4⭐️

I don’t even know where to begin with this book 🤯

Julie Chan lives a struggled life, when out of nowhere she is reunited with her long lost twin sister: Influencer Chloe Van Huusen. When Julie stumbles upon Chloe’s dead body, she assumes Chloe’s identity and attempts to infiltrate her career and her social circle - a group of influencers known as the “Belladonna’s”. Then SH*T. GETS. WEIRD.

This had me completely hooked from chapter 1. First it’s the mystery of what’s going on with her sister, then whether Julie will successfully fool the world into thinking she’s Chloe, then…. Things get creepy. This is a dark comedy/thriller which explores “the age of the influencer” in a really interesting way. Very “Yellowface” meets cult.

A Rollercoaster..
Julie Chan has stolen her identical twin, influencer sister’s life. She really didn’t mean to - or did she? Either way, all she has to do from now on in is to act the part. Surely that’s easy - or is it? A rollercoaster of a tale, dark and edgy and spiked with underlying realism with a wry and sharp edged look at contemporary society, peeling back the glamorous layers of influencer culture and exposing the nasty dark debris beneath. Immersive and compelling.

4.5 stars of pure madness! And oh how I enjoyed the ride!

R.F. Kuang's Yellowface meets Mona Awad's Bunny in this crazy, wicked, fantastic, witty, evocative tale of stolen identity.

Julie has nothing. Her twin sister Chloe has everything - except a pulse. After discovering Chloe's dead body, Julie acts on imPULSE (get it?) and takes over her sister's life. This chance encounter with her estranged twin's corpse barrels her into a life of glamour and glory - the life of an influencer. However, Julie soon realizes that her sister's life was not as perfect as she thought (obviously!) and that the world of influencing is much less glamorous than it appears (again, OBVIOUSLY!). As Julie unveils the skeletons in her twin's designer-filled walk-in closet, she is faced with the many triumphs, trials and tribulations that come with stealing the identity of your famous influencer twin... Enter twisted lifestyles, internet addictions, outrageous displays of wealth, blackmail, repressed childhood trauma, and.... *squints at notes* a cult? Yeah, it's wild out there. And trust me, you WANT in on this wildness.

For a debut this is nothing less than brilliant. Liann Zhang expertly wove social media culture, media politics, contemporary racism, t̶o̶x̶i̶c ABUSIVE family dynamics, and capitalist critique into the story of a deeply flawed, deeply troubled, potentially unlikeable young Asian woman. Filled with sardonic humor and a fast pace, this is one book that will leaving you hanging from the pages, eager and DESPERATE for more.

I've rounded this one up to 3.5 stars.
An intriguing premise, Julie Chan Is Dead is full of mystery, ambition, and some incredibly vain and ruthless social media influencers.
I liked the beginning of the book, getting to know Julie, and seeing how the plot would develop. But then, as the book went on, I found it took a completely different turn than I was expecting.

Thank you to the publisher for allowing me to read an advance copy of this book via Netgalley

Julie Chan is working as a cashier and has nothing so doesn’t think twice about taking on her twin sister Chloe’s identity when Julie finds her body under mysterious circumstances. Chloe is a popular influencer and a Julie finds herself in a life of luxury but soon realises Chloe’s life wasn’t as great as she first assumed.

This sounded like a really interesting storyline so I was keen to read and it ended up being a fun, entertaining read. I enjoyed that there was some dark humour within the story and the themes of dysfunctional families and the influencer world. The characters were intriguing, although I found I didn’t really connect to them. I also found the story a bit of a slow burn and maybe in the realms of the young adult genre. However, this was a promising debut overall and an enjoyable concept. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this copy in return for an honest review.

The bright cover of this book caught my eye, the blurb intrigued me and I thought I would give it a try. Publishing on 1st May, thanks to Bloomsbury Publishers and NetGalley for my advance copy in exchange for a review.

Julie is a twin, but she couldn’t have had a more different life from her sister. When they were 4 years old, their parents were killed. Chloe was adopted by an affluent NY couple and Julie is raised by her cruel aunt. Chloe has made a name for herself as a successful influencer, and when Julie finds her twin dead, it’s all too easy to steal her identity and the lifestyle.

