I loved this book! I thought it was insane that this is a debut novel. It was hilarious yet mysterious yet thrilling all at once. Such a unique concept for a book - I can honestly say I’ve never read anything like it.

This book was weird and I can’t say that I have entirely made up my mind on how I feel about it. The story just became more unhinged as it progressed. I didn’t feel much for Julie - I think she actually made me mad at times. As for the rest of the characters, they were really unlikeable. I feel that this may have actually been intentional since the premise is within the glitz and glamour of influencers life. We are given a chance to see a much darker side of things - not that it’s at all realistic.
The good thing about the book is that it did keep me engaged and despite the several “what the heck” moments, I did want to know what was going to happen next.
I would recommend this book to readers that enjoy an unhinged thriller.
Many thanks to Atria Books and NetGalley for a digital advanced reader copy of the book. The opinions expressed are given freely and are honest and my own.

A wonderfully unhinged look at inluencers and the lives of the perpetually online. Great writing that kept me on my toes, with enough twists and turns to keep me guessing. Things slow down in between reveals, but the action picks up over and over again - a true roller coaster of a read.

This book surprised me in a good way! At the beginning I thought it was going to be a mystery but halfway through it definitely turned more thriller vibes. I normally don't like "twin" tropes but for some reason this one worked for me. It reminded me a bit of the book Bunny which was fun for me. This is definitely more of a popcorn thriller. The writing was easy to read and the chapters were short. With that said, it was still able to lace in commentary on social media and our relationship with it. I will keep my eye on this author for sure👀

Bunny meets the midnight feast meets the honeys

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This is a really fun thriller. I went out and purchases myself a copy for my collection! I understand why this book is everywhere.

SYNOPSIS
Julie Chan has nothing. Her twin sister has everything. Except a pulse.

Julie Chan, a supermarket cashier with nothing to lose, finds herself thrust into the glamorous yet perilous world of her late twin sister, Chloe VanHuusen, a popular influencer. Separated at a young age, the identical twins were polar opposites and rarely spoke, except for one viral video that Chloe initiated (Finding My Long-Lost Twin And Buying Her A House #EMOTIONAL). When Julie discovers Chloe’s lifeless body under mysterious circumstances, she seizes the chance to live the life she’s always envied.

What. Did. I. Just. Read?

Okay, I love a good twisted thriller that has insane plot points and anti-hero vibes, so Julie Chan absolutely nailed that for me and I have so many thoughts about this novel.

Julie girl, clean your house. I know it's not technically YOUR house but you would feel a lot better if it was a nice clean space regardless of your sister giving it to you for internet cred.

You just TAKE OVER your sister's life? Really? That's insane. Like, totally insane. I don't even want to borrow my sisters shoes (she has tiny feet tho)

Even I have a 2 factor authentication on my banking app and I barely make anything, yet Julie was able to get into every aspect of Chloe's life with zero issues and just BE her. Nobody batted an eye. So wild to me.

Okay there might be some spoilers in this next part so stop now, go read this book and then come back so we discuss okay? Great?

************************************************

Back? Great! Let's continue.

On the surface I think we can take this book as a really crazy ride through a make believe world of unbelievable characters making more money than you or I could ever imagine. It was campy and a bit silly and ridiculous.

Now, let's dig a little deeper. The cult of Eto and sacrificing something you hold dear - what do we think of this? Do we find parallels in how toxic the cult of social media is? Oh you don't think that social media is a cult? Let me direct you to Dr Steven Hassan's BITE model on his website.

Influencers are a fairly new celebrity and I am genuinely fascinated by the concept of being famous for dancing next to your sick baby on an app (Yeah Whitney, we get it, the baby was feeling better, you were still in the freaking hospital), or for applying makeup while talking about your life. It is so interesting how people are absolutely desperate to look at the screen and find some sort of comfort in a stranger validating them that because we use the same makeup brand. I truly feel like people are getting lonelier and more isolated because every aspect of their life is lived for the 'Gram and nobody is making any real connections anymore.

I have several "influencer" friends, obviously nowhere near to making tens of thousands of dollars on a single post, but on a small scale, they do make part of their living from posting, and I have noticed that aspects of living for other people's views really does tend to screw with their perspective, or some become so absolutely inauthentic you have no idea if what they are saying is actually the truth about how they feel.

