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I was hooked right away - the plot grabbed me from page 1.
Initially the story felt farfetched… but halfway through? It clicked. (well done Liann)

I thought I had one of the twists figured out but it turns out that was just the tip of the iceberg.

Smart and layered structure. The reveals are timed perfectly to keep the tension without overwhelming.

Sharp and timely commentary on social media and the chaos it breeds. I loved how it explored identity and online performance without being heavy handed.

The characters felt fresh and relevant and messy in a real and deliberate way.

The story definitely gives white lotus vibes - layered and dark and a little absurd in the best way. The story really dives in to exploring the dark parts of social media and influencer culture. I think this would make a great limited series.

The ending landed with a clean wrap up with no loose threads. it felt satisfying in a weird way.

Thank you netgalley for the ARC! I loved it.

This book was wild and it takes absolutely no time for things to go off the rails. Julie Chan lives a rather unremarkable life as a grocery store clerk in a small town. When she gets a late night call from her twin sister, who hasn’t been a part of her life since they were children, she immediately knows something is wrong. When Julie discovers Chloe’s body she sees it not as a tragedy but an opportunity. Why should Chloe’s life go to waste when it’s ripe for the taking.

I thought the wildest thing that would happen in Julie Chan is Dead would be Julie assuming Chloe’s identity after she dies. Boy was I wrong! It’s shockingly easy for Julie to integrate herself into Chloe’s world and adopt her life as her own. Not even those closest to her, the influencers known as The Belladonnas, detect anything is different. When their annual vacation comes up, Julie sees it as the ultimate test to prove she can pass as a Chloe. Once they reach the island, Julie realizes the world of influencing may be even darker than she expected. The blurb describing this as Yellowface meets Bunny is absolutely accurate, but throw in a little bit of Midsommar for added measure.

This is a debut?! I’m shocked. Zhang’s writing is quippy and hilarious. I probably shouldn’t have found this as funny as I did. I look forward to reading more from her in the future.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria for a review copy.

This was delightfully unhinged! The first line of the book is “One thing needs to made clear: I did not kill my twin sister.” And from that line on, it was just wild. I swear, I sat through the last 25% with my mouth open. I highly recommend if you are looking for a fast read that is also a dumpster fire. . Its one of those book where you really don’t like the main character but you find yourself rooting for her nevertheless. lol.
Liann Zhang has done an excellent job 4/5


Thank you to net Galley for the EArc all opinions are my own

A ROLLERCOASTER. I love the point of view, I loved the world that Zhang build - it felt so removed from real-life but it is a reality (in a sense) for many. I found myself needing to pause from the overwhelm, much like with social media, in order to reset. I don't mean that I didn't enjoy every second of this book, but it truly did what it set out to do. It was wonderfully uncomfortable and beautifully written. I can't wait to see more from this author.

This was a wild ride. The blurb accurately describes it as "Yellowface" meets "Bunny", but I also got heavy "Midsommar" and "Natural Beauty" vibes. I highly recommend this if you're looking for a fast read that feels like a dumpster fire that you can't look away from! I appreciated the commentary on social media and race in this one too, despite the fact that I think it all got a little lost at certain points. It was an interesting experience to be inside Julie's head and I loved the unique take on a dynamic with twins. The basic plot sounds like something familiar, but I thought it very much felt like something new.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the e-arc!

Such a fun read! The end was a little weird but it was worth the read! Definitely recommend! I wouldn’t call it a thriller but defiantly a mystery.

Very fun and unputdownable read! The first half was very different than the second half but I enjoyed it all and had a great time reading it.

{3.5 stars}

Thanks to Atria Books for gifted access via Netgalley. All opinions below are my own.

This is a story about influencers, and how they will do just about anything to become and stay famous. When Julie’s estranged twin dies, she is pulled into a web of lies, deceit and fame chasing. It starts off with your run of the mail influencer stuff and then takes a twist into a full-blown WTF cult moment.

This one reminded me a lot of Kat St John’s The Lion’s Den meets Elizabeth Rose Quinn’s Follow Me. I don’t really get the comparisons to Yellowface, other than the main character being Asian and forgery being a plot point. It didn’t have the snap or shock value of Yellowface. I enjoyed the story but struggled with Julie‘s back-and-forth between being a little horrified by influencers and yet kind of addicted to the life style. I feel like her natural fit into that world so quickly didn’t ring true. Definitely a bananas read if you like things that are super far-fetched.