‘She’s writing the end of Julie Chan’s story and the start of mine.’

This is the author’s debut novel and initially I was enjoying the story. There’s some humour, albeit dark, and I was curious to find out what would happen. The book felt quite slow paced and I was amazed that no one seemed to notice the twin swap. The second half of the book felt totally disjointed and weird, almost separate from the first half. It was a bit too unbelievable and ridiculous for me and let the story down.

I wanted to find out more about Chloe’s life, what had her parents done? There were hints at abuse and that Chloe was unhappy but I felt it wasn’t really explored. I was also confused as to where the incriminating tape came from that the auntie had, maybe I missed it.
Some parts could be triggering, there are brief mentions of eating disorders and baby loss.

The book does make you think about influencers, their often shallow, superficial friendships with other influencers and the fake personas on social media. In a way it can also seem cult like and I wonder if that’s what the author was trying to portray in the second half of the book.

Overall I didn’t enjoy this book as much as I’d hoped. The pacing was too slow and the second half too ludicrous and sometimes disgusting. Unfortunately not a book I would recommend.

2.5 stars rounded to 2.

4⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

This book was fun! Very much a morally grey main character but I was so entertained!

The book is dark and twisted and led me to having a lot of wtf moments. Definitely a good book to pick up if you’re looking for something addictive and to pull you out of a reading slump. Defo will be reading more from this author!

Liann Zhang’s debut Julie Chan Is Dead is one of the most twisted, whip-smart thrillers I’ve read all year. Set against a backdrop of influencer glitz and filtered lies, this book dives deep into the darkness behind the ring lights. When Julie takes on her twin’s identity, what she discovers isn’t fame—but fear.

The writing is razor-sharp and the pacing doesn't let up. It’s a psychological mystery that explores grief, sisterhood, and the perilous line between performance and reality.

For fans of The Other Black Girl, Bridge, or You—this is one social media feed you won’t forget.

This was a bit of a rough read. It started off strongly enough, and I was immediately hooked & eager to see where the story led. I think the premise itself was good, and I was hoping it would be a psychology thriller.

However, it took a really weird turn once Julie travelled to the island with the Belladonnas. It felt like the author tried to take the story in multiple different directions, but none of them were fleshed out enough to work. I would have loved to have seen more of the focus on one specific storyline; I think the overall book would have been stronger if Zhang had done this.

Look, I do not want to be one of those doom-mongers decrying that TikTok ruined reading, but TikTok did, in fact, ruin reading in more ways than one. Julie Chan is Dead is a Frankenstein's monster of various popular trends, themes and styles, lagging just behind enough the fashion for none of it to land in any meaningful way.

As I went in, I knew nothing about this book, apart from the fact that it has something to do with social media and influencing, and that it had less of a serious and sombre tone than something like Allow Me to Introduce Myself by Onyi Nwabineli. The premise mixes together Yellowface and How to Kill Your Family, as Julie, a long-estranger working class Asian American girl assumes the identity of her twin sister Chloe, a popular influencer who was adopted as a child by a rich white couple.

The premise is ridiculous enough to clearly signal that Julie Chan is Dead is supposed to be a satire. But satire is meant to be punching up, not down. In this story, trying to keep up with another popular trend, 'let's support women's wrongs', Julie is incredibly unlikable, naïve, rash and stupid, making poor decision after poor decision (many of them quite out of character for the street-smart and crafty woman she is supposed to be). I started off thinking the object of the satire will be Chloe and her social circles, but as this retelling of Yellowface kept the structure of tis already popular counterpart, the object of the satire immediately became Julie herself, relegating Chloe to being blandly and saintly dead (as the only time we meet her in her diaries, she actually comes across as sympathetic and likable). The whole premise is unrealistic, but I found the idea that Julie can keep producing content of the same quality and at the same pace as Chloe laughable. Influencing might not be the hardest job in the world, but it does require skills, and we are told again and again that Julie posts content she makes herself (spontaneous selfies etc), without much of an effect on her following (there is one throwaway comment about it, but it focuses on the vibes of her content, not on the quality of her pics).