I had an experience where an online friend group reminded me just how important real life connections and friendships are. I made the mistake of sharing something that I was SO excited about - very quickly I was completely shut down for being naive and unrealistic about the situation. I had a really good cry, went for coffee with my best friend IRL and reminded myself that internet friends literally disappear the moment I power off my iPhone. Perhaps that friend had offered to Eto my joy and excitement as her compensation for a few more follows and likes.

My point being, it is so easy to get sucked into the culture of being like online and getting a following. I obviously have a very small presence on the internet as a book reviewer and Bookstagrammer (make sure to give me a like and follow bestie!) And there have been times where a post has not "performed well" and you actually feel disappointment that you ONLY got 200 likes. Could you imagine if 200 people showed up at your house to tell you they liked something you did? You would be absolutely overwhelmed. I think that this book was SUCH a brilliant way to remind us to look up from our phones, go touch grass and show up for the people in our life that actually matter before they are killed a sacrifice to an old god who blesses his followers with private islands and designer sunglasses.

💌 Thank you Simon & Schuster for sending me the e-ARC through netgalley in exchange for an honest review!

4 ★

“Julie Chan has nothing. Her twin sister has everything. Except a pulse.”

This was the punchline that first got me interested in this book. The book’s premise also reminded me of R.F. Kuang’s Yellowface, which I really enjoyed. So I thought I’d enjoy this one too, which for the most part, I did. While Yellowface and Julie Chan is Dead have similar premises, the plot for both of these books is really different.

My favourite aspect of this book was the short chapters. Accompanied by the mystery, it made this book a page turner. I never felt like there was a part where the story was slow. The story was fast-paced, which I enjoyed for mystery/thriller books.

Although the ending felt a little rushed to me, I feel like the payoff was worth it. It’s something this book did well compared to Yellowface (don’t get me wrong I still really enjoyed Yellowface). Surprisingly, my predictions for some of the twists did come true, and it was satisfying to see that I was right. Despite the story’s somewhat predictable twists, it was still an overall enjoyable read.

The intrigue was there since the beginning. Mainly, I wanted to know what happened to Chloe, and if there was any foul play. And also the hints of the Belladonnas’ shifty nature towards the annual nature retreat had me thinking up theories for it. You know I’m invested in a mystery when I do this. I didn’t expect to be right about my main theory.

Something I’m really interested in is the Belladonnas. Like yes, they were talked about in the story, but I would’ve maybe loved to see each of their backstories in more detail so it reveals more of their motivations? What drives their devotion? Was it really just because they were grateful to Bella Marie? Maybe also more on the reason behind the formation of the Belladonnas. I feel like I didn’t get to understand Bella Marie all that much.

2.5 stars

I didn’t expect this book to fall into the "weird girl lit" category, but it definitely does. I’d seen comparisons to Yellowface by R.F. Kuang, which is one of my all-time favorites, so I was really excited going in.

The premise is undeniably intriguing. Julie, our main character, assumes the identity of her recently deceased twin, Chloe, after finding her dead in her apartment. Chloe was a famous influencer, so I was expecting some commentary on social media and the extremes people will go to for clout. Despite this promising setup, the story didn’t quite land for me.

One major issue was that Julie never seemed fully committed to her new identity in a believable way. Her decision to take over Chloe’s life very much happenstance, and although this loosely mirrors Yellowface in structure, her motives were not solid enough. As such, her actions often came across as impulsive rather than calculated.

On top of that, Julie wasn’t exactly the sharpest tool in the shed. Spoiler ahead! There’s really no excusing her decision to answer her aunt’s call and then speak to her in Chinese. It felt like an unbelievable misstep that pulled me out of the story.

I was also hoping for a more unhinged, deranged vibe, but Julie’s lack of conviction made that really difficult. She’s too hesitant and unsure of herself to really sell that kind of descent. Don’t get me wrong, it does get crazy, especially towards the end, but it took forever to get there.

The other characters were too robotic and too similar, it was hard to tell them apart. Maybe that's the point, idk, but to me, it made things boring rather than interesting. There also just wasn't enough tension to keep things exciting.

My review sounds pretty negative, but I don't think this book is badly written at all, it just fell short of my expectations. If you're into weird girl lit, you might actually enjoy this one.