This reads like a mashup between Yellowface and Bunny, and unfortunately it didn’t quite work for me. I throughly enjoyed the first portion of the book but the second part completely lost me as the book descended into madness.

When Julie discovers her twin dead, and the paramedics assume it’s her, she assumes her sisters identity and becomes Chloe Van Huusen and discovers the dark underworld in which her sister was involved in, and just how dangerous influencer cults can be. This was an unhinged and witty thriller that had me confused and shocked the whole way through. Liann Zhang has done an excellent job with this thriller, for fans of Yellowface and Blink Twice. 4.5/5

What the heck did I just read?? I will admit this type of book isn't usually in my wheelhouse of favorite books. But I needed a palate cleanser and it sounded fun and juicy. And the beginning was pretty fun. I had to suspend my disbelief a lot at the idea of Julie swapping lives with her now-deceased rich influencer twin Chloe. But I could deal with that.

I enjoyed seeing Julie slip into her sister's very-different-from-hers life and her efforts to interact with other influencers and create content. But once Julie leaves for a super private retreat run by a huge influencer, things went off the rails. Like really crazy. And I just couldn't.

I feel like the author could have continued the book in a "normal" kind of sort of believable way and it would have been fabulous. She could have even still made it a thriller. She is a great writer and I feel bad that her novel took a direction I just couldn't get on board with. But it does seem like it has an audience and some people are loving it, so maybe this is just a case of every book doesn't have to be for me!

It was interesting but I’m not sure if I liked it. Kinda felt like Bunny mixed with Midsommer. I will say it was not predictable.

Julie Chan Is Dead is a wild, darkly funny dive into influencer culture, toxic friendships, and twisted family ties. The satirical tone and cult-like dynamics were both disturbing and hilarious—an odd but compelling mix.

That said, the book felt split in two: a gripping, slow-burn first half gave way to an over-the-top second act that pushed absurdity to the limit. The tonal shift was jarring, and at times, it felt like I was reading two different novels. Still, Zhang nailed the claustrophobic setting and leaned all the way into the madness.

Liann Zhang's "Julie Chan is Dead" is a sharp and compelling thriller that grabs you from the first page and doesn't let go. The premise alone is intriguing: a down-on-her-luck supermarket cashier stepping into the impossibly glamorous life of her deceased influencer twin sister. Zhang masterfully contrasts Julie's gritty reality with the polished facade of Chloe's online persona, creating a fascinating dynamic as Julie navigates a world of luxury fashion and obsessive followers.
The initial transformation is seamless and almost intoxicating, but the allure quickly fades as Julie uncovers the darkness lurking beneath Chloe's perfect image. Zhang skillfully builds suspense, revealing layers of paranoia, manipulation, and sinister secrets that kept me eagerly turning pages. The setting of the private island retreat, populated by an elite and secretive clique of influencers, amplifies the claustrophobic tension and raises the stakes considerably.
What truly elevated this book for me was the ending. Without giving anything away, the narrative took a turn that I genuinely did not see coming. It was a bold and unexpected direction that added a whole new layer to the story and left me reeling in the best possible way. Zhang's ability to surprise and subvert expectations in the final act is a testament to her skillful storytelling.
While the pacing occasionally felt slightly uneven in the middle, the strong character development, particularly Julie's compelling journey, and the expertly crafted suspense more than compensate. "Julie Chan is Dead" is a thrilling and thought-provoking read that explores the dark side of fame and the complexities of identity. Highly recommended for fans of suspense with a penchant for the unexpected.

Woah! This was a wild ride in the best way. I normally find books that have an influencer angle to be a little cheesy and, at times, hard to read, but THIS was something different. Throwing in a cult, some horror, twins, and a private island really does the trick! Thank you, NetGalley!

This debut thriller is totally addictive, a sharp, modern mystery that explores the obsession with social media and the extreme lengths people go to for fame. It follows Julie Chan, who grew up in hardship while her twin sister Chloe was adopted into wealth and became a successful influencer. When Chloe suddenly dies under mysterious circumstances, Julie steps into her sister’s life, partly out of curiosity, partly out of desperation.