Around the 50% mark, the book makes a U Turn to absorb yet another popular TikTok genre - the weird girl soft horror. The novel tries to serve Mona Awad, but the problem is that even Mona Awad does not always write Mona Awad well, and the switch from tongue in cheek How to Kill Your Family clone to Bunny-light is quite jarring. The second half of the narrative still operates according to the worldbuilding and narrative rules of the first, showing a world where everyone is a complete idiot (to make the premise work in the first place), and that takes all the sails out of any menace the Belladonnas, this book's Bunnies, present. This part of the story also requires Julie to be somewhat sympathetic, something the first half of the narrative decisively trounced. Don't forget introducing a Black character just so she can make an America Ferrara worthy speech about privilege levels in content creation with the gusto of an Instagram infographic, whilst not having any further personality, agency or active role in the story.

Was there anything good about this book? It is very easy to read, and despite finding it quite frustrating, I never once thought of DNFing it. The very end I guess was alright, the lukewarm satire landed there better than it had before. Maybe this is my one rage-read of the year.

This was such a fun thriller that took quite a sharp turn in direction the last third that left me gobsmacked as it wasn;t what I expected when I came into this book. The book does explore the world of influencers and drops some commentaries about race and privlage; but not as much as one could hope for. I actually expected more from the influencer space than was given but I still throroughly enjoyed the experienced reading this book.
Julie was a complicated character with enough resentment and lonliness that her actions could be explained and feasable. She was needy enough to be desperate and manipulated to be part of the Belladonnas. So while her actions gradually became more wild, I understood her motivations and reasonings.
While reading this book did I have to suspend my disbelief a bit, sure. But it was a delicous read to experience.

A razor-sharp exploration of identity, ambition, and the dark side of influencer culture — I couldn’t look away.

A similar premise to R.F. Kuang’s Yellowface, but set in the glittering and cutthroat world of elite influencers.

Julie Chan was separated from her twin sister, Chloe, at just four years old after their parents died in a tragic accident. Chloe was quickly adopted by the wealthy Van Hussen family, while Julie ended up with their selfish, truly awful aunt.
Their lives barely crossed paths again, except when Chloe used Julie for content… until Julie finds Chloe dead in her apartment. Faced with a choice, Julie steps into her twin’s life. As "Chloe," she joins the ultra-exclusive Belladonna influencer group... but that's when things start to turn dark.

This book was just as addictive as a scroll through social media — I honestly couldn’t put it down.

Julie is definitely problematic, but is it bad that I found myself rooting for her?

I absolutely loved it!

I feel like there’s a bit to unpack here…
The first half of the book, loved it, can’t fault it, a great deep dive into the world of an influencer and social media, providing a satirical view on the internet performance we all take as real life.
The second half, well I didn’t expect any of it! Dark, twisted and wholly unsettling, albeit, a little weird in parts! Unsure how I rate this if I’m honest so I’ve gone with a generous 4, where it might’ve been a 3.5 if the first half hadn’t been quite as good.

Oh, this is quite the book! The best one I've read in a while, actually. I love a murder mystery but this book flips the genre on its head, with a lot less mystery than I expected. Not once did I speculate that the story was going in the direction it was, but it was nice to see something original for a change, and not a rehash of what we have already read, albeit love, many times before.

Julie Chan Is Dead is a sharp, satirical dive into the world of influencers, identity, and internet performance—with a thriller twist that kept me intrigued, if occasionally overwhelmed.

Liann Zhang delivers a fresh and timely narrative, and I loved how the story explored the unsettling duality of online personas. Chloe stepping into her twin sister’s hyper-curated influencer life felt equal parts eerie and fascinating. The commentary on grief, sisterhood, and the absurdity of social media fame really hit, and Zhang’s voice is biting, smart, and full of personality.

That said, the second half of the novel veered into chaotic territory, and while I appreciate bold storytelling, some of the surreal turns pulled me out of the emotional core. I also found myself wanting a bit more depth in Chloe’s internal journey—especially given the premise’s potential for rich character work.

Still, this is a book I’d recommend to readers who enjoy a genre-blending read with social commentary, psychological tension, and a touch of the bizarre. It’s not your average thriller, and that’s exactly its strength and, at times, its challenge.