While there were moments when I wasn’t entirely sure where Zhang was taking us, I stuck with it—and I’m glad I did. In the end, it’s a scathing, smart, and at times even darkly funny commentary on how social media and influencer culture distort our perceptions, inflate our egos, and amplify our ugliest impulses.

4.5 stars

Oh wow, this was one wild ride! I went into this thinking it fell in the “general fiction” category with a light mystery/thriller plot but I did not anticipate the turns this story takes into satire and horror as well. The author’s bio mentions she had a brief stint as a skincare content creator and while some of the situations are exaggerated for creative license, it also feels like she’s writing from a place of knowledge too. I laughed at the outlandish antics of the influencer world, partly because it felt satirical yet also maybe not really that far fetched either. Her commentary of the dark side of influencer culture, the lack of authenticity, fabricating situations for clout, and our addiction (because that’s what it is) to social media likes was so poignant.

The first 2/3 of this book is of a certain vibe, reminiscent of the racial identity themes in Yellowface, while establishing the hole that Julie keeps digging herself further and further into. You’re left wondering how is this going to get resolved… enter the last third. I saw some other reviews describe the book as unhinged, and honestly, that is a really great way to describe it. How things play out will keep you turning the pages while also stunned and horrified. Given the pacing of most of the story, the ending does feel a little abrupt, but I was also ready for it to get to where it was headed - and I loved the last line of the book. It was a very fitting way to close it out.

I really enjoyed this debut novel from a Canadian author (Toronto/Vancouver!) and definitely recommend it for those who like a tongue-in-cheek story with dark humour set in the world of rich and famous influencers.

Julia Chan is Dead by Liann Zhang is a book that dove deep behind the (sheer) curtain of influencers, with a dark twist.
The story follows Julie Chan, a supermarket cashier who has nothing. What’s worse than having nothing? Knowing that her twin sister has it all. The girls were separated at a young age and barely spoke until Chloe had that one vial video where they came together in a way that still haunts Julie.
The book takes a sharp left when Julie discovers Chloe is dead, and seized the chance to live the life she always wanted. What transpires next plunges Julie into Chloe’s over-the-top lifestyle, complete with a very privileged group of friends.
Pretending to be Chloe is easy, since they were identical twins, and enjoying all the perks that come with having millions of followers on various social platforms was equally as exciting. And when Julie is invited to a top-secret, elite retreat with an exclusive group of Chloe’s friends and fellow influencers, Julie really gets to see what these content creators really do behind the scenes and how the events quickly get out of control.
It immediately gave me Yellowface vibes, with an Asian influencer amidst mostly Caucasian affluent content creators, but there were many more laughs and delusion in this book. While the first part of the book focuses heavily on Julie’s life and struggles, we understand the connection she misses with such a public-facing sibling who she looks identical to. It’s when Chloe calls Julie with a message she doesn’t fully understand, that leads Julie to be compelled to visit her apartment and discover she is dead.
She easily steps into her shoes – not necessarily willingly - but not really mistakenly either. And watching her learn of her sister’s past and enjoy the spoils of her current lifestyle, she doesn’t really look back or feel much regret.
It’s only during a top-secret, exclusive retreat where things take another wild turn, and the true colours of Chloe’s ultra-elite influencer friends really shake Julie to the core. There were many twists – some a bit over-the-top, but sprinkled with a lot of humour and a few truly grotesque moments. As somebody who was in the influencer/content creator space for a while, this book takes cringy content deadlines and over-the-top PR packages and really adds colour in a way that left me turning the page.
This is Zhang’s first novel book and it didn’t disappoint. It was funny and intense. I give this book four stars and thank #simonschusterca and #netgalley for an advanced digital copy.

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Overall, This is a fun, tongue-in-cheek book that makes an off-beat argument for avoiding the social media influencer limelight.

The influencers in Julie Chan is Dead have millions of followers and make gobs of money on social media. I went in blind, and thought the book would be about the perils of social media with a thriller edge. When poor grocery store clerk Julie’s identical twin sister, rich influencer Chloe, dies and Julie assumes her identity, there’s intrigue and a huge learning curve. Indeed, the first half was kind of about that, all quite fun but pretty standard.

