turn to enjoy the riches and fame that she never thought could be hers?

What follows is an over-the-top roller coaster ride of events that I couldn’t predict. There are strong elements of horror in this darkly comic social satire set in the world of influencers; this is probably not a novel for sensitive readers. It is, however, highly entertaining, with prose so assured that I am shocked this is a debut. Highly recommended for fans of satirical and morbid humor.