Well thisbwas an absolute game of two halves! The first half was excellent, really enjoyed Julie slipping into Chloes life. Sadly the second half on the island got a little bit weird!

I loved this book at first. It was such a fun, interesting premise, and I really liked how the character of Julie was set up, and her foray into Chloe's life. The ending felt weird, like it suddenly shifted into ludicrous fantasy, and it just fell quite flat.

Julie Chan is Dead is not the book you think it is.

Sure, when it begins, you'll run headfirst into into thriller/stolen identity territory, as Julie visits the twin she doesn't really talk to (separated as infants), finds her dead, then decides to become her.

But then it turns into a book about influencers - at least for a little while. For Julie's twin sister was Chloe VanHuusen, a popular influencer in own right, earning enough to run a team and get freebies left, right and centre. We dive deep into this world, which isn't as glamorous as it sounds - though Julie is constantly worried about her real identity being discovered.

Then she gets an invite to a super-secret vacation from the biggest and bestest influencer of them all. They fly to a private island and now the novel takes a new turn towards completely crazy. I can't say too much without going fully into spoiler territory, but there are drugs, promises, and even talks of gods and mice.

You're definitely kept on your toes in that last third or so of the book, but it's hard to say whether the manic energy it evokes is good, bad, or just entertaining. It's definitely a rollercoaster. And it's unexpected - which is always refreshing, right?

A memorable read.

As always, Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher, Bloomsbury Publishing, for the opportunity to read and review Julie Chan Is Dead by Liann Zhang.

From the very beginning Julie Chan Is Dead had me hooked. Before I had even started the book I had wondered 'just how crazy is this book going to get considering how crazy the premise itself is?' And oh boy, Liann Zhang did not disappoint. I think I can only describe this book as a roller coaster one that shoots fast up an incline as Julie discovers her twin sisters death and then rockets even faster down a steep descent into madness. A decline so deep that at one point I felt physically nauseous.

Our story follows Julie, a working class convenience store worker who gets a mysterious phone call from her estranged rich influencer twin sister shes seen only once since their parents death when Chloe used her to further her own career and discovers her dead. Upon learning her own face can unlock Chloe’s phone and filled with a sense of resentment and entitlement to all Chloe has by the sheer chance she got adopted by a rich white family, Julie decides that Chloe shouldn’t be the only one to have fun and replaces her sister. But Chloe’s life was not as it seems and now Julie must juggle keeping up appearances both online and to Chloe’s friends, The Belladonnas - a group of rich white influencers that had taken Chloe under their wing.

The social commentary on this book was one of the aspects I truly loved, I think at this point in time I couldn’t think of a single aspect of this book I would criticize.

To me this book is almost as if Yellowface by R.F. Kuang and Bat Eater by Kylie Lee Baker had a baby. With Julie’s mix of guilt, resentment, entitlement and deception fitting with June's character in Yellowface and the aspects of grief to a point of almost being haunted, struggles with mental stability, and the more descriptive horror aspects of the book reminded me of Cora from Bat Eater.

For her first ever novel, I truly believe that this is such a strong debut into the publishing world for Liann Zhang and I would happily read whatever she may write next.

Many thanks to Bloomsbury Publishing for the gifted ARC of Julie Chan is Dead—one of the most addictive debut thrillers I have ever read!

This book is fast-paced, dark, twisted and thoroughly enjoyable. It dives into the dark side of social media, shedding light on the lives of high-profile influencers and the dangerous consequences of curated perfection. The exploration of authenticity, the fake standards imposed by social media and the lengths people will go to for love and acceptance are key themes that make this story so relevant.

The first half of the book is pure perfection—addictive, engaging, and hard to put down. I dare you to try just one more chapter! You’ll be up late reading, so be warned: don’t start this book late at night!

The second half takes a chilling, disturbing and twisted turn. It reminded me of The Menu (the horror film with Ralph Fiennes)—dark, gross and seriously unsettling, but it worked for me! This second part is not for the lighthearted, so be prepared for a jarring ride.

Overall, I loved this debut—intense, gripping and bold. Liann Zhang has left me eager to read more and I can’t wait to see what she comes up with next!