Then, the narrative changes and I can’t say too much without spoiling it, but the first hint I had was reading a scene where Julie/Chloe is at a party hosted by the uber-rich Bella Marie, who has gathered an elite group of influencers around her. It all seemed rather macabre and there were hints of horror vibes. Hmm, something seemed off. And it was, and it was a great ride!

This is a debut effort, which I think is impressive. It’s well-written, the reading is smooth and the pages turn quickly. It doesn’t have the depth of some stellar horror-ish novels, but I didn’t miss it, because it was just so fun. I’m certainly going to keep my eye out for what Zhang writes next.

Thanks to Simon & Schuster Canada and NetGalley for a gifted copy.

Julie Chan is a supermarket cashier barely scraping by, while her estranged twin sister, Chloe Van Huusen, lives a glamorous life as a successful social media influencer. But when Julie discovers Chloe's lifeless body, she seizes the opportunity to live the life she's always envied.

This book was an absolute thrill ride—entertaining, fast-paced, and impossible to put down. Zhang dives straight into the chaos, drawing me in from the very first chapter. I devoured it in just a couple of sittings because I was so eager to see how the story would unfold.

Interestingly, the novel feels like two distinct halves. The first half reminded me a lot of YELLOWFACE, offering a sharp critique on influencer culture, race, identity, and class. Julie quickly adapts to Chloe’s world, learning how to maintain engagement and navigate the complex social circles of online fame. As someone fascinated by influencer culture, I found Zhang’s commentary smart and well-balanced—it never felt overdone or heavy-handed.

Then, in the second half, things take a much darker, more chaotic turn. The plot becomes increasingly unpredictable, and the characters unravel in unexpected ways. While the twists kept the tension high, some felt a little over-the-top or thrown in just for shock value. That said, Zhang did a great job keeping me on edge, and just when I thought the story couldn’t get any wilder, it did—there’s one scene in particular that gave me chills. This is definitely a book best enjoyed with minimal spoilers, so I’ve kept my review vague to preserve the twists.

Overall, a solid debut! If you're into fast, messy thrillers with social commentary and a bit of madness, definitely check this one out. I'm curious to see what Zhang writes next.

3.5/5

Possibly among my top anticipated releases of 2025, Julie Chan Is Dead hooked me with its intriguing synopsis – a young woman (Julie) decides to take over her dead twin’s influencer life. While it reminded me of Yellowface and does share some similarities with the RF Kuang bestseller, Julie Chan Is Dead takes you on its own different journey, set in the world of influencers.

This book is an absolute wild ride! Right from the beginning, I found myself drawn into Julie’s life. While some of her actions are appalling, I was morbidly curious and fascinated with her character. I just couldn’t bring myself to look away from Julie’s chaos!

What I loved the best would be the portrayal of the Belladonnas and the peek into influencer life. I found these parts simultaneously hilarious and disturbing; they also made me wonder about the lives of influencers I’m familiar with. Many of the jarring social media elements mentioned in the book (like monetizing a personal tragedy or sponsored posts) felt eerily close to home.

Liann’s writing is compelling and makes you want to keep reading, because you just need to know what’s going to happen next. Every time some “twist” or surprise came about, I was eager to know how Liann would manage to get Julie through it.

Julie Chan Is Dead is unhinged, its own brand of crazy, and a fun read! Definitely recommend.

This story was like a dark and unhinged version of Parent Trap meets Yellowface meets You Will Never Be Me with some Get Out vibes.

Imagine being separated from your identical twin as a child and watching your twin flourish under rich (white) adoptive parents and becoming an incredibly successful influencer while you're stuck working as a cashier struggling to get by. When you visit your twin and find her body, what do you do? Tell the world that she's dead... or take her place and tell everyone that it's her twin who died? Afterall, no one can tell you apart. No one needs to know that you're an imposter.

The first half of this book was absolutely addicting as Julie slowly takes over Chloe's old life. Chloe's sparkly influencer life, lavish lifestyle, income ($45k for every other post?!) and the amount of love she receives from her followers is like a drug for Julie. But the longer she lives her life as Chloe, the more Julie realizes that Chloe's life isn't as positive and happy as it's made out to be on social media.

The second half of this book takes a darker turn when Julie goes on an exclusive weeklong vacation with a group of influencers. There were a lot of WTF moments that really challenged my suspension of disbelief.