As she takes over Chloe’s identity, Julie begins to uncover disturbing secrets about Chloe’s relationships, a potential exposé, and the truth behind her death. Things escalate when she’s invited to an influencer retreat on a remote island where nothing is as it seems.

The first half of the book was my favorite, emotional, suspenseful, and impossible to put down. The second half gets a little wild, but it’s still fun, clever, and darkly entertaining. If you’re into twisty thrillers with commentary on influencer culture, this one’s a must read.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC!

I really liked this book!! It’s very poignant and is crazy accurate about the wild stuff influencers have actually don’t in real life. It does well to talk about race and how that impacts success as an influencer.

It did get a little lucid dreamy toward the end, and I didn’t love how the mystery of Chloe’s death wrapped up, which is why I gave it a four star.

~ARC Reader~
Thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for giving me access to this ARC!

Julie Chan is Dead is the story of a girl, Julie, discovering her super famous (and estranged) influencer twin, Chloe, dead in her apartment. When she calls the police, she decides in the moment to assume Chloe's identity and live the lavish life she's always envied. But somehow, trying to prove to the public, and Chloe's influencer friends, that she is who she claims to be is not the weirdest thing that comes from Julie's decision...

The first two-thirds of this book had me hooked. I was locked in as we explored toxicity of social media, and the addictive feedback loop it can create, the white-washing of influencing spaces, and the lack of depth in some of these online "friendships." And then we get to the island. And the story takes a hard turn for the supernatural. In doing so, I feel like we lost the thread of a really strong commentary we had going. <spoiler>The supernatural plot line wouldn't have actually bothered me all that much if Julie hadn't ended up swallowing it down as truth in the end. That really just killed the ending for me.</spoiler> And after the island I feel like we were just struggling to close the story and are left on a really odd cliff-hangar? Maybe that's just me though. Overall, I think this could have easily been a 5 star story if the ending had gone a different direction - but I would definitely read more from Liann Zhang. Their writing style was engaging and interesting all the way through, the plot just slipped at the end for me.

Julie Chan Is Dead by Liann Zhang is a quick tale about twin sisters, one of whom flies under the radar while the other accumulates thousands of followers as an influencer. When one dies, the other steps in to replace her, and the story just rolls on from there. This book has one of those characters whom you hate to like because of the decision she makes. Read and enjoy!

This book is hard to summarize due to it being a amalgamation of three books in one: a psychological girls trip ala Bunny, a whodunnit with Listen for the Lie vibes, and a cautionary influencer/tech tale that reminded me of Aesthetica. I have read Yellowface and can see where a comparison could be made, but it didn't give me those vibes at all. Unfortunately, it doesn't stick to one of those enough to do it well and overall ends up a muddled, jumpy mess by the end.

One of the things this book does well is creates a complex, relatable, humanistic character in Julie Chen. Until the last 10-15% or so, her actions are all relatable and understandable. Her past is explained in just enough detail for the reader to understand why she would make the choices she would and just how addicting this new lifestyle could become for someone in her situation. And for a while, I cheered for her! Sure she's committing fraud, but she should get to experience the finer things for a bit until she ultimately gets caught. If all of these other weird white women get to to do it, so should she.

And then as the retreat comes, and as it leaned more into Bunny territory, I unfortunately couldn't help but compare it to that, and it just doesn't have the whimsy, weirdness, and pure magic that Bunny does. The women are never individually fleshed out, but also don't feel like a cohesive group. It's hard to explain, but when you have almost the exact same concept to compare it to, it's difficult to not go, "you're not that."

Also, the events with Iz just sat with me wrong. I feel like she should have had more of an impact on the end result of the story or on the weekend as a whole. She comes across as a strong character with a sense of self and independence, but we don't really get to see her demonstrate that except in one "angry black woman" outburst at the retreat. I feel like she would have been able to figure some of this out on her own and act on it in the same way Julie did, but better because she wasn't trying to pull off fraud at the same time.

Overall I gave it three stars. I did enjoy reading it. I read it fast and looked forward to reading it. I would read a book by this author again, but I think it did this book a disservice by comparing it to such unique books like Bunny and Yellowface right out of the gate, setting expectations too high to be met.