But in the age of social media and wannabe influencers, it's important to have more books like these that highlight the dark side of this industry. Similarly to You Will Never Be Me, this story highlights the extremes that some people will go for likes, views, and engagement. This didn't just explore the dark side of social media, but also provided dark observations about identity, toxic friendships, the need for social validation and acceptance, and how to manipulate public perception.

Many thanks to Simon & Schuster Canada and Netgalley for the opportunity to review this book. I was very intrigued by the concept of a regular person earning minimum wage taking over the life of her influencer sister, I was however confused when I saw that some people were calling this a thriller. And then I finally got to the end of the book and I understood why that was. Wow the last few chapters were wild, and disturbing and I quite honestly could have done without the chapter about the baby mouse. That was pretty horrifying. I appreciate the look at influencing and influencer society and how it just seems to amplify white privilege, I wish the the ending and the consequences ( or lack there of) for Julie had been given a bit more time.

Where to start….this book is quite a ride and thriller lovers should have it on their TBR if it’s not there already!! It is a dark, twisted and shocking story that puts a spotlight on social media and just how far influencers will go for exposure and followers. Julie gets caught up in a huge lie, thinking that her life has taken a turn for the better, but has it? Was Chloe’s rich upbringing and influencer life all that it seemed? Buckle up for this addicting read!! Thank you Atria Books, Simon and Schuster Canada for the gifted eARC!!

This book was incredible and disturbing, engaging and shocking! I was not sure what to expect, but this book drew me in and didn't let go!

This book follows Julie Chan, a twin who was adopted by her Chinese aunt, while her identical twin sister, Chloe, was adopted by a white, wealthy family and grows up into an influencer. Julie unexpectedly gets a shocking phone call from her estranged sister, and is then unable to get ahold of her. After a few days of trying to get back into contact, Julie decides to travel to New York to make sure her sister is okay, and finds that she's died in her apartment. Julie is mistaken for Chloe, and decides to assume her identity and take over Chloe's influencer lifestyle. The more Julie pretends to be Chloe, the more she discovers of Chloe's secrets, and that not everything shared online was what it seemed.

I wasn't sure what to expect with this book, and it took some twists and turns I was not expecting! There were times where the amount of social media discussion got to be a bit much for me, but in the context of the story it made sense for Julie to be comparing follower counts and account types of Chloe's social circle. I found the twists within the story, as Julie tries to find answers in Chloe's past that could explain her death, incredibly engaging, and I couldn't put this book down at times! I was stunned by the end of this book, and would highly recommend this if you enjoy a good thriller!

Thank you to Simon & Schuster for the advance e-book, all opinions are my own.

Come for the mystery, stay for the morally questionable decisions and anticipation of being caught at any moment.

Julie Chan is Dead was an edge-of-your-seat, screaming-at-the-book, “GIRL NOOOO” kind of unhinged thriller, and I enjoyed every chaotic minute of it.

After discovering her sister Chloe’s body, Julie makes a snap decision that would make most therapists cry - she steps into her sister’s glamorous, influencer life. We're talking money, fame, curated brunches, and an apartment that probably smells like eucalyptus and betrayal.

But of course, that kind of haunting decision doesn't come without consequences. As Julie (ahem, “Chloe”) gets comfortable in this borrowed identity, secrets begin to unravel, dark, twisted, influencer-gone-bad kind of secrets.

The book delivers drama, tension, and a kind of surreal discomfort that works. I will say, the middle could’ve been tighter and a couple plot points felt like they needed just one more draft. But overall? I was hooked.

Thank you Simon & Schuster Canada for the ARC!

4.5 stars

Julie Chan Is Dead... I'm just about speechless, but not quite. First, I loved it. Despite some scenes that gave me physical ick. (See content warnings at the end of my post.)
Julie Chan Is Dead starts off with darker shades of the book Yellowface, then goes completely off-grid in the second half.
Julie finds her identical twin Chloe, a famous influencer, dead in her apartment and makes the near-immediate decision to slip into her life. The twins were separated by tragedy as children and raised by different families.
This is a story of online influencers, but also of breaking down messy secrets and trauma.
An unforgettable, if at times difficult, read. Awesome work from debut author Liann Zhang. Recommended!
Thank you to Simon & Schuster Canada for my eARC for review!
Released on April